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NaBloPoMo Day 19
Nov. 19th, 2013 08:33 pm19 What about fandom drives you crazy sometimes?
The hatred and the intolerance.
Maybe I'm just nostalgic and remembering things differently to how they really were, but back in the day, it seemed to me like there was a lot less bashing and insulting going on. Maybe it was just where I hung out, mostly mailing list based where you joined based on your interests and there was no point in joining an opposing one just to troll...well, maybe people did but I don't remember any. I never really participated in message boards (FSU the exception) so maybe there was more of it there? But even in Stargate fandom, I mean, we Sam/Daniel fans knew the Sam/Jack fans thought we were nuts but the lists I was on, we just got on with things and did our thing and we were happy. And good lord, the West Wing fandom, my circles anyway, was a veritable smorgasbord of multishipper heaven!
But now you've got hate on all sides. I can't mention liking your least favourite character without an attack; God forbid anyone should mess with your ship or your favourite. The Hawaii Five-0 fandom is lethal for hating anything that's not Steve/Danny (and while I'm not denying that Michelle Borth has not covered herself in glory via twitter, the relentless hatred that she gets, and has done since she appeared on screen, isn't right either.) Warehouse 13, what with the Bering/Wells shippers and some stuff that's online about the final 6 eps and the finale in particular, is heading down the same path. (Don't want to go into too much detail because spoilers.)
End of the day, fandom is my happy place. My escape. I have a job and a house and a marriage and a daughter and a million things going on that stress me out, I want to come online and enjoy my fandoms with people who enjoy them, or who don't know what the hell I'm on about but are willing to go "good on you!"
I don't have the time or the patience for the hate.
Here endeth the rant.
The hatred and the intolerance.
Maybe I'm just nostalgic and remembering things differently to how they really were, but back in the day, it seemed to me like there was a lot less bashing and insulting going on. Maybe it was just where I hung out, mostly mailing list based where you joined based on your interests and there was no point in joining an opposing one just to troll...well, maybe people did but I don't remember any. I never really participated in message boards (FSU the exception) so maybe there was more of it there? But even in Stargate fandom, I mean, we Sam/Daniel fans knew the Sam/Jack fans thought we were nuts but the lists I was on, we just got on with things and did our thing and we were happy. And good lord, the West Wing fandom, my circles anyway, was a veritable smorgasbord of multishipper heaven!
But now you've got hate on all sides. I can't mention liking your least favourite character without an attack; God forbid anyone should mess with your ship or your favourite. The Hawaii Five-0 fandom is lethal for hating anything that's not Steve/Danny (and while I'm not denying that Michelle Borth has not covered herself in glory via twitter, the relentless hatred that she gets, and has done since she appeared on screen, isn't right either.) Warehouse 13, what with the Bering/Wells shippers and some stuff that's online about the final 6 eps and the finale in particular, is heading down the same path. (Don't want to go into too much detail because spoilers.)
End of the day, fandom is my happy place. My escape. I have a job and a house and a marriage and a daughter and a million things going on that stress me out, I want to come online and enjoy my fandoms with people who enjoy them, or who don't know what the hell I'm on about but are willing to go "good on you!"
I don't have the time or the patience for the hate.
Here endeth the rant.
