Exactly!!
Exactly. Bro, people have normalized rape and sexual assault so much that they can’t even recognize what sexual assault actually is anymore. Like, back then, whenever I saw sexual assault being portrayed in media, you could immediately tell that what was happening was sexual assault. Nowadays, in fiction, people will literally watch a character being coerced, pressured, or having their boundaries ignored and still go, “Bro, you don’t know what sexual assault is.”
Yes, I fucking do. Just because the artist draws the scene in a romanticized or pretty way doesn’t magically make it consensual. It is still sexual assault. The framing, pretty art, comedy, or whatever the author uses to portray it doesn’t change what is actually happening.
And the double standard is even crazier when it’s the ML. If some random character does it to the MC, everyone is immediately like, “OMG, the MC was assaulted!” But when the ML does basically the same fucking thing, suddenly it’s, “No, no, he didn’t assault him. The MC consented.” Oh, really? Where? Because apparently the second it’s the ML doing it, everyone’s definition of consent disappears.
“stop reading then” and you’ve forgotten that you have no control over ppl, and this is literally…a comment section!
“omg i hope he doesn’t get sexually assaulted next chapter!” Do you people think sexual assault consists of penetration only? Him stripping, and sucking and licking on him while he's passed out is alr sexual assault. And I have no issues with topics like this in stories, they just get handled very poorly. It’s almost like sexual assault with extras = Bad, an crime and traumatic!!! Sexual assault with ML = miscommunication, never leaves trauma, never addressed as assault but instead a simple mistake that is chalked up to be consequence of Mc’s actions. Mc Hurt ML feelings so what happens? Communication? Forgiveness? Healing? Nope! Sexual Assault of course!! Bonus points if it happens RIGHT after Mc is put in a life threatening situation.