tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post9024872444753900143..comments2024-03-01T21:22:51.305-08:00Comments on The Literary Mercenary: Explicit Sexual Violence is NOT Acceptable in Mainstream FictionNeal Litherlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307649737269196558noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post-17716156462587755952017-01-26T16:12:53.450-08:002017-01-26T16:12:53.450-08:00Since you ask, I believe that is a completely sepa...Since you ask, I believe that is a completely separate topic. While they're related by the subject of violence, it's like asking, "but what about men who are raped?" when we're discussing sexual assault against women. That other issue is still important, but it is not the discussion we're having.<br /><br />Since you asked the question, though, I believe this is a cultural thing we are still struggling with in America. We believe that violence is often the correct course of action, and so we enshrine it. Uncompromising murderers like the Punisher, or bare-fisted vigilantes like Batman, are the figures we idolize, and who we make our heroes. Sex, even in the context of a healthy, consensual relationship, gives your film an R or higher, but fist-fights and shootouts are PG-13 if choreographed properly.<br /><br />Is that an issue? Yes it is. That issue is not, however, what we're talking about here, and will likely be the subject of a completely separate post.Neal Litherlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01307649737269196558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post-33282988990313704832017-01-26T14:44:00.898-08:002017-01-26T14:44:00.898-08:00If sexual violence is not mainstream, does that me...If sexual violence is not mainstream, does that mean regular, good old-fashioned violence…you know, the kind that impacts mostly males…is mainstream and therefore perfectly acceptable? Plenty of folks have a problem with women coming home in body bags after war, but don’t think anything of men who return home the same way. People who recoil in horror at the thought of drug-addicted prostitutes falling into the hands of serial killers don’t say anything about infant and toddler boys having their legs spread and part of their penises removed because of some idiotic religious tradition or aesthetic sensibilities. During last year’s Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences (Oscar) ceremonies, Vice-President Joe Biden arrived to give a speech about stopping violence against women on college campuses. This address was to an industry that has produced some of the most violent forms of entertainment, films that often been lauded as masterpieces and bestowed with innumerable awards. But, despite that, violence against college girls is where they drew the line. At what point did sexual violence against adult females – and only sexual violence against adult females – suddenly become taboo?Alejandro De La Garzahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12281206714689138318noreply@blogger.com