Gratuitous Rape: Difference between revisions

{{quote| ''Take a good look at your story. Why do you think a rape is what you need for it to progress? Is there something else that could fill the same function? Unless you have a damn good reason to include rape in a story, you probably shouldn't.''| --'''Rachael Edidin''', [http://www.girl-wonder.org/insideout/ Inside Out}}

'''Gratuitous Rape''' is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin]] - a pointless rape scene usually happening [[BigNon LippedSequitur Alligator MomentScene|for little to no reason]]. Did the [[Big Bad]] defeat [[The Hero]]? Rape. Did a whole bunch of [[Mooks]] gang up on [[The Hero]] at once? Rape. Does the angsty [[The Lancer|Lancer]] have childhood issues? [[Rape as Backstory|It was because he was raped.]] Is [[The Hero]] going up against a foe that has [[Mind Manipulation]] powers?

There are many guesses as to why [[Gratuitous Rape]] is used so much. To name a few,: rape makes for good [[Rape as Drama|drama]], it can show a villain as [[Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil|very, very, evil]], or it can be used for just plain ol' [[Fan Service]] (from the creators' perspective, anyway). What some creators forget, however, is that rape is a sensitive subject, and therefore rape scenes should be handled with care. When unskilled hands insist on shoehorning rape somewhere into their work, THIS happens. This is a common cliche in [[Fan Works]], but professional works are no stranger to it, either.

* The plot actually makes ''more sense'' if the rape scene(s) is replaced by something else (e.g. torture, or just [[Kill Him Already|Killingkilling Himthem Alreadyalready]]). This one is usually apparent from the [[Fridge Logic]] it causes.

* The rape scene(s) relies on [[Bad Writing Index|bad writing tropes]] such as [[Character Derailment]] (the [[Big Bad]] just forgets his usual ''modus operandi'' of killing quickly and efficiently and just rapes everything that has an orifice) or an [[Idiot Plot]] (the [[Mooks]] stop to rape a wounded hero as they are [[[[Too Dumb to Live]] |being shot at by the other heroes]]).

Contrast [[Coitus Ensues]], a pointless but consensual sex scene. Compare with [[Rape Is the New Dead Parents]], when mentions of sexual abuse are tacked into a character backstory for easy tragedy.

* ''[[Berserk]]'' has been accused of this. Rape happens a ''lot'' in the [[Crapsack World]] of this series, and many of the major characters (particularly if they're femalewomen) have had to deal with at least one attemptedattempted—or -- or successful -- rapesuccessful—rape during their lives. It doesn't really help that the nastier villains, particularly many Apostles, are fond of the crime in general.

* ''[[Hen]]'' has a rape subplot that's so gratuitous it falls into [[BigNon LippedSequitur Alligator MomentScene]] territory. It comes out of nowhere, has no plot relevance, is never mentioned again, and the victim just blows it off and doesn't seem at all affected by the experience.

* In the ''[[Zeorymer]]'' manga, Masaki could have explained his sinister plan to Miku without raping her, but he rapes her anyway. {{spoiler|[[Narm|With an icicle]].}}

* ''[[Sanctuary (manga)|Sanctuary]]'' tries to play with Tokai habit's of raping random women as [[Fan Service]] or [[Black Comedy Rape]], but itsit alwaysgenerally soproves pointless thatto makesthe youextent dislikeof themaking characterhim even(more) ifunlikable you liked himthan beforeever.

* Infamously, ''[[Identity Crisis]]'' created the [[Retcon]] of Dr. Light raping Sue Dibny in The Watchtower, and worse, we only found out about it ''after'' Sue had been murdered and itsmurdered—its only purpose was to motivate the heroes into crossing into [[[[Moral Dissonance]] |very questionable territory]]. And worse, the entire rape plot turns out to be [[{{spoiler:|a [[Red Herring]] when it comes to the central murder mystery.}}

== FanficsFan Works ==

* The infamous ''[[Power Rangers]]'' fanfic ''[[Agony Inin Pink]]'' mainly focused on [[Gorn]], but this eventually happened, too.

* The sex scenes in the ''[[Naruto]]'' fanfic ''[[For Your Eyes Only (fanfic)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' are mostly this or of very dubious consent. To add insult to injury, it's all portrayed as "cute."

* The titular character is (very briefly) raped by orcs in ''[[Legolas By Laura (Fanfic)|Legolas By Laura]]''. At the end of the story, Legolas reveals that [[Rape as Backstory|was he was, too]].

** ''[[Celebrian]]''

** ''[[Chibiusa's Seventh Birthday]]''

** ''[[Naga Eyes]]''. Vore Ensues too.

** ''[[Rectified Anonymity]]'' (aka "The Pokemon Story")

* ''[[Hogwarts Exposed]]'' has [[Gratuitous Rape]], Gratuitous [[Attempted Rape]] and [[Rule of Three|Gratuitous]] [[[[Easy Amnesia]] |"I Can't Remember What Happened; What If I Was Raped?"]] in the course of the first fic.

* In ''[[In This World and the Next]]'', has Harry and Hermione kill [[Ron the Death Eater]] because he raped her. Any number of other things could have (to paraphrase the page quote) filled the same function, and might not have opened the enormous [[Plot Hole]] that this did.

* As one might expect, this is a common staple in porn and [[Exploitation Film]]s.

* The alien parasite showingshoving a drill/tentacle-like appendage up the heroine's vagina in the theatrical version of ''Meatball Machine''. Thisis a scene that was not in the original independent film.

* In ''[[Showgirls]]'', Molly is beaten and raped by her client... ''just before she was about to have consensual sex with him''! One ''could'' guess that raping was his kink, but it still came right out of nowhere.

* The infamous "snowman rape scene" from the [[Slasher Movie]] ''[[Jack Frost (1997 film)|Jack Frost 1997]]''. Jack brutally kills everybody else, but stops to rape the teenage girl taking a bath.

* A triple rape occurs in ''Naked Weapon'', with only the [[[[Excuse Plot]] |weakest of excuses]] that the perpetrators are teaching the girls an "important" life lesson.

* Frequently seen in the books of [[Danielle Steel]], mostly done in the style of [[Break the Cutie]] or [[Kick the Dog]]. However, at least one example was a perfect demonstration of the first scenario--thescenario—the [[Mary Sue|heroine]] was already grappling with her daughter's near-fatal car accident, her husband's infidelity, and her [[My Beloved Smother|overbearing mother]]. So of course, it turns out that she was sexually abused by her father (which also overlaps with [[Rape Is the New Dead Parents]]).

* The ''[[Heralds of Valdemar|Last-Herald Mage]]'' trilogy has a lengthy sequence near the finale where the hero is captured and gang-raped by some [[Mook|mooksmook]]s. It affects the plot not at all.

* David Morse's saintly doctor on ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' was a victim of Gratuitous Gay Rape.

* Within one calendar year (2005), so many characters on the soap opera ''[[Passions]]'' were raped that it was known as "The Year of the Rapes". Adding insult to injury, only one of these stories was handled even remotely seriously or realistically (the victim dressed shabbily and could not bear to be touched). All other victims went on with their lives as though nothing had happened.

* ''[[FATAL]]'' gives players plenty of opportunities to engage in this, since rape is usually not even considered a crimefelony in itsthis universe.

* A common criticism of ''[[Cthulhu Tech]]'' is that there's just a teeeeensy bit too much rape in the fluff. At least one of the writers appeared on rpgnetrpg.net and spent quite some time explaining that there really wasn't ''that'' much rape in it given its reputation, but fans will be fans.

* [[Discussed Trope|Discussed]] in ''[[Something *Positive]]''. Davan sends a rejection letter to the writer of a bad play which reads "A better title for your play would be ''Rape-Rape: A Tale of Rapening''. Also, your next play should have a little less rape in it."

* ObviouslyBoth this and [[Coitus Ensues]] are a staple of [[H-game|H-GamesGame]]s.