Kink meme
From Fan History Wiki
A Kink meme is a particular kind of meme popular in LiveJournal fandom communities. They generally involve an anonymous request for a particular pairing, a kink, and potentially other items (a theme, a word, dialog, lyric, etc). Another person then anonymously supplies a story or short scene in response to the request, limited in length to the comment size allowed on LiveJournal. Kink memes are particularly popular in certain anime and television fandoms, with the Phoenix Wright kink meme perhaps being the longest running and largest kink meme currently. Supernatural and Star Trek XI also both have large, actively running kink memes.
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[edit] Historical Definitions
This section needs more information.
[edit] History
[edit] 2008
- The hetalia_kink LiveJournal community was created on July 24, 2008 as a kink meme based on Axis Powers Hetalia.[1]
- A Watchmen kink meme was created on September 9, 2008. It received 10,000 comments.[2]
[edit] 2009
- The blindfold_spn LiveJournal community was created on January 4, 2009 for a Supernatural kink meme.[3]
- The marvel_kink LiveJournal community was created on July 17, 2009.[4]
- The st_xi_kink LiveJournal community was created on May 10, 2009 as a kink meme for Star Trek IX.[5]
- The st_xi_kink community was closed on October 1, 2009.[6] On the same day its replacement, st_xi_kink_meme was launched.[7]
[edit] Kerfluffles
Because of the nature of kink memes, fiction is often requested and written covering a range of subjects that can be considered taboo, racist, misogynist, and would be considered illegal in real life situations. Some examples include rape, incest, beastiality, master/slave, paedophilia (including babies as well as pre-pubsescents) and fiction with racial/sexual slurs. This has caused some controversy between those who believe certain kinds of content should not even be allowed on an anonymous kink meme, and those who believe no forms of fiction should be excluded.
In Decemer 2009, the Axis Powers Hetalia kink meme caused controversy over requests and resulting posts that used real life tragedies in world history as the basis for kinks, including the Rape of Nanking, the invasion of Poland, and Pearl Harbor. Secrets were appearing on fandom_secrets about this and kerfluffling in the comment threads.[8],[9]
In September 2009, the moderator of the marvel_kink community opened a discussion post regarding adding the following statement to their rules:
- Do not use the anonymity of this meme to spread hate - prompts of a racist, misogynist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist nature are not welcome. That doesn't mean you can't request master/servant, non-con or humiliation fic, but it does mean that you can't request fic that aims to: punish oppressed minorities, put them in their place, or celebrate discriminatory tropes and practices.[10]
There was disagreement in the comments between those who disapproved of this change and those who supported it. Some brought up how it appeared fandom allowed or "condoned" certain troublesome issues for fantasy use, like rape and incest, but not others and that appeared to be a doublestandard. Some arguments made include:
- A general rule of a kink meme is "don't bash the prompt just because you don't like it." Fuck, I don't like rape prompts, but I don't whine about them or make up some bullshit reason why they're awful.[11]
- This is a kink meme. You allow prompts based on rape and incest. You don't get to allow those, which in real life are founded in misogyny and child abuse, and then pretend to take some moral high ground when it comes to "misogyny" and "rape." It doesn't work that way. Unless you want to be a complete hypocrite. Or, unless you are asshole enough to think that racism and misogyny are worse crimes than rape. And if you do? Fuck you, honestly.[12]
- The difference between a kink (rape/incest) and an -ism (racism/sexism) is that one is fantasy and the other just *is*. People naturally have rape fantasies. Some people use it to come to terms with trauma that has actually happened to them. People do not naturally have *racist* fantasies, and I can't think of a reason why someone would use a racist trope for therapy. I would rather see occasional upset when someone's blind-spot is removed than to close my eyes and pretend I didn't see it for the sake of keeping the peace.[13]
- I believe it's important for fandom to address racism and misogyny, but not in the the kinkmeme. People are here for anonymous fantasy fulfillment, and I don't think it's the place for well-meaning fen to try to change people's hearts, minds and sexual proclivities.[14]
The moderator eventually changed the rules to include:
- Do not spread hate: Racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia will not be tolerated.[15]
[edit] Examples
- Kink Meme Database
- List of Kink Memes
- Kingdom Hearts Kink Meme
- Marvel Kink Meme
- Phoenix Wright Kink Meme
[edit] External Links
[edit] Discussion
- Fandom, its kicking, sparkly pony and the right of reasonable protest: jazzypom on September 15, 2009
- Thinky Thoughts: Kinkin' and Pimpin!: vulgarweed on October 30, 2009
