Sex fantasy vs power fantasy

[hereno]

This touches on a couple of debates that have been floating around the forum over the past few months. I wanted to try to capture them in one overall post.

So I think a way to look at MC as a fetish is to think of it as either a sex fantasy or a power fantasy. The sex fantasy version is well-covered ground: it's what most MC content is geared towards. Man gets magic pendant, uses it to get sex, rinse, repeat. Power fantasy, by contrast, says that while the sex is great and the best perk of the magic pendant, it's not the be-all end-all. There's more the guy can do than just get laid.

There was a poll not long ago about journey vs destination, and I think this touches on the two fantasies. "Journey" types like the sex fantasy: the guy slowly builds a harem, but then just has sex with them all. It's an infinite journey, like Audiophilia has been so far. "Destination" types, I think, are more interested in the power fantasy overall: what else can the guy do than just get laid? Become CEO? President? Can he MC a rich guy into giving him all his money? "After the Show" is perhaps a baby step down this road, since the husband was MC'd as well as the wife.

For those who have been saying they're looking for something a little different from future comics, I propose power fantasy as a different way of thinking about MC. It's not just "how can I get laid," it's "how can I improve my life as a whole."

[Daphne]

I (of course!) have all sorts of thoughts on the subject, but I'd like to hear others chat about it before I jump in. Great topic!

[Haight]

To me, too much focus on the non-sexual things achievable with mind control is kind of... not what I'm looking for. I like it when it fits with the story, where say you have this character with the ability to mind control people, it stands to reason they'd leverage that into wealth and power, so while they might be entrancing hapless gorgeous women they've also got this massive business empire etc.

But too much focus on that and it makes me somewhat bored. Not that I've generally seen too much of that here; while The Hidden Knowledge has a bit of the "use mind control to get money and power in addition to sex" going on; that aspect of it is very tied up in the hubris and morally questionable behavior that Daffyd is increasingly engaging in, and the story seems like it's chronicling his descent into "sin" (for lack of a better word) period, with lots of sexiness to heighten the allure of it.

When I say I'm into "destination," I mean it more like... when Robert Kirkman set about writing the comic The Walking Dead, he wanted to write a story that was about more than just surviving the initial zombie outbreak, but about what happens the day after, and the day after that, and so on. By "destination" I mean that kind of thing, where it explores what happens the day after the sexy mind control subject falls into the controllers clutches, and the day after that. The "power fantasy" aspect of it kind of bores me, to be honest. I don't generally find stories about the main character achieving wealth and power exciting in and of themselves; the kink is kind of necessary for me to enjoy that. The "power fantasy" would be a distraction from the "sex fantasy," except inasmuch as it dovetails in for verisimilitude (as I mentioned, natural that someone with mind control powers would use it for wealth, power, status, etc).

What I *do* like is an exploration of character relationships and how they're altered when mind control or, say, supernatural breast enlargement are added to the mix. This isn't quite "sex fantasy"; I don't know if I'm alone in this but the scene in SJI where some of the girls are sitting around discussing their relationship with their master (Adrian) or each other are a little hot and a lot interesting. I think it's the combination of transformation and mind control, which in a certain way sort of treat a character like an object, with a high level of characterization and depth. Something about the juxtaposition makes it interesting.

EDIT: The SJI page that just dropped is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

[ozymandias]

Sex fantasy, definitely. But I often wonder what should happen next, and the stories I most enjoy either involve the user figuring out how to use a power that's got definite limits, or targets trying to figure out how to avoid being enthralled.  I also have wondered why anyone with the power to control minds wouldn't use it to harness their thralls when not using them sexually. Find a really hot lawyer and leverage her income as well as her body. Also, use the power to make them more effective at work as well as in bed. And so on. Because with great power can come great leisure, if you're using it thoughtfully.

I've also thought a good story about what happens to thralls as they age would be interesting, but I've never figured out where to go with that.

[GodWilling]

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[hereno]

The reason I don't need the sex in an MC story is because it has MC in it - and done right, that's hotter than sex.

...

So I have to say, for me, a power fantasy story focusing on the victims being used for more than just sex would still be focusing on the wrong thing.

Wait... how do you reconcile those two sentences?

[radouigi]

I agree power versus sex fantasy is a useful distinction to make in MC, though I don't think either is inherently more journey or destination based than the other, that's a completely different and also useful way to catalogue the fetish. I'll express my inclinations on the sex/power dichotomy with a quick food metaphor;

For me, MC is the type of cuisine I most enjoy and the sex fantasy is definitely the main dish I want the meal built around--but having a side dish of power fantasy makes for a much more satisfying meal.

[bigwad73]

I have thought about this some in the past, and in fact, much of the online RP that I do (at least the ones that involve my character using MC on females) involves both aspects as described above, tailored a bit for time availability and partner preference.

I find both aspects interesting and exciting to read about, but, if pressed, the power fantasy draws me more than the sex fantasy--it's just what I like, I suppose.  If I had to put values on it, I'd say I'm tilted towards the power fantasy by about 60/40.  That's one of the reasons I like Beyond Rubies , Drains, and Hidden Knowledge.  The main character is going somewhere, not just sexing up his harem.  Over at MCStories, Lampmaker (http://www.mcstories.com/Lampmaker/index.html) is another story where the main character is going somewhere with the idea he has powers.  As a aside, the power fantasy works better if there are challenges to the main character--opponents, or enemies--that may actually unseat the main character.

One more thing I would add:  I think there's a second axis of MC tales besides the Power versus Sex axis.  The second axis is the power level of the fantasy.  At one end is the Full Power fantasy, where the MC powers just spring into being at full power, fully usable by the main character.  The other side of that axis is the Developing Power fantasy, where the main character's abilities are developing over time (for whatever reason), starting small and working upwards.  Hidden Knowledge is a developing power fantasy, where By the Book seems to be more of a full power fantasy from the start.

[orifalcon]

By "destination" I mean that kind of thing, where it explores what happens the day after the sexy mind control subject falls into the controllers clutches, and the day after that...

What I *do* like is an exploration of character relationships and how they're altered when mind control or, say, supernatural breast enlargement are added to the mix. This isn't quite "sex fantasy"; I don't know if I'm alone in this but the scene in SJI where some of the girls are sitting around discussing their relationship with their master (Adrian) or each other are a little hot and a lot interesting.

Very similar for me. The 30-second wrap up scene at the end of MCT features are often some of my favorite moments. Though being in control of a new normal is a type of destination/power fantasy, in my opinion. As a long-runner with two pages a week, SJI vacillates between the two in blocks that can last months and inevitably there will always be someone hoping the pendulum swings a little faster in the other direction.

https://mindcontrolcomics.com/comics/sji/i407/
My favorite page on the site, an encapsulation of why I love Caitlin, and why I'm so sad that she's wrapped up in the current "building a new obstacle" side of the story.   

[lifmcs]

My primary interest/fascination is, quite simply and very particularly, with mind control. Literally anything that sufficiently elucidates and articulates one or more of the myriad effects under that massive umbrella, preferably with some novel twist or stylistic flair or just plain quality, is double plus good in my book. On a base level, I don’t really care who, or what, is in whichever role, it’s all about the process and states of mind for me.

Because of that, I don’t have a lot to add to this particular discussion. Generally speaking, neither sex nor power have any inherent appeal as story material if there’s not ongoing control woven through and highlighted by them. If there is, then all that really matters is that the tale being told and the characters featured have a little something going for them. Those conditions met, I’m a happy wanker.

That all said, I do have some proclivities. The comments of Haight, ozymandias, and orifalcon went to places I’m down with.