This is probably just me, but how come in fanfic, every time two people are about to smex…

[seriousfic]

Okay, digression before I’m even started. How come in fanfic people are always scarred? I don’t know who it reflects badly on, but with a fandom like Supernatural or whatever you’ll usually come across a mention of Dean or Sam having scars from their years of demon-hunting. Then the show does a shirtless scene and no scars. I think it’s just fandom’s “ahh, he’s an anguished warrior against darkness, he should have COOL, SMEXY BATTLE SCARS!”

But whenever they smex and find a bruise or a scar, there must be licking. Who in real life licks a scar? In real life, people have disgusting scars, but somehow fanfic characters only manage to get scarred with scars that make them even prettier. And bruises hurt when you touch them. People should be going “Hey, that’s ouchy, don’t lick there, that is not an erogenous zone.” You could probably get a good John/Rodney fic out of that.

“Hey, hey, oww! I know that’s all colorful and shiny and thus appealing to you, but a bruise is damaged capillaries allowing blood to seep into tissue! It is not the flashing spot on a video game boss that says ‘shoot here for massive damage!’ Or orgasm, as the case may be.”

So, I would like there to be a sex scene where injures (if they don’t preclude sex in the first place) are things to work around rather than aphrodisiacs.

I’d also like a pony.

Comments

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

I'd argue this has a considerable precedent in both pulp literature and its two strongest descendants, action movies and superhero comics - which is to say, in many cases, fanfic is following in the spirit of much of its source material - because scars can make for an excellent physical shorthand indicating the character has endured harsh experiences beyond those of most men, but in ways that make them more convenient to work around than other physical symptoms of the same, such as the loss of limbs, mobility or certain senses.

Snake Plissken has one eye gone because it clearly shows what a bad-ass he must be, to have survived circumstances that cost him one of his eyes, and yet, depth perception issues aside, it doesn't really diminish his physical effectiveness in any way, which is something you couldn't say if he'd lost, say, a hand or a foot. Similarly, Cable has those cool facial scars because Liefeld wanted to prove what a tough son of a bitch the character must be, except the hardcore quality of it is diminished somewhat by the fact that his scars are so stylized that he looks like nothing so much as a KISS fan.

If you have visible scars, in fiction or in real life, it's indisputable evidence that you've gone through pain, which is a great counter-argument to those who might claim, hypothetically speaking, that your pretty boy Marty Stu is too young and callow to be as impressive as you want him to seem. By the same token, a scar in the right area - limbs or torso, where they can be hidden by clothes in most cases - or applied in an artistic way - a symbol over one cheek or one eye - doesn't detract from the all-important shaggability factor. Scars are what fangirls apply to their bishi-bois' chests, to refute criticisms that they're just overly attractive wish-fulfillment objects, because OMG THEY HAVE BEEN WOUNDED!!!111eleventy-one

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Still, I don't see why Lois Lane or whomever would find them sexy. Like, the Batfamily might find scars sexy, but you'd have to convince me. Do a little inner monologue or something. Because they could just as well be repulsed by them. Bruce could go on a guilt trip about Dick's scars or Dinah could think about how unscathed she is compared to Barbara's exit wound.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Are talking just about female characters being attracted to (mostly male) scars, as per your example? Because if so, gender politics come into play here, and oddly enough, female writers can be some of the worst offenders on this score.

As I said, if you're trying to indicate quickly how tough a character is, scars are an easy shorthand device to do it, and if you're a writer - male or female - who subscribes to the notion that most and/or all women, or at least the female characters who will appear in your story, most desire the Alpha Male, then it's safe to say that, in most such stories, the toughness indicated by such scars are going to turn on those female characters.

As a man (with scars of my own, no less), I find it to be a creepily reductivist view of gender roles, along the lines of the worst of Ayn Rand or Camille Paglia, and yet, as those two examples I just listed indicate, some of the worst offenders on this score are, as I said, themselves female writers.

[teh-no.livejournal.com]

I think it tends to show up everywhere; it's a trope right now. Not sure if femslash plays around with it as much (maybe because most femslash fandoms aren't as "macho" as slash fandoms; i.e., they're shows where it's less conceivable that the cast would have lots of battle scars) ... maybe there should be a Femslash Scar-Ficathon.

Of course, given how many women could be characterized as not giving a damn about the Alpha Male, it'd be interesting to see that come across in fanfic.

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

It's just really weird to read fanfics that have me, as a male feminist, thinking to myself, "Holy shit, this is some scary misogynistic bullshit," only to click on the author's user profile and see that he is a she (or at least, that "he" claims to be a "she").

Feminist pop culture critic Cintra Wilson once claimed, "The worst enemy of women is always other women," and I keep holding out hope that that's not true.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Are talking just about female characters being attracted to (mostly male) scars, as per your example? Because if so, gender politics come into play here, and oddly enough, female writers can be some of the worst offenders on this score.

Nah. I know that Tim's supposed throat scar (from Jason Todd) gets something of a work-out in fanfic, possibly as a metaphor for his deteoriation post-Hush. Bruce Wayne always has scars, but that's canon. Peter Petrelli has a big scar in the 5YG universe for much the reason you cite, which doesn't make sense since in that universe he has a mutant healing factor.

It'd be interesting to make a list of female characters who show up with scars, especially when it makes sense (in contrast to the male characters who just get scars cuz they're tough, regardless of whether they're portrayed that way in canon).

[box-in-the-box.livejournal.com]

Supposedly, the Huntress' belly-exposing costume was meant to show off her scars there, to intimidate criminals, except that none of the artists wanted to draw her with scars, so she just got the belly-exposing costume without the scars instead.

[jlbarnett.livejournal.com]

may I make a suggestion that it's almost like kissing a "boo-boo"?

I know it sounds kind of weird but there is the thing where at a young age we're told doing something like that makes it feel better.

It could also be taken as "I think you're so sexy even your imperfections make me hot."

[glemsydoodles.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I think scars make someone look rather more interesting...then again, this could just be my way of justifying my accident-prone self. But I'm with you on the work-around fic-- that would be cool to see.

[htbthomas.livejournal.com]

So, I would like there to be a sex scene where injures (if they don’t preclude sex in the first place) are things to work around rather than aphrodisiacs.

I may take that as a challenge... :D

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

It'd have to be Peter/MJ, tho, because Felicia would definitely be into scars. Part of that whole Spider-Man mystique, dontchaknow.

[htbthomas.livejournal.com]

Actually, someone asked me to write a Toonverse Bruce/Diana for their birthday, and it is just CALLING me to do that. :D

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

That could work. Although it'd be a tough call whether Wonder Woman should have scars that put Bruce's to shame or doesn't have any scars because of regeneration/invulnerability.

If I ever write Wonder Woman, first thing I do after giving Wondy some actual armor with a Hop-lite skirt... badass scars.

[angel-gidget.livejournal.com]

You mean like in Batman Returns, where Bruce and Selina are making out, and they keep accidently hitting each other's sore spots? And then have to struggle to avoid letting each other see the really distinctive wounds? Loved that scene.

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, a little. And any Kryptonian-human love scene would probably have the Kryptonian be ignorant of scars, so that could be fun.

[beahorgana.livejournal.com]

I followed your userpic here from cat_macros (srs bzness), and just want you to know that it is embarrassing how hard I laughed at the McShep tangent you went on. I'm disturbed by how well you write Rodney. :D

[seriousfic.livejournal.com]

It's a gift... and a curse.

[rann.livejournal.com]

I just... kinda like scars.

Not, like, huge gaping valleys in the flesh or stuff like that, but... y'know. That's just something I find hot. I could probably dig around in my head and find the reasons, but I generally don't like to question this stuff too much or it impedes my enjoyment of such things. And I have too few unimpeded enjoyments to botch another one.