as a white fan I'm sure there's someone who could say this better, but whatever your views on rpf I think it warrants being discussed how ray is characterized in fanfiction. this isn't about the ethics of rpf existing in the first place, this is specifically about fandom racism and how its reflected in fanfiction. whether you like it or not, rpf not going anywhere, and as long as its here its important to discuss the implications of how different people are written about

the way ray, and especially his hair, is described often downright boarders on caricature. this was more of a problem in the earlier days of bandom, but racism is still present in more recent fanfiction. in my experience, it just takes on a more insidious form. sure, there's far fewer descriptions comparing his hair to an afro or treating him like some kind of lovable idiot left to follow his white bandmates around like a puppy, but he's still often only in the fic to support narratives that only centre around his white bandmates. in and out of itself this isn't necessarily a problem, but when ray is consistently under characterized as a side character and underrepresented as a main character, it begins to paint a picture of how this fandom sees him.

rpf isn't reality, but it is based on it. the way people write about celebrities is directly based on their perceptions of them, and is both indicative and influential to the general fandom culture. reading the way ray is described in some of these fics is uncomfortable enough as a white fan. I cant imagine what its like for a fan of colour, especially if they happen to share the features that are being made fun of.

all I ask of white fanfic readers and writers is to use your critical thinking skills and above all be compassionate. to any people of colour in the fandom, feel free to correct me, add on, or share your experiences