Fwd: [Fantastic_Posts] HPfGU Fanfic FAQ Recommendations

[Morgan D.]

--- In HP4GU-FAQ at yahoogroups.com, "serenadust" <jmmears at c...> wrote:
> 
> I have some questions about the classification/ratings of the 
> fanfics before I can form an opinion on whether or not to include 
> them.  What distinguishes an R fic from the NC17 fics?  

[R] Restricted-Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult 
guardian : This signifies that the rating board has concluded that 
the fanfic rated contains some adult material. Parents are urged to 
learn more about the fanfic before taking their children to see it. 
An R may be assigned due to, among other things, a fanfic's use of 
language, theme, violence, sex or its portrayal of drug use. 

[NC-17] No One 17 and Under Admitted : This signifies that the rating 
board believes that most parents would feel that the fanfic is 
patently adult and that children age 17 and under should not be 
admitted to it. The fanfic may contain explicit sex scenes, an 
accumulation of sexually-oriented language, or scenes of excessive 
violence. The NC-17 designation does not, however, signify that the 
rated film is obscene or pornographic. 

(Standard definition found in many fanfiction archives, based on the 
the same definitions for USA movies.)


> I've always 
> assumed that they must be explicit to the point of being considered 
> pure pornography. 

That's a common misconception. For starters, a NC-17 might not have 
any kind of sex content. 


> Who rates the fics; the author or some sort of 
> independant ratings board or individual? 

Usually, the authors themselves, but archives are known to alter the 
rating if they feel the author misrated them. 


> If it's the author, then 
> do we trust them to rate their own work in the event that makes a 
> difference as to whether we link it or not?

As for the trust... You'll find rule-breakers everywhere. But an 
author can be punished in many ways for misrating his works, so 
cautious writers avoid that kind of risk. 

Besides, aren't we talking about a selection? About a list of only 
the *very* good fics? Doesn't that mean that at least someone with 
common sense has read them before adding a link to them? So I'd say 
we'd be running no risks of linking to pornography or misrated 
material.


> I'm also influenced by the fact that JKR apparently has 
> problems with certain kinds of explicit fanfiction and has taken 
> some legal action against sites that carry it.  If it's not OK with 
> her, then it's not OK with me either.

If I'm not mistaken, all the legal actions taken against sites 
hosting NC-17 material were eventually dropped. 


> Jo S. who doesn't even want to think about what "mild incest" is 
> supposed to mean

Pairings that involve distant cousins, distant relatives (which, by 
the way, wouldn't be considered incests in some countries). 


Morgan