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[shipperx]

Interesting essay linked on su_herald.

I don't know that I think the Jossverse is particularly unique in the (relatively) recent use of erotic torture of male characters. Heck, Mutant Enemy (yeah, even Marti) isn't unique in this regard. Although, I was rather surprised at the handful of tortures attributed as having been done to Spike. I would have to go back to look, but it certainly felt like more. In fact, by Season 7 I remember desperately wanting a week where he wasn't being tortured. (And I'm not sure that I would 100% exonerate Buffy in the abuse category. In fact, I know I wouldn't. Apart from some of the emotional twists and turns of Season 6, I've been on record for a very long time that the alley beating was indeed domestic abuse and not metaphorical for squat. Still, I don't think the alley beating fell under the heading of 'erotic torture' so I can see it not being included in the essay.)

And, again, I don't think this is just a Jossverse issue. I remember back in the days of X-Files that Mulder-torture was quite common, and not just on the show. Hell, there was an entire genre of Mulder Torture in fics. It was right up there with MSR, Mytharc, and MOTW. I remember when participating in the early Virtual Seasons of X-Files that the Mulder Torture had gotten so out of control in the fics (IMHO) that when it rolled around for my turn in the Virtual Season, I made a point of Mulder not being hurt or hospitalized. I ended with Scully asking him how high his insurance premiums had become since he had been in the hospital almost bi-weekly for two years. By that point I had thought that the frequency of Mulder Torture had become a target for parody.

And I'm certain XF fic and BtVS/AtS fic are not alone in regards to this sort of character torture. This sort of fic quite often falls into the category of hurt/comfort (albeit there are some that don't fall into hurt/comfort. There has been a smattering of torturous fic that really were forms of sadism. And there are some torture fics that are simply character bashing.) I think that Hurt/Comfort is probably the most common form of "erotic torture" fic, and I think that the Hurt/Comfort fanfic genre is treading the same ground as the 'erotic torture' phenomenon that the essayist was discussing.

I'm not 'judging' any of this, just noting the similarities in the fanfic phenomenon and what happened in the Jossverse.

And... not sure where I'm going with this other than to say that, yes, the Jossverse really did employ the erotic torture M.O. on a number of occasions. But I don't think that this is an isolated phenomenon. I hazard a guess that similar accusations can be raised for other series such as Supernatural, certainly Crichton Torture was a mainstay of Farscape. I haven't read it, but I bet there's a segment of Stargate Atlantis fic and Heroes fic that employs the device as well. It is somewhat interesting that in the Jossverse most of the 'erotic torture' happens to male characters. And, while I can certainly put some of it down to needing drama of the week, needing someone to be rescued, and an element that Spike, Angel, and Wesley sure looked pretty while suffering, there were periods when I think it became too protracted and too common.

And, no, I don't have much of a point to make in regards to this sort of character torture or its being a mainstay of fandom. It is an interesting question to contemplate, however.

Comments

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's quite a bit of fic where one or another of the characters get tortured in SGA fic. Hell, even I wrote a fic where Rodney was captured and tortured (although the torture happened completely 'off screen', so maybe that doesn't count).

That was an interesting essay, and I have nothing profound to add. All I know is the scene of Angel hanging in chains with his shirt open and Spike dancing around him in In the Dark is probably one of the sexiest scenes in AtS. *g*

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

The whole torture thing is used by SO MANY shows, really. Lost, Heroes, Doctor Who, Torchwood, and those are just my top 4 shows! ;)

And it's not an isolated case in any of those shows, nor scads of others out there.

[rahirah]

Hell, even the original Trek had a lot of episodes where Kirk or Spock or even occasionally McCoy got strung up in chains and tortured, with optional shirt-ripping. I think this sort of thing goes back quite a ways.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Why is it that the first ep that popped into my head was the one where they stole Spok's brain? Dunno if that was torture, but damn that was sorta hokey.

Everyone was always trying to seduce Spok. :) Then again, Capt. Kirk was a man-whore. Hee!

[framefolly.livejournal.com]

There's a bit of pretty-but-pretty-gratuitous male-torture in Firefly, too.

[confusedkayt.livejournal.com]

In fic, I think a lot of it has to do with the usefulness of torture as a plot device. it can show the softer side of a hard character, forcibly made vulnerable; it can soften a caretaker who has either ignored or insulted the now-injured in the past. It's a way to ct through a slow, long pattern of emotional growth with one easy-to-accomplish-in-an-adventure-story fell swoop. And even better, it promotes physical intimacy that can slip into sexual intimacy - wham, bam, thank you for the plot, ma'am.