RPF/RPS (2006 meta)

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Meta
Title: RPF/RPS
Creator: Alyburns, plus commenters
Date(s): April 4, 2006
Medium:
Fandom: focus on The Sentinel
Topic:
External Links: RPF/RPS; archive link page one; archive link page two
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

RPF/RPS is a 2006 essay by Alyburns.

Topics Discussed

Related/Response Posts

Excerpt from the Essay

Fandom is high school.

Maybe it shouldn't be -- but it is.

In high school, if you wanted your diploma, you had to make it through to graduation. Of course, then you go to college, which is simply a larger version of high school, but you have to stick with it too because you want your degree. Then you graduate (and for the sake of this, you *don't* go on to graduate school, but if you do, well, yeah, it's an even snarkier version of high school *grin*) and you're officially a grown-up and you get a job.

Only to find out that life is high school too.

So you turn to television, discover a show, get involved, discover fandom -- and you're in heaven.

Until the first kerfuffle and you realize fandom is ... yep, high school.

You're surrounded by all the same groups: The "cool ones" ( the elite) to whom many bow and praise if they so much as sneeze (you'll know them when you read comments like, "I bow at the altar of your greatness" when all they did was mock someone *grin*). They rule the school -- even from fandoms far away.

There are still the geeks and nerds, of course. They're great for making fun of, aiming hilariously funny barbs at and adding to wank pages with a *wink-wink* and a *nudge-nudge*

We've got the jocks -- *scratches head* -- okay, I don't know where they fit in -- maybe they're the ones who always tell authors to suck it up? *grin*

The cheerleaders -- who try to keep fandom fun.

The student leaders -- who provide sanity when most needed.

The honor roll students -- I'm not sure what they did in high school except change the curve, damn it, so how they fit in fandom is your choice. *grin*

The misfits - These were the kids who didn't fit anywhere -- in the fandom, we're the lurkers *grin*.

And just like high school, we have cliques and fringe and hanger-on'ers.

There are codes which are sancrosanct -- until one of the golden kids, one of the cool kids (just for fun, mind you) -- decides to break 'em -- but they're allowed because they're the cool kids. Cool kids can do anything -- say anything -- laugh at anything and joke about anything. They're cool.

But for the sake of arugment, let's assume there's an issue in the world of fandom and it's: RPS, which stands for Real Person Slash (definition: pairing a real actor with another one and then posting it on the www for all to see) Now understand, I'm not talking about "talking" about RPS. I'm not referring to private conversations on chat or in emails (unless they're shared for the whole world to see, of course *grin*) or on the phone -- or within the confines of our own brains -- how much we love the idea of Actor A getting it on with Actor B. We're not even talking about writing it down in the form of a story for your own pleasure. We're talking about writing a story -- a RP slash story -- for whatever reason, be it parody or fun or a joke -- and POSTING it on the WORLD WIDE WEB. Okay, are we clear on what we're talking about? Good.

In the majority of the fandom, RPF is something we don't really do. It's kind of like the overall feeling about underage slash. Sure, RPS is done, but for many, it's not a good thing to do. Not the right, *ethical*, kind, polite or respectful thing to do. But it's done and it's even done well and funny and witty and dreamy and hot. But overall -- within most fandoms -- it's one of the big no-nos.

So what happens when a truly cool person, an "up there on a pedestal" person who writes golden prose, witty repartee on lj and lists, is funny and fun -- does it -- even if out of so-called "love" for those involved? Does that make it okay? Should we just chuckle and move on? Does it make it okay because this cool person says it's all over the net anyway? (Why did I just hear my mother saying, "So if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?" I *so* hate channeling my mother!)

Well, I for one am struggling with those questions. Maybe I'd feel different if the cool person/s didn't speak (out of so-called love) for one of the actors in such a ... almost a kind of "So thankful I'm out of that fandom, they're all so pathetic but gosh, I love the little dear" way, followed by a patronizing pat on the head. (I think that's learned in high schoo, btw. Or from mothers who love to give their daughters compliments that are really sharply barbed insults. "Honey, you look wonderful in that dress. Irene, you remember my good friend Irene, don't you? She had one just like it when she was your age -- no one asked her to dance either.") Then there was the whole misuse of Godwin's Law ::rolls eyes::. But hey, it made the fandom wank lj, so doesn't that mean our cool person is in the right? Of course it does. After all -- I mean, really. Fandom Wank. The be all, end all of the internet and lj world. Hell, it's even in Wikipedia. How cool is that? So how could this cool person be wrong? I mean, could you *be* any more cool than to have your detractors mocked by 3,000 Fandom Wank members? I think not.

So yes, I'm struggling with whether I should fall on the side of "Yeah, sure, RPS is AOK by me because "Cool Person Number 345" says so and God, I really don't want to fall out of favor or be wanked or mocked or made fun of again or shoved into my locker or into a hamper full of dirty jock straps -- er -- that might not be so -- where was I again?" or whether I should fall on the side of "You know, no matter how many ways I look at it, no matter how funny or witty or harmless or in, or cool or wonderful or brilliant... RPS is just not the thing to do. Not kosher. Oh, wait. Kosher. Was that a roundabout way of bringing up the Nazi's and thus invoking the dreaded Godwin's Law??? Nah. Anywho, RPS is just not my cuppa-cuppa and, on a level I don't quite understand, it rankles, so yes, high school or not, cool or not, wanked or not -- I stand up freely and risk it all to say it's wrong."

"I think RPS is wrong. I don't need a reason for believing that, it just is in my book. I don't care if you want to write it, go ahead. I ain't gonna stop you. After all, who the hell am I? No one. But I'll sleep better at night with my belief and that's what matters to me."

::removed url:: If nothing else, you'll enjoy most of her lj and she is one of the great writers and hey, you may find that you enjoy RPS, specifically hers and her buddies. In which case, you'll thank me for sending you there. :) At the very least, you can make up your own mind about RPF -- if you haven't already. And then you can decide where you stand, if you stand anywhere at all *grin*

So, in conclusion: yes, fandom is high school, and life, and The Office and family. It has good days and bad, good people and not so good, sane and insane folks. It has kerfuffles and flame wars, Fandom Wank and the appropriate mocking. But hey, it's cool too. And how boring would life be without it? Of course, I'd undoubtedly vacuum way more, but that's highly overrated anyway.

So enjoy it, kerfuffles and all. But every now and then, be brave and take a stand. No matter what it is. If I disagree, we'll discuss and eventually one of us will bring up the nazis, thus signaling the fact that we've taken the discussion as far as we can or should. Or we could smash that *rule* and keep right on truckin'. *grin*

PS: Just to clarify? I think GM would laugh. Heartily. I also think that deep down inside -- there'd be a small prick of disappointment.

Comments to the Post

[kungfunurse]:

You know what hit me the hardest in all of this? Seeing some old writers whose works I've enjoyed talking about TS in such a derogatory way. I wanted to say, "But... But... don't you love Jim and Blair anymore??" :-(

I guess it's hard for me to understand that people can leave such a wonderful thing like the Sentinel behind. Ah well.

[alyburns]: they ever talked about TS in a good way. Honest. And it's cool to bash it now. We're the 'weird' fandom. That clique with the kid who had braces up to her forehead, the boy with the back brace, the overweight girl with the coke bottles for glasses, and yep, the kids who sat in corners and read and fantasized and dreamed. :) My kind of group.

[suziq]: Aly, you are so cool! What a great post...you really boiled it down well.

[sara merry99]:

I agree with you about her "love" for the actor sounding way, way more like extremely cruel mocking. (Why, that's just like high school. :) ) Heaven save me from a "love" like that.

I mean I've read some of her due South stories and they're quite lovely, and obviously she has the right to write and post what she wants.

But I agree with you about RPS--I think it is crossing a line. And as tempting as it is to slash the guys in Mythbusters, I won't do it because I don't want to cross that line.

[alyburns]:

[Brooklinegirl] is Brook Henson. :) A Guide's Guide is her series of Blind!Jim. :) But I never actually thought of it as a WIP -- it was just an ongoing series.

And I think, in this case, her RPS is pretty real. RB is in it, his wife, Moonridge, you name it. She doesn't put them in a different world or anything, so I think it qualifies as RPS but I know what you mean.

[patk]:

I didn't percieve [Brooklinegirl] as being part of an "in-crowd" in TS. She seems to be more on the fringe of TS-fandom, at least that's how I perceived it, and way more active in other fandoms, such as DS.

Same goes for the bunch on f-w only that I think there are mostly not into TS at all and a few of them were at some time but aren't anymore. F-w is into mockery, nothing else. *G*

PatK

-)

[bubbleslayer]:

aly, thank you so much for fully explaining this whole thing. I admit I've been on the fringe of the fandom (just like high school - scary) and I haven't really been able to figure out what's been going on. Now I do, and wow, do I have issues.

I have friends who are musicians. They're not nationally known, don't make the Billboard charts, but they're pretty popular in their genre. They travel far and wide and have fans all over. I've watched them struggle with the line between their professional and private lives. I'm one of a handful of people that have, over the years, been able to cross the line from fan to friend. I've seen some really scary fans and some really sweet fans. We've spent some interesting nights over beers discussing the situation. I've had to make the point time and again that fans are individuals, not a single minded collective group. It's very hard for them to distinguish that. I hope that GM doesn't have this same problem. I'd hate this to be the straw that breaks the camels back and send him running from his fans.

At the convention in LA, I really got the impression that as much as he appreciated the support, he wasn't really comfortable with the whole situation. I really got the impression that he thought we were unable to differentiate between Blair and Garett. Maybe it was because it was such a large group (I'm assuming it's a much smaller group at something like Moonridge) and was focused on just this one thing.

I'd really hate to have a handful of people (no matter how cool they think they are) drive a wedge between Garett and his fans (ie me!.) If they think he's not going to find out about it, they are very wrong. Stuff like this always gets out. Maybe not right away, but it will. Huh, just like high school. (aly, I really like this analogy.)

And, we all joke about the legal aspect of the fandom, but do these people realize that RPS could be considered libel? Actual libel? Any of the people included in these stories, if they chose,could sue. The writers want to deal in reality, let's talk reality. Are these stories really worth it? Worth the possibility of loosing everything they own and possible jail time? I highly doubt it. But then, the 'cool' people always did think they were untouchable. Of course, that would probably open the can of worms that would have studios and production companies cracking down on all fan fiction. I just don't see a happy ending to the whole thing.

[leviathanmuse]:

Personally, I really dislike RPF/RPS. It's one thing in the safety of your living room to make a comment like "Ooh, he and he are so doing it", but to put it in print for all to see is just not kosher to me. The characters are fine because they're not the actual person whose face you see when that character is on the screen. I know that a lot of the RPF people say, "Well, I'm only using them as their actor 'persona'" to justify it, but I still see it as libel myself. I know that if someone had me supposedly paired with someone else and was printing it all over the place I wouldn't be very happy with it.

But then, that's just me. I'm the oddball.

[moonpupy]:

I read slash fanfic for enjoyment. I read RPS for enjoyment. I honestly don't give a flying f*ck what the authors do in real life. It's none of my business. I do care what they do with their fannish life, but only so far as it provides us something to read. Something to take us away from the harshness of Real Live (tm), and let us relax and enjoy.

Yes, I personally know some BNFs (Big Name Fans). Know what? They have real lives and problems too, something that those who worship them seem to forget. It's like the fans need someone to worship and fawn over - to supplement their sad Real Lives (tm).

I have never read anything first-hand at Fandom Wank. My information, literally, comes from 'a friend of a friend' who posts when she finds something particularly outrageous or silly. I don't care to ever read anything that comes out of that, IMO, void of intelligence. They (and their opinions) appear to be a bunch of pre-adolescent girls who have nothing better to do than sit around at a pajama-party of sorts, tearing apart those they don't like, and raising to a level of god-hood those they do.

And, for some unknown reason, people thrive on this kind of attention. Whether it's good or bad.

I will never leave a fandom because of what other people think. Because, ya know? I have a life. And I don't really give a damn about theirs.

[gershwhen]:

And count me in on the RPS, "it's fic, so who cares?" group. Maybe it's because it was so prevalent in my other fandom, maybe because I don't read it and don't care or maybe because it ISN'T libel in the legal sense of the word (hence the label "fiction") I don't really see how it could be any more harmful than a photomorph of J/B or a graphic picture with GM's face on it.

But I'm greatly enjoying the discussion and the finger pointing on all sides!

[ninasis]:

And see - I think that's a cop-out. The same folks who are all up-in-arms over RPS and how bad!dirty!nasty!evil!wrong! it is are the same ones who "lovingly" create pieces of "art" showing "Jim" and "Blair" doing just about every explicitly sexual act imaginable. Bottom line - it's Richard and Garret being drawn and manip'd and painted and turned into wallpapers and icons - and even more reprehensible, sold by the artists - that the masses drool over. Bottom. Line.

As far as I'm concerned, it's extremely hypocritical for someone to jump on their soap box and tell all of us who enjoy a certain type of fic (whether it be non-con/rape stories, or incest stories, or the popular chan stories in HP - and even, yes, RPS, etc.) that we should be ashamed, that we're perverts, that we're the scourge of fandom, and yet that same person turns around and slaps an icon of RICHARD and GARRET bumping uglies on that post.

This entire thing isn't about who's cool or who has the moral high ground. It's about one group yet again feeling like they have the right to tell another group that they should be ashamed about something that, in this case, was done in jest and in fun. As others have said, if you don't like something, don't read it.

[luicat]:

I didn't know RPF existed, but I do now thanks to this. I went and read the piece quoted and was really disappointed. Not only about the fact that something like that exists, but also how others reacted to it. Reminded me a bit of hyenas really.

It's one thing to write fiction about the characters, but about the actors? To me it was offensive and I hope (in my optimistic way) that GM never knows about this and if he does, doesn't let it affect what he thinks and feels about the vast majority of his fans. I would hate for him to feel that he has to curtail anything he loves doing (ie Moonridge) because of the RPF writers.

I'm not a writer, I'm no one, just the usual misfit (thanks! That's me!), but I'll stand and be counted with you.

[morgan d]:

about the RPS... I never had the feeling that there was a tacit "rule" against it. As far as my knowledge goes, some people like it, some don't. Some come up with logical arguments (or at least try) to justify their liking or disliking, and others just... feel. It's interesting that you compared it with the "overall feeling about underage slash". To be honest, I don't know whether that "overall" really applies; I had the chance to interact with many fandoms that welcome underage slash (and some in which it is even canon, like in some mangas and animes). The first time I saw people freaking out about underage slash was when I joined the Harry Potter fandom, and it caught me completely by surprise.

Be that as it may, I have the same opinion about both. Fiction is fiction. As long as it's fiction and it's clearly stated that it's fiction, I'm completely okay with it. I wish there were more RPS fics available. But I see at least two reasons why even writers that enjoy RPS would not write it.

One, safety. While someone like Richard Dean Anderson (who openly dissed slash writers and fans) might turn a blind eye to Jack/Daniel slash, he might decide an Anderson/Shanks story bothers him enough to put his lawyers to work. (*I* see a HUGE difference between RPS fiction and a tabloid article saying Anderson and Shanks *are* having a hot affair, but many celebrities don't, for one reason or another.) I'm not sure, statistically speaking, that slash with fictional characters attracts less Cease & Desist letters than RPS fiction, but people tend to believe so.

Two, difficulty to access canon. IMHO, it's harder to write RPS. Why? Because while we might know everything there is to know about Daniel Jackson and Teal'c -- because we saw all the episodes, etc. --, we don't really know Michael Shanks and Christopher Judge that well. One has to really dive into researching their biographies, filmographies, interviews, etc. unless they're writing a PWP. We were not with Shanks and Judge when they went through the most dramatic moments of their lives, not the way we were with Daniel and Teal'c. We've seen the interior of Daniel's apartments and Teal'c's quarters, so a SG-1 fanfic author doesn't have to waste time to describe them, while the RPS writer will probably have to spend some time guiding us around the dwellings of Shanks and Judge (even if the author is just making it all up). And so it goes. RPS requires a LOT of imagination and talent, it's a serious challenge, and I have a lot of respect for those who give it a serious try.

Anyway, that's my opinion, and it's been my opinion since I first heard the term RPS (about 6 years ago). I've never heard about the "cool person 345" mentioned in your post, neither did I know said person was "one of the cool ones". I don't even know who Garett Maggart is, to be honest. On the other hand, I know you, have read all your SG-1 fics, and I do consider you "one of the cool ones", and here I am disagreeing with you. I sleep perfectly well with my opinion -- I wouldn't call it a belief, though; it's not set in stone, and I'm not against discussing the theme.

As for f_w... I can't think of one reason why I should care about their fits.

[alyburns]: ...yes, I think there is since the majority of major fiction archives, Area 52, the AG archive, and many others, will not allow RPS. Nor will most award programs. So yes, I think it is a tacit "understanding" (rather than rule). *grin*

[morgan d]:

Using analogies is always risky, but I'll take my chances. Picture a white man that owned a restaurant of sorts a century ago in some town where the "coloured people" were segregated. Even if this restaurant owner himself is against segregation, and even if he is bold enough to stand up for his beliefs every now and then, from that to actually opening his place for all races and telling them they should all eat together, man, that's a huge step. He could easily lose his business entirely, and that wouldn't help him or any of the people he was trying to defend in the first place.

RPS used to be allowed in FF.net. But as the site grew, they have become more and more restrictive of contents allowed in their archives. Maybe they suddenly had a change of heart about RPS? Perhaps. Or maybe they realised that, as they became more and more popular, they also became a bigger target for law suits. I own a small archive for a manga/anime-based fandom, and so far no one tried to submit a fic slashing the characters' voice actors; I think I'd probably accept it, but that's because I doubt those Japanese actors would find it unless they were looking for it. Conversely, if I owned a major, highly visible archive, I'd probably be concerned about protecting my own investment (both financial and creative), despite my vocal support to RPS writers. (Call me coward and hypocritical if you want, but I think heroic gestures requires perfect timing and visibility, or else it all just goes down the drain.)

I think RPS will have to gain space and importance in private sites for a long while yet, and that general fanfiction will have to leave the legal limbo before the major archives start braving the challenge of sheltering RPS. That's my bet anyway. Be that as it may, news like this suggest to me that RPS does have a place among us and that maybe in time the celebrities themselves will see them in a benign way.

[aerianya]:

May be if would be a heroic gesture if the folks writing this put their real names on it as well.That would shift the liability to the person instead of the site correct? But will they associate their real name with what they write in this genre?

I don't care what other people read ,it is gonna be written and it's gonna be read.

I am sure it will be protected speak much like the tabloids, that is the way I look at it.

But if your relatives put your real name in a search engine would they come up with this kind of thing?

Would you be okay with that? and then I may have totally misunderstood what your saying here.

[morgan d]:

May be if would be a heroic gesture if the folks writing this put their real names on it as well. That would shift the liability to the person instead of the site correct?

I'm not a lawyer, but as far as I know the site owners and managers are responsible for their site's contents, no matter who wrote each individual story. (This gets tricky with forums, where supposedly one is only responsible for their own words; I'm not sure how that's dealt with legally.)

But will they associate their real name with what they write in this genre?

Most fanfiction writers use pen names, even those who write gen. Like I said in a previous comment, fanfiction is still in a legal limbo. Even authors of G-rated gen fanfics have received C&D letters from original authors that abhor fanfiction of any kind.

But if your relatives put your real name in a search engine would they come up with this kind of thing? Would you be okay with that?

I'm not sure I understand your questions. My family is aware that I write slash and gen fanfiction and draw slash and gen fanart, and my closest relatives read and follow my work. I'm not in any way ashamed of it. I don't write RPS myself (mainly because I think I'm not up to the challenge), but if I did, I doubt my attitude would be any different. That said, I do try to keep my real name and my pen name away from each other, to avoid trouble from prejudiced people from my Real Life. You know, like employers that might think that my writing slash stories has anything to do with my ability to work, and crazy stuff like that.

[joymaro]:

::reads part of brookswhatever lj and flinches in pain::

Um, and she is part of the fandom? Does she actually like Garrett?

Kinda reminds me of the Joxer Wars. But then, Joxer (from Xena) was a recurring secondary character (sorta like Simon), but Blair (therefore Garrett) is a main character.

If you're part of a fandom, doesn't that usually include cheering for the actors, specially when they're down?

I knew there was a reason I dropped out of TS fandom long ago and just recently returned, but have avoided discussion lists and just keep to the fic.

As for high school forever, I actively always stayed away from the in-crowd, happy to be a self proclaimed outcast/loner. If you have issues against RPF, say so and be happy. You probably won't end up in fandom wank if you don't wank about it and just politely express your opinions.

[patk]:

>>Well, I haven't had the pleasure yet of being in F_W, but most of what I've read there is stupid rants from stupid people and Aly doesn't fit into any of these.<<

Yes, my point. Aly just posted her opinion in this entry of her own LJ, nothing else, and what happens? She ends up on f-w as well just because of that. *g*

That's what makes me believe the "You probably won't end up in fandom wank if you don't wank about it and just politely express your opinions"-approach doesn't work very well. :-)

But then, it's somewhat amusing to see they apparently just can't resist to visit other people's LJs over and over and go *looking* for something they can bring up at f-w.

PatK

:-)

[alyburns]: the more I realized that was what bugged me about the stories and comments. In spite of all the protestations to the opposite, that there really wasn't any love evident. :(

[liz6446]:

Just to clarify? I think GM would laugh. Heartily.

I'm not so sure about that. Didn't GM get upset once when his nieces stumbled across a photo manip on some web site. I really hope his nieces never come across any of this RPS stuff. Also, these stories involve more than just GM. They're about his sister Fiona, Richard Burgi, and Richard's wife Lori. Sometimes people are less tolerant when it involves their friends and family than they are when it's just about them.

I happened to run across a post the other day requesting someone write some Garett/Fiona fic. I can't imagine GM reacting well at all to a story about him fucking his sister. In fact, I can't imagine anyone would want to read a story about themselves having sex with a family member. Even the tabloids don't go that far.

I really don't understand the appeal of RPS. The writers don't know anything about the sex lives of the actors so they're just making stuff up, which just puts the stories in the category of ATG (any two guys).

[sweenybird]:

1: I think RPS is morbid and creepifyin', thus I exercise my right to run away. (runs away)

2: I think that the description of GM doing a con at brooklinegirl's house for a pizza and refusing to leave and sleeping under the dogwood tree might be one of the funniest things I've ever read.

[alyburns]: I laughed through much of it -- but then got to the stuff where there was actual *slash* and the cringing started.

[ithiliana]:

Here from metafandom. Don't know your fandom, don't know any of the people involved here, and usually don't comment too much on the debate because it's one of those that will never end (I write the stuff and actually had more qualms about writing Tolkien based FPF than RPF especially given the special features on the DVDs and how so many of the actors created their own special versions of RPS).

It's just--that so much of the comments over here have the "OMG here's this amazing thing we never heard about" that in this case I cannot resist.

A small historical note from a fan who remembers 1977 when a lot of fans were up in arms about how horribly evil and disrespectful and perverted and awful it was to write "slash" about Kirk and Spock because OMG, it would ruin Nimoy and Shatner's career, it didn't matter that it was their characters, those characters belonged to the producers, writers, and actors, and horrible perverse evil slash would make parents keep teenager from fandom, and oh FPF/S is just too evil and bad and disrespectful for words. Stands were taken. Mostly by male fans who found the girl cooties and icky slash just too disrespectful and did I mention evil for words--it's the old "those awful people will ruin fandom for the rest of us nice normal people" that goes around in cycles. The FPF did not stop, and amazingly enough now seems to be the "good" sister with RPF the evil stepsister that people want to shove back into the closet.

I was out of fandom for about twelve years and came back in 2003 and was laughing like crazy to see FPF writers and or readers claiming the moral high ground. Because FPS written about around media characters who are embodied totally by actors (you can write a Frodo who looks nothing like Elijah Wood, but since the films came out most of the Frodos are slim, angelic, blue-eyed, and OMG Elijah Wood) cannot exist except by making use of the "body" of the actors.

The debates have been raging in and around fandoms for um going on thirty years now. I'll be waiting around to see what is heartily disapproved of ten years down the road when RPF is old and staid and accepted. And no matter what, I think that people who honestly think that the actors truly care about any of fannish excesses except direct stalking/harassment (and there are lots of things fans do besides write RPS that might be considered disrespectful and impinging on the actors lives, etc.) have a highly inflated notion of the importance of fans.

[alyburns]: I'm not sure what the past really has to do with anything since we all know there's always something to discuss. *grin* It's probably also true that since you don't know this particular fandom, it's probably hard to understand the surprise some are feeling about *this* particular RPS. And does it really matter that 30 years ago people were shocked by K/S? Or a when the first impreg showed up? Or the first male rape? Or the first BDSM? Probably not and yep, ten years from now, or considering how fast things move now, a month from now, something else will pop up. It always does, eh? *grin* And I think RPF is *already* accepted in a good many places and simply not in others. Same with RPS. People are falling on both sides, per normal human behavior. :) That's logical too. *grin*

[commodorified]:

Dear me.

I don't like, and actively avoid, RPF involving anyone, basically, whose grandchildren might still be alive.

I think it's invasive, impolite, and unkind. None of which are illegal.

I don't make a big secret of this. The comm I co-mod absolutely doesn't allow it, and that's in the userinfo.

But there are lots of people on my friendslist who disagree with me. Actually, I think my girlfriend disagrees with me. And, you know, at worst I think a couple of people might have quietly defriended me over it, or been sort of amazed and taken aback when they assumed I was fine with it and found out I wasn't.

I like brooklinegirl, from what I know of her. I don't need to agree with her about this (or have her agree with me) to keep liking her. I don't think she reads MY stuff, so hey.

I mean, I'm a socialist and a feminist and a pacifist, too, and you should SEE some of the things some of my friend's list has to say about THAT stuff. RPF... I may yet turn out to be wrong about that one, and at any rate it just doesn't seem like the hill I want to plant my flag on.

[alyburns]: I enjoy [Brookline's] lj and normally, her sense of humor. She hit a foul ball for me with the GV and I have my feelings on it but that's my choice and she has hers.

[iridescentglow]: Wait . . . why hasn't any of my RPS converted anybody to such a creepy/laughable/worthless/illegal corner of fandom?? *pouts* Not fair. I'd happily "corrupt" all these lilywhite, functional readers in such a way.

[alyburns]:

RPS'ers start coming out of the woodwork. ::snort:: Of course, I'm sure you've read this post, so of course, you know that "illegal" was never used, but laugable was, but in a good way, as in the RPS in question had some very funny parts. *grin* And I *know* worthless was never mentioned or even intimated. And because some folks aren't fond of RPS, they're lilywhite? Wow.

Amazing.

[anthrogeeke]:

I have to say I'm one of those that just fundamentally has a problem with RPS. I've stated it, been poo pooed and told it's all "harmless". But, Honestly, even legal ramifications aside, I'm not sure it is so harmless. We all fantasize about the actors, we even share that information with each other. But posting stories is a bit different, your right.

I've left lists and writing groups because the line between FPS and RPS was skirting to close or crossed completely. It seems to be that RPS is becoming more widely accepted. It used to be a hush hush secret kink, but now it's got it's own panels at Con's. The whole concept makes me nervous.

Well, I'm rambling away, when really I just wanted to drop a note and say Thanks for raising a hand also.

References

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