exr problem:
Grantaire referring to Enjolras as a god when they’re in a serious relationship.
I think
this is probably way too overarching to really get to the root of the problem?
Because let’s be real, there’s nothing unhealthy or problematic about calling someone you love a god. I call my friends gods when they do something sweet. I called my ex a god when ze would write me fic when I had a bad day. When they said lovely things to me and I was feeling down, when I needed someone to talk to and they were there, when it was a rainy day and they made me laugh. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Where are the issues? In unacknowledged power imbalances that leave Grantaire being taken advantage of by Enjolras, because Grantaire believes Enjolras to be godly and thus believes himself incapable of refusing him. When Enjolras’ very real and legitimate feelings are ignored as the “marble lover of liberty” and “Apollo” because hell, he’s a god, what does he need feelings for? Those are issues. Things like that are problems. Grantaire teasing Enjolras as Apollo when Enjolras is okay with it? Not a problem.
If it’s something you’re uncomfortable with in fic, point it out, discuss it, get to the heart of the problem, talk about it, that’s cool! But painting it as “problematic” regardless of context and setting and situation does a few really harmful things:
- it suggests that it is also problematic in real life regardless of setting and situation and context
- it suggests that anyone who writes this uncritically, regardless of setting and situation and context, is perpetuating problematic behavior and endorsing it
- it suggests that anyone who reads this uncritically, regardless of setting and situation and context, is perpetuating problematic behavior and endorsing it
- it makes the fandom as a whole more hostile by making people uncomfortable with writing fic because there’s a laundry list of unproblematic things that are being painted as problematic (regardless of setting and situation and context)
please be more aware of these things when discussing issues of power dynamics and consent in fic because in some situations context does matter.