Beginning in the mid-2010s and continuing into the 2020s, significant discourse emerged in online fandom spaces around the ethical implications of taboo and abusive content within shipping, the depiction of romantic or sexual relationships between characters in fanfiction. The disagreement primarily centers on the degree to which fictional works depicting such content affect real-world behavior and attitudes.

Cock ale, popular in 17th- and 18th-century England, was an ale whose recipe consisted of normal ale, to which was later added a bag stuffed with a parboiled, skinned and gutted cock, and various fruits and spices. Continue reading →