I'd like to make something very clear, and this post will be pinned on my blog for a while. Usually I like to think of myself as a positive figure on Tumblr but I've been pushed to a limit where I feel it's better to step away while I can and am deeply uncomfortable.
I no longer want to be associated or part of the Eltingville fandom.
Yesterday there was an incident where a minor - who I won't name or tag because I don't want them to get any sort of backlash - was encouraged to draw suggestive and NSFW requests by anonymous users, which they of course posted onto their blog.
The problem isn't that they were drawing these things at all, I myself was once a teen and drew lewd artwork. It's normal for minors to explore their own sexuality with others their age.
My problem is that adults were distributing the drawings and encouraging this minor to continue.
Some of you might not want to acknowledge it, but even something as little as a reblog or a like on those posts is your way of normalizing adult on child interactions, blurring the line of what's okay or not. Because initially, the minor began to delete comments and was dismissive about the warnings given to them.
Luckily, they have since taken down those posts and said they wouldn't do it again for their own safety, which I can only hope they will stick to. And I'm very happy multiple users (along with myself) weren't afraid to explain why this behavior could put the kid in danger.
This situation only confirmed a staggering fear I had about the Eltingville fandom. There is a concerning amount of people who are dismissive about these sorts of interactions, and many that knowingly participate in paraphilic content.
Whether it be 18+ Discord servers or NSFW Twitters, I was appalled by how much dangerous and frankly vile content there is constantly being pumped out by big artists in the fandom.
With themes such as: pedophilia, zoophilia, necrophilia, and rape.
I won't say who in particular, because I don't want any minors to have these things readily available to them. But if there ARE any underage users reading this, I can only ask that you carefully and safely look into the people you're interacting with online before becoming their friend, including who their mutuals are.
I know you hear this hundreds if not thousands of times. But once you've been scarred, those memories and experiences stick with you for the rest of your life, even if only subconsciously. Know your own boundaries, trust your gut and your friends if they tell you an adult is being weird or intrusive.
Don't EVER let anyone of age convince you to do something sexually gratifying for them. Even if it's just for laughs, even if you trust them or like talking to them, even if they're having a bad day and need something to cheer them up. They are an adult, and you don't owe them anything.
All of that being said, I can put up with a lot of things.
I can ignore how catty, mean and borderline hurtful some people have been towards me. I can excuse a person not knowing that one or more of their mutuals was creating and gaining pleasure from disgusting content. And I will NEVER blame a child for being tricked by the adults around them who know better.
But the incident from yesterday put the final nail in the coffin for me.
I don't have to put up with people who put "DNI minors" all over their account, but then continue to like and repost underage user's content constantly and even make friends with them.
And I'm certainly not going to tolerate people fetishizing and sexualizing underage characters. The epilogue versions of the four main guys are right there, and yet I continue to see full grown twenty-somethings make NSFW content of the teen versions of the characters.
I'll still reblog and like Eltingville fanart here and there because I do enjoy the source material. But it'll be very minimal, since I no longer want to be associated outside of the few reasonable and kind individuals I've met on here.
For those who have read this far, thank you for taking the time out of your day. Stay safe, and do better.
gracieabrams
andulkaphoto
tangentwithtanner
kianamaiart
blakekathryn
