https://tfgames.site/index.php?module=viewgame&id=1698what is afterlife have not heard of that, i heard of Magical Camp, Witchload and ToA
There's certainly a large cultural difference at play.Expanding on Stemwinder's comments about western trap games vs Japanese ones, I think it speaks to differences in perception of cross-dressing or transexual men. It's even in the names given to the genre. "Sissy" is explicitly an insulting term, which has been partly reclaimed but is still basically a slur, similar to how some black subcultures have reclaimed the word "Ni**er", but it's still an unforgivable slur to the majority; the alternate term "trap" carries connotations of deception, that the boy is attempting to deviously trick straight men into being gay. The Japanese term, "otoko no ko", is a bit hard to explain, but it's a kanji-based play on words- the term "otoko no ko", written with the characters for "male" and "child" usually just means boy, but by changing the "ko" character to the character for "daughter" or less-commonly "girl" (normally read "musume" but can also be read as "ko") it becomes "male daughter" or less-commonly "male girl", which is a much more neutral, almost accepting term. In western-developed games it's almost always the player character who transitions from a man to a "sissy", often unwillingly and usually with chemically, surgically or magically-induced physical transformation, and the usual emphasis is on humiliation and the "sissy" submitting to either "real" masculine men or dominant women. Japanese games are more likely to have a normal male character as the protagonist with the already fully-transitioned otoko no ko (usually just a girly cross-dresser, not someone who is physically transitioning at all) as the love interest, and in cases where the otoko no ko is the protagonist and starts out fully male (e.g Otomeido Cafe) they usually still romance with other otoko no ko characters and their character arc is simply coming to terms with the fact that they're gay and like looking pretty and feminine. Possibly I'm reading too much into this, but there seems to be an unavoidable undercurrent of homophobia in most western "sissy" porn games that's absent in Japanese ones, treating transgenderism as a dirty, shameful thing to get off on as part of a humiliation fetish, similar to netorare, while the appeal of otoko no ko games is simply that otoko no ko are beautiful and erotic.
There's certainly a large cultural difference at play.
I wouldn't say "sissy" has been reclaimed by anyone - it's an age old insult that still gets used and all that's really happened here is a lean into it as a fetish, making a turn on out of extreme insulting emasculation/humiliation - and that's the difference between it and traps/otoko no ko. As you say one is a silly pun and the other came about in a similar way: people stumbling across otoko no ko art started using that old Admiral Ackbar meme as a joke response until they just came to be known as traps (in the sense of landmines one can walk into while searching for things to masturbate to). There's no inherent insult being references in these, both names are playing off the idea that the androgynous boy is so cute or pretty that he can easily pass for a girl, it's not presented as a source of shame.
So sissies do come with that whole unfortunate bearing down on the idea that because they're such wusses they should get bullied into dressing like some slutty girl and made to service "real" men. There's a whole background of macho behavior and glamorization of it that's at play (as well that that undercurrent of homophobia that you mentioned). Many asian counties on the other hand have a history of androgyny being seen as one sort of beauty ideal - something the west just doesn't have an equivalent for. It's a gap between possibility for positive framing for it and almost exclusively negative framing.
Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. I think I got the wrong impression from the number of gay transvestite men I've seen unironically call themselves "sissies" or "traps"- but of course, not everyone speaks for the entire group, the same way a lot of black people don't approve of "gangsta" types addressing each other as "ni**a". In all honesty, I hope I don't offend you if I disagree, but I do think "trap" at least has come to be used in a non-offensive way by people who don't have any problem with, or even are attracted to, feminine men (CoC and TiTS, for example, both refer to characters like Rubi or Able, distinct from actual MtF characters like Embry, as "trappy" in an affectionate manner), and for what it's worth "trap" isn't to the best of my knowledge used to describe actual transwomen at all, but only gay transvestite men who don't actually identify as female. That said, there's the one important thing that a lot of people don't realise or understand, which I think needs a paragraph break to make sure it doesn't get lost in the text block:Don't wanna start up anything, but since your mentioning talking about what is or isn't a slur... As a trans-woman I can plainly tell you that "Trap" is insulting. Trap and Sissy both are drenched in derogatory and negative history. Nothing about either was ever meant to be 'beautiful' and there was never any connection to this so called 'appreciation for androgyny.' Please don't pretend like EITHER of these words are 'reclaimed.' They are slurs, plain and simple. (I wasn't going to mention anything on this thread due to how I assume this stuff is just not known but I'd rather not call 'trap' a nice term.)
Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that. I think I got the wrong impression from the number of gay transvestite men I've seen unironically call themselves "sissies" or "traps"- but of course, not everyone speaks for the entire group, the same way a lot of black people don't approve of "gangsta" types addressing each other as "ni**a". In all honesty, I hope I don't offend you if I disagree, but I do think "trap" at least has come to be used in a non-offensive way by people who don't have any problem with, or even are attracted to, feminine men (CoC and TiTS, for example, both refer to characters like Rubi or Able, distinct from actual MtF characters like Embry, as "trappy" in an affectionate manner), and for what it's worth "trap" isn't to the best of my knowledge used to describe actual transwomen at all, but only gay transvestite men who don't actually identify as female. That said, there's the one important thing that a lot of people don't realise or understand, which I think needs a paragraph break to make sure it doesn't get lost in the text block:
What a lot of people don't grasp these days, and the main cause of the "political correctness gone mad" bullshit that has become so prevalent, is that it doesn't matter whether or not you think something is offensive, it only matters what the person who is offended thinks. If you say something that someone else finds offensive, you don't have the right to tell them "Don't be offended". You can't say to someone "I didn't intend to offend you" and then expect them to not take offence when you continue doing the thing that offended them, just because you don't "intend" it. Even people within the same group don't get to dictate to others in the group how they should all feel because even within a group everyone is different- if one MtF transexual doesn't mind being called a "trap", that doesn't mean they get to tell another one that they just have to "deal with it" even if they do mind. They're not being thin-skinned or a snowflake; you're just being a jerk by thinking you can dictate to others how they should feel about themselves. So even if you call someone a trap in an affectionate manner, if they find it insulting you should stop because their feelings actually matter. The problems with society today largely come down to large groups of people thinking that how other people feel or what they want doesn't matter.
Phew, sorry for getting on my soapbox for a bit there, I've been hoping to get that off my chest for a while. But pragmatically speaking, I think it would help if we could agree on a shorthand term for attractive feminine gay males who like to look like women that is definitely non-offensive. I think the main reason "trap" has become so widespread is largely down to it being a very short (4 letters) easy term to remember- honestly I'm bi, but I can't even remember what comes next in the sequence after LGBTQI (Lesbian Gay Bi Transexual Queer Intergender...um) and I can't think of another shorter term for them (not "transwoman" because they're NOT transwomen). Does anyone know a good one that won't offend anybody?
It certainly can be! What is or isn't a slur is really all about context. For transgendered people there's that old negative stereotype, buried deep in the old gay panic homophobia, that they're trying to "trick" people into having sex with them. The characters being referenced by the term here aren't transgendered themselves but the whole idea of them being a trap that straight guys can fall into at least references the idea. This lack of positive context for such things in western culture is exactly what we're talking about and why it's hard to find western-made content that isn't inherently insulting to either androgynous boys (traps/otoko no ko) or transgendered women.Don't wanna start up anything, but since your mentioning talking about what is or isn't a slur... As a trans-woman I can plainly tell you that "Trap" is insulting. Trap and Sissy both are drenched in derogatory and negative history. Nothing about either was ever meant to be 'beautiful' and there was never any connection to this so called 'appreciation for androgyny.' Please don't pretend like EITHER of these words are 'reclaimed.' They are slurs, plain and simple. (I wasn't going to mention anything on this thread due to how I assume this stuff is just not known but I'd rather not call 'trap' a nice term.)
Japan is a very odd country. It's very much a culture of extremes- on one side almost insanely liberal and open about things, on the other ridiculously conservative, even backwards, and sometimes they clash in really quite absurd ways. Have you ever noticed how Japan makes without doubt THE most extreme, sick, depraved and disgusting pornography in the entire world (pedophilia is basically treated as something mildly embarrassing to roll your eyes about)... but they also have to censor it? So you can have a H-game with content like something out of an over-the-top telling of The Aristocrats where they still bleep out the word "pussy" and put a bunch of pixels over the genitalia because it's "obscene". It makes no sense.First, to be clear, I hope that discussing this will let any adult-game creators or players see a bit more about how 'trap' and 'sissy' affect people in real life. I hope I am not starting anything angry, and if I am please tell me to stop.
All I am saying is that you wouldn't use the n-word and try to say it's fine due to it being used in a purely sexual sense. "Trap" is the equivalent to that for trans people. And I can assure you that it isn't doing anyone any favors. As seen in the video I linked, a former KKK grand-wizard was using the term. A trans star-craft player constantly gets called as such. Multiple celebrities that are also trans get refer to as that. There's the entire "trans panic" defense.
What I am basically saying is that there is no 'appreciation' for 'androgyny/trans' people in Asian culture that connects with these words. (See "One night, Hot springs" and "Last day of spring" that detail the struggles of a trans-woman in Japan.) Asian culture isn't nearly as nice as you seem to believe. (Again, see the two games I linked to. Unlike 'The West' where you have to go through hoops to transition, but can in the end... The MC had to leave Japan fully to transition and even then can't have her ID card changed to reflect her true gender.)
The best outcome of any of this is referring to these categories with specific wording (Such as the aforementioned "Josou" which shouldn't be a problem if this is so Japan focused. That'd mean others would understand the word fine.) and remove the context of 'fake woman.' Otherwise, your still just using words that are currently seen by the community as offensive and used against the community to offend.
I really like Fenoxo forums and the adult games here, and I know that 90% of the time this stuff is NOT out of malice or hate what so ever. But having to bow your head down repeatedly and pretend a word is fine does get tiring. I know I can't change the forums rules and many would take unkindly to that, but I do wish to atleast educate. I think I will end here in fear that I may be sounding too aggressive.
Part of the difference is that, in the west, transsexualism/transgenderism is the only context for it. That in itself reflects the rigidity and rejection of androgyny (or ambiguity) as an acceptable, much less desirable, state of being. As a result most transgendered individuals themselves have no desire to be androgynous or to be seen that way, they want to embody the look of their target gender and learn to integrate as much as they can into it.What I am basically saying is that there is no 'appreciation' for 'androgyny/trans' people in Asian culture that connects with these words. (See "One night, Hot springs" and "Last day of spring" that detail the struggles of a trans-woman in Japan.) Asian culture isn't nearly as nice as you seem to believe. (Again, see the two games I linked to. Unlike 'The West' where you have to go through hoops to transition, but can in the end... The MC had to leave Japan fully to transition and even then can't have her ID card changed to reflect her true gender.)
I personally loathe this, especially when paired with "You're a [derogative term] because you like sex and you're enjoying this, so I'm pounding you like the [another derogative term] you are!". Isn't that what the male NPC is enjoying too, thusly making him a [derogative term] too?pornography has a habit of using slurs for people who aren't cis-gendered white men
...and this, as it feels like baby talk to me. I cringe whenever I see a "boipussy", "yena", "snek", "birb" or "thicc" used unironically... Ditto for "doggo"-"pupper"/"catte", for example.How to people feel about "femboi" as a term? Or "gurl"?
I agree with you on "boipussy" and "thicc" is a bit meme-y, but "snek" and "birb" are just cutesy internet-speak terms for snake and bird which I associate more with lolcats-type stuff than anything else (e.g this sort of thing) rather than porn or sexuality, and I've never even heard of "yena" before.....and this, as it feels like baby talk to me. I cringe whenever I see a "boipussy", "yena", "snek", "birb" or "thicc" used unironically...
And given that those concepts are relative, the end results may wildly vary. Though I enjoy humour in smut, overusage of goofy desriptors make me shake my head as much as medical ones do.That's also why the terms are so silly and its absurdity often rides a line between sexy and funny.
Way too often, if you ask me. I have a hard time finding erotica that caters to my interests, as I couldn't care less about the concepts of power, punishments or virility. Yet here we are, endlessly chiming to some "x belittles y for being lacking" plot even in supposedly vanilla pieces. Either I am sorely unlucky, or it happens in both Western and Japanese pieces. Perhaps I'd be happier if I saw it as a kink that has hordes of fansSex-writing is so often reductive, trying to boil people down to these basic archetypes
lol i was actually going to say, it wasn't my intention to start a debate here haha.If y'all could just go back to giving OP links to games with traps and fembois, that'd be swell.
Well you started a good one regardless.lol i was actually going to say, it wasn't my intention to start a debate here haha.
What a lot of people don't grasp these days, and the main cause of the "political correctness gone mad" bullshit that has become so prevalent, is that it doesn't matter whether or not you think something is offensive, it only matters what the person who is offended thinks. If you say something that someone else finds offensive, you don't have the right to tell them "Don't be offended". You can't say to someone "I didn't intend to offend you" and then expect them to not take offence when you continue doing the thing that offended them, just because you don't "intend" it. Even people within the same group don't get to dictate to others in the group how they should all feel because even within a group everyone is different- if one MtF transexual doesn't mind being called a "trap", that doesn't mean they get to tell another one that they just have to "deal with it" even if they do mind. They're not being thin-skinned or a snowflake; you're just being a jerk by thinking you can dictate to others how they should feel about themselves. So even if you call someone a trap in an affectionate manner, if they find it insulting you should stop because their feelings actually matter. The problems with society today largely come down to large groups of people thinking that how other people feel or what they want doesn't matter.