#I'm aware im cherry picking but am i really | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

acourtofthought · 1 year

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Not everyone has to like feysand to be in the acotar fandom. I find the ship disgusting and I do think that what Rhys did was SA (hence why I don't ship it) but I'm invested enough in the story to continue reading and create content, especially knowing that the rest of the books will focus on the side characters I do like. Im not saying that you shouldn't ship it but you can't just say to people to leave if they don't like the things you do or are bothered by certain storylines. And someone might find SA triggering but not kidnapping (especially considering how much more common SA is, unfortunately). And if people want to point out the problematic elements in those books (racism, sexism, homophobia etc) they should. In fact, being aware of the problematic elements of the books you read is important in consuming them critically and understanding how they effect people irl in terms of representation. You write so many paragraphs on which ship will become canon next or whatever, but fail to see how raising awareness about how certain topics are presented in popular media is important, or how certain things are offensive to minorities or victims.

People use fantasy novels as an escape from reality, something to enjoy.

Are there issues within the book? Sure, if you're using them as a moral compass for your real life. But that's not what people should be doing and I am not here to point fingers at SJM and the readers who enjoy her books for their "failure" to acknowledge all the ways the books are problematic. You can't read a single fantasy fiction book or watch any movie these days that doesn't exhibit the same issues and people should be allowed to enjoy an authors / directors work without being accused of not being "woke" enough. That is something that should be done in the REAL world. Your day to day life and how you see real people treating others.

If your goal is to raise awareness on SA, there are very real organizations where you and others can and should focus their activism. I hate to say it but I don't think the SJM fandom is the place to push for real change.

And the fact that you're not bothered with the book "endorsing" kidnapping and torture or that others claim Tamlin deserves redemption after his domestic abuse of Feyre by finding a Mate but are bothered only by the SA (which I still don't agree with in terms of Feysand) is a very odd statement to me because that's you cherry picking.

"Oh this felony, we definitely should raise awareness on and I'm offended you don't agree but that felony doesn't bother me in the story!"

If you are really up on your high horse about the things that are wrong in this series than why are you stopping at just the one thing? And if you're truly concerned about what's in fictional literature, then I hope you're doing your due diligence to read all other fantasy authors to ensure they're not stepping into morally gray areas as well.

And you telling me I should change the focus on my blog to raising awareness on how this series has issues is basically you telling me that I should take a series that has provided me an escape from my real life and turn it into something else. Which then means I've lost my escape which honestly, is necessary for my own mental health at times.

I think the problem comes from people self inserting themselves into this fictional world and expecting it to follow the code they would expect in their real life. That's not the point of reading fantasy and I think it's important to separate real life from fiction. And I honestly think arguing for change in fantasy novels in a fan group is a waste of time that could better spent raising awareness through well formed organizations. We are not the publishers or writers so your activism is falling on the ears of people who aren't responsible or connected to the ones who can push for change.

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