karadinart (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
karadinart) wrote2012-11-02 11:02 am
karadinart) wrote2012-11-02 11:02 am
Pet Peeve about Fandoms
I saw a long rambly post on tumblr which ended with 'stop the ship hate' but the entire body of the post was 'reasons why Misha Collins should be kicked off spn - for his own good' these reasons were a) he'd rather spend time with his family b) he's better off doing charity work c) people have forgotten what the show is really about, it's not Castiel.
So I responded to that, then deleted it and wrote my own post which pretty much sums up my views on fandoms everywhere.
I hate posts which pretty much tell you ‘you’re doin it wrong’ ie: this is the ship you should ship and giving long convoluted reasons why actor/character should be kicked off show ‘for their own good.’
Actors have a job to do, they don’t dictate where the story goes, if you want to complain go to the writers. If an actor doesn’t want to be part of a show, they don’t renew a contract, but you can’t say ‘oh they want time to do other things.’ etc. The gig still pays their mortgage. You can’t assume because an actor is on a tv show that they are well off now and for the rest of their lives, that show might be only a few years of a career which may span 20-30-40 years.
As for doing it wrong, it’s impossible, every fan has a right to like whatever they want. An emotional connection to a book, a film, isn’t something you can control. Also, fans come and go, there is always someone who liked the prequel or sequel or spinoff better. By having the gall to tell them what they should like, you are only putting off people getting into fandom, they’ll still like what they like, but you’ve just convinced them that the fandom won’t welcome them so they are better off not engaging.
Fandom is it’s own thing, separate from the show/movie/book. Actors may engage with fans, but they don’t have anything to do with fandom. They don’t (usually) write fic or create art, they don’t have anything to say about those aspects of fandom, and they shouldn’t have to promote anything but their own point of view reagrding a character or storyline.
Addendum: Actors and writers and creators don’t owe you anything. They work hard to produce that thing you love. Of course it won’t go the way you want everytime, that’s what fandom is for. Just because someone is in the public eye, they haven’t signed away a right to privacy.
So I responded to that, then deleted it and wrote my own post which pretty much sums up my views on fandoms everywhere.
I hate posts which pretty much tell you ‘you’re doin it wrong’ ie: this is the ship you should ship and giving long convoluted reasons why actor/character should be kicked off show ‘for their own good.’
Actors have a job to do, they don’t dictate where the story goes, if you want to complain go to the writers. If an actor doesn’t want to be part of a show, they don’t renew a contract, but you can’t say ‘oh they want time to do other things.’ etc. The gig still pays their mortgage. You can’t assume because an actor is on a tv show that they are well off now and for the rest of their lives, that show might be only a few years of a career which may span 20-30-40 years.
As for doing it wrong, it’s impossible, every fan has a right to like whatever they want. An emotional connection to a book, a film, isn’t something you can control. Also, fans come and go, there is always someone who liked the prequel or sequel or spinoff better. By having the gall to tell them what they should like, you are only putting off people getting into fandom, they’ll still like what they like, but you’ve just convinced them that the fandom won’t welcome them so they are better off not engaging.
Fandom is it’s own thing, separate from the show/movie/book. Actors may engage with fans, but they don’t have anything to do with fandom. They don’t (usually) write fic or create art, they don’t have anything to say about those aspects of fandom, and they shouldn’t have to promote anything but their own point of view reagrding a character or storyline.
Addendum: Actors and writers and creators don’t owe you anything. They work hard to produce that thing you love. Of course it won’t go the way you want everytime, that’s what fandom is for. Just because someone is in the public eye, they haven’t signed away a right to privacy.
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ITA with your addendum.
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Plus: Misha having two kids is reason enough to stay (if only for the paycheck, though I think it's more than that, he likes working there, how often in their gig do you get a set and production as cool as Spn?)
I don't see anyone saying 'because Jared wants time for his new son, you should be nice to him and kick him off?' logic fail.
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People need to commit that sentence to memory.
Then they should go watch something they do like instead of torturing others with their silliness, or suffer in silence instead of torturing the rest of us.
Yes, I am crabby today!
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I loved the most recent ep, and I am sick of people constantly bitching about things that haven't happened yet, but that they THINK might happen, or not happen, or who the fuck knows what?
Grrr.
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Also, certain "fans" always seem to forget that actors (and other folks involved in making a film or television series, comics, etc.) are there, not just to "entertain" or be "creative", but to earn a living. This is their bread and butter, their way of making a living for themselves and their families. Geesh.
And they certainly don't "owe" fans anything except a good performance of their craft.
Also, yeah, I'm all for ceasing all of the damned ship hate, but that person's post just promotes it at the same time, it decries it.
Really, some of the overly aggressive "fans" in some fandoms are almost enough to turn a person off the entire fandom "experience".
*face palm*
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Yeah, I happen to be one of the fans that have been ran off by fandom because it frustrates me so much. All the drama and snark and just general idiocy of fandom I can't deal with, and my ships/opinions are usually unpopular to begin with. I can't tell you how many names I've been called for saying something as simple as "Hey, I don't like X ship."
As for the OP, I agree on all accounts. I bitch about fandom on my journal, but I never tell people they can't or shouldn't like something - it's more than pretentious.
What gets me most are those who say "Well I don't care that you dislike like X ship, but you're still a _______." Which I find most on tumblr, which isn't surprising. Tumblr pretty much epitomizes everything I hate about fandom.
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But reading this made me remember something and giggle - nothing that you wrote, but what I remembered - someone put up a Johnny Depp/Pirates gif thing about ships that I found just hilarious.
It's fine to like your own thing, it's just as fine to not like someone elses thing - as long as you do it with respect (like you do) and even better if you do it with humor (like the Johnny Depp thing) =)
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(If not, I feel it's appropriate anyway, haha).
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This one had 10 different ones all together - I would link it but I don't know how from tumblr.