No fandom has done more to try and safeguard children from finding the more explicit content. Equestria Daily does not feature adult material as far as I know, and Derpibooru’s filters are great. DeviantArt is where children are exposed to so much creepy shit and kink art. Molestia never taught that kid what rape means, it’s the parts of the net that we as a fandom have no control over that have done this. EVERY single case that’s even been brought up has always been from sites that are out of our hands. Sites that just don’t care. I am so tired of this fandom being targeted when we actually DO something about it.
Down with molestia was a battle waged entirely on misconceptions and unfair blame. It was a scapegoat for bad parenting and the lack of child-friendly online spaces. There is a problem, and even after Molestia was successfully brought down, none of it was fixed. People are so eager to look like they are doing good that they just don’t seem to care if they actually are…
This isn’t something I say with hindsight, this was always obvious. I even read the entire Molestia comic over this drama and there was a shocking lack of cases of rape in it. There were like 3 maybe instances, but most of it was consentual. The people fighting it never bothered to check. And that’s what puts them on the wrong side of history.
But it has been 10 years. And we learn best from mistakes. So I’m sure this huge mistake made many people wiser. I wouldn’t hold this against anyone that was part of it back in the day. I’d be a hypocrite if I did, given how I was back in 2001.
I know this is from 10 years ago but I have something to say about this. I don’t think I can get my message across 100% but I’ll try.
The thing is the Molestia posts are a form of art, and I don’t believe art should necessarily be suppressed. Art is supposed to make you feel something and that something varies from person to person, like make you uncomfortable or even upset in this person’s case. Another thing is that art is a medium of which we are able to explore themes and subjects we couldn’t and/or shouldn’t do in real life, but That doesn’t mean that the particular art is promoting or encouraging a negative topic like violence, hate, or indeed rape. As an example politicians have been trying to blame video games for influencing and encouraging real life violence for over a decade, but we all know that it’s a baseless accusation because we (believe it or not) are able to separate reality from fantasy.
The thing that matters most is not how we control art, but rather how parents or guardians are responsible for controlling what media their kids consume. As for adults: You have control over what media you consume. If you encounter art that makes you uncomfortable and it upsets you to this degree, block it. It’s not 100% on you because some art is meant to envoke very specific feelings, but your feelings towards art do often come from your own experiences and personal biases. I encourage you to seek help about your own issues rather than start a cancelation campaign over art you didn’t agree with because any form of art is still art, and art should never be censored (however if art was made with malicious or legitimately harmful intent then you have a valid reason to protest).
Down with molestia was a battle waged entirely on misconceptions and unfair blame. It was a scapegoat for bad parenting and the lack of child-friendly online spaces. There is a problem, and even after Molestia was successfully brought down, none of it was fixed. People are so eager to look like they are doing good that they just don’t seem to care if they actually are…
Edited