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I'll try to explain then, cause I think there is a lot to it, but I am bad with words ^^" I'm also a Black cis woman, and on the asexual spectrum (aego to be exact). And I feel like I don't view fetishization in the same way most other people might. A lot of times when the word is used it seems to also imply "dehumanizing", which I don't think is true, especially when it comes to fictional content. If anything sometimes I can find comfort in the idea of a specific trait being someone's fetish; like a fetish for disability, portraying neurodivergence as something attractive and desirable, that can be treated lovingly. And admittedly I'm also weird when it comes to who I "relate" to or how much I don't insert myself into fiction.

I also believe fiction and reality have a more complex relationship than one affecting the other in a direct 1:1 correlation. And some cultures tend to interact with and separate fiction from reality in different ways (North American vs East Asian).  The way I lean is that depictios in fiction aren't going to change people's perception of real life that easily, and that it's society's pre existing notions that affect mainstream media more than the other way around. And it's even more complex and individual for smaller niche work like fan fiction...

But I do think it's unfortunate that people don't really discuss raceplay in particular, because I think it is worth bringing up how common it is. Questions that can be asked like, do people even notice when it happens or when they are expressing it? Is it so mainstream as to be omnipresent? Even just what causes people to feel this way about Black people, or any particular human race? 

I hope any of this makes sense, I may have rambled a bit too much.

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I see. Well, I don’t think fiction and reality have a 1:1 correlation which is why I think a lot of content has the right to exist.  Looking at something critically doesn’t mean it has a 1:1 correlation. To believe that is against looking at it critically- it is black and white thinking I am against hence my entire feelings about being anti-censorship.

Fetishization of minorities changes people’s thoughts about those minorities long term because of all of the other factors at play. This is something that is prevalent with discussions around Black men because so much content based around them is fetishistic in nature.

I can’t wrap my head around your fetishization statement. Fetishization is dehumanizing because to make something an object of desire is to objectify that thing or person. It’s not Just Attraction. People want to be viewed as desirable especially minorities with a history of not being viewed that way, but to only be viewed as an object of desire because of your ethnicity or disorder or other identity results in you not being viewed as a person.  I sometimes embrace these depictions but other times it is tiring.

To find black women beautiful means nothing because black women don’t look or act the same. To find a disorder attractive doesn’t mean much either because but all presents differently. In fiction, it’s a complex topic because fiction can humanize a character that was made for the purpose of fetish, but often it does not because so much of fetish is rooted in stereotypes or ignorance.

Thank you for also explaining your point of view. I think we've had pretty different experiences in our lives, which is why our perspectives clash, but I'm glad to have spoken with you

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Yes it was interesting ^^ !