Out damned RPSers, out!

[mandragora]

Damn you! *glares at certain people on her friends-page* Because of you I've spent way too much time reading various RPS stories recently. And very good they are too.

Because those damned RPSers have recced some of the bloody creme de la creme, haven't they? So of course they're good.

*glares*

Yes, I blame you julad with your damnable links to various well-written stories. And then uschickens compounded the offence by emailing me with a copy of a story that is no longer available on the net, not to mention another bleeding link.

Not only have I found myself searching out Nsync (and yes, I do know that I'm spelling it wrong) websites to look at pictures of the band so I can work out which is which but I also found myself idly musing what their music sounds like. Oh, I know I'll have heard their records, but I've never actually paid attention to them so don't consciously know what they sound like. I thought to myself for one moment, wonder if I should go and search out the music, too. And then I caught myself, because, dude (to use a word commonly found in Nsync stories *g*), I mean boybands. Really not my thing.

However, I think I can understand better why so many people fell so hard and so fast for the fandom. But I'm still bewildered at the lack of discretion shown in publishing the stories. Maybe it's the lawyer in me, but if I wrote RPS I'd be password protecting any website containing RPS stories like mad.

On the plus side, when I was in Sainsbury's earlier today looking to see if there was any Nsync CDs on sale so I could see if I recognised any of the song titles (for the record there were none although there were lots of other boyband CDs on offer. I conjecture that this means that Nsync aren't as big in the UK as in the US) I came across a copy of The Undertones Greatest Hits. And so I pounced. Because. The Undertones, best band of the 1980s that never made it big. Ah, the memories.

I occasionally get dragged along to 80's music club type affairs and watch the DJ spinning record after record with a bored look on their faces. Until I go up and ask them if they've got any Undertones. I have never yet failed to see their face light up and moments later Teenage Kicks (it always seems to be Teenage Kicks) is blasting out. And if the dance floor wasn't packed before, it is then. Undertones, never fails.

Must go and play the CD.

Comments

[julad.livejournal.com]

Here's some advice, direct from me to you *g*:

Don't listen to the music. Enjoy the fiction, but avoid the music unless it has shiny sparkly video attached. (Would you like some more recommendations, btw? *g*) When I got into Nsync, I doubled the amount of money I spent on alternative music. It soothed my troubled soul.

As for publishing and password-protecting... objectively I know that would be a wise precaution, but, hm. The thing is, real person porn has been going on at Nifty and various other places since forever, and (I'm not sure if you're seeing this yet) there was already a huuuuge amount of RPS fandom carrying on happily before media slashers noticed them. We kind of invaded Nsync fandom, but there's a whole world of other RP fandoms that we simply don't notice until we decide to look for it.

This isn't to say that it's actually safe to do it, but it's more saying that hell, the internet's big enough and we're obscure enough that we might as well be invisible. I know laws affecting RPS are different in the UK, but I personally come back again to the old RPS/FPS argument - it's all a bit dodgy, but there's really no point reacting differently.

[raincitygirl.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, another one has fallen to the [Alec Guinness] Dark Side [/Alec Guinness]. I won't hold it against you.

[uschickens.livejournal.com]

If it would make you feel better, I could forward you links to stories that involve mpreg, alien abduction, lots of crying, and protestations of "Oh, my Joshie!" Because, really. If the good in popslash is mindbogglingly good, it can also take excrebly awful to new, brain-hurting levels. (There's the one where they're abducted as aliens and turned into horses and yeah...)

Also, in a vain attempt to make you feel better, I read The Same Inside the entire time with the mental conception of Lance as Chris. I had to consult my roommates at the time to clarify things. Oh, the shame. (Although it was an inevitability that I would end up in this fandom, given my fixation on media relations.)

I would also recommend avoiding the music, if you're already pretty sure you're not a pop fan. It can put a damper on the fun if you really don't like the music. (Although Digital Getdown is kind of amusing for the mindboggling awfulness of the lyrics. The music itself is pretty catchy and damn fun to dance to.) The videos, however, are ridiculous good fun. If you ever feel the need for footage, let me know, and I can burn you a cd on the downlow. I promise I won't let anyone know.

This is how it starts, man. You think, "oh, this is pretty good. It's really not all that bad." And it's all downhill from there. If you're determined in resisting, don't visit merry's site. Or kel's site. Especially flesh mechanic. Or rhys. Or the sandys. Just to start.

Nsync was definitely not as big in the UK as the US, though I was deeply, deeply amused at the prevalence of Justin-related press while I was there. I swear, I bought most of my Justin-related magazines, etc. in London.

Hey, does this mean I get half a toaster? Or half a sparkle? Muahahahahaha. It *will* eat your brain.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Don't listen to the music

*winces*

That bad, huh?

Would you like some more recommendations, btw? *g*

No!

*g*

Am Not Gonna Get Sucked In.

Or at least I'm not right now. *g*

I do have some ethical qualms still. Having read a few Nsync stories I can quite see that they are in no way really about the band or its members, that's quite apparent. As I wrote earlier I can also see the attraction now, whereas it rather bewildered me before. However, I am also conscious that the stuff I've read has been towards the 'vanilla' end of the market.

Many of the stories are really rather sweet (some are positively charming), or address serious issues such as the unremitting pressure to look good (and there aren't many women who haven't experienced that particular pressure). I doubt that most media-savvy types would take exception to those.

But I also know that there are death stories out there, and rape stories and I can't believe that there aren't stories that are extremely rude about existing partners (knowing how threatened some people get in FPS when their BSO is in a *gasp* relationship etc).

The thought of those stories makes me...uneasy. Because I can't help thinking of the likely reaction to the wife/girlfriend of a band member if she stumbled across a story in which she was either dead or made out to be the most horrible bitch in existence. I suppose that they quickly get to learn that many of the fans are going to dislike them, but knowing that and reading a story that distorts them in the most horrible way. Well, I think many people would be creeped out in that situation.

The 'good' writers are probably not going to write that sort of crap (by 'crap' I'm referring to the getting rid of or dissing the partners of the BSOs), but given that it has the power to creep me out in FPS, I know that it will creep me out even more in RPS. It's for that reason that I can't help thinking password protection is a good idea, as much as from any legal POV. Because although I think there's no reason why the 'good stuff' can't be openly out there, the thought of the significant other of an PRS subject stumbling across some of the stories out there does make me profoundly uneasy.

And given that distinguishing between the good stuff and the crap isn't really possible on an objective basis, password protecting all of it is the way I wish it would go.

But as I have zero say in the matter obviously it isn't going to happen.

I would also say that whereas I have no problem in reading about a fictional character being raped and tortured (having written such a scenario, obviously I don't have a problem with it) the thought of such a story being written about a real person, even their media persona, does cause me qualms. Ditto for death stories.

I can't say that there's a hard and fast line for me, because the boundaries really are blurred but those type of stories do squick me when they feature living people.

continued in another post

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

continued

The thing is, real person porn has been going on at Nifty and various other places since forever

Yes, I'm aware of that. But a visit to Nifty always makes me feel like I need a bath afterwards. So much of the stuff at that site creeps me out. And as a slasher I'm pretty inured to some of the more extreme 'stories' out there. God knows what your average person who stumbles across Nifty makes of it. Other than 'yuck!'. *g*

I'm not sure if you're seeing this yet) there was already a huuuuge amount of RPS fandom carrying on happily before media slashers noticed them

I'd heard that's the case and it is interesting to learn about how people stumble into slash from various sources. I wonder what the rate of crossover is from those people who started off in RPS and have also found themselves to be interested in TV/film/book slash as well.

And I can quite see that many media slashers who became interested in Nsync slash may have thought it was too late by the time they became involved to worry about password protection. I still think I would make certain that my own site was so protected, though.

the internet's big enough and we're obscure enough that we might as well be invisible

Maybe, but when I googled 'Nsync' the third site listed was a site that included fiction and although the site had all sorts of content on it - bios of the band, tour dates, latest news, pictures etc - clicking on the link took you straight to the stories. The RPF stuff isn't exactly low profile.

I know laws affecting RPS are different in the UK, but I personally come back again to the old RPS/FPS argument - it's all a bit dodgy, but there's really no point reacting differently.

I think this is a good point. Although under UK law I think the RPFers are actually more at risk than the FPSers, as the law on copyright favours fanfiction more than under US law, whereas (as you know) the converse is true when it comes to libel. And it might be possible to sue for libel under UK law even if the story clearly says that it's fictional.

I would also add that in my experience (and I spent many years working for a law firm that had one of the leading media practices in the UK) when it comes to copyright it's all about the money, which is why I think an actual claim for breach of copyright is pretty low risk. However when it comes to libel it's all about the hurt feelings (well, maybe not Jason Donovan, he was clearly worried about his career). So, if a pop star with sufficient money did get pissed off then a claim is not an impossibility. That said, I still think it's pretty low risk, just not as low risk as a breach of copyright claim.

And changing the subject slightly, I do find it fascinating that RPS seems to have it's own particular style. Or at least the stories I've read do. I think you can say this about many fandoms to a certain extent, but perhaps not to as great a degree as there seems to be in Nsync fandom, at least. That said, I haven't read many stories so it could just be those particular writers have quite similar styles.

But there does seem to be a tendency to write quite spare sentences, 'realistic' dialogue, not much description. I quite enjoy the style, BTW, and I have seen people write FPS in a similar style, but not to the same extent as seems to be the case in Nsync fandom.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, another one has fallen

Nah, not really. I am glad that I can understand the attraction much more than I used to, but I've no intention of getting sucked into any RPS fandom. I've still got too many qualms about some of the stuff that's out there. Not the stories I've read, which as I wrote in response to Julad were often charming, but the more 'extreme' stuff. The idea of raping and torturing a real person, even in just a story, fills me with unease.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

I could forward you links to stories that involve mpreg, alien abduction, lots of crying, and protestations of "Oh, my Joshie!

Oooh could you!? I can't wait!

Er, you do know that I'm kidding, right?

Also, in a vain attempt to make you feel better, I read The Same Inside the entire time with the mental conception of Lance as Chris.

Oh, I can really understand this as I still have trouble remembering who is who. This is after keeping labelled pictures up in a window on the computer, so I could remind myself of them all whilst reading.

I would also recommend avoiding the music

Funny, that's what Julad said...

*g*

Actually, I do like some pop. The good pop. Well, what I think of as good pop anyway. And 'Take That', for example, managed some good pop back in the day, so there's no reason why Nsync can't have done the same. Pop isn't my usual listening choice I'll admit, but a good song is a good song. I'm not a music snob by any means.

This is how it starts

I know! That's what I'm worried about!

*g*

Have resisted clicking on the additional links you've so 'thoughtfully' provided. So far.

Nsync was definitely not as big in the UK as the US, though I was deeply, deeply amused at the prevalence of Justin-related press

Yeah, he's everywhere. Shades of Robbie Williams (who is the UK's no 1 male solo artist and started off as a member of 'Take That'), I think. That's why I know why Justin is and have heard his music. It's a bit derivative of Michael Jackson (back when he was good) IMO but it's not bad at all. He's clearly got talent. And rhythm.

*g*

Hey, does this mean I get half a toaster? Or half a sparkle?

Hmm, maybe a slice of toast...