Tell me! When a Man loves a Werewolf

[thebitterguy]

So, last night while visiting papajoemambo at his place of employ, we began kibbitzing about various things, including Bill Willingham. One item that came up in the discussion of his career was his sojurn into the smut fields, which led to a question: Is sex with a lycanthrope beastiality?

Naturally, we realized the limits of our own cognitive abilities (plus I was running out of time on the meter), so we decided to put it to the people.

[Poll #923916]

Comments

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

You really needed a "it depends", because the term lycanthrope can refer to so many different things.

First, I think we have to define bestiality. If you define it as any sexual contact with a non-human animal, for example, then it has far greater scope than if you define it as intercourse with a non-magical earth-native species of non-human animal. These scopes are especially important when in context of fantasy/magical realms, where the normal rules of reality do not apply.

And, of course, you may want to differentiate between bestiality and, say zoophilia (bestiality being an objectification/sexual fetish of animals, whereas zoophilia is the forming of intimate and often sexual bonds with animals.) Do you mean bestiality as an act, or a fetish? (For example, many individuals may engage in sexual acts with a non-prefered target under extenuating circumstances. Is it bestiality to have sexual interaction with your husband if he's been transformed into a wolf? Is it bestiality to have sex with a wolf, if you're a human who's been transformed into a wolf?)

Then, you need to define the term Lycanthrope. Are we talking a human who transforms into a wolf in every way (meaning, they lose their human consciousness/morals/memories during their transformation period?) A human who (through internal or external powers) can take the form of a wolf but retains all of their own personality and sentience? A non-human who is something other than man or wolf but can take the form of each and has alien sentience in all forms?

So, if for the purposes of our discussion we define bestiality as sexual interaction with a non-human animal, then by definition, any xenophilic (human/non-human) sex would be bestiality. I think we can agree that this is too broad a definition to suit the expanded considerations of a universe which includes fantasy and magic. (Most people would not consider, for example, sex with elves or aliens to be bestiality.)

If we consider bestiality to be a fetish for sex acts with a creature of any sort while it is a form similar to that of a recognizeable non-magical earth non-human animal (especially if the motivation or arousal is because of their animal form), then sex with a shifter would be non-bestial while it was in human form, and bestiality while it was in wolf form (I suppose you could find some middle-ground while it was shifting, but that's really splitting hairs (hares? lapins, rather than lupines, perhaps?) In this definition, it is the form, rather than the sentience/intellect/personality which is the focus of the fetish, so it matters little whether the lycanthrope is currently possessing human sentience (or whether they possess it at all).

I could go on, but... I've probably already rambled far too much. Yes, I'm weird. I write horror and fantasy and have a lot of shifters in my story. This isn't the first time I've considered such things.

My assessment, in the end? "It depends." On circumstances, situations, definitions and motivations.

[thebitterguy]

I... I think I love you.

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

*Grin*

Glad to know my strangeness is appreciated. :)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think Jess is on Furrymuck!

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Surely the right answer is "only if the lycanthrope can be considered 'an adult person' capable of providing emotionally mature and informed consent."

Why is this not one of your checkbox options? 8)

[thebitterguy]

The question includes the inherent assumption that the lycanthrope is a free-willed being able to consent to a relationship, or just relations.

[viktor-haag.livejournal.com]

Check; well, in that case, not bestiality, ipso facto... 8)

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Depends; does the lycanthrope have full self-awareness? That's the main objective I would have to bestiality, that some poor animal is getting raped and can't even understand why. Now, consensual sex with somebody who's furry occasionally honestly wouldn't bug me that much. Not something I'D try, mind you, but not something I'd judge other people foul for.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

Is that your OBJECTIVE, or your OBJECTION?

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Both.

[richess.livejournal.com]

My lord you have me lmao at work!

[anidada.livejournal.com]

You clearly don't read much Oz fic.

[thebitterguy]

I read lots of Oz fic, and find the Aryans upsetting.

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

Bigby is hot.

[nexstarman.livejournal.com]

You forgot to include a ticky for "Unwise. Very unwise."

[creativedv8tion.livejournal.com]

That's a given.

[normanrafferty.livejournal.com]

Another question: if you do it with a shapeshifter who's in animal form, is that bestiality?

I still have to wonder at the writers for WotC and their weird dragon breeding kinks, too.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Where is the checkbox for "Goddamn furries are EVERYWHERE"?