Some tropes are better left unwritten: the omegaverse edition
Omegaverse has infiltrated the world of entertainment nowadays, rearing its head in books, fanfiction, comics, dramas, etc. Invaluable time and money is poured into it when BL/gay media is censored or underappreciated and left to wither in the shadows
Although I'm a devoted fan of BL, my devotion doesn't extend to "futanari" and its derivatives (e.g., omegaverse, gender bender). They're at odds with my values and a source of frustration for me for 4 principal reasons:
1. Their homophobia,
2. Their fetishistic appropriation of opposite-sex physical characteristics,
3. Their pro-birth ideology, and
4. Their inaccurate branding as BL/gay content
I'll give a quick rundown of my reasoning
*The homophobia*
-2 points
Society craves children as fodder for its ever-churning, self-destructive machinery of exploitation, and it's this craving that vilifies/demonizes gay relationships. By design, and absent of human greed or undue interference with the body's natural functioning, non-straight relationships are non-procreative, defying the demand for a continuous supply of fresh consumers and workers. The natural deviation from the established norm provokes society's irrational wrath, which manifests in the abhorrent desire to feminize male characters or masculinize female characters. The men are feminized through the imposition of female anatomy (e.g., vulva, vagina, uterus) and capacity for pregnancy, while the women are masculinized through the imposition of male anatomy (e.g., penis, testes) and capacity for impregnation
Characters are warped into paradoxical feminine-masculine hybrids at best, caricatures of the opposite sex at worst. Prisoners of their own bodies, their worth is degraded to that of a factory-grade "impregnating" and/or "birthing" machine. The omegaverse forces of pheromones, heats, and ruts further strip them of the freedom to carve their own paths and relationships. They're unable to break free from the stifling straightness/heteronormativity that defines their everyday interactions
This dystopian perversion of human bodies proves society's true intention: to erase non-straight/non-procreative relationships and maintain its iron grip on conformity
*The fetishistic appropriation of opposite-sex physical characteristics*
-2 points
People pursue what they can't have in an effort to fill a perceived void in their lives. They've at times coveted the womb's capacity to bear life (womb envy) and the penis's association with dominance (penis envy). Moved by the envy, they appropriate the appearances that resemble those of the opposite sex. Their minds wander to a fictional combination of male and female characteristics within a single form; a futa, an omega, or a Frankenstein's monster of sorts
They turn from the truth that the characteristics separating men and women aren't blemishes or shortcomings to be "fixed." Each male or female body is complete in its own right
*The pro-birth ideology*
-2 points
The contention that omegaverse is but a figment of imagination, a whimsical flight of fancy, does little to nullify my objections against it. Beneath the surface is a troubling fetishization of the pregnant form that espouses a pro-birth ideology. Omegaverse contributes to the sociocultural paradigm that sanctifies birth and ascribes it a revered, near-spiritual status
I take the opposite stance that birth holds no inherent beauty. Pregnancy is a grueling, unsightly process that exacts a heavy toll on the body, compromising the well-being of the being that endures it. Furthermore, "procreation" is an egregious imposition of the highest order, an act that binds a new helpless being to the chains of life's trials, tribulations, and uncertainties. Its media glorification is irresponsible and an affront to the very notion of morality
"Not to be born at all
Is best, far best that can befall, ...
... For when youth passes with its giddy train,
Troubles on troubles follow, toils on toils,
Pain, pain for ever pain;
And none escapes life’s coils
Envy, sedition, strife,
Carnage and war, make up the tale of life" (Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus)
Our society's imperfect. There's no reason to fabricate an alternate pro-birth society burdened with greater cracks and fissures than ours
In the event that one's gripped by a desire to nurture a child, I believe the commendable path towards parenthood would be to consider adoption and provide a secure, loving home to an existing child that's been unfortunate enough to journey through life
*The branding*
-2 points
I believe the capacity for pregnancy is exclusive to women. Men can't experience it, or they'd cease to be men. It's thus incorrect to label as gay or BL the "straight" interactions of fictional characters capable of pregnancy. They belong to a different category
TL;DR The drama earns 2 points for trying, and loses 8 for its omegaverse themes and reluctance to commit to a gay storyline
Although I'm a devoted fan of BL, my devotion doesn't extend to "futanari" and its derivatives (e.g., omegaverse, gender bender). They're at odds with my values and a source of frustration for me for 4 principal reasons:
1. Their homophobia,
2. Their fetishistic appropriation of opposite-sex physical characteristics,
3. Their pro-birth ideology, and
4. Their inaccurate branding as BL/gay content
I'll give a quick rundown of my reasoning
*The homophobia*
-2 points
Society craves children as fodder for its ever-churning, self-destructive machinery of exploitation, and it's this craving that vilifies/demonizes gay relationships. By design, and absent of human greed or undue interference with the body's natural functioning, non-straight relationships are non-procreative, defying the demand for a continuous supply of fresh consumers and workers. The natural deviation from the established norm provokes society's irrational wrath, which manifests in the abhorrent desire to feminize male characters or masculinize female characters. The men are feminized through the imposition of female anatomy (e.g., vulva, vagina, uterus) and capacity for pregnancy, while the women are masculinized through the imposition of male anatomy (e.g., penis, testes) and capacity for impregnation
Characters are warped into paradoxical feminine-masculine hybrids at best, caricatures of the opposite sex at worst. Prisoners of their own bodies, their worth is degraded to that of a factory-grade "impregnating" and/or "birthing" machine. The omegaverse forces of pheromones, heats, and ruts further strip them of the freedom to carve their own paths and relationships. They're unable to break free from the stifling straightness/heteronormativity that defines their everyday interactions
This dystopian perversion of human bodies proves society's true intention: to erase non-straight/non-procreative relationships and maintain its iron grip on conformity
*The fetishistic appropriation of opposite-sex physical characteristics*
-2 points
People pursue what they can't have in an effort to fill a perceived void in their lives. They've at times coveted the womb's capacity to bear life (womb envy) and the penis's association with dominance (penis envy). Moved by the envy, they appropriate the appearances that resemble those of the opposite sex. Their minds wander to a fictional combination of male and female characteristics within a single form; a futa, an omega, or a Frankenstein's monster of sorts
They turn from the truth that the characteristics separating men and women aren't blemishes or shortcomings to be "fixed." Each male or female body is complete in its own right
*The pro-birth ideology*
-2 points
The contention that omegaverse is but a figment of imagination, a whimsical flight of fancy, does little to nullify my objections against it. Beneath the surface is a troubling fetishization of the pregnant form that espouses a pro-birth ideology. Omegaverse contributes to the sociocultural paradigm that sanctifies birth and ascribes it a revered, near-spiritual status
I take the opposite stance that birth holds no inherent beauty. Pregnancy is a grueling, unsightly process that exacts a heavy toll on the body, compromising the well-being of the being that endures it. Furthermore, "procreation" is an egregious imposition of the highest order, an act that binds a new helpless being to the chains of life's trials, tribulations, and uncertainties. Its media glorification is irresponsible and an affront to the very notion of morality
"Not to be born at all
Is best, far best that can befall, ...
... For when youth passes with its giddy train,
Troubles on troubles follow, toils on toils,
Pain, pain for ever pain;
And none escapes life’s coils
Envy, sedition, strife,
Carnage and war, make up the tale of life" (Sophocles, Oedipus at Colonus)
Our society's imperfect. There's no reason to fabricate an alternate pro-birth society burdened with greater cracks and fissures than ours
In the event that one's gripped by a desire to nurture a child, I believe the commendable path towards parenthood would be to consider adoption and provide a secure, loving home to an existing child that's been unfortunate enough to journey through life
*The branding*
-2 points
I believe the capacity for pregnancy is exclusive to women. Men can't experience it, or they'd cease to be men. It's thus incorrect to label as gay or BL the "straight" interactions of fictional characters capable of pregnancy. They belong to a different category
TL;DR The drama earns 2 points for trying, and loses 8 for its omegaverse themes and reluctance to commit to a gay storyline
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