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Five Things I've Learned About Fandom
Too snarky tonight, methinks, to safely post. I've deleted two, no, three posts that would get me in a lot of trouble. We'll see if I delete this one.
Five things I've learned about fandom:
1. People often will rec meta regardless of how poorly it is written and exclaim it is brilliant if it expresses their point of view, without them having to do it themselves. (Which makes me wonder about the folks who squee'ed over my meta. Was it really any good? Or did you just like it because it said what you thought? Note - meta is only brilliant when it convinces someone who does NOT agree with you to either change their mind or enables them to appreciate your perspective on the manner and consider it. If it is only preaching to the choir or worse, turns off those who either don't already agree with you, have not made up their own minds on the issue, or clearly disagree - then, honey, you wasted your time and you might want to rethink it. I can always tell when I scored with a piece of meta - when someone who I know vehemently disagrees with me - comments and tells me it was brilliant or made them think.) Curious - why don't people rec meta that expresses a view contrary to your own yet made you think twice, and changed your mind? Maybe people do??
2. Fandom often feels like it can be split into two disagreeable and incendiary factions, one often resulting in the other or they just attract each other like magnets, I can never tell...the dreaded MSHRAs and SRHE-HJs. (*MSHRA =Misogynistic-Sexist-Homophobic-Racist-Ass, SRHE-HJ =Self-Righteous, Holier-than-thou, Evangelistic, (not-always but often) - Hypocritical Jerks) While I do read and will engage with the SRHE-HJ (often to my own detriment yet incredible amusement) - I attempt to avoid at all costs MSHRA (mainly because they scare me). I've learned that engaging with either - particularly when they are in full rant or battle mode is a bad idea (they will inevitably launch into name-calling, and turn you into their arch enemy with just a few words, so watch out!). What both have in common is an over-reliance on assumptions and generalizations as well as faulty understanding of logic that springs from lazy thinking, to support their own increasingly insular point of view. They also tend to be reactionary, and highly emotional. Their posts are often rants and will emotionally trigger everyone who happens to stumble upon them - resulting in insanely long comments threads, link threads, and at their worst, journal wide flame-wars that can last for days. And, they attract each other like magnets - an SRHE-HJ will inevitably get an MSHRA to respond, and vice versa. If one or the other responds to your post, the best response is to delete or ignore.
3. Do not criticize someone else's fanfic or vid or meta. They have FRIENDS. You can however praise it or more importantly recommend it in a highly favorable manner - if you do so, do not be surprised to suddenly obtain a whole new group of friends in the process.
4. Do not bash someone else's favorite character, ship, book, or tv show - particularly if you know they are on your flist - unless you like conflict. Best approach? If you dislike it or hate it? Don't write about it. Think how you would feel if they bashed your favorite character, tv show, book, or ship?
5. Eh. Try really hard to Be Tolerant of Other's Views even if they appear to be illogical, incite rage, and drive you insane with their troll logic - particularly as those views relate to items such as books, fictional characters and ships, and tv shows. And do not attempt to
impose your sane, logical, and superior view on them - even if you know for a fact you are right! (Because the way life's been going of late, it's more than possible next week even, that you'll be proven dead wrong - and hey look, now you've got egg on your face and look like an idiot.)
Five things I've learned about fandom:
1. People often will rec meta regardless of how poorly it is written and exclaim it is brilliant if it expresses their point of view, without them having to do it themselves. (Which makes me wonder about the folks who squee'ed over my meta. Was it really any good? Or did you just like it because it said what you thought? Note - meta is only brilliant when it convinces someone who does NOT agree with you to either change their mind or enables them to appreciate your perspective on the manner and consider it. If it is only preaching to the choir or worse, turns off those who either don't already agree with you, have not made up their own minds on the issue, or clearly disagree - then, honey, you wasted your time and you might want to rethink it. I can always tell when I scored with a piece of meta - when someone who I know vehemently disagrees with me - comments and tells me it was brilliant or made them think.) Curious - why don't people rec meta that expresses a view contrary to your own yet made you think twice, and changed your mind? Maybe people do??
2. Fandom often feels like it can be split into two disagreeable and incendiary factions, one often resulting in the other or they just attract each other like magnets, I can never tell...the dreaded MSHRAs and SRHE-HJs. (*MSHRA =Misogynistic-Sexist-Homophobic-Racist-Ass, SRHE-HJ =Self-Righteous, Holier-than-thou, Evangelistic, (not-always but often) - Hypocritical Jerks) While I do read and will engage with the SRHE-HJ (often to my own detriment yet incredible amusement) - I attempt to avoid at all costs MSHRA (mainly because they scare me). I've learned that engaging with either - particularly when they are in full rant or battle mode is a bad idea (they will inevitably launch into name-calling, and turn you into their arch enemy with just a few words, so watch out!). What both have in common is an over-reliance on assumptions and generalizations as well as faulty understanding of logic that springs from lazy thinking, to support their own increasingly insular point of view. They also tend to be reactionary, and highly emotional. Their posts are often rants and will emotionally trigger everyone who happens to stumble upon them - resulting in insanely long comments threads, link threads, and at their worst, journal wide flame-wars that can last for days. And, they attract each other like magnets - an SRHE-HJ will inevitably get an MSHRA to respond, and vice versa. If one or the other responds to your post, the best response is to delete or ignore.
3. Do not criticize someone else's fanfic or vid or meta. They have FRIENDS. You can however praise it or more importantly recommend it in a highly favorable manner - if you do so, do not be surprised to suddenly obtain a whole new group of friends in the process.
4. Do not bash someone else's favorite character, ship, book, or tv show - particularly if you know they are on your flist - unless you like conflict. Best approach? If you dislike it or hate it? Don't write about it. Think how you would feel if they bashed your favorite character, tv show, book, or ship?
5. Eh. Try really hard to Be Tolerant of Other's Views even if they appear to be illogical, incite rage, and drive you insane with their troll logic - particularly as those views relate to items such as books, fictional characters and ships, and tv shows. And do not attempt to
impose your sane, logical, and superior view on them - even if you know for a fact you are right! (Because the way life's been going of late, it's more than possible next week even, that you'll be proven dead wrong - and hey look, now you've got egg on your face and look like an idiot.)
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2. My f-list seems blessedly free of both types. I do stay away from the boards, though. That way lies madness.
3. Hear, hear. The last month has brought an alarming number of public comments along the lines of "I don't like such and such a story." Although I understand that my benevolent dictatorship of the web hasn't really caught on (yet), it is in everybody's best interest to be POSITIVE! If you really want to bitch about someone's (totally free to you, no requirement to read/view) work, do it in a PM, like the rest of us.
4 & 5. Ah, life's little lessons!
*I'm also crazy about fic that makes me see a character or a situation in a new light! Hats off to anyone who can manage it! Or, is that the whole point of fanfic? Hmmmm.
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2. I hate conflict. I will not fight about anything unless it is really important to me. Fictional characters do not make it to that level. Discussion is fine, when actual anger, hostility, name calling, etc. erupt I take my marbles and go home.
3. Related to #2, the only people I am interested in "criticizing" are those I know enough and care enough about to make the effort, and even then only because I really feel that it might actually be helpful to them at some point, or because they have asked for my honest opinion. Otherwise, if ya can't say somethin' nice, don't say nuthin' at all.
4. I messed up and did this a few months ago, I did not do it deliberately, and I'm not really sure exactly what I said that crossed the "bashing" line. But I am sorry, and I will never do it again.
5. Tolerance is a good thing, I guess. It depends on how you define it. If you want to have an honest and frank conversation with someone you don't agree with, (and you feel it is worth the effort) plain old respect and good manners go an awfully long way, but of course there is nothing new or profound about that.
The internet seems to make people so much less polite and appropriate, like road rage - you want to kill someone because they cut you off in traffic? I guess because it is anonymous? I am kind of a newbie I just don't really get it.
Just my opinion, no imposing here... *g*
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I don't rec a lot of meta, but that which I do is that which makes me think; not necessarily changing my opinion, but making me think about why I have the perceptions I do about the particular character, episode, or trend at issue.
I seem to be weird in that I enjoy havingmy opinions challenged. Even a liberal-minded, free-thinking individual like me can suddenly find that something has hardened into a prejudice.
It can sometimes come as a stark shock, but it is definitely a worthwhile one.
Still under Willow & Tara's spell,
Ray.
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I frequently do this. I just wish I had the passion for debating the things I disagree with like I used to. (FYI: if ever you see me rec meta on Riley, the poster who wrote it impressed the hell out of me.)
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I think you made a lot of good points at Whedonesque awhile back-I read all your posts on that thread and as always, agreed with some and disagreed with others. But rl got too busy for me to attempt to reply; those posts were longgggggggggggg. But they were well-thought out and considerate of the character, which I appreciate muchly.
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2. This has been true of every "interest" group I have ever been part of--some far removed from fandom.