post traumatic dick syndrome

The discourse around representation is inherently faulty, in my opinion, because it actually demands positive representation. And what counts as positive depends on the trend of the moment. When people (usually wokesters on tumblr) talk about representation they aren’t talking about visibility, they’re talking about publicity. The kind that makes you want to buy a product by making it look extremely good.

Because if it were about visibility, about giving space for the variety of stories that only the human condition can create? We’d all gladly open our arms to any kind of depiction. The only issue would be if at some point you started seeing X being shown only with a specific color palette, and then the solution wouldn’t be that of censorship, but of encouraging more diverse voices to come forth, to add to the spectrum already there, making it even richer.

When you focus too much on representation at the expense of your imagination you’re conflating fiction with social activism, and I don’t think I need to convince you of the trap inherent in that.

And then more than one year ago: 

Because they have changed ‘representation’ into ‘magical direct projection’, so any kind of conflict and pain you subject your characters to, is actually real life conflict and pain you cause to any person who identifies with them.

Since so many antis are into intersectional identity politics, any media that deals with their identities (female characters, abuse survivors, POC, any non-Christian religion, disability, general mental illness etc) means that they’re the only valid Voice of that media, they decide what can or cannot be done with it, and therefore are free to choose their OTPs and shun away any NOTP with the perfect excuse that it goes against any of their identities. It’s the juxtaposition of fictional plot with real life offense that is the ammo for their movement.

You can often hear the paradoxical messages - “You’re scum because you don’t have enough *insert label*/*insert label* are minor characters/*insert label* are problematic in your story and it’s *insert oppressor label*” ; - “You can write of us but not about us because if you’re not *insert label* then you don’t know shit and you don’t get to speak over us”*; - “You can only write about what you personally experience” ; - “You’re *insert label* like me but you have internalized *insert -phobia* so you’re wrong in not agreeing with me and you’re part of the oppressive system" *And this can reach really absurd levels like claiming that men will never know more than women about, for example, periods, even though any random male gynecologist worth his degree will know more about the female intimate bits than women who have never studied medicine and that specific topic to the extent of making it their job. This is somehow a statement that has to be put into question?

These 4 messages are used at the same time, so that whatever you do, it will always be wrong and oppressive against them. This use of paradoxical messages is actually an abuse tactic and is analyzed in ”Pragmatics of Human Communication“ (another very easy example mentioned in that book is the mother buying two shirts for her son, the son wears one and the mother goes “Oh, you didn’t like the other one?”). It’s all about closing the other in a position where there’s no chance of winning no matter what they do, and this can be done so that the person in the top position has the right advantage to harm the other, or the right position to paint themselves as the victim so that emotional blackmail can take place.

In response to Jehan giving him lip, Tiefer threatens that he’ll rape Jehan’s kid brother–or worse, make Jehan rape him. “It’d be better for him if you did it. After all, I’m meaner, stronger, and bigger than you”–and of course Tiefer looks pointedly at Jehan’s dick because he is not nice–“Just think of the damage…”

And Jehan of course is terrified but also calls Tiefer’s bluff, because if it could be so damaging he would be found out.

So Tiefer let’s him think he’s won; a day or so passes. Tiefer tells Jehan he has a surprise for him up in his room. Jehan of course is expecting the surprise is alcohol and sex. Surprise! His kid brother is passed out asleep on Tiefer’s bed.

“Kid’s a fucking lightweight. Must’ve got your daddy’s genes. So. You want the honors?”

“What?”

“I thought we agreed it’d be better for him if you did it. Or…did you wanna watch?”

And Jehan is about ready to vomit.

And Tiefer doesn’t look like he’s joking.

Jehan probably gets close to a break down–promising Tiefer anything at all–but Tiefer ain’t budging and says if Jehan doesn’t get on that bed and fuck his little brother, he’s going to sit there and watch Tiefer destroy his little brother.

So Jehan climbs on the bed. And Jehan shakily starts undoing his brother’s fly.

And Tiefer starts laughing.