# The Morality of Stripping Elves **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087 "2010-08-12T21:47:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/21 "2010-08-12T23:07:13Z")
Well so let’s say that you have been kidnapped by a psychopathic murderer. You use a magic spell to call some random, person – not a police officer or anyone else obliged to try and save you – from the opposite side of the planet, and he risks life and limb to set you free. How in debt are you to get him back home? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/22 "2010-08-12T23:08:31Z")
No particular interest in actually hunting down and reading this crap, so can you explain how the elves finally cracked down and found the last two females with spell bits on them ? And why didn’t the humans think of doing it that way, other than the guy forcibly stripping them for titilation value? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/23 "2010-08-12T23:13:01Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > No particular interest in actually hunting down and reading this crap, so can you explain how the elves finally cracked down and found the last two females with spell bits on them ? And why didn’t the humans think of doing it that way, other than the guy forcibly stripping them for titilation value? No idea. I don’t remember the TV series. I suspect the writers cut corners to rush it for a series finale. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/24 "2010-08-12T23:14:30Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > No particular interest in actually hunting down and reading this crap, so can you explain how the elves finally cracked down and found the last two females with spell bits on them ? And why didn’t the humans think of doing it that way, other than the guy forcibly stripping them for titilation value? Hey, it’s not crap! It has an appalling premise, but (if you can get past that) has various redeeming virtues - it’s main characters are actually sympathetic, believe it or not. (In my experience, if you watch enough anime you’ll develop the ability to look past the appalling bits. Fanservice in general is rampant, and usually ranges from pathetic to disturbing.) Okay, that said - it’s not explicitly stated in the anime how the elves in question were found. A group of elves in charge just up and did it, which is only mentioned after the fact. It should be noted that these girls’ marks were both plainly visibile with their clothes _on_ - on their faces, I believe. So it’s not like they needed stripping at all. And the humans (well, the three humans and the transformed elf) didn’t think of the alternatives because, as I noted, they were all blinking morons. They had to be, to support the (appalling) premise of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/25 "2010-08-12T23:23:33Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > It has an appalling premise, It could be worse. For some reason when I saw the thread title the first thing that came to mind was elves being stripped for parts. Nothing but hollowed out elf torsos everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/26 "2010-08-12T23:32:18Z")
There is a way to solve this without violating rights, that is the path of Love. Just love them and that will lead to nakedness and sex and the info they need. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/27 "2010-08-12T23:34:49Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > There is a way to solve this without violating rights, that is the path of Love. Just love them and that will lead to nakedness and sex and the info they need. Where would they get all the flowers and chocoloates needed to entice the entire female elf population to want to make love with them, though? (And honestly, the one guy in the group wasn’t all that suave to start with. They’d have their work cut out for them.) ETA: Oh, and **Der Trihs**? I lol’d. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/28 "2010-08-12T23:35:50Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > There is a way to solve this without violating rights, that is the path of Love. Just love them and that will lead to nakedness and sex and the info they need. And fatal exhaustion. That’s a lot of elves to sex your way though. Death by snu-snu! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/29 "2010-08-12T23:59:52Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@kanicbird](#): > > > > There is a way to solve this without violating rights, that is the path of Love. Just love them and that will lead to nakedness and sex and the info they need. > > And fatal exhaustion. That’s a lot of elves to sex your way though. > > Death by snu-snu! I’m willing to face the peril. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/30 "2010-08-13T00:48:17Z")
Forget elf stripping … what about the morality of [witch touching](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doki_Doki_Majo_Shinpan!)? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/31 "2010-08-13T01:01:39Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > Forget elf stripping … what about the morality of [witch touching](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doki_Doki_Majo_Shinpan!)? **dramatic voice** “This sounds like a job for…Granny Weatherwax!” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/32 "2010-08-13T02:04:00Z")
Since the question seems to have been missed: **Let’s say that you have been kidnapped by a psychopathic murderer. You use a magic spell to call some random, person – not a police officer or anyone else obliged to try and save you – from the opposite side of the planet, and he risks life and limb to set you free. How in debt are you to get him back home?** ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/33 "2010-08-13T02:14:00Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > [@begbert2](#): > > > > It has an appalling premise, > > It could be worse. For some reason when I saw the thread title the first thing that came to mind was elves being stripped for parts. Nothing but hollowed out elf torsos everywhere! That sounds like [The Iron Dragon’s Daughter](http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Dragons-Daughter-Michael-Swanwick/dp/0380730464). ETA: Oh, and **kanicbird**? I LOL’d. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/34 "2010-08-13T02:19:57Z")
One Oglaf cartoon is sexier and smarter than whatever the heck the OP is describing. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/35 "2010-08-13T02:43:30Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > One Oglaf cartoon is sexier and smarter than whatever the heck the OP is describing. 1. As stated, it’s in no way an erotic nor even titillating story. You wouldn’t watch Get Smart to see sexy women lazing over fast cars, you’d watch James Bond. Your average story in Those Who Hunt Elves is like, they come across a castle with a prince who is looking for a wife. The king has arranged a ball to be held, where all the prettiest women will be invited. As the dancing commences, however, it turns out that while the Prince is well-trained to dance, every time he gets up he stumbles about and falls down. Too embarrassed, he doesn’t ask any of the women to dance, and they all leave before he can pick one. However, a late-comer arrives, and this time both the Prince and the Princess stumble and fall all about as they try to dance. She says, “But, I’m well trained to dance! I’ve been trained from the time I was a young girl!” Someone suggests that maybe the floor in the castle isn’t quite level and so they go searching to see what it is that is causing the floor to be uneven and find… [spoiler]A single pea is wedged between two of the stones that make up the outer wall of the castle. [Because they were a true Prince and Princess](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_princess_and_the_pea)[/spoiler] 1. Again, this is a discussion of the morality. This is GD not CS. Begbert has suggested that they had alternatives, but so far all he’s suggested is that instead of stripping women, they find ones who have their runes in obvious places – which is infeasible since they need all of the women with runes, not just the ones with the runes on their face – and that they only have the female characters examine the women – which doesn’t really say why that matters. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/36 "2010-08-13T03:33:51Z")
The sorceress who summoned them has a moral obligation to get them home. It’s up to her how to do that (I could hardly opine on the matter of how such a spell would work), but she doesn’t have any more right to forcibly strip elves than they do. She could make a public offer of payment to the individual elves affected, or she could contact the elvish authorities to get their help in securing the elves’ willing co-operation, or she could re-create the spell from scratch, or find some means home other than spell, or whatever: The details are up to her. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/37 "2010-08-13T03:53:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The sorceress who summoned them has a moral obligation to get them home. It’s up to her how to do that (I could hardly opine on the matter of how such a spell would work), but she doesn’t have any more right to forcibly strip elves than they do. She could make a public offer of payment to the individual elves affected, or she could contact the elvish authorities to get their help in securing the elves’ willing co-operation, or she could re-create the spell from scratch, or find some means home other than spell, or whatever: The details are up to her. But, regardless that the summoner is the one who actively summoned them, everyone on the planet is certainly in debt. They’ve had the enjoyment of the entire rest of their lives preserved. The only thing being asked in return is for them to turn in a fragment of spell, which they are refusing to do for no particular reason. It’s a reasonable request, and one which has been earned. They are only chasing down these women because they refused to help out towards something entirely innocuous. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/38 "2010-08-13T04:07:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The sorceress who summoned them has a moral obligation to get them home. It’s up to her how to do that (I could hardly opine on the matter of how such a spell would work), but she doesn’t have any more right to forcibly strip elves than they do. She could make a public offer of payment to the individual elves affected, or she could contact the elvish authorities to get their help in securing the elves’ willing co-operation, or she could re-create the spell from scratch, or find some means home other than spell, or whatever: The details are up to her. Why doesn’t miss high-and-mighty sorceress just conjure up a few pairs of x-ray specs? They could scope out all the elf babes they wanted (solely in the interest of returning home, of course) and no one would be the wiser. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/39 "2010-08-13T04:17:54Z")
Aren’t there any male Elven that need to be stripped? Where do I volunteer? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087/40 "2010-08-13T10:22:20Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > But, regardless that the summoner is the one who actively summoned them, everyone on the planet is certainly in debt. I disagree. If you’re talking about a debt in a literal sense that can be reclaimed, in my opinion doing something supposedly for my benefit does not mean I owe you anything if you sought neither my consent for the deal nor my agreement that your actions were even a desirable method. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-morality-of-stripping-elves/550087.md?page=3)