Tenth Question

[potentiality_26]

From raktajinos: what are some things you love about fandom, but things you hate?

Okay, I'm still thinking about the more fandom specific ones, so I'm starting with this one.

The main thing that I love about fandom is the way if you love a tv show or a movie, or a character or pairing, you'll be able to find someone who feels the same way pretty easily (unless you like a really obscure show or rare pairing or the like).  I love that sense of community, that being able to share ideas with like-minded people.

But in can also, in some cases, be a less than awesome part of fandom too?  When your fandom is a show or a movie franchise, and a lot of people aren't happy with where it's headed (this has been the case with The Musketeers in S2 like woah), I think hearing what other people think about it all the time can be kind of mixed?  Other fans talking about what trash the latest episode was, or how badly written character x has been, can really make you hate something you might otherwise have liked.

So obviously you can't just have fandom and talk meta about things you love, but it can be kind of downer.  Especially on tumblr, where this kind of mob mentality happens very quickly where one person says "This thing was handled badly" and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon and it starts to be hard to think about that thing logically anymore.  When fandom gets angry it gets really angry, and even when fans have every right to be angry it still makes for a kind of toxic and less fun environment.

Also speaking of toxic (and we've talked about this before) I really hate the thing where shipping a pairing makes people attack another character (female, 9 times out of 10) who they feel is a threat to said ship.  I hate that.  Female character bashing seems to be rarer than it once was (at least, I don't see as much of it in the corners of fandom I hang out in as I once did, for which I am eternally grateful), but that bothers me as well.  First of all, I love my ladies, but even when it comes to a female character that I don't adore (Gwen Cooper on Torchwood is a good example) I fail to see the purpose of writing fic where she is the worst possible version of herself and then faces some terrible comeuppance for her behavior.  Most of the time, this character will have plenty of good qualities that the source material just failed to consistently portray.  I would rather read a fic about the best possible version of that character any day of the week.
  

Comments

[verdande-mi.livejournal.com]

This is all so very true!

I love the community and the sense of being among my people so to speak :D And I love squee, reactions, discussions and meta - and I take care to have people on my flist and tumblr who are a positive element to my fandom life.

There is much toxic about and I try my very best to avoid it. It is a downer and it does colour my own veiw, even before I have actually given said show/episode/whatever a fair chance. The pack mentality is a little too strong and there is too much screaming and nagging going on for there be a true exchange of opinions.

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I like a lot of things about tumblr (this isn't as bad on LJ, I find), but I hate how it can make me dislike something I might otherwise have enjoyed. I like fandom to be my happy place, and though I don't think we should ignore the problems in media, I also think people need to chill a little.

[verdande-mi.livejournal.com]

I feel like so many important issues and discussions get lost in all the noice. And that's sad, as there are many a problematic issue out there that should be adressed. But I don't think a high noice level and such a strong mass mentality is a good enviorement for discussions. You also need to be able to listen.

I like my fandom life to be a happy place as well and I'm glad that for the most part it is :D

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

You're right. Some of the discussion is really interesting and important, but you have to wade through a lot of people who never seem happy with anything to get there.

[a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com]

I applaud this!! Definitely! And I can attest to the Fandom Mentality being a downer sometimes. All it took was a few choice words from some people that I was friends with...

..and I missed out on the first year of the Eleventh Doctor.

I learned a lesson, but I didn't like all the fun I missed out on. All because I was very handily talked into NOT liking an actor I hadn't even seen in action yet.

Thus, the reason why I avoid toxic areas and places. I won't be so easily led again - but why ruin the good time I'm having with haters?

Because Fandom is fun. It has its own magick, you know?

*HUGS*

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

See, I was lucky with Eleven because I had a friend who only casually watched Doctor Who who fell hard for Eleven and just talked up the show so much that when I got around to watching S5 I was really pumped.

But I know some corners of fandom were really awful about him (and still are about Moffat's Who in general) and it's just so sad. Like, I get people's need to explain why they have a problem with something, but I wish they would make it a little less visible (which is why I like to say beforehand when I'm going to negatively review something) so people who want to enjoy the thing won't get rained on.

[fredbassett]

Yep, fandom is great when you have loads of people on the same page as you, but when it gets toxic, it's certainly not much found. I found the level of criticism in Musketeers fandom this past season somewhat dispiriting and there does seem to be a growing tendency for fans to want the show to write their fanfic for them, which can lead to very unrealistic expectations of the show. A lot of things people wanted to see in Musketeers would have made fabulous fanfic, but wouldn't have worked in the context of a TV programme.

It's up to us to fill in the gaps! That's what fanfic is for.

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

Yeah, so true. With the exception of one episode that I really thought could have been a lot better, I thought S2 was very good. I might personally wish it had been a little less serious, but I'm not in charge. Certainly none of it bothered me the way it seems to have bothered a lot of people. But I do think a lot of my enjoyment was lessened by having heard so many people complaining beforehand. I don't want to feel like I have to defend my show against the other people who are supposed to love it.

S2 definitely had a lot of great fic potential, and it's still the show I love.

[fredbassett]

*nods* I felt pretty much the same way. I preferred the 'feel' of s1 and generally prefer the episode of the week format to the strong serial arc but it's still the show I love and want to see more of, and criticisms do get a little wearing after a time.

[potentiality-26.livejournal.com]

I agree! That's my feeling about the changes from S1, but those changes definitely didn't keep me from enjoying the series overall.