When Did Abuse Become a Fantasy?

Not to long ago, I was perusing stories of various genres and types, searching for either entertaining reading material, inspiration for my own works, and a bit of both, when I happened upon Mother Knows Best. Now for those of you who haven't read it, I'm about to give a description of the basic plot thus far, so if you don't want it spoiled for whatever reason, feel free to not read what I have to say.

This story is a FMG Fantasy, featuring a single mother named Tara and her 15-year-old son, Cory. They are staying in Tara's brother's vacation home all by themselves for the summer, all expenses's paid. Tara is concerned about the fact that Cory is spending all his time playing video games and eating fast food, and tells him he's needs to exercise and keep in shape. But Cory is rather arrogant, and with some male chauvinist predilections, and dismisses her, says he's strong enough, and that he doesn't need to do so. He's enjoying what he's doing. So Tara and he make a bet; after a month's time, they will compete in a series of challenges, and the winner will determine the rules for the remainder of their vacation.

As of Chapter 3, Tara has become strong enough to outdo her son and win at the appointed contests. And at this point, I figured that Tara would dictate that Cory start taking better care of himself. Eating right, exercising, and so on and so forth.

Instead, starting in Chapter 4, Tara declares that Cory will not only continue the bad habits that have resulted in his physical deterioration, but declares that he will take over all the chores that she normally has to take care of, all the while she will be use all the best supplements, exercises, and so on to become so physically powerful that he could never exceed her. She even goes as far as to say that she wants watch him wither away while she becomes stronger and stronger. And at the end of Chapter 5, we have seen little more than an utter and complete Humiliation Conga for Cory.

Now, I didn't care for Cory's attitude. I admit that. I fully agreed that he needed a helping of humble pie to set him straight. But in my opinion, humiliating him and making him feel worthless is not 'tough love' as the author describes it. It's abusiveness. And not only is not going to help him be a better person, all I can see happening is him resenting his mother, if not outright hating her.

To make matters even worse, the person writing this story isn't the original creator of this concept. This story is being written by commission, requested by someone who actively enjoys the idea of a strong, powerful woman actively humiliating and belittling her son.

Maybe it's just me, but I find that kind of thing just plain appalling. Since when do people fantasize about abusiveness and humiliating someone else? Of having a mother actively work to make her own son feel utterly and completely worthless, all for her own amusement and benefit?

Of course, this is an attitude I've found to be horrifically commonplace in today's media, and even in real life. That when a female is being abused by a male, it's horrific, vulgar, and disgusting, but when a male is being abused by a female, it's fine, enjoyable, a fantasy come true.

I'll be keeping an eye on this story for the time being, simply because the author assures me that the worst is over and things will start getting better. And I would hope that a mother, any mother, would want the best for her son, and I would like to see a happy ending out of this mess. But since when does cruelty and abuse become a fantasy come true?



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