Love potions in fiction

[gremcint]

Can some explain the difference between these and rohypnol? aside from one being fictional I mean.

I mean these even show up in kid's stuff like harry potter.

There's a scene in the old Conan the barbarian cartoon where a man is dragged kicking and screaming by an unattractive woman who forces him to drink a love potion and suddenly he's in love with her. Not a main character or anything just as a joke in the background.

[siead_lietrathua]

well, the basic difference is a roofy is to get sex on demand from an unconscious victim. a love potion is wanting emotional desire from another person. they may not be themselves, but they are still "awake". it's brainwashing.

[ChynaRose]

1) Method of manufacture: making rohypnal involves chemistry while making a love potion is either potion making or alchemy depending on the 'local' laws of magic.
2) Nature of the ingredients used in the recipe: rohypnal requires a bunch of chemicals while a love potion uses bits of plants, minerals, and animal parts.
3) Nature of effect: rohypnal acts pretty much on a physical level while a love potion acts on an emotional, behavioral, and physical level (heavy on the emotional/behavioral).
4) Illusion of consent: rohypnal pretty much knocks you out so it's pretty clear that you didn't say yes while those under the influence of a love potion are awake and aware to an extent, thus giving the illusion that they are saying yes even though they're saying it under extremely strong coercion.
5) Utility: rohypnal is basically a multi-tasker (anything you can do to/with a body that is basically dead to the world is fair game) while love potions are basically a uni-tasker (beyond manipulation by the person who's the subject of the love potion, you can't make someone the victim of a love potion dress up in an embarrassing outfit if they don't want to)
6) Cultural use: typically (at least as far as I know based on the current culture in the US) rohypnal is strongly associated with rape, but because they don't actually exist and because they essentially play on the romantic buttons of the audience, a lot of the unfortunate implications of love potions either get overlooked or just plain fly over a person's head because, hey magic. Especially if the work is child oriented (and again, coming from the perspective of the American culture), focus on the emotional side of love out weighs any potential consequences of that love (i.e. the not quite consensual sex) and is filtered through the rosy glasses of romanticism; people are so focused on the whole love bit that they might not make the logical connection to there being rape involved somewhere/somehow (and depending on the nature of the love potion, the person getting raped might not be the one who was given the love potion - the mess Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer made when he tried to use a love potion might not have gone to that extent, but it was entirely possible that one of the women under the influence of it might have gone to that extent in her bid to show her love to him).
7) Ethically: while both carry the same inherent rape potential, and as bad as rohypnal is, love potions (in my opinion) are actually worse. You generally don't remember what happened while you were under the influence of rohypnal, but with a love potion chances are good that not only would you remember, but you would think it was your own idea.
8) Love potions are basically a form of mind control built almost entirely on an emotional ground.
9) Love potions sound a lot more innocent than rohypnal; partially due to cultural conditioning regarding the topic of love itself.

I'm sure there's more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

[Anthony K. S.]

I mean these even show up in kid's stuff like harry potter.

Two points on that :

First, when J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, she had no way of knowing how hugely popular her books were going to become among readers of all age groups.

Although the Harry Potter books were always classified "children's books," it actually seemed like Rowling was writing for a much broader audience, starting with the third book of the series. The difference can be especially seen in the dramatically darker tone of the last two books of the series.

Second, there was, unfortunately, a certain societal bias at work regarding the love potions.

As I recall, there were several mentions of love potions, and it was always a female student trying to give one to a male student.

A girl named Romilda Vane gave some drugged chocolates to Harry, but Ron inadvertently ate them instead. The entire situation was mostly played for laughs, and as far as we know, Romilda Vane never faced any disciplinary action for what she did, despite the fact that at least one professor knew about it.

Now, had it been a male student trying to slip a love potion to, say, Hermione or Ginny, I imagine it would have been viewed and handled very differently.

[Andara Bledin]

There's an episode of Supernatural that involves a love potion.

Since I don't actually want to spoiler the episode, let's just say that Crowley gets involved and it's a messy end for at least one of the people responsible.

^-.-^

[XCashier]

Two points on that :

First, when J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, she had no way of knowing how hugely popular her books were going to become among readers of all age groups....Second, there was, unfortunately, a certain societal bias at work regarding the love potions....

Love potions in the HP universe are generally frowned upon. Professor Slughorn said it is impossible to manufacture love, that these potions just produce a powerful infatuation. Plus, they are banned at Hogwarts. (I don't recall either Harry or Ron saying who slipped Ron the potion, otherwise I'm sure Romilda would've gotten into serious trouble at Hogwarts. I could, of course, be wrong.) The disastrous results of Merope Gaunt's love potion are, of course, well known.

You are right about the gender bias, though.

[HYHYBT]

One other potential difference, though not one I remember ever seeing used, is the potential to use one on yourself intentionally.

[Nekojin]

One other potential difference, though not one I remember ever seeing used, is the potential to use one on yourself intentionally.

That leads to a whole bunch of potential plot threads...

A kingdom where all political marriages are completed with a ceremonial drinking of love potions, to help stifle the problems with the involuntary nature of arranged marriages and a rash of bastard pretenders to the thrones. Problem: Princess Whats-Her-Name's love potion has worn off.

[Bloodsoul]

One other potential difference, though not one I remember ever seeing used, is the potential to use one on yourself intentionally.

That's actually how the "Love Potion" in the online Flash game, Adventure Quest, is activated. Once imbibed, it raises your charisma score temporarily (making your pets' attacks stronger and more accurate), and a second dose causes your opponents to freeze in place now and then due to "infatuation."

A useful, albeit rare, item that seemed a perfect fit for a character named "Valentine," although my only problem with it was having its icon show up as blue instead of its usual red once. I mean it didn't affect anything, it was just an odd glitch.

[TheHuckster]

That's actually how the "Love Potion" in the online Flash game, Adventure Quest, is activated. Once imbibed, it raises your charisma score temporarily (making your pets' attacks stronger and more accurate), and a second dose causes your opponents to freeze in place now and then due to "infatuation."

Then it sounds like it does the opposite of what typical love potions do: Instead of the drinker being infatuated it actually makes others infatuated by you.

[Rapscallion]

Against typical, but with the current idea of attraction via pheremones. Interesting, but useless if there's a strong wind.

Rapscallion

[fireheart17]

Love potions in the HP universe are generally frowned upon. Professor Slughorn said it is impossible to manufacture love, that these potions just produce a powerful infatuation. Plus, they are banned at Hogwarts. (I don't recall either Harry or Ron saying who slipped Ron the potion, otherwise I'm sure Romilda would've gotten into serious trouble at Hogwarts. I could, of course, be wrong.) The disastrous results of Merope Gaunt's love potion are, of course, well known.

You are right about the gender bias, though.

While Harry, Ron and Hermione know who gave Harry the love potion (which Ron eventually "ate"), I don't think Harry DID say to Slughorn who the love potion had been given to. You are right in that love potions are banned from Hogwarts, although from memory, Hermione explains that the love potions are disguised as perfumes and what-have-you when sent out by the Weasley twins.

[Hyena Dandy]

I can't think of any story where love potions were used successfully, without a hitch, and seen as a good thing.

[HYHYBT]

While Harry, Ron and Hermione know who gave Harry the love potion (which Ron eventually "ate"), I don't think Harry DID say to Slughorn who the love potion had been given to. You are right in that love potions are banned from Hogwarts, although from memory, Hermione explains that the love potions are disguised as perfumes and what-have-you when sent out by the Weasley twins.

...which probably would have been stamped on harder if the potions, as sold, were really dangerous. Ron's had spoiled with age, after all.

[Mr Hero]

One other potential difference, though not one I remember ever seeing used, is the potential to use one on yourself intentionally.

This is a major plot point in one of the Xanth books, Isle of View.

And in Xanth, love potions work so that you're attracted to the first creature of the opposite gender regardless of species. This is how centaurs came to exist.