Trope Detox
| Tropes and genres | |
|---|---|
| Related tropes/genres | Trope Inversion |
| See also | Dub-Con, Rapefic, Non-Con |
| Related articles on Fanlore. | |
A Trope Detox is a relatively new type of fandom trope closely linked to societal changes in normative views on gender expression and the importance of sexual consent. Typically detoxed tropes can range from character archetype tropes (i.e. Brainless Beauty, Bad Boy, Damsel in Distress or Minority Best Friend/Token Minority) or story tropes (i.e. Sex Pollen, Rapefic, Aliens Made Them Do It, Can't Escape The Room Unless or Slavefic). It usually applies to smut or PWP fanfic but can be utilized in any setting or trope where problematic themes relating especially to stereotypical and harmful gender norms (such as toxic masculinity or female docility), harmful sexual scripts (such as rape myths, gendered sexual norms that uphold harmful gender stereotypes, themes of normalised sexual assault) or discrimination (sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.) are usually expected to occur.
A story counts as a trope detox when it specifically "re-writes" a classic trope where such themes are expected to occur. A plot that is "simply" free from sexual assault endorsement, sexism or discriminatory themes that does not aim to re-create a classic problematic trope does not count as a detox, as it does not contain a original reference to be detoxed.
FloraOne has summarised trope detoxing as follows:
"The term trope detox has been called this way across a few fandoms to address things like toxic masculinity, sexism and rape culture/normalised depiction of sexual assault in popular scripts and tropes.Trope detoxing aims to specifically put things like gender equality, nonsexist, non-gender stereotypical depictions of sexual behavior and consent, agency and empowerment into classic tropes that usually and historically have lacked these qualities. The name is directly derived from and in answer to the sociological term toxic masculinity. The trope term “detox” is specifically used to mark stories that use tropes where one would EXPECT themes of rape culture, sexism and toxic masculinity and write them with a conscious effort to subvert these themes while keeping the story-elements of the beloved tropes in tact.
An example of a published work in this manner would be “Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling: And other feminist fairy tales” by Laura Lane and Ellen Haun, focused on rewriting classic fairy tales in a way that is eliminating rape culture, victim-blaming and sexism from beloved, traditional tropes of fiction.
It’s also nomenclature that helps people who are triggered by noncon content (for instance because of experienced sexual trauma) to find “safe” content quicker.
The term trope detox in itself is value neutral and not there to censure or shame noncon or other content which is valid and can even in itself be therapeutic for people who experienced sexual trauma, much like gender-swap as a trope is not there to shame non-gender-swapped content."[1]
Even though the trope aims to subvert problematic themes, it's dependent of the author being able to catch the subtleties of the problematic behaviors addressed. Because of the ever-changing improvements of seeing problematic (sexist, racist, ableist, etc.) themes in society, these stories are to be seen as a product of their time and may in itself age badly as understanding of these problems progresses and more themes and tropes are critically reflected that these stories may contain.
Canon Examples
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- While not having aged favorably in terms of problematic themes depicted[2], Buffy has originally been devised to subvert/detox the Damsel in Distress trope, in which the ditzy blonde doesn't get killed by the monster in an alley, but kills that monster right back.[3]
Fanwork Examples
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- The Unintentional Seduction of Chiba Mamoru by FloraOne. E-rated. Subverted Teach Seduction trope in which Usagi Tsukino goes to Mamoru Chiba to learn how to seduce Tuxedo Mask. However, Mamoru is a virgin, has no idea how to do the sex, and frantically hits the books in order to do that.
- Valse Triste by FloraOne. E-rated. A story inverting sexist gender norms in which it is Prince Endymion who is expected to be untouched and "pure" while Princess Serenity is allowed and expected to frolic around as she sees fit, lacing in social commentary about the sexist norms.
- Gilded Silver by Antigone2. E-rated. This story plays with subverting the womanizer vs. inexperienced princess themes in an Endymion and Serenity story.
- The Boiling Point by Speaks. E-Rated. A story subverting expected sexual coercion themes in a Sex Pollen story, where, instead of showing substance-related dub-con, the trope is instead used to bring consenting, mutually pining, aged-up Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng together in a post-reveal/pre-relationship setting.
- Lassos and Lilies by NotEvenCloseToStraight. E-Rated. A mail-order bride (western au) when stereotypes are subverted into a non-traditional a/b/o trope.
- Undercover Ops by franzia. Rated Teen and Up. Every Twilight trope subverted. Edward Cullen thinks he is in love with Bella, who has to play a high-stakes game of pretend to avoid being dinner.
Archives & Resources
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
References
- ^ FloraOne. The Detox Trope, 21 December 2021.
- ^ Robyn Bahr. Joss Whedon’s ‘feminist’ shows all concealed toxic ideas about women, The Washington Post, 13 February 2021.
- ^ Amy Pascale. Joss Whedon: Geek King of the Universe - A Biography, July 2014.