The words 'loli' and 'shota' when used to refer to children carry implications that such fetishization is occurring thus these words may not be used on TVTropes to refer to children. Such works are prohibited on TV Tropes under The Content Policy. A genre term that also includes audiences such fetishization is aimed at. The associated tropes are Ephebophile, Pædo Hunt and other Sexual Harassment and Rape Tropes. The predominant portrayal especially in Western works, these are sexual predators who invoke squick. Sometimes Mistaken for Pedophile applies.
Therefore, rather than being played to repulse the audience, a lolicon or shotacon in mainstream works is normally treated as being a little creepy, but ultimately harmless. These overlook the damaging aspect of pedophilia and use a pedophile character for comedic purposes. Paedophiles used as a source of Black Humour.
What the terms exactly refer to can vary from one use thereof to others. Lolicon and shotacon are terms that are used to refer to several types of paedophilia or hebephilia in the context of Japanese works.
