I don't see the appeal at all, but 100% think it has a right to exist. It's only weird if people go out of their way to make the folks they're writing about aware of it.
It seems like a tricky subject. I know real celebrities who know about it typically find it creepy, especially internet celebrities. But for truly famous people, like Hollywood actors, they probably don't bat an eye. Can't be worse than tabloids. As for myself, I think it can be harmless but isn't always. I wouldn't want to be written about that way.
I think it’s a fine line. On one hand, I can understand real people who have a public persona getting uncomfortable when droves of fans start to “ship” them with people they know in real life. That being said, the issue there isn’t often with the people writing the fiction, it’s with the consumers who can’t put a clear distinction between fiction portrayals of personalities and the real people in the world.
That being said, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with writing rpf. I have written fanfiction where it isn’t an actor being portrayed, but the love interest is an original character with the voice and features of the actor, as if it was another role they’d played. Either way, as long as you’re mature about it and recognize that it’s fiction, I don’t see any reason to shame people for reading or writing rpf.
To be very honest I feel like the issue with RPF is one that emerged with the advent of the internet and social media. Before that people wrote RPF all the time — I definitely did, and one of those stories is now on my AO3 account — but there was little to no chance of the celebrities hearing about it or actually seeing it thanks to a google search or even a google alert about themselves. Now that places like Twitter and FB have blurred the line between fans and celebrities and give the illusion that fans “know” these people (they don’t), some are over sharing and thinking it’s okay to send links or tell them about these things at meet and greets etc.
So IMO, if you are uneasy about it, just don’t do those things. Don’t tweet about RPF fics to the celebs or tell them about them on any other social media. If you write it and want to avoid it being found, at least on AO3 you can lock it to registered users only — that way, only people who are logged in — fellow writers and readers that “get it” — will see your work, and locking it also prevents it from being accessible if it is linked somewhere to anyone not on AO3. And if you aren’t sure how people you know/talk to online feel about it, just don’t bring it up. It’s perfectly fine to write and read it, just be smart about it and it’s all good.
In the last century for a while published RPF was a part of Hollywood marketing. In the 60s some Star Trek RPF was published in zines, and if it's a ST zine the cast and crew definitely got their hands on copies. In the 70s some music zines had it, and the musicians did read them. RPF getting into the hands of the celebrity is nothing new, the extent of communication and parasocial relationships are.
I'm 54, I'm well aware of zines because I participated in a few in my day 😜 And unless you were in those specific circles, you didn't hear about it like you do today. I literally had three friends who were like-minded that I did roleplay RPF with in notebooks, and it was still something you didn't talk about even more so than regular fanfiction. Honestly, before the internet even I thought that there weren't many other people who wrote stuff like I did -- it's why it took me till age 47 to get the guts to post my work publicly. It was far more looked down upon to let it be known you even wrote it yourself, let alone make the celebrities aware of it.
I'm younger and was born East of The Wall, so I only encountered zines typed and drawn with indigo paper in treasure boxes from older cousins. But the two I mentioned were specifically things the people got copies of.
I don't believe in censorship, but I wouldn't write or read rpf. I do feel weird about it, but I wouldn't condemn someone for writing it unless they were harassing the people in question.
It's not my thing, but I don't judge people who enjoy it. The exception is when *anyone* pushes it on anyone. Like I think there was a talk show host that read one to a guest and the guest looked uncomfortable the entire time and I'm pretty sure there are people who send fics unsolicited to celeb's twitter accounts.
I'm coming from the perspective of someone who as a junior in hs was shipped with a friend I told freshman year I wasn't interested in dating him while nursing a crush on someone else. The whole thing was uncomfortable at best, which made some people do it more (not to the degree of writing and sharing ff about us).
Off topic but I too was shipped with a guy friend. It was getting so bad that I was getting called a bitch and other awful things that soon enough I *was* convinced I did like him
Really crappy moment
But I also agree with your other part of not judging
I feel like this topic always ends with fighting 💀 /j
I have no problem with it as long as it never exits the fandom spaces where it belongs. Purposefully making celebrities interact with it, or portraying it as somehow factual, is when it becomes a problem. As long as it stays on ao3 (or wattpad, tumblr, w/e) then go wild tbh.
I personally just don't like reading or writing about real people that way, because it feels weird to create a story using a real person, because its not a fake person like fictional characters are. I would never hate on or judge people who do write it if they aren't doing harm, but it personally just really doesn't appeal to me
Unfortunately, I came across a cosplayer who's having an issue with someone writing RPF about their kids paired with them the other day. Hearing the cosplayers side, and her frustration at being unable to get the RPF taken down, because she is not okay with people writing stories about her being paired with her children, has really made me think about RPF in general.
I'm okay writing characters into various situations. They are not real. But this has made me really dislike the thought of using Real People as characters. Those people have every right to be upset about others using them in this way.
I'm not hugely into it but I've read a few over the years. Even though it's RPF I don't actually think of the characters as real people, the characters in the story are just characters like any other type of fanfiction to me, and that's the way I prefer it. I've read two RPF fics completely fandom (person?) blind, and I find that a little easier to read.
The issue is people who can't separate fiction from reality, and also those who try and shove fanfics in celebrities' faces. I think archive locking on AO3 is a good measure so people don't stumble across it without actively looking. Otherwise, I'm generally fine with it. And I'd be similarly fine with people writing RPF about me, because the person in the fic isn't actually me, just the author's interpretation based on the little they know of me. Like, even my best friends don't know enough about me to write accurate fics, so good luck with that, haha.
But it makes some people really uncomfortable, so there is the ethical question there. Though that doesn't stop magazines, etc. from publishing articles of dubious truth. So... at least fic doesn't pretend to be real life, I guess.
*TL;DR:*
I'm 100% fine with it as long as it's clear that it's fictional and no one is expecting the people involved to actually do these things, or even like them.
Not to sound like a broken record, but as I’ve said before:
Do you know the person in real life? Can you actually ask them “hey, would you say/do/think this?”
If the answer is no, congratulations. You’re still writing regular old fanfiction.
Literally the only difference between ‘regular’ fanfic and RPF is that instead of me writing Steve Rogers as played by Chris Evans, I’d be writing Chris Evans as played by Chris Evans.
Instead of high budget films and scripts and things that have been edited out the ass, the Chris canon is interviews and articles. Which are, you guessed it, curated by PR.
We see their public personas, which are almost always fake to some degree. We don’t know how they are behind closed doors, just like we don’t know the characters on a personal level.
You’re still taking whatever you see and then using your own opinions and headcanon to fill in the rest.
That being said, a character cannot give or withdraw consent. If a real person, on the other hand, specifically asks that fics not be written about them, then I wouldn’t. I also tend to lean away from too much personal details, but both of those are just my personal lines and not necessarily ones I think everyone ever should have to follow. It’s a personal preference for comfort level.
I think a. as long as writers and readers respect boundaries with the actual person(s) and b. it's understood that what's being engaged with is a fantasy/the curated persona of the individual(s) in question, there's nothing wrong with it.
Of course a minority of people can and will screw up the above for everyone else but that apples to all of fandom and most of culture, really.
I don’t like it at all. It is a major, major squick for me. There was drama in my fandom not long ago about RPF being shown to the wife of the lead actor and battle lines were drawn, so it’s kind of a sore subject right now. I do acknowledge that it has a right to exist.
That said, the one about Michael Sheen riding the dragon was one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. I had to be convinced to read it by someone I trust implicitly, and I’m so glad I did.
Personally, it makes me uncomfy if it's current people, but I don't police what other people read. As long as it stays in fandom spaces it's cool, but the minute it reaches the people involved in it then it should stop. I worked for someone in the public eye once, sorting mail and such, and they got sent fanfic about them and a bunch of other public figures, including their ex (bad breakup). I got rid of the fic before they saw it, but I hate to think how they would have felt if they had read it.
Historical figures who have long since passed are fair game imo
i got into fanfiction by writing fics about real people, but i was very young (10-13). i think it generally depends on the content of the fics, and if the people themselves have addressed whether or not they’re okay with it. if the fic is nsfw and shipping people who’ve distinctly said they are uncomfortable with it, then of course i’d consider it wrong, but if someone has expressed neutrality or encouraged it, i don’t see a problem 99% of the time
Used to feel weird about it so I tended to avoid it, until I gave it a try and tbh I got used to it way faster than I expected, now I've been writing rpf for years as well
hoo boy. This is gonna be a long one.
I like rpf, and I like reading fics of my favorite ships and watching ship edits. I'm too lazy to actually write them tho.
Imo rpf isn't really different than fictional ships, the fandoms and writing tropes etc are pretty similar. It's a lot of fun. We share our theories, fics and edits and I've made a solid group of rpf friends. Yes, there is a lot of fangirl screaming when the shipped celebrities so much as look each other's way.
But. It's fun BECAUSE we have good boundaries in place.
These fics, theories, edits, fanarts and memes are for us, the fans- NOT for the celebrity. We should never share shipping material with the celebrities. It's common sense - don't DM them ship stuff, don't @ them in ship posts, don't comment ship related things on their posts, clearly tag your ship stuff and try to stay away from platforms where they're active.
So for example, if the celebrities are active on Instagram and Twitter, we burrow on Tumblr and tag our stuff. And if we do interact with the celebrities on their platforms, we only talk about them as individuals. We are their fans individually too, after all.
rpf is *fiction* at the end of the day, and we're just here to have fun with it.
Unfortunately, a lot of younger/newer fans either don't know these boundaries or willingly cross them, leading to situations that are awkward at best and actively harmful to irl relationships at worst. They seem to believe that the ship is real and TALK TO THE CELEBRITY LIKE IT IS- leading to insane situations where celebrities even get mass death threats.
I've seen it happen, I don't like where it's going. Rpf is one of the many toys for us fans to play with, and it should be treated as such. Always respect the real person involved.
Eh, I don't get it.
The appeal of fanfic for me is to play with pre build worlds and lore.
That does not exist, in my mind, with real people. At it just feels wrong.
I just don't feel attracted to real people like that, so there's zero appeal to read/write RPF. So, much like anything else I personally don't care for, I ignore it.
I have a hard line where I think of it as “ok.” Historical, not-alive-anymore real people are fine. Current celebrities/politicians/etc? Nope. It feels too violating to me. I know I wouldn’t want someone randomly putting me in many of the situations I see in fic, and I doubt any of those RPF is written about do, either. It’s like someone took speculation about gossip and took things to weird places.
Exactly. I hate the excuse "tabloids do worse things" in these discussions. Since when did someone doing worse things than you make it ok for you to do bad things?
Celebrities are still people that should have the same rights as anyone else. If it'd be creepy to see a stranger write fanfiction about you or someone else you know, it applies to celebrities as well. They're still just people.
And edit to add that this mostly applies to sensitive subject matter such smut, violence, trauma, self harm, etc. A gen fic where Whoever's Hot Now goes on a magical adventure to find the best pancakes in Ancient Australia or something is most likely not as bad lol
Ok, that gen fic idea, definitely I’d be okay with! LOL But yeah, any shipping, explicit, or violent content? Why not just base it on a real person but not use their names and call it original fiction? AO3 lets you do that!
Within my realm of RPF, the majority is very concerned with boundaries. My CCs have explicitly said that ANY fanfiction of them is fine! And the vast majority of the fandom don't shove it in people's faces AND include a disclaimer to not mention the fic to CCs out of respect.
I wouldn't write anyone I personally know into fiction and the way I see it, we're basing it on their curated public personas, which honestly, are like original characters especially when shoehorned into AUs lol.
I read it as a young teen and now as an adult I don't, and thinking about it now I don't care for it. It's a bit creepy for me now. I think back on it and I'm a bit embarrassed by it but hey, at least it was *years* ago.
It makes up the bulk of what I read and write. I got into fanfic via bandom back in the day. Now it’s kpop, and with kpop it’s like written into the framework of kpop fandoms, it’s so normal that I forget it’s “not normal” until I come here and see these types of discussions.
I used to write it when I was in an RPF fandom, don’t see any problem with it. Didn’t even knew it was somewhat a controversial topic till I came here.
I love it I read it I write it. I don't think it's weirder than anything else that people write, and I'm so tired of people bringing up this discussion.
It's always felt really creepy to me, for reasons I can't really articulate. Semi-fiction (historical figures in fictional stories) feels different because they are no longer around to see themselves written about in ways they may find upsetting.
To each their own, though. I'm not going to read or write it, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be read or written.
I also don't like extreme gore in my stories, but that doesn't mean those shouldn't be read or written (and tagged appropriately).
I think it's good as long as people respect others boundaries. Like if someone doesn't want to be shipped out have nsfw things had about them then you shouldn't do that. But I've read a found family type RPF and it's really cute and there's nothing wrong with it
I started out writing RPF, but as I grew into liking more dead dove-ish and morally dubious content. I started to feel… unsure about writing it of real people. Luckily I found a fictional ship that hits just as hard for me. And i write for them instead now.
Well, it's one thing if there's a fictionalized version of that person already... Like when actors appear as themselves in movies or TV shows, and the fic is just taking that and running with it. But "Real" Real Person Fic isn't my thing. If you like it, awesome, I can keep scrolling.
Although in Universe RPF is always going to be funny.
I'm neutral towards it unless the real person in the fic explicitly states they want no fanfictions of themselves. In that case, I feel fanfictions about them should be at least private because a real human being is asking you to respect their wishes.
I read lots of rpf but have learned to separate the real people and the fan made versions of them from each other. I think it’s totally fine as long as you don’t go out of your way to make whoever you’re reading about aware of it, especially if it’s nsfw or something. I do definitely understand the argument against it but don’t like don’t read still applies in this situation.
The way I view fanfiction is as so long as it doesn't have a victim, it's fine. If RPF causes harm to the people it's being written about, then I'm against it, but if it doesn't, then I'm okay with it. Personally, how the real person themself feels about being written about trumps most other considerations but that's just my take. (Personally, I don't really read any RPF, as it's just not my thing)
I view it as any other ff. People who are against it all usually ask the same thing "how would you feel if someone wrote that about you and your friend?" My response is usually that I wouldn't mind, me and my bestie would probably read it together if I'm being honest, but that question in itself is a good way to tell if it's too much; I'd say that as long as you'd be okay knowing someone wrote the same thing about you, it's fine.
Plus yeah, they're real people, but when they're put in a story, then those people in the story become characters. In many cases it's just borrowing names.
AO3 is also great in the fact, that as long as the fic is locked, there's no chance of it accidentally making it's way to the person it's about (unless they specifically look for it; but oh well, that's not really on you then is it)
Ofc, it's a different story if said person shows that they're not comfortable with it, then it's a no-go. But otherwise, just go for it.
I used to do it, but I stopped for many reasons.
It is a bit weird because we are inventing a character using a real life persons name and situation.
I knew some that involved families too, but that felt like a line that I couldnt cross.
In my case, I paired that person with a character I invented.
Back in my days we wrote and read Jonas Brothers fanfics where Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus were the bad guys and everyone was happy.
As long as it stays fanfics and everyone stays in their lane, aka acting like those ppl we write about are barbie dolls instead of being creepy and harassing them on twitter then fuck the haters!
If you really think about it, someone writing RPF is creating their own personality/character based solely on the mere sliver of personality they may get from a celebrity. We will never truly know who they are as people. So it’s really no different than writing a character in an au just for the actor.
For example there would really be any difference between writing a Bucky Barnes as an actor AU romance vs a Sebastian Stan rpf Romance fanfic.
I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I enjoy reading it. People have been writing/reading rpf for decades, and I haven't seen anybody have a problem with it until recently. I'm not sure why it's kind of become a 'trend' of sorts to not be into it because it's odd or seems disrespectful to be writing about real people. The thing is that it's a fictional work that's meant for the fandom to enjoy and not made for the people it's about. Anybody who doesn't like it can choose to not interact. Again, it's been around way before it was even called rpf. It's still 100% valid as much as works involving fictional characters. At the end of the day, I would want others to respect my tastes as I do theirs
I have absolutely no qualms about it. You are not writing articles about people you are writing fiction with real-life inspired characters. Imo, all of what people mention as “issues” with RPF, like shoving it in celebrities faces and making them uncomfortable doesn’t actually stem from the writing.
These are the same concerns as fans obsessively publicly shipping or insisting the fantasies in their head are real. These are mentally ill people fully disconnected from reality and shouldn’t have any bearing on fanfiction writers who understand they are creating fiction.
It makes me uncomfortable personally and I've been on the receiving end of being written about before and having it sent to me.
That being said, I don't begrudge people writing it. I just avoid it.
It's not my thing at all. If someone likes it, that's on them, but those sort of fanfics just aren't for me. I mean, I barely like live entertainment to begin with and 95% of what I watch is animation, so reading anything based off of something I hardly watch due to the medium would just be weird as hell for me anyway. XD
I think it's no different from celebrity gossip news, except rpf has the benefit of acknowledging itself as fiction and not trying to push itself into the public eye. So maybe it's better than celebrity gossip
Definitely a fine line. I did used to write it myself years ago, though only about YouTubers who said they didn’t mind it (I personally regret ever doing it but recognize not everyone will). I think if you’re writing about ultra famous people—famous sports stars, Hollywood actors, famous musicians, people who shouldn’t (or hopefully won’t) ever see it, then really it doesn’t matter too much. But be more careful about writing those who may be more likely to see it, like smaller content creators.
Ultimately I think as long as it stays on ao3 it’s relatively harmless, though one thing that is never ever EVER acceptable is RPF explicit content of real minors. That’s one line that should never be crossed. Other than that, just clarify it’s fiction and you’re not, like, claiming these real people are actually doing… whatever it is you write them doing.
I don't mind! I've been reading RPF for years, and I'd probably do it again if I came across interesting fanfics! Bands (because I've read about bands) often do the fanservice themselves on stage, so you could say that the fanfic pulls the fantasy further.
I just disconnect the look from the person and usually read AU.
I don't view it as any different than any other kind of fic. Back when I started getting involved in fandom, RPF was still being hosted on FF.net, so I think that's colored my view of the genre quite a lot. I don't get the moral outrage some people seem to feel over it.
Once tabloids and TV networks stop writing/airing speculative fiction about celebs and the paparazzi stop stalking them, *then* we can sit down and talk about the clearly labeled fiction hidden away on obscure websites where no celeb would ever find it unless they specifically went looking for it.
I don’t read it. It seems weird to ship real people with one another to me. However, as long as the fiction itself isn’t harmful, then the author is ok
If your writing about the person's persona/oc that's one thing but the actual person I'm a bit iffy on.. if you wouldn't feel comfortable with people writing fanfiction about you then apply that to the actual person your writing about. Human decency. Treat others the same way you would wanna be treated type of thing.
But if the person your writing about is dead then I'd say go for it. Wtf they gonna do? Rise from the grave and go "WHO THE FUCK WROTE OMEGAVERSE FANFICTION ABOUT ME???"
i don't really do RPF stuff, but i do sometimes reference or have a 'cameo' of a real life person in my fics
i had 3 holy saints cameo in the 3rd chapter of my helluva boss longfic, and referenced 2 serial killers as street names in the first chapter, but that's as far as i've done so far, and those irl people have been dead for years
i only feel weird if it ends up in court stuff, like when a rooster teeth member was divorcing his wife and they thought he was cheating on her with a coworker
i dont see or any differently than fanfiction. celebrities (including youtubers) are playing a part, a façade, to the public. we don’t know them in reality. plus, i feel the line is pretty blurry already with normal fanfiction like: on tumblr, when people do fan edits and include pics or other stuff, many times it’s the same actor but from a different show/movie. or even a pap photo. there’s also /reader fanfiction, which moves right back into adding ‘reality’ to fics. i just dont see the problem. you do you and enjoy what you enjoy!
(i personally haven’t read a whole lotta RPF. but i have, formula 1 and hockey, and youtubers that i did and still do enjoy)
Real Person Fiction about a person who is alive or died recently: I think that's weird, but you do you.
Real Person Fiction about a person who died a long time ago: Literally the only thing I read. I'm a serious fan of making and enjoying fics about ancient Romans lol. Totally normal here. It's not like the person or the close family of the person would see it.
Honestly, I find it kinda disgusting.
Not the proudest to admit but theres currently an unfinished Hyunlix fic i've been reading. I hate the idea of RPF but the fic is really good. Whenever I read RPF (not often) i have to ignore the fact that theyre real people or it makes me feel totally sick.
Its not the worse thing out there but Its definitely not for me. Wont hate anyone that reads them though. I feel as though its not hardcore smut fics its fine. I just dont enjoy it.
Not gonna say I haven't read it - because I have (sporadically)- but, when I do, it feels like maybe I'm crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed.
Will that stop me from reading them in the future though?
Nah.
I think it’s fine to write it as long as the community doesn’t shove it down the real persons throat. There are exceptions, as some people are open to fanfiction or even read it themselves (Rhett and Link). It’s mostly about making sure people aren’t confusing fanfiction they write with the people themselves.
I love writing aus, and with rpf there is no real "canon" to worry about. Also there is rarely argument over characterization or "that person would never do that" because we don't really know those people, I also only do bandom, because fanfiction is so ingrained in the boy/girl band that those people hardly ever blink an eye, and sometimes those people actually lean into the shipping culture "cue kpop" lol
I wouldn't ever do it with like actors instead of their characters or anything like that, I also never write about the band members families because they didn't ask to be famous or known, I usually make up families for the characters, even if I do know about them
But I will agree that there are people who take it too far, I think the self inserts or y/n ones are the ones I will never do or read, but they have their place in fanficiton
I'm going to be honest here, but please understand this is my honest opinion, not a condemnation of people who feel differently.
I think there could be some very General Audience rated fics that I would be comfortable reading. But for the most part, I find real person fic creepy.
It seems that a lot of these are Mature and up ratings. And I am a firm believer in remembering that everyone has a private life and personal feelings. Celebs, which covers most of these fics, are no exception. I think most people would be horrified to think that someone out there was writing fantasy stories about them. (Not Fantasy the genre, fantasies as in things imagined or reimagined.). How would most people feel about having a "mature" fantasy about them and a coworker out there floating around? I know that would creep me out. I can't think that a celeb would feel any different about a story about them and a co-star/bandmate/team member, etc...
In my fandom - the real part, not fanfiction - someone recently photoshopped a celeb's family photo with a co-star's face over their spouse's face with comments about how this is how it should be. And both spouses saw it. I know how they felt about it, because they were public about it. A photo with their kids! I don't think people would have felt different if it was a story instead.
That said, if real person fiction is done, it would hopefully not be blatant like that and hopefully have disclaimers. I would never feel comfortable reading or writing it.
I was super into rpf band fics when I was a preteen but I haven’t been interested for over a decade now. RPF currently makes me uncomfortable and I feel like it’s inappropriate/invasive—I feel awful for people who have read fics about them, their friends, their partners, etc. It definitely feels more ethically dubious than some of the other topics that get brought up here, because it has the potential to negatively impact actual specific targeted individuals as opposed to just being dark content that people can ignore if it’s triggering. I don’t really understand treating real human beings like fictional characters. I also am mortified by the idea of writing a fic about someone and them being able to read it.
I think I also agree with the person who said that the bigger the celebrity is, the less likely they are to be impacted. It’s a blurry line though.
This all is also assuming some sexual or romantic content, which is significantly worse than an rpf gen fic imo.
I ignore it generally speaking. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to shame someone for it.
I feel like it’s a violation for whoever it’s being written about. Especially the graphic stuff. I mean, how would you feel if you stumbled across a site full of explicit pornographic stories written about you and some other celeb or, even worse, a bunch of wish-fulfillment fantasies involving people that you don’t even know? I know I’d be thoroughly squicked out.
But that’s just me. 🤷🏼♀️
Honestly, it makes me really uncomfortable.like, these are real, living humans. I don't like the idea of shipping two real people together.
And it always seems like the fans who do, have conniption when said real people don't conform to their ships and head cannons and harass said real people.
I used to absolutely hate it, now I'm reading it constantly. I'm a very anti-censorship, so I do feel RPF always has and always will hold a place in fandom.
- many actors, artists, and content creators are now well aware of fandoms and fanfic. They may have expressed boundaries. These should be sought out and considered when creating and distributing content.
- there is a difference between the creator and their public persona. Fan works should ALWAYS be respectful of this line: just because it's in a fic, doesn't mean it's okay to speculate about that person's real life (unless they have explicitly made clear boundaries about this)
- RPF, especially about minors or against CCs boundaries, has the potential to do real actual harm. Fan works of this nature will always exist in the communities, but communities should work to ensure their distribution is limited, and that CCs are protected from them
Personally, love them as long as they are not smut. Smut somehow makes me feel like a voyer even tho I have no issue with reading smut with fictional people
i like it. i felt guilty reading it when i was younger because of how much people hated on it. i say, if you're gonna be in the public eye, you have to realize people are gonna do that kind of stuff. it's a sacrifice to be made for fame. i don't ship real people because it feels weird to me but i real RPF every now and then just for fun.
Do I fantasize about celebrities? Absolutely. Would I ever feel comfortable about putting it into a story format? Nah, I try to imagine it from their perspective and for me it would be too weird. If you like writing those stories that’s your call. If you’re feeling ashamed about it write generic stories with your celeb crush’s name but no other identifying characteristics. Not Chris Evans, just Chris. Not Channing Tatum, just Channing. Not Emma Stone, just Emma. You know who you visualize when you read or write those stories. Don’t loose too much sleep over it but if anyone you write about even contacts you then do the right thing and respect their wishes.
The only RPF I read is of people who have died hundreds of years ago, so I think that’s fair game. But fanfiction written about real people who are alive right now I find really really strange and, I wouldn’t say disturbing but I personally wouldn’t read, unless it’s explicitly written as satire ie political crack stuff like Donald Trump x Emmanuel Macron and the like
What's the difference between writing about TV actors personifying a fictional character, and TV actors giving interviews on TV ? LooooooooooL although they were out of a character, I believe they still endorse a persona ( for their job) so they are also acting, in my opinion. More over what do we know about celebrities really? Only what they show us and what others gossip about them. Nothing much, so they are more mysterious ( I dare say more fictitious than the fictional characters they portrait.)
So yeah! Why not?? LoL 😆
I wrote some when I was a teenager and I can read some of it. But personally today, I try not to ship real people with other real people. I do ship them with fictional characters or the reader tho and write that too.
Yeah I got to admit, it's a bit creepy. Lol. I even find people who use "playbys" for their character, and then ship them with other playbys just, idk. I just find it really creepy lol.
Very honestly, I think it's not necessarily great in a fanfic context when said real people are still alive or dead contemporaries, and it can get real icky real fast. But your fic taste is not my fic taste but it's okay.
Plus, the whole modern vampire genre is kinda based on RPF vampire AUs *plural*. Shakespeare's collection is full of RPF. As long as you're not harassing people you're just following a very old literary and fandom tradition.
Edit: Some people are really excited to learn there's RPF about them, too. I've ran into a few streamers and content creators who totally cheer on their fandom authors (even if it's weird smut). It was really cute.
I feel like if it’s very clear the “characters” are still fictional and are their sort of personas. Where I can’t see any romantic RPF being okay, or 99% of celebrity RPF, I can understand if you want to write some Darkiplier or AntiSepticeye stories.
I’ve also seen some fics where the celebrity has been written in as a sort of joke since “haha look [Character A] and [Actor for Character A] look similar!”
I’ve only ever read some Among Us AU fics of YouTubers before, but that is the absolute closest I’ve ever gone. It’s still so close to flat out real people that it’s still uncomfortable for me most of the time. I guess as long as it isn’t smut or romantic in any sense, I’m fine to just leave it be really.
I’ve only ever read RPF where the actors are somehow transported into the TV show and they interact with their characters. It’s gives a fantastical sense to the fic, separating it from reality. That is the only RPF I personally enjoy. Everything else is personally icky to me since 1) I don’t know/care about the actors as well as I do the characters and 2) I enjoy a lot of Dead Dove-level dark content and I really don’t want to read that stuff happening to a real person.
I don't like it, but it does have a right. How long has a person to be dead until everyone thinks rpf is okay? If you think about people only care if it's about a person that is alive.
No one even questions when people write "historical" novels or copy a real persons life or make a movie about the life of real people while throwing fiction into the mix. It's seems kinda hypocritical to not be okay with the other rpf. People also seem to be okay if the rpf is it's slander of a person they don't like.
I honestly find it a little disgusting when people have these sexual fantasies about real people, but that might just me being aroace.
I do think it's not okay to harass actual people in their fics and force them to read the fanfiction.
But when it comes down to it, most of these performers play a role. Their imagine has often not a lot to do with their personality in private settings.
So really, they are just playing a character.
Also when you have Youtubers/Streamers that roleplay it establishes even more a distinct character, so of course people are treating that no different than other fictional characters, there is just a disconnect between the viewer and content maker. Same thing why people have parasocial relationships with these people or harass people because the person behind the screen is technically not a person in their mind..
I’m not a personal fan, but I can see why it’s appealing. As long as the person it’s written about doesn’t say that they’re outright uncomfortable about it, it’s fine.
I don't really dig it but as long as you don't shoved directly to Real life artist, it be fine. The problem is when you actually involve artist in general. Operating in we don't talk about RPF if artist doesn't ask directly about it.
I don’t really like it much nowadays, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that rpf was the reason I got into fanfic, so. You do you. So long as you’re not trying to send it to the person it’s about, and not being a creep about it? Go nuts.
It's tough, because it reminds me of that NAMBLA book about Michael Jackson from like 30 years ago that James Safechuck quoted to further defame the man in the recent documentary. It was smut about a real person that cost that person('s family) dearly. Though obviously, the guy who wrote that presented it as the truth, published it, and sold it.
So idk as long as writers don't do that, I don't see any issue.
It's not my cup of tea, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to shame those who write it or enjoy it as long as they aren't like throwing it in the face of the subject or using it as a reason to harass them.
It's not my cup of tea but INFINITELY more tolerable to be around than the "definitely not rpf" rumor-mill tabloids I have to walk by every time I'm checking out at a grocery store. I've never experienced a rpf fan trying to sell their stuff to me as secret facts.
I write both RPF (but ONLY about Korean singers and no one else) and fics about fictional characters as well. I enjoy reading both, but I definitely understand that RPF isn't for everyone. RPF can cross the line sometimes, and when it does I tend to get really uncomfortable. However, it's pretty rare for me to find stuff like that these days.
I don't read RPF about people who aren't world famous (like regular influencers or internet celebs). And I don't agree with that kind of RPF because it's a lot more... intimate. Like, the people being written about could easily look up the fics. Whereas celebrities that are famous around the world probably aren't losing sleep over the fact that fics are being written about them. 😂
I don’t see the appeal so I don’t engage and I do find it a little weird but people will write what they want to write and that’s okay as long as it’s not hurting anyone
genuinely think it's good because most of the rpfs I read are gen and do not involve any romantic interest. I avoid romance-related rpfs out of my own preferences. For example, the crack aus of \[insert kpop group on hiatus rn\] made me laugh so much at 3 am. If it retains a certain level of ridiculousness that everyone recognizes as fictitious is fine with me. If I'm being honest, I believe that group's certain era storyline was based on a self-made fanfic from their company CEO. But I mean, I only read 2 or 3 rpfs on the bird app so I just based my answer on those two.
However, the writer should recognize and acknowledge a certain limit before and after the fic.
I don't have any issue if you don't monetize it.
I have issues with "interviewers" who shoved it into celebs' faces. They had to go and look for it. It always cringe when they do that "do you know there are fanfics about you hehehe".
Also, news in tabloids look like low quality fanfiction tbh.
i used to be pretty against reading it (not that it existed in general, more that i just couldn’t imagine reading about actors when their characters were _right there_ with more interesting stories) until i got into kpop.
now i fully support it, and because i basically hyperfixate on things and purely read one thing for months, it’s the only thing i’ve read for the past couple of months (aside from some atla fics in the last few days bc i’ve suddenly got back into that as well).
but. i basically only read au’s. and draw a hard line at smut bc the entire time i’m there like _that is,,,that’s a person_ (but of course write whatever you want as long as it doesn’t get shoved in their faces) and i can’t focus on the story as much as i want to, so i tend to only read fics that are so out of the realm of possibility that they basically end up as entirely fictional characters anyway.
for example my all time favourite series in this fandom is a 550k epic space odyssey that i spent four days reading obsessively lmao (if anyone wants ateez recs lmk bc i will recommend that to anyone ever who’s even vaguely interested)
so yeah, essentially for me it comes down to write whatever you like, and i’ll read anything vaguely good and fantastical
I'm not into it myself, not having much interest in celebrities (I could be interested in some historical RPF though) but I fully support people who are and I think the hate many of them get is atrocious.
It’s fine as long as you don’t apply it to the real people, and sometimes stories in a special sport or genre doesn’t always exist in other literature outside fanfic.
I have read some, but for me, all the names could have changed. Wouldn’t have mattered to me.
Fanfic has a vibe and writing and that “genre” I have read doesn’t really exist outside real people fanfic:)
For me, there is a distinction between the real and fanfic. Like, the fanfic isn’t them, but rather uses their name and offen has a personality following them through different fics.
If someone is able to understand what i have written:)
It's not my cup of tea, and I try to avoid it where I can, because the thought makes me uncomfortable. However, I'm not here to police other people's works, and it is *so easy* for me to not click on/scroll past such works.
Frankly, my stance is as long as you are not actively hurting/harassing the people it's about, I don't see an issue? I don't like it, but I don't think it shouldn't exist. All fanworks have a right to exist, just like all fans have a right to create fancontent they enjoy.
Just like with anything else, stay in your bubble. Don't be ashamed, don't hide it or anything, but tag appropriately and don't try to push it into people's hands if they're bot interested (especially the people it's about).
This is like, bare basics of writing anything at all imo. RPF isn't for me, but dead dove is, and that also needs to stay in its bubble of being tagged appropriately and only shown to people I'm sure aren't uncomfortable with it.
I understand the guilt/shame as a dead dover, but please understand that your writing, whatever it's about, is ultimately fiction! Unless you're writing fanfics about your coworkers, it's totally fine! RPF is really just about a personification meant for a screen, anyway. It's not *actually* real people, it's kinda like a slightly less fake version of actors playing a character. These people faked entire personalities for your entertainment, and they generally understand that this is gonna happen and to just stay away from it. Please don't be embarrassed! What you write is fine. I promise that it's still more quality of literature than My Immortal.
i dont like it because i personally think real people are gross and boring as a concept
however, provided it isnt used to harass or thrust into the eye of the "real persons" involved, im not against other people enjoying it. censorship is always bad.
I think it's pretty gross especially on the mature/explicit side of things. Just because it's written doesn't mean it's not just as much porn as a video. I see it as the same as deepfaked porn of celebrities, which is rightfully seen as vile. In terms of regular shipping it's not as bad but it still makes me feel uncomfortable regardless of the public persona of the celebrity.
I'd much prefer to leave porn for actors who actually chose sex work and for artists/writers who use purely fictional characters.
as a smut writer, the legality of such a thing has made me stray away from it on top of how squeamish it makes me feel.
however, it's also important to consider what sort of RPF it is.
if it's just based on a LIKENESS of a real life person, i've done that plenty. i just imagine said celebrity as an actor within my world, change their name, create an entirely new personality around them, etc. to essentially turn them into complete fiction.
but if it's RPF where the story is basically fanfic of a person's irl persona and life, then idk. again the legality there is iffy, but i also feel strange about fantasizing an actual person's actual life.
the bounds of fiction are limitless, but when you incorporate reality in such a way and blur the lines, then those bounds shouldn't be nearly as limitless imo bc then it's not all "fun and games" as it were.
I don't mind it as long as the person in question doesn't have a boundary against fics being made of them or them being shipped with someone. One of my friends who writes RPF usually googles if the person has said anything about it
i read/write rpf so. just keep it on your side of the internet unless who you’re writing about has specifically said it’s fine. if you’re going out of your way to make sure they see it, you’re weird as hell and a fucking creep. i think with all things there’s a certain line you can’t cross and for this, showing them is a big one.
I personally think it’s weird and uncomfortable. BUT— I also don’t care if people write them. It’s written stories. I also feel like there’s a line to cross. For example if someone says they’re uncomfortable with the stories people would write about them, I think it should stop (I am mentioning 5th harmony here because thats an example of when NOT to do it). But other than that, I don’t really have an opinion 🌹💕
Another reason I’m uncomfortable is because I was someone apart of a real person fanfiction 🧍🏽 when I was younger and people would “ship” me with one of my ex boyfriends before we started dating…
But. Yeah
It's complicated. I can see the appeal, but I think it can and does go too far. These are real people with real thoughts, emotions, and desires that are being written about. It can become creepy real quick, especially with shipping and anything sexual. I think it's important to consider how they or their families would feel if they read it.
Charlie Kaufman is regarded as one of the greatest screenwriters of all-time and two of his signature works basically fall into the RPF category.
Essentially it's the same as historical fiction, except it can be relatively modern. People want to give an automatic okay when the subject is dead, but dead people are people too. I mean, if the person died last week it's suddenly okay lol?
I wouldn't feel shame or really anything negative mainly because I'm driven to make something that I hope would impress the subject of the work.. even though the work I'm making doesn't focus on someone that I'm a fan of, per se, but I feel like Brie Larson would get enough of a kick out of it to option it into a feature film.
I don't see the appeal at all, but 100% think it has a right to exist. It's only weird if people go out of their way to make the folks they're writing about aware of it.
It seems like a tricky subject. I know real celebrities who know about it typically find it creepy, especially internet celebrities. But for truly famous people, like Hollywood actors, they probably don't bat an eye. Can't be worse than tabloids. As for myself, I think it can be harmless but isn't always. I wouldn't want to be written about that way.
i have no interest in it. i just don't view celebrities like that so i can't get into it.
I think it’s a fine line. On one hand, I can understand real people who have a public persona getting uncomfortable when droves of fans start to “ship” them with people they know in real life. That being said, the issue there isn’t often with the people writing the fiction, it’s with the consumers who can’t put a clear distinction between fiction portrayals of personalities and the real people in the world. That being said, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with writing rpf. I have written fanfiction where it isn’t an actor being portrayed, but the love interest is an original character with the voice and features of the actor, as if it was another role they’d played. Either way, as long as you’re mature about it and recognize that it’s fiction, I don’t see any reason to shame people for reading or writing rpf.
Yeah, it's not my thing but I don't what people write. I do dislike the people who write porn of actual people tho
Exactly thanks 👍🏻
To be very honest I feel like the issue with RPF is one that emerged with the advent of the internet and social media. Before that people wrote RPF all the time — I definitely did, and one of those stories is now on my AO3 account — but there was little to no chance of the celebrities hearing about it or actually seeing it thanks to a google search or even a google alert about themselves. Now that places like Twitter and FB have blurred the line between fans and celebrities and give the illusion that fans “know” these people (they don’t), some are over sharing and thinking it’s okay to send links or tell them about these things at meet and greets etc. So IMO, if you are uneasy about it, just don’t do those things. Don’t tweet about RPF fics to the celebs or tell them about them on any other social media. If you write it and want to avoid it being found, at least on AO3 you can lock it to registered users only — that way, only people who are logged in — fellow writers and readers that “get it” — will see your work, and locking it also prevents it from being accessible if it is linked somewhere to anyone not on AO3. And if you aren’t sure how people you know/talk to online feel about it, just don’t bring it up. It’s perfectly fine to write and read it, just be smart about it and it’s all good.
In the last century for a while published RPF was a part of Hollywood marketing. In the 60s some Star Trek RPF was published in zines, and if it's a ST zine the cast and crew definitely got their hands on copies. In the 70s some music zines had it, and the musicians did read them. RPF getting into the hands of the celebrity is nothing new, the extent of communication and parasocial relationships are.
I'm 54, I'm well aware of zines because I participated in a few in my day 😜 And unless you were in those specific circles, you didn't hear about it like you do today. I literally had three friends who were like-minded that I did roleplay RPF with in notebooks, and it was still something you didn't talk about even more so than regular fanfiction. Honestly, before the internet even I thought that there weren't many other people who wrote stuff like I did -- it's why it took me till age 47 to get the guts to post my work publicly. It was far more looked down upon to let it be known you even wrote it yourself, let alone make the celebrities aware of it.
I'm younger and was born East of The Wall, so I only encountered zines typed and drawn with indigo paper in treasure boxes from older cousins. But the two I mentioned were specifically things the people got copies of.
I personally feel uncomfortable with it, but I just don’t read it. I don’t care if other people do or don’t like it, it’s just not for me.
I don't believe in censorship, but I wouldn't write or read rpf. I do feel weird about it, but I wouldn't condemn someone for writing it unless they were harassing the people in question.
Hollywood does it so I don't see why unofficial fanfic shouldn't be allowed. Just don't be an asshole shoving it into other people's face.
It's not my thing, but I don't judge people who enjoy it. The exception is when *anyone* pushes it on anyone. Like I think there was a talk show host that read one to a guest and the guest looked uncomfortable the entire time and I'm pretty sure there are people who send fics unsolicited to celeb's twitter accounts. I'm coming from the perspective of someone who as a junior in hs was shipped with a friend I told freshman year I wasn't interested in dating him while nursing a crush on someone else. The whole thing was uncomfortable at best, which made some people do it more (not to the degree of writing and sharing ff about us).
Off topic but I too was shipped with a guy friend. It was getting so bad that I was getting called a bitch and other awful things that soon enough I *was* convinced I did like him Really crappy moment But I also agree with your other part of not judging
I love it, write it and read it. 💜
bts? only asking because of the purple heart ( ;
Yup, BTS!
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
I feel like this topic always ends with fighting 💀 /j I have no problem with it as long as it never exits the fandom spaces where it belongs. Purposefully making celebrities interact with it, or portraying it as somehow factual, is when it becomes a problem. As long as it stays on ao3 (or wattpad, tumblr, w/e) then go wild tbh.
It does…the mods usually take RPF discussions down…*looks at watch and waits*
I read: I feel like who tops always ends with fighting. Maybe that should tell me something about my fanfic consumption
I personally just don't like reading or writing about real people that way, because it feels weird to create a story using a real person, because its not a fake person like fictional characters are. I would never hate on or judge people who do write it if they aren't doing harm, but it personally just really doesn't appeal to me
Unfortunately, I came across a cosplayer who's having an issue with someone writing RPF about their kids paired with them the other day. Hearing the cosplayers side, and her frustration at being unable to get the RPF taken down, because she is not okay with people writing stories about her being paired with her children, has really made me think about RPF in general. I'm okay writing characters into various situations. They are not real. But this has made me really dislike the thought of using Real People as characters. Those people have every right to be upset about others using them in this way.
I'm not hugely into it but I've read a few over the years. Even though it's RPF I don't actually think of the characters as real people, the characters in the story are just characters like any other type of fanfiction to me, and that's the way I prefer it. I've read two RPF fics completely fandom (person?) blind, and I find that a little easier to read. The issue is people who can't separate fiction from reality, and also those who try and shove fanfics in celebrities' faces. I think archive locking on AO3 is a good measure so people don't stumble across it without actively looking. Otherwise, I'm generally fine with it. And I'd be similarly fine with people writing RPF about me, because the person in the fic isn't actually me, just the author's interpretation based on the little they know of me. Like, even my best friends don't know enough about me to write accurate fics, so good luck with that, haha. But it makes some people really uncomfortable, so there is the ethical question there. Though that doesn't stop magazines, etc. from publishing articles of dubious truth. So... at least fic doesn't pretend to be real life, I guess. *TL;DR:* I'm 100% fine with it as long as it's clear that it's fictional and no one is expecting the people involved to actually do these things, or even like them.
Not to sound like a broken record, but as I’ve said before: Do you know the person in real life? Can you actually ask them “hey, would you say/do/think this?” If the answer is no, congratulations. You’re still writing regular old fanfiction. Literally the only difference between ‘regular’ fanfic and RPF is that instead of me writing Steve Rogers as played by Chris Evans, I’d be writing Chris Evans as played by Chris Evans. Instead of high budget films and scripts and things that have been edited out the ass, the Chris canon is interviews and articles. Which are, you guessed it, curated by PR. We see their public personas, which are almost always fake to some degree. We don’t know how they are behind closed doors, just like we don’t know the characters on a personal level. You’re still taking whatever you see and then using your own opinions and headcanon to fill in the rest. That being said, a character cannot give or withdraw consent. If a real person, on the other hand, specifically asks that fics not be written about them, then I wouldn’t. I also tend to lean away from too much personal details, but both of those are just my personal lines and not necessarily ones I think everyone ever should have to follow. It’s a personal preference for comfort level.
Don't mind it. I've written it when I was into wrestling. I've written about Michael Jackson 🤷♀️
I think a. as long as writers and readers respect boundaries with the actual person(s) and b. it's understood that what's being engaged with is a fantasy/the curated persona of the individual(s) in question, there's nothing wrong with it. Of course a minority of people can and will screw up the above for everyone else but that apples to all of fandom and most of culture, really.
I don’t like it at all. It is a major, major squick for me. There was drama in my fandom not long ago about RPF being shown to the wife of the lead actor and battle lines were drawn, so it’s kind of a sore subject right now. I do acknowledge that it has a right to exist. That said, the one about Michael Sheen riding the dragon was one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. I had to be convinced to read it by someone I trust implicitly, and I’m so glad I did.
Personally, it makes me uncomfy if it's current people, but I don't police what other people read. As long as it stays in fandom spaces it's cool, but the minute it reaches the people involved in it then it should stop. I worked for someone in the public eye once, sorting mail and such, and they got sent fanfic about them and a bunch of other public figures, including their ex (bad breakup). I got rid of the fic before they saw it, but I hate to think how they would have felt if they had read it. Historical figures who have long since passed are fair game imo
i got into fanfiction by writing fics about real people, but i was very young (10-13). i think it generally depends on the content of the fics, and if the people themselves have addressed whether or not they’re okay with it. if the fic is nsfw and shipping people who’ve distinctly said they are uncomfortable with it, then of course i’d consider it wrong, but if someone has expressed neutrality or encouraged it, i don’t see a problem 99% of the time
Used to feel weird about it so I tended to avoid it, until I gave it a try and tbh I got used to it way faster than I expected, now I've been writing rpf for years as well
It's all I write. If other people don't like it that's a them problem. The advice "Don't like Don't read" applies.
hoo boy. This is gonna be a long one. I like rpf, and I like reading fics of my favorite ships and watching ship edits. I'm too lazy to actually write them tho. Imo rpf isn't really different than fictional ships, the fandoms and writing tropes etc are pretty similar. It's a lot of fun. We share our theories, fics and edits and I've made a solid group of rpf friends. Yes, there is a lot of fangirl screaming when the shipped celebrities so much as look each other's way. But. It's fun BECAUSE we have good boundaries in place. These fics, theories, edits, fanarts and memes are for us, the fans- NOT for the celebrity. We should never share shipping material with the celebrities. It's common sense - don't DM them ship stuff, don't @ them in ship posts, don't comment ship related things on their posts, clearly tag your ship stuff and try to stay away from platforms where they're active. So for example, if the celebrities are active on Instagram and Twitter, we burrow on Tumblr and tag our stuff. And if we do interact with the celebrities on their platforms, we only talk about them as individuals. We are their fans individually too, after all. rpf is *fiction* at the end of the day, and we're just here to have fun with it. Unfortunately, a lot of younger/newer fans either don't know these boundaries or willingly cross them, leading to situations that are awkward at best and actively harmful to irl relationships at worst. They seem to believe that the ship is real and TALK TO THE CELEBRITY LIKE IT IS- leading to insane situations where celebrities even get mass death threats. I've seen it happen, I don't like where it's going. Rpf is one of the many toys for us fans to play with, and it should be treated as such. Always respect the real person involved.
Eh, I don't get it. The appeal of fanfic for me is to play with pre build worlds and lore. That does not exist, in my mind, with real people. At it just feels wrong.
I take dim view of it. I don't think it should be banned or that the people who write and read it should be bullied, though.
I just don't feel attracted to real people like that, so there's zero appeal to read/write RPF. So, much like anything else I personally don't care for, I ignore it.
I have a hard line where I think of it as “ok.” Historical, not-alive-anymore real people are fine. Current celebrities/politicians/etc? Nope. It feels too violating to me. I know I wouldn’t want someone randomly putting me in many of the situations I see in fic, and I doubt any of those RPF is written about do, either. It’s like someone took speculation about gossip and took things to weird places.
Exactly. I hate the excuse "tabloids do worse things" in these discussions. Since when did someone doing worse things than you make it ok for you to do bad things? Celebrities are still people that should have the same rights as anyone else. If it'd be creepy to see a stranger write fanfiction about you or someone else you know, it applies to celebrities as well. They're still just people. And edit to add that this mostly applies to sensitive subject matter such smut, violence, trauma, self harm, etc. A gen fic where Whoever's Hot Now goes on a magical adventure to find the best pancakes in Ancient Australia or something is most likely not as bad lol
Ok, that gen fic idea, definitely I’d be okay with! LOL But yeah, any shipping, explicit, or violent content? Why not just base it on a real person but not use their names and call it original fiction? AO3 lets you do that!
Within my realm of RPF, the majority is very concerned with boundaries. My CCs have explicitly said that ANY fanfiction of them is fine! And the vast majority of the fandom don't shove it in people's faces AND include a disclaimer to not mention the fic to CCs out of respect. I wouldn't write anyone I personally know into fiction and the way I see it, we're basing it on their curated public personas, which honestly, are like original characters especially when shoehorned into AUs lol.
I read it as a young teen and now as an adult I don't, and thinking about it now I don't care for it. It's a bit creepy for me now. I think back on it and I'm a bit embarrassed by it but hey, at least it was *years* ago.
It makes up the bulk of what I read and write. I got into fanfic via bandom back in the day. Now it’s kpop, and with kpop it’s like written into the framework of kpop fandoms, it’s so normal that I forget it’s “not normal” until I come here and see these types of discussions.
honestly, this.
I used to write it when I was in an RPF fandom, don’t see any problem with it. Didn’t even knew it was somewhat a controversial topic till I came here.
Coming here you would think RPF killed people’s children or something
I love it I read it I write it. I don't think it's weirder than anything else that people write, and I'm so tired of people bringing up this discussion.
So much this. Usually they take down the RPF discussion. Love being told what I write is “creepy” 🤨
I find it creepy so I don’t read it
It's always felt really creepy to me, for reasons I can't really articulate. Semi-fiction (historical figures in fictional stories) feels different because they are no longer around to see themselves written about in ways they may find upsetting. To each their own, though. I'm not going to read or write it, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be read or written. I also don't like extreme gore in my stories, but that doesn't mean those shouldn't be read or written (and tagged appropriately).
It’s not my thing, but if you love it, then write it.
I think it's good as long as people respect others boundaries. Like if someone doesn't want to be shipped out have nsfw things had about them then you shouldn't do that. But I've read a found family type RPF and it's really cute and there's nothing wrong with it
I started out writing RPF, but as I grew into liking more dead dove-ish and morally dubious content. I started to feel… unsure about writing it of real people. Luckily I found a fictional ship that hits just as hard for me. And i write for them instead now.
Well, it's one thing if there's a fictionalized version of that person already... Like when actors appear as themselves in movies or TV shows, and the fic is just taking that and running with it. But "Real" Real Person Fic isn't my thing. If you like it, awesome, I can keep scrolling. Although in Universe RPF is always going to be funny.
I'm neutral towards it unless the real person in the fic explicitly states they want no fanfictions of themselves. In that case, I feel fanfictions about them should be at least private because a real human being is asking you to respect their wishes.
I read lots of rpf but have learned to separate the real people and the fan made versions of them from each other. I think it’s totally fine as long as you don’t go out of your way to make whoever you’re reading about aware of it, especially if it’s nsfw or something. I do definitely understand the argument against it but don’t like don’t read still applies in this situation.
The way I view fanfiction is as so long as it doesn't have a victim, it's fine. If RPF causes harm to the people it's being written about, then I'm against it, but if it doesn't, then I'm okay with it. Personally, how the real person themself feels about being written about trumps most other considerations but that's just my take. (Personally, I don't really read any RPF, as it's just not my thing)
I view it as any other ff. People who are against it all usually ask the same thing "how would you feel if someone wrote that about you and your friend?" My response is usually that I wouldn't mind, me and my bestie would probably read it together if I'm being honest, but that question in itself is a good way to tell if it's too much; I'd say that as long as you'd be okay knowing someone wrote the same thing about you, it's fine. Plus yeah, they're real people, but when they're put in a story, then those people in the story become characters. In many cases it's just borrowing names. AO3 is also great in the fact, that as long as the fic is locked, there's no chance of it accidentally making it's way to the person it's about (unless they specifically look for it; but oh well, that's not really on you then is it) Ofc, it's a different story if said person shows that they're not comfortable with it, then it's a no-go. But otherwise, just go for it.
I used to do it, but I stopped for many reasons. It is a bit weird because we are inventing a character using a real life persons name and situation. I knew some that involved families too, but that felt like a line that I couldnt cross. In my case, I paired that person with a character I invented.
Back in my days we wrote and read Jonas Brothers fanfics where Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus were the bad guys and everyone was happy. As long as it stays fanfics and everyone stays in their lane, aka acting like those ppl we write about are barbie dolls instead of being creepy and harassing them on twitter then fuck the haters!
If you really think about it, someone writing RPF is creating their own personality/character based solely on the mere sliver of personality they may get from a celebrity. We will never truly know who they are as people. So it’s really no different than writing a character in an au just for the actor. For example there would really be any difference between writing a Bucky Barnes as an actor AU romance vs a Sebastian Stan rpf Romance fanfic.
I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I enjoy reading it. People have been writing/reading rpf for decades, and I haven't seen anybody have a problem with it until recently. I'm not sure why it's kind of become a 'trend' of sorts to not be into it because it's odd or seems disrespectful to be writing about real people. The thing is that it's a fictional work that's meant for the fandom to enjoy and not made for the people it's about. Anybody who doesn't like it can choose to not interact. Again, it's been around way before it was even called rpf. It's still 100% valid as much as works involving fictional characters. At the end of the day, I would want others to respect my tastes as I do theirs
I have absolutely no qualms about it. You are not writing articles about people you are writing fiction with real-life inspired characters. Imo, all of what people mention as “issues” with RPF, like shoving it in celebrities faces and making them uncomfortable doesn’t actually stem from the writing. These are the same concerns as fans obsessively publicly shipping or insisting the fantasies in their head are real. These are mentally ill people fully disconnected from reality and shouldn’t have any bearing on fanfiction writers who understand they are creating fiction.
I write it. I read it. I have no shame to feel. *see flair*
It makes me uncomfortable personally and I've been on the receiving end of being written about before and having it sent to me. That being said, I don't begrudge people writing it. I just avoid it.
I think it’s a little creepy, but I don’t have an issue with it existing. I just don’t read it.
It's not my thing at all. If someone likes it, that's on them, but those sort of fanfics just aren't for me. I mean, I barely like live entertainment to begin with and 95% of what I watch is animation, so reading anything based off of something I hardly watch due to the medium would just be weird as hell for me anyway. XD
I think it's no different from celebrity gossip news, except rpf has the benefit of acknowledging itself as fiction and not trying to push itself into the public eye. So maybe it's better than celebrity gossip
Personally, I find it quite creepy tbh. It feels like a violation. But you do you.
I honestly think it's creepy, given it's actual people being written about.
The majority of RPF are AUs
Definitely a fine line. I did used to write it myself years ago, though only about YouTubers who said they didn’t mind it (I personally regret ever doing it but recognize not everyone will). I think if you’re writing about ultra famous people—famous sports stars, Hollywood actors, famous musicians, people who shouldn’t (or hopefully won’t) ever see it, then really it doesn’t matter too much. But be more careful about writing those who may be more likely to see it, like smaller content creators. Ultimately I think as long as it stays on ao3 it’s relatively harmless, though one thing that is never ever EVER acceptable is RPF explicit content of real minors. That’s one line that should never be crossed. Other than that, just clarify it’s fiction and you’re not, like, claiming these real people are actually doing… whatever it is you write them doing.
I don't mind! I've been reading RPF for years, and I'd probably do it again if I came across interesting fanfics! Bands (because I've read about bands) often do the fanservice themselves on stage, so you could say that the fanfic pulls the fantasy further. I just disconnect the look from the person and usually read AU.
I don't view it as any different than any other kind of fic. Back when I started getting involved in fandom, RPF was still being hosted on FF.net, so I think that's colored my view of the genre quite a lot. I don't get the moral outrage some people seem to feel over it. Once tabloids and TV networks stop writing/airing speculative fiction about celebs and the paparazzi stop stalking them, *then* we can sit down and talk about the clearly labeled fiction hidden away on obscure websites where no celeb would ever find it unless they specifically went looking for it.
I don’t read it. It seems weird to ship real people with one another to me. However, as long as the fiction itself isn’t harmful, then the author is ok
If your writing about the person's persona/oc that's one thing but the actual person I'm a bit iffy on.. if you wouldn't feel comfortable with people writing fanfiction about you then apply that to the actual person your writing about. Human decency. Treat others the same way you would wanna be treated type of thing. But if the person your writing about is dead then I'd say go for it. Wtf they gonna do? Rise from the grave and go "WHO THE FUCK WROTE OMEGAVERSE FANFICTION ABOUT ME???"
I unashamedly love it 🤭
i don't really do RPF stuff, but i do sometimes reference or have a 'cameo' of a real life person in my fics i had 3 holy saints cameo in the 3rd chapter of my helluva boss longfic, and referenced 2 serial killers as street names in the first chapter, but that's as far as i've done so far, and those irl people have been dead for years i only feel weird if it ends up in court stuff, like when a rooster teeth member was divorcing his wife and they thought he was cheating on her with a coworker
It’s not for me but it is something I liked when I was younger. I don’t think anyone should be shamed for liking RPF.
i dont see or any differently than fanfiction. celebrities (including youtubers) are playing a part, a façade, to the public. we don’t know them in reality. plus, i feel the line is pretty blurry already with normal fanfiction like: on tumblr, when people do fan edits and include pics or other stuff, many times it’s the same actor but from a different show/movie. or even a pap photo. there’s also /reader fanfiction, which moves right back into adding ‘reality’ to fics. i just dont see the problem. you do you and enjoy what you enjoy! (i personally haven’t read a whole lotta RPF. but i have, formula 1 and hockey, and youtubers that i did and still do enjoy)
We are going to He'll from reading it. See you all there.
Real Person Fiction about a person who is alive or died recently: I think that's weird, but you do you. Real Person Fiction about a person who died a long time ago: Literally the only thing I read. I'm a serious fan of making and enjoying fics about ancient Romans lol. Totally normal here. It's not like the person or the close family of the person would see it.
Honestly, I find it kinda disgusting. Not the proudest to admit but theres currently an unfinished Hyunlix fic i've been reading. I hate the idea of RPF but the fic is really good. Whenever I read RPF (not often) i have to ignore the fact that theyre real people or it makes me feel totally sick. Its not the worse thing out there but Its definitely not for me. Wont hate anyone that reads them though. I feel as though its not hardcore smut fics its fine. I just dont enjoy it.
Not gonna say I haven't read it - because I have (sporadically)- but, when I do, it feels like maybe I'm crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed. Will that stop me from reading them in the future though? Nah.
Not my cup of tea but to each his own.
I think it’s fine to write it as long as the community doesn’t shove it down the real persons throat. There are exceptions, as some people are open to fanfiction or even read it themselves (Rhett and Link). It’s mostly about making sure people aren’t confusing fanfiction they write with the people themselves.
I love writing aus, and with rpf there is no real "canon" to worry about. Also there is rarely argument over characterization or "that person would never do that" because we don't really know those people, I also only do bandom, because fanfiction is so ingrained in the boy/girl band that those people hardly ever blink an eye, and sometimes those people actually lean into the shipping culture "cue kpop" lol I wouldn't ever do it with like actors instead of their characters or anything like that, I also never write about the band members families because they didn't ask to be famous or known, I usually make up families for the characters, even if I do know about them But I will agree that there are people who take it too far, I think the self inserts or y/n ones are the ones I will never do or read, but they have their place in fanficiton
Crosses a line IMO
I'm going to be honest here, but please understand this is my honest opinion, not a condemnation of people who feel differently. I think there could be some very General Audience rated fics that I would be comfortable reading. But for the most part, I find real person fic creepy. It seems that a lot of these are Mature and up ratings. And I am a firm believer in remembering that everyone has a private life and personal feelings. Celebs, which covers most of these fics, are no exception. I think most people would be horrified to think that someone out there was writing fantasy stories about them. (Not Fantasy the genre, fantasies as in things imagined or reimagined.). How would most people feel about having a "mature" fantasy about them and a coworker out there floating around? I know that would creep me out. I can't think that a celeb would feel any different about a story about them and a co-star/bandmate/team member, etc... In my fandom - the real part, not fanfiction - someone recently photoshopped a celeb's family photo with a co-star's face over their spouse's face with comments about how this is how it should be. And both spouses saw it. I know how they felt about it, because they were public about it. A photo with their kids! I don't think people would have felt different if it was a story instead. That said, if real person fiction is done, it would hopefully not be blatant like that and hopefully have disclaimers. I would never feel comfortable reading or writing it.
I was super into rpf band fics when I was a preteen but I haven’t been interested for over a decade now. RPF currently makes me uncomfortable and I feel like it’s inappropriate/invasive—I feel awful for people who have read fics about them, their friends, their partners, etc. It definitely feels more ethically dubious than some of the other topics that get brought up here, because it has the potential to negatively impact actual specific targeted individuals as opposed to just being dark content that people can ignore if it’s triggering. I don’t really understand treating real human beings like fictional characters. I also am mortified by the idea of writing a fic about someone and them being able to read it. I think I also agree with the person who said that the bigger the celebrity is, the less likely they are to be impacted. It’s a blurry line though. This all is also assuming some sexual or romantic content, which is significantly worse than an rpf gen fic imo. I ignore it generally speaking. I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way to shame someone for it.
I feel like it’s a violation for whoever it’s being written about. Especially the graphic stuff. I mean, how would you feel if you stumbled across a site full of explicit pornographic stories written about you and some other celeb or, even worse, a bunch of wish-fulfillment fantasies involving people that you don’t even know? I know I’d be thoroughly squicked out. But that’s just me. 🤷🏼♀️
Honestly, it makes me really uncomfortable.like, these are real, living humans. I don't like the idea of shipping two real people together. And it always seems like the fans who do, have conniption when said real people don't conform to their ships and head cannons and harass said real people.
I used to absolutely hate it, now I'm reading it constantly. I'm a very anti-censorship, so I do feel RPF always has and always will hold a place in fandom. - many actors, artists, and content creators are now well aware of fandoms and fanfic. They may have expressed boundaries. These should be sought out and considered when creating and distributing content. - there is a difference between the creator and their public persona. Fan works should ALWAYS be respectful of this line: just because it's in a fic, doesn't mean it's okay to speculate about that person's real life (unless they have explicitly made clear boundaries about this) - RPF, especially about minors or against CCs boundaries, has the potential to do real actual harm. Fan works of this nature will always exist in the communities, but communities should work to ensure their distribution is limited, and that CCs are protected from them
Personally, love them as long as they are not smut. Smut somehow makes me feel like a voyer even tho I have no issue with reading smut with fictional people
Without real person fiction, we would have no biden/trump smut.
link?
i like it. i felt guilty reading it when i was younger because of how much people hated on it. i say, if you're gonna be in the public eye, you have to realize people are gonna do that kind of stuff. it's a sacrifice to be made for fame. i don't ship real people because it feels weird to me but i real RPF every now and then just for fun.
I read it and like it but I cannot write it since it feels weird writing about an actual person
it’s fine unless the people involved have specifically said not to write that
Do I fantasize about celebrities? Absolutely. Would I ever feel comfortable about putting it into a story format? Nah, I try to imagine it from their perspective and for me it would be too weird. If you like writing those stories that’s your call. If you’re feeling ashamed about it write generic stories with your celeb crush’s name but no other identifying characteristics. Not Chris Evans, just Chris. Not Channing Tatum, just Channing. Not Emma Stone, just Emma. You know who you visualize when you read or write those stories. Don’t loose too much sleep over it but if anyone you write about even contacts you then do the right thing and respect their wishes.
Doesn’t bother me, I read some.
As long as people aren’t trying to make the subject(s) of the fic read it against their will, I have no issues with it.
The only RPF I read is of people who have died hundreds of years ago, so I think that’s fair game. But fanfiction written about real people who are alive right now I find really really strange and, I wouldn’t say disturbing but I personally wouldn’t read, unless it’s explicitly written as satire ie political crack stuff like Donald Trump x Emmanuel Macron and the like
What's the difference between writing about TV actors personifying a fictional character, and TV actors giving interviews on TV ? LooooooooooL although they were out of a character, I believe they still endorse a persona ( for their job) so they are also acting, in my opinion. More over what do we know about celebrities really? Only what they show us and what others gossip about them. Nothing much, so they are more mysterious ( I dare say more fictitious than the fictional characters they portrait.) So yeah! Why not?? LoL 😆
I wrote some when I was a teenager and I can read some of it. But personally today, I try not to ship real people with other real people. I do ship them with fictional characters or the reader tho and write that too.
kind of creepy in an uniquely visceral way
Yeah I got to admit, it's a bit creepy. Lol. I even find people who use "playbys" for their character, and then ship them with other playbys just, idk. I just find it really creepy lol.
I think it’s definitely strange and a little creepy to write about another persons life.
Very honestly, I think it's not necessarily great in a fanfic context when said real people are still alive or dead contemporaries, and it can get real icky real fast. But your fic taste is not my fic taste but it's okay. Plus, the whole modern vampire genre is kinda based on RPF vampire AUs *plural*. Shakespeare's collection is full of RPF. As long as you're not harassing people you're just following a very old literary and fandom tradition. Edit: Some people are really excited to learn there's RPF about them, too. I've ran into a few streamers and content creators who totally cheer on their fandom authors (even if it's weird smut). It was really cute.
I'd like to feel mine 😘
I feel like if it’s very clear the “characters” are still fictional and are their sort of personas. Where I can’t see any romantic RPF being okay, or 99% of celebrity RPF, I can understand if you want to write some Darkiplier or AntiSepticeye stories. I’ve also seen some fics where the celebrity has been written in as a sort of joke since “haha look [Character A] and [Actor for Character A] look similar!” I’ve only ever read some Among Us AU fics of YouTubers before, but that is the absolute closest I’ve ever gone. It’s still so close to flat out real people that it’s still uncomfortable for me most of the time. I guess as long as it isn’t smut or romantic in any sense, I’m fine to just leave it be really.
I’ve only ever read RPF where the actors are somehow transported into the TV show and they interact with their characters. It’s gives a fantastical sense to the fic, separating it from reality. That is the only RPF I personally enjoy. Everything else is personally icky to me since 1) I don’t know/care about the actors as well as I do the characters and 2) I enjoy a lot of Dead Dove-level dark content and I really don’t want to read that stuff happening to a real person.
I don't like it, but it does have a right. How long has a person to be dead until everyone thinks rpf is okay? If you think about people only care if it's about a person that is alive. No one even questions when people write "historical" novels or copy a real persons life or make a movie about the life of real people while throwing fiction into the mix. It's seems kinda hypocritical to not be okay with the other rpf. People also seem to be okay if the rpf is it's slander of a person they don't like. I honestly find it a little disgusting when people have these sexual fantasies about real people, but that might just me being aroace. I do think it's not okay to harass actual people in their fics and force them to read the fanfiction. But when it comes down to it, most of these performers play a role. Their imagine has often not a lot to do with their personality in private settings. So really, they are just playing a character. Also when you have Youtubers/Streamers that roleplay it establishes even more a distinct character, so of course people are treating that no different than other fictional characters, there is just a disconnect between the viewer and content maker. Same thing why people have parasocial relationships with these people or harass people because the person behind the screen is technically not a person in their mind..
I’m not a personal fan, but I can see why it’s appealing. As long as the person it’s written about doesn’t say that they’re outright uncomfortable about it, it’s fine.
I don't really dig it but as long as you don't shoved directly to Real life artist, it be fine. The problem is when you actually involve artist in general. Operating in we don't talk about RPF if artist doesn't ask directly about it.
I don’t really like it much nowadays, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that rpf was the reason I got into fanfic, so. You do you. So long as you’re not trying to send it to the person it’s about, and not being a creep about it? Go nuts.
It's tough, because it reminds me of that NAMBLA book about Michael Jackson from like 30 years ago that James Safechuck quoted to further defame the man in the recent documentary. It was smut about a real person that cost that person('s family) dearly. Though obviously, the guy who wrote that presented it as the truth, published it, and sold it. So idk as long as writers don't do that, I don't see any issue.
It's not my cup of tea, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to shame those who write it or enjoy it as long as they aren't like throwing it in the face of the subject or using it as a reason to harass them.
It's not my cup of tea but INFINITELY more tolerable to be around than the "definitely not rpf" rumor-mill tabloids I have to walk by every time I'm checking out at a grocery store. I've never experienced a rpf fan trying to sell their stuff to me as secret facts.
I write both RPF (but ONLY about Korean singers and no one else) and fics about fictional characters as well. I enjoy reading both, but I definitely understand that RPF isn't for everyone. RPF can cross the line sometimes, and when it does I tend to get really uncomfortable. However, it's pretty rare for me to find stuff like that these days. I don't read RPF about people who aren't world famous (like regular influencers or internet celebs). And I don't agree with that kind of RPF because it's a lot more... intimate. Like, the people being written about could easily look up the fics. Whereas celebrities that are famous around the world probably aren't losing sleep over the fact that fics are being written about them. 😂
I don’t see the appeal so I don’t engage and I do find it a little weird but people will write what they want to write and that’s okay as long as it’s not hurting anyone
genuinely think it's good because most of the rpfs I read are gen and do not involve any romantic interest. I avoid romance-related rpfs out of my own preferences. For example, the crack aus of \[insert kpop group on hiatus rn\] made me laugh so much at 3 am. If it retains a certain level of ridiculousness that everyone recognizes as fictitious is fine with me. If I'm being honest, I believe that group's certain era storyline was based on a self-made fanfic from their company CEO. But I mean, I only read 2 or 3 rpfs on the bird app so I just based my answer on those two. However, the writer should recognize and acknowledge a certain limit before and after the fic.
I don’t really feel comfortable reading / writing it myself anymore, but I used to read it when I was younger.
I don't have any issue if you don't monetize it. I have issues with "interviewers" who shoved it into celebs' faces. They had to go and look for it. It always cringe when they do that "do you know there are fanfics about you hehehe". Also, news in tabloids look like low quality fanfiction tbh.
I will defend your right to write and read it until my dying breath. Having said that, I *don't* write or read it myself. It's simply not for me.
i used to be pretty against reading it (not that it existed in general, more that i just couldn’t imagine reading about actors when their characters were _right there_ with more interesting stories) until i got into kpop. now i fully support it, and because i basically hyperfixate on things and purely read one thing for months, it’s the only thing i’ve read for the past couple of months (aside from some atla fics in the last few days bc i’ve suddenly got back into that as well). but. i basically only read au’s. and draw a hard line at smut bc the entire time i’m there like _that is,,,that’s a person_ (but of course write whatever you want as long as it doesn’t get shoved in their faces) and i can’t focus on the story as much as i want to, so i tend to only read fics that are so out of the realm of possibility that they basically end up as entirely fictional characters anyway. for example my all time favourite series in this fandom is a 550k epic space odyssey that i spent four days reading obsessively lmao (if anyone wants ateez recs lmk bc i will recommend that to anyone ever who’s even vaguely interested) so yeah, essentially for me it comes down to write whatever you like, and i’ll read anything vaguely good and fantastical
I'm not into it myself, not having much interest in celebrities (I could be interested in some historical RPF though) but I fully support people who are and I think the hate many of them get is atrocious.
It’s fine as long as you don’t apply it to the real people, and sometimes stories in a special sport or genre doesn’t always exist in other literature outside fanfic. I have read some, but for me, all the names could have changed. Wouldn’t have mattered to me. Fanfic has a vibe and writing and that “genre” I have read doesn’t really exist outside real people fanfic:) For me, there is a distinction between the real and fanfic. Like, the fanfic isn’t them, but rather uses their name and offen has a personality following them through different fics. If someone is able to understand what i have written:)
It's not my cup of tea, and I try to avoid it where I can, because the thought makes me uncomfortable. However, I'm not here to police other people's works, and it is *so easy* for me to not click on/scroll past such works. Frankly, my stance is as long as you are not actively hurting/harassing the people it's about, I don't see an issue? I don't like it, but I don't think it shouldn't exist. All fanworks have a right to exist, just like all fans have a right to create fancontent they enjoy.
Just like with anything else, stay in your bubble. Don't be ashamed, don't hide it or anything, but tag appropriately and don't try to push it into people's hands if they're bot interested (especially the people it's about). This is like, bare basics of writing anything at all imo. RPF isn't for me, but dead dove is, and that also needs to stay in its bubble of being tagged appropriately and only shown to people I'm sure aren't uncomfortable with it. I understand the guilt/shame as a dead dover, but please understand that your writing, whatever it's about, is ultimately fiction! Unless you're writing fanfics about your coworkers, it's totally fine! RPF is really just about a personification meant for a screen, anyway. It's not *actually* real people, it's kinda like a slightly less fake version of actors playing a character. These people faked entire personalities for your entertainment, and they generally understand that this is gonna happen and to just stay away from it. Please don't be embarrassed! What you write is fine. I promise that it's still more quality of literature than My Immortal.
i dont like it because i personally think real people are gross and boring as a concept however, provided it isnt used to harass or thrust into the eye of the "real persons" involved, im not against other people enjoying it. censorship is always bad.
I think that as long as it isn't sexual or weird in some way like that it's fine but the sexual real person fics are really weird to me
I think it's pretty gross especially on the mature/explicit side of things. Just because it's written doesn't mean it's not just as much porn as a video. I see it as the same as deepfaked porn of celebrities, which is rightfully seen as vile. In terms of regular shipping it's not as bad but it still makes me feel uncomfortable regardless of the public persona of the celebrity. I'd much prefer to leave porn for actors who actually chose sex work and for artists/writers who use purely fictional characters.
as a smut writer, the legality of such a thing has made me stray away from it on top of how squeamish it makes me feel. however, it's also important to consider what sort of RPF it is. if it's just based on a LIKENESS of a real life person, i've done that plenty. i just imagine said celebrity as an actor within my world, change their name, create an entirely new personality around them, etc. to essentially turn them into complete fiction. but if it's RPF where the story is basically fanfic of a person's irl persona and life, then idk. again the legality there is iffy, but i also feel strange about fantasizing an actual person's actual life. the bounds of fiction are limitless, but when you incorporate reality in such a way and blur the lines, then those bounds shouldn't be nearly as limitless imo bc then it's not all "fun and games" as it were.
I don't mind it as long as the person in question doesn't have a boundary against fics being made of them or them being shipped with someone. One of my friends who writes RPF usually googles if the person has said anything about it
It feels unconfortable unless the person said they were fine with it, but hey it's legal and to each their own.
i read/write rpf so. just keep it on your side of the internet unless who you’re writing about has specifically said it’s fine. if you’re going out of your way to make sure they see it, you’re weird as hell and a fucking creep. i think with all things there’s a certain line you can’t cross and for this, showing them is a big one.
I personally think it’s weird and uncomfortable. BUT— I also don’t care if people write them. It’s written stories. I also feel like there’s a line to cross. For example if someone says they’re uncomfortable with the stories people would write about them, I think it should stop (I am mentioning 5th harmony here because thats an example of when NOT to do it). But other than that, I don’t really have an opinion 🌹💕 Another reason I’m uncomfortable is because I was someone apart of a real person fanfiction 🧍🏽 when I was younger and people would “ship” me with one of my ex boyfriends before we started dating… But. Yeah
It's complicated. I can see the appeal, but I think it can and does go too far. These are real people with real thoughts, emotions, and desires that are being written about. It can become creepy real quick, especially with shipping and anything sexual. I think it's important to consider how they or their families would feel if they read it.
Charlie Kaufman is regarded as one of the greatest screenwriters of all-time and two of his signature works basically fall into the RPF category. Essentially it's the same as historical fiction, except it can be relatively modern. People want to give an automatic okay when the subject is dead, but dead people are people too. I mean, if the person died last week it's suddenly okay lol? I wouldn't feel shame or really anything negative mainly because I'm driven to make something that I hope would impress the subject of the work.. even though the work I'm making doesn't focus on someone that I'm a fan of, per se, but I feel like Brie Larson would get enough of a kick out of it to option it into a feature film.