temptation

[percival]

First of all, I want your cooperation. slowfox has expressed a desire to Geekmoot. In my experience, such a desire has almost always led to a commitment to participate - after suitable tempting by a variety of people (Says She who Counts Four Scalps.) I've the impression that all slowfox needs is a bit of subtle encouragement from fellow 'Mooters to join in the fun to tip him over the precipice, so to speak. So, I solicit your cooperation. Get slowfox to Geekmoot!

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On the temptation to write or talk about incest:

More than fifteen years ago, Germany was rocked by a scandal. A punk band, Die Ärzte, had released a song called "Geschwisterliebe" - sibling love - where the singer talked about seducing his sister. Song and album were banned. As a consequence, every teenager in Germany knew the words by heart.

Is this different from writing R/G smut?

Yes - there's a crucial difference in intent. The song was intended to be ironic. The singer, Farin Urlaub, actually has a sister - and she found the song funny. Remember we're talking about a fun punk band here. Now, many pre-teens might not get the joke, but I bet that teens do. I mean, come on. Your sister. YUCK! Your brother. EEUW! (This same band, if I remember correctly, also praised the joys of shagging German shepherds and warned all girls that men are pigs who degenerate into farting fat monsters shortly after marriage.)

Contrast with this Ron/Ginny, taken seriously, in a very popular fic. Such a choice of storyline paints incest as glorious and desirable. It's actually suggesting that your brother/sister might be an acceptable target for your raging hormones. Well, there are good medical reasons why that is disparaged by society, and why siblings do not, as a rule, find each other sexually attractive. For substantiation, see the Egyptian Pharaonic family.
Moreover, brother/sister relationships are emotionally very fraught - adding a sexual component to a family relationship spells disaster, especially when one of the parties wants to escape from the relationship.

Not to mention that Ron/Ginny has NO substantiation in canon. Heck, Percy/Ginny would be far better substantiated, if just as yucky. At least Percy shows very openly he cares about and looks out for Ginny (COS!)

Now, I'm not a prude. I'm very tolerant. Heck, I even ship Draco/Goblet. I have a strange, warped, black sense of humour. I adore the work of Chris Morris, who famously satirised the nation's obsession with pedophiles. But I do have my limits. I think incest is very RONG, and I don't want to see it endorsed. I can see it made fun of, though ...

Comments

[piperx.livejournal.com]

I agree wholeheartedly. I volunteer at a Crisis Counseling Center and the percentage of patrons who are incest victims is *very* high. One in particular is a "regular" -- forty years after the fact, he's just now starting to deal with the consequences and the effect that it's had on his life and interpersonal relationships. Let me tell you that there are few things more heart-wrenching than listening to a grown man come to the realization that sexual abuse has ruined his life. It's very hard for me to see any justification of this type of relationship in the HP fandom.

I try to be very tolerant as well but yes, you have to draw the line somewhere.

I should check out Chris Morris...

[perceval.livejournal.com]

Ah - I will just have to burn you a CD with some "on The Hour" stuff. Otherwise, CHEX out www.cookdandbombd.co.uk :)

I'm percival on there *cough*

percival

[chickadilly.livejournal.com]

Let me tell you that there are few things more heart-wrenching than listening to a grown man come to the realization that sexual abuse has ruined his life. It's very hard for me to see any justification of this type of relationship in the HP fandom.

This is so ... wow. I just was very moved by this. I recently found out a good friend of mine was a victim of childhood incest and as we've talked a bit about it (he's in counseling now, thank God) I've suddenly realized I understand so much more about him now and why he does certain things that he does. It's something that's such a powerful force in someone's life that it can stay with them the rest of their lives and shouldn't be trivialized.

Oh and randomly ... love your icon. Awwwww ... the w00blet ... so cute ... :D

[piperx.livejournal.com]

It's something that's such a powerful force in someone's life that it can stay with them the rest of their lives and shouldn't be trivialized.

Exactly. Well said.

love your icon

Thanks! I switched out most of my icons for HP icons to help me get jazzed up for OotP. :)

Piper

[perceval.livejournal.com]

It's something that's such a powerful force in someone's life that it can stay with them the rest of their lives and shouldn't be trivialized.

That's a fine line - when do we trivialise something serious and when is it comedy or satire?
One could argue that the song I referred to was an insensitive piece of comedy - whereas the satire
on pedophilia made valuable comments about how the media exaggerates and exploits suffering.

What do you think?

I'll pray for your friend.

percival