Discussion why the arguments and hate against harems goes against everything history tells us

I can understand most arguments for and against, but I want to share my POV.

I am myself against Harems, most of it is because there reaches a point where the story stops to deal with fleshing out every single member, or like in xianxia, they are basically abandoned for the next adventure and conquest.

I would more understand wanting to be part of a harem if it's for genes, or protection, or riches or even becuase the guys die in droves in search of resources. Fucking someone for resources, or joining a harem is even undertabdable.

But they all "fall in love" with a guy that has like ten prior lovers and want to be in it because of love. Which I find depressing, they have little pride, when they all are supposed to be prideful and strong, they are the select few challenging heaven for god's sake. Where's the pride? is an hour every few years enough from a mate? can they be happy from that when it's love tying them up?

I just kind of find it ridiculous.

That and well, I personally prefer when it's one pair, growing together in OP'ness. Rising heights, challenging the world together.

Though there are very very few Xianxia that are more adventure without harem.

If anyone knows some please share. Or even one with a harem, but that travel together, not just stay gathering dust while Mc goes out for years on end.

 

I like this. These are actually good criticisms of the genre. I wish more posts in this thread were as well thought out

1. You are assuming harems are for pleasure. The battle haram (powerful sister-wives who fight as a team), the cauldrons (accelerates cultivation of harem owner), and the clan (baby factories to try and produce many talented offspring for the clan as they act to monopolize the resources of the area for the clan) are examples where pleasure is not the goal.

2. Immortals are characterized by opulence and luxury. Very rarely do you find an immortal that swore a vow of poverty or something like that. For example they often feast on spirit food/drink for the flavor, even though it is extremely expensive and below their level and thus just being wasted due to the level difference. Also if an immortal is such an ascetic who the hell could associate with him? devout buddhist monks are not the target audience, normal people are the target audience

3. you are just repeating yourself. I refuted your argument that luxuries will be FORBIDDEN by pointing nobody is going to enforce a ban on luxuries on murderous immortals, are you going to actually address

While the MC Wasting his time on luxuries yet somehow still becoming the strongest person in the setting does detract somewhat. They are usually propped up by a golden finger type cheat. And there are many far more severe issues than merely their indulgence in luxury. They tend to do many idiotic things that by all right should result in their death but plot armor kun saves the day again and again.

Now those anti harem arguments I completely agree with you.
Harem are usually poorly executed in xianxia stories for exactly the reasons you described.

 

IRL wise, isnt it just basically an issue of modern culture and morality? back then, nobody would've argued against harems unless religion comes into the picture and the common thought as far as nobility goes is "if you are capable enough to provide for your spouses, then do so if you are willing to". hell, there are even records of common people having a wife and several lovers at the same time(because only one legal wife is recognized by law) and the old practice only dwindled when holy roman empire came to prominence.

 

Back then a merchant have 17 wives.
Nowdays a president have 1 wife.
People hate harem now is because its against what modern culture tought us whats right.
While I agree fiction can allow anything.
Most modern people have no real life experience with harems and thus cant really portray how it will be in that scenario and making it not very believable.
Even if real life harem chads really be willing to write a realistic harem novel, some people will still hate it cause they cant believe its real experience.
Tho if an otaku vergin dreams of his best harem scenario.. some other otaku vergin would connect and thus enjoy it with him aswell..
Though its not really wrong for them to enjoy fiction as fiction in anyway. It just wont resonate well with all readers.