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No, seriously
What is it that separates perfectly respectable historical fiction from squick-inducing Real People Fic/Slash?
It can't be the sex, because there is plenty of respectable or at least semi-respectable historical fiction that doesn't shy away from sex.
Is it that the protagonists are still living, or close members of their families might still be living? Because I've seen people still have that squick reaction when that isn't necessarily the case.
Is it an acknowledgment of the personal pleasure we get from certain kinds of fic - and I'm not just referring to sexual pleasure - and that perhaps we're uncomfortable "using" people for such a purpose? Along those same lines, is it perhaps bumping up against other issues with media and celebrity in the information age, and making us look at the lines we draw for ourselves more closely than we'd like to?
Despite the way some of this has ended up being phrased, I really don't have an agenda I'm pushing here - I genuinely feel the answer is "I don't know" and I'm curious what other people think about it.
Edited to add: OK, maybe I do have an agenda - but I'm trying not to, honest!
It can't be the sex, because there is plenty of respectable or at least semi-respectable historical fiction that doesn't shy away from sex.
Is it that the protagonists are still living, or close members of their families might still be living? Because I've seen people still have that squick reaction when that isn't necessarily the case.
Is it an acknowledgment of the personal pleasure we get from certain kinds of fic - and I'm not just referring to sexual pleasure - and that perhaps we're uncomfortable "using" people for such a purpose? Along those same lines, is it perhaps bumping up against other issues with media and celebrity in the information age, and making us look at the lines we draw for ourselves more closely than we'd like to?
Despite the way some of this has ended up being phrased, I really don't have an agenda I'm pushing here - I genuinely feel the answer is "I don't know" and I'm curious what other people think about it.
Edited to add: OK, maybe I do have an agenda - but I'm trying not to, honest!
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I feel I should have something to say in addition to this, but my brain is not firing on all cylinders. Perhaps tomorrow.
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