Grotesque eroticism in the Danmei genre: the case of Lucifer's Club in Chinese cyberspace
ABSTRACTThis article explores the element of grotesque eroticism in the description of male homosexual romance in online fiction produced by and for heterosexual females in the Greater China area. The element of grotesque porn/eroticism consists of scenes of rape, gang rape, incest, sado masochism, sexual torture and scientific impossibilities such as male pregnancy. A case study of the fan oriented website Lucifer's Club aims at positioning the phenomenon of Danmei (homoerotic writings by and for heterosexual females) within the larger field of pornography. The element of homosexual porn in a grotesque form is analyzed from the perspective of female voyeurism and the concept of the female gaze. By producing and consuming Danmei, the article argues, heterosexual females in Chinese cyberspace explore and test the boundaries of their own female sexuality.