by Michiru Kaioh
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PLOT: One night, Michiru goes to the store, and something terrible happens to her that changes her life forever. This fanfiction spans the the ten years of her life as she courageously deals with her changed circumstances.
NEW CHARACTERS: Random stereotypical homeless rapist with AIDS
LENGTH: 4422 words
RATING: N/A
COMMENTS: See Dick. Dick had AIDS. Now, after this fanfic, Dick's NOT the only one. It only takes one Dick to spread AIDS.....Because let's face it, AIDS is a scary, scary thing to have. The statistics on AIDS, particularly AIDS in Africa, are frightening. The mortality rate is still 100 percent, even with the cocktail. People of all types have been and are stereotyped and ostracized because they were infected. However, in particular, gays have been labelled as the it group to get AIDS from since the beginning, when is was called GRIDS. But we have taken steps, thankfully, to stop that label. People like Ryan White, Magic Johnson, and Pedro from the San Fransisco Real World have given mainstream America, at least, a chance to see past stereotypes that only certain "bad" people could get AIDS.
Now, what does my blabbering on world issues have anything to do with this Michiru fanfic? Oh yeah, because Michiru gets AIDS from a random evil homeless guy. *brain ruptures*
Simple rule of thumb. If AIDS doesn't work in a Care Bears fic (yes, Virginia, someone actually wrote about a Care Bear with AIDS), it probably won't work in a Sailor Moon fic either. Never mind that the rapist is a completely stereotypical bum. Never mind that the rape itself is badly written and Michiru is turned into the wimpiest damsel in distress (come on, the guy's probably malnutritioned, and you live with Haruka, for crying out loud. At least sissy-slap him in the face!). Never mind that she wasn't immediately taken to a hospital after being raped (WTF?). Its the fact of what happens after Michiru gets AIDS, like AIDS is just a small lifestyle change, and that her friends rally behind her. It's kind of like that great Chris Rock quote (to paraphrase): "Aah, my AIDS was acting up yesterday, you know how iti is when the weather gets like this...but I took some Robitussin, I'll be fine now!" Only.....not as funny.
What makes it even worse is that the story has no point. Michiru gets raped, gets AIDS, Haruka comments on how pretty she is, and then it skips ten years and Michiru dies. This is why AIDS fanfiction should not be written - especially since 99 percent of the people who write it don't have a single clue about what AIDS really does to a person. If one is going to write a fanfic about illness, one needs to take into consideration the effects it has on someone and on the lives of people around them. Writing about someone catching AIDS just to make a story about angsting, or about romance, or just to write a story about someone with AIDS, is a big no-no. It's merely the fantasy of someone who dreams of having this or getting that because, surely, writing about your favorite character having AIDS is the "cool" thing to do and because someone can do it.
But reading this story, it's not cool at all. It's a real disservice. That, and since when was Michiru ever 'delicate'? I just don't see it.
Sailor Moon and related characters are copyrighted ©1991-2006 Naoko Takeuchi.
