I don't write non-AUs (stories where the actors are actors on a show called Supernatural). But I had pretty much zero qualms about turning Misha Collins into an incubus or an omega for a story (or, you know, pairing him with whomever), and I'm mostly only bothered by the ~idea~ of dark content if it's used to bash a particular person. I don't really see anything inherently wrong with putting fictionalized versions of real adults into all kinds of objectionable situations (though there are definitely some things that I do not like and DNW and do not read), because I don't think they have anything to do with the actual, real people. But clearly I also take steps to preserve that separation, and I don't think that's super unusual among RPF readers/writers.
Also, it varies by fandom. From what I've heard, sports RPF seems a lot more concerned with capturing the real people's characterization than SPN RPF/CW Actor RPF.
I think educating on consent is incredibly important, but I'm not sure that fantasy fiction is the arena for that. Then again, the fantasy fiction becomes a catalyst for revealing how much misinformation and misunderstandings there are about consent exist for so many people.
I think that this situation is clearly one where the author didn't realize the rape was rape (or maaaaybe just got defensive and didn't want to admit to knowingly writing it???), but I agree with you that fantasy fiction isn't the right arena for education. A lot of the people writing non-/dub-con are very aware of consent issues, you know? Stories that ~feel~ more generic and unconscious in their treatment of certain issues bother me a lot more, because then it really seems like the author doesn't know. But even there, I feel like meta is the better way to go about things. Educating and provoking thought is great!
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I don't write non-AUs (stories where the actors are actors on a show called Supernatural). But I had pretty much zero qualms about turning Misha Collins into an incubus or an omega for a story (or, you know, pairing him with whomever), and I'm mostly only bothered by the ~idea~ of dark content if it's used to bash a particular person. I don't really see anything inherently wrong with putting fictionalized versions of real adults into all kinds of objectionable situations (though there are definitely some things that I do not like and DNW and do not read), because I don't think they have anything to do with the actual, real people. But clearly I also take steps to preserve that separation, and I don't think that's super unusual among RPF readers/writers.
Also, it varies by fandom. From what I've heard, sports RPF seems a lot more concerned with capturing the real people's characterization than SPN RPF/CW Actor RPF.
I think educating on consent is incredibly important, but I'm not sure that fantasy fiction is the arena for that. Then again, the fantasy fiction becomes a catalyst for revealing how much misinformation and misunderstandings there are about consent exist for so many people.
I think that this situation is clearly one where the author didn't realize the rape was rape (or maaaaybe just got defensive and didn't want to admit to knowingly writing it???), but I agree with you that fantasy fiction isn't the right arena for education. A lot of the people writing non-/dub-con are very aware of consent issues, you know? Stories that ~feel~ more generic and unconscious in their treatment of certain issues bother me a lot more, because then it really seems like the author doesn't know. But even there, I feel like meta is the better way to go about things. Educating and provoking thought is great!