a fandom doesn't equal source material

[erilyn]

Apparently there's a bit of backlash against all the Serenity/Firefly enthusiasm that's been escalating around fandom for a while ie people saying it put them off seeing the movie etc etc. And while I can understand it (who hasn't been put off something because people won't stop going on and on about it?), I find it sad. Fandom is about being enthusiastic, about sharing the squee. And while it can be over the top, I've also seen people react negatively to what I'd consider normal-level enthusiasm (I'm not just talking about FF fandom). If you can't deal with fans being fannish, why would you be involved with fandom?

Which links into when people get put off a show/movie/book/something because of the fandom. Fandom =/= source material, and parts of fandom do not make up the whole fannish experience. If you get put off something because you get sick of people talking/squeeing about it, or people you don't like are into it, or because the fandom seems wanky, you're not achieving anything but a) denying yourself something that you might enjoy and b) letting other people dictate your actions. Hell, I know I've done it, and regretted it. Fandom influences the way we experience source materials a lot, and not always in good ways. I came into both Sentinel and Professionals through fanfic, and was biased towards preferring both Jim and Bodie, because of the rampant Blair and Doyle worship that some parts of both fandoms had going. I developed a "I'm not interested" frame of mind regarding SGA earlier in the year, for various reasons, but when it started on tv here, I gave it a chance. Took me a while to really get into it, and it was first and foremost cause I liked having a fun sf show to watch again. If I hadn't checked it out, I'd have missed out on something I've come to enjoy a lot, both for the show and for the slash.

Mostly this is all self-directed musings, cause I've found fandom to be a mixed blessing at times (though the positives far outway the negatives), and I need to remind myself that it can be a good idea to step away from it at times and just enjoy something on it's own merits. Or something. I suspect I had a point but mislaid it somewhere...

---

Before I recently friended the useful sga_newsletter comm, I never realised how popular the Sheppard/Weir pairing was (as there does seem to be a fair number of stories being posted). Hmmm, there are (to me) far more interesting het pairings on the show. Please note: I'm not saying the pairing is evil and that people who like it are stupid - I just don't get it, and am vaguely curious as to what the appeal is to those who do. Of course, it doesn't help that Weir often irritates me, but still, I just don't see their interactions lending themselves to pairing them up.

Of course, that probably just means they'll be canon shortly.

Comments

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

Kind of like those people who won't read the HP books because they're too popular?

Cutting off the nose to spite the face.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Cause by them not reading them, that'll spontaneously make the books not popular anymore? Or, yes, sometimes things are overhyped, and sometimes they're just popular because they're pretty good. If you avoid everything's that popular, you're gonna avoid some dreck but also miss out on some good stuff.

[iibnf.livejournal.com]

You know my tastes - I love the dreck, too ;D

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Personally, I prefer unpopular dreck.

[not-nele.livejournal.com]

I was one of those people when HP first came out. Same with alot "" of movies. Stupid teenage angst. Thankfully Im much better now.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

We've all been there and done that :) Luckily for me, I got into HP shortly before it became HUGE.

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

I can understand not wanting to see it, but I really don't understand the need to stomp on squee. We complain because there's not enough excitement in the fandom we love, but stomp on squee in fandoms we don't love.

Maybe folks think that there's only so much to go around, and it's getting all used up on the wrong fandom? Whereas I tend to think it's the other way around--squee begets more squee. It's not limited, like money--it breeds, like joy.

Works that way for me anyway--when I'm feeling all excited about something, say the Boys' concert I saw, I'm much more likely to post excited stuff about SGA and whatnot. When I'm feeling sort of blah, I tend to feel blah about all my fandoms.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Exactly, fandom is not a zero-sum game. Just because people are squeeing over something else doesn't mean that the something else is bad and there isn't any room for your preferred object of squee!

[cotume27.livejournal.com]

I've heard that too, and was about ready to go kick the most famous (CHUD or whatever) in the shins earlier. I am actually really impressed with my fellow Browncoats, if only because we don't get nearly as wanky as say, the HP fandom. I've obviously seen the little pockets, but for the most part, it's all been civilized discussion.

I really don't understand how people being excited about a book/movie/whatever makes people go "ew", though I've actually experienced that myself already from a very close fan. A friend has refused now to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride because (paraphrasing) "the people that watch it are the same people that shop at Hot Topic" type sentiment (which really sort of made me feel insulted, as she's obviously my friend, I saw CatCF and will see Corpse Bride and shop at Hot Topic occasionally, but I don't bother her.. so that confused me). She's also refusing to watch Serenity or even the series because of some reason I don't quite understand. It's all so weird. People are weird.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I wasn't even thinking about that guy as much as just other lj users who won't go see Serenity cause their sick of everyone posting about it. If they don't want to see it, fine, but if it's something that would interest them, they're just being silly.

And yes, your friend does sound baffling.

[cyclogenesis.livejournal.com]

All the people bitching just need to be thonked on the head. Ohmygod, people are excited about something, GOD FORBID. Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get the fuck over it.

*shakes fist*

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

The other recent example of this that really pissed me off was (unsurprisingly) people bitching about all the Backstreet related squee in pop fandom.

Tangentially, I nearly killed our HR manager when I told him I could do his job with much less stress than he does it - by responding to any complaint or issue with "cry me a river", "build a bridge", "get a life", or some other amusing catchphrases. I think he was a little too tempted to try it out...

[cyclogenesis.livejournal.com]

Are people really bitching about that? :/ Geez. Wow, people that really like one boyband getting into...another boyband (one which is, moreover, actually actively together). How utterly strange and unexpected. I think it would be much better if we all just clung to the past and refused to like anything else ever. Yes, indeed, that seems like the way to go.

Ahahaha. Yeah, that would be me if I ever had such a job. I used to work food service and sometimes, just for fun, I would respond to requests (such as, "can I get a hamburger?") with "No. No, you cannot." It's a wonder that I ever managed to keep a job.

Also, your icon? Awesome.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

There hasn't been too much of it, but enough to bug me. But I should have expected it, some people will bitch about *anything*, and there's been way more people who have embraced the Boylove for the first time to make up for a few who want to harsh other's squee.

This icon's been in rotation a long time, hnix made it for me ages ago, in the early days of our poplove, and it was my default for ages (before broken hearted Justin stole the slot).

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

Sheppard/Weir is the only pairing that stands out to me.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

It took me by surprise because I think there used to be (or at least I thought there was) more diversity in SGA het, but all I've been seeing lately is Sheppard/Weir. It's getting as monogamous as the slash.

I see all the Sheppard and Weir scenes that they've had, particularly recently, but there's just no spark between them for me. I've been more taken by the small amounts of interaction Weir has had with Zelenka, or the slightly more with Major Lorne recently (mmmmm).

Guess I only want to see the team (Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Ronon) in various combinations with each other *g*.

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

Well don't ask me to explain it. I just feel it.

And there's actually more J/E in the last month or two...it was very difficult to find anything (het) among all the slash.

I don't know Lorne, but yeah, I can kinda see something with Zelenka. There is some fic around, but it isn't convincing me.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I just wish I enjoyed Sheppard/Weir interaction more, as they seem to be pushing it on the show a bit more now, and I wasn't kidding about expecting them to go there on the show (they seem to have backed off mostly on the Sheppard/Teyla). Like I wish I didn't dislike Cameron and House/Cameron so much, it reduces my enjoyment of the show.

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

I'm not a Teyla fan (partly the character, partly the actress).

And I'm with you on the Cameron thing. SHe annoys me.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

If they must pair up anyone on that show, I think I could enjoy House/Cuddy if they did it well. But I really like it when shows don't feel the need to have main cast romantic storylines (ah, the first two seasons of Angel, how I miss thee).

I'm not huge interested in either Teyla or Weir, I've never thought highly of the SG writers ability to write female characters well. Tori Higginson seems like so much fun, it's one of the reasons I'm sad that I find Weir so bland.

[krazykitkat.livejournal.com]

WIth you on the House/Cuddy.

I like Weir...but maybe I can see some of myself in her (and I'm bland).

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Mwah, I'm sure there's a lot more to you than Weir. Which is part of the problem, they need to give her more to do (it surprises me how sidelined she's been a lot of the time, given she's got second billing). On the other hand, as I don't really enjoy her, I don't mind her not being in it much. It's a vicious circle! *g*

[xoverau.livejournal.com]

I wish I was better able to remember that sometimes. Last night, I was bemoaning to a friend of mine how much more fun a fandom of mine was before it turned into a fandom in my brain.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I love Veronica Mars, but feel no need to seek out the fandom. I watch with my sister, squee about it with friends, and read the occasional piece of fic I see recommended, but I've found that if I'm pretty happy with a show and enjoying it for itself, that getting involved in fandom can lead to nitpicking and tendencies to focus on certain parts and eventual disappointment.

And that was a hell of a run-on sentence.

[lucylooo.livejournal.com]

I'm not particularly interested in "Serenity" - I didn't watch the show, and I'm not very much of a sci-fi/fantasy fan (and, heck, I don't particularly revere Joss Whedon, from stuff I've seen in the past), but the movie would probably have been something that I would have checked out if friends brought it over or I could hit a cheap matinee. It seems to have some attractive actors and the trailer was mildly intriguing.

But stuff like this? (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=3&entry_id=1077) Yeah, that's enough to turn me _completely_ off. I've been able to watch crazy HP/LotR/etc. fans from the fringes, and yes, their "enthusiasm," particularly when it turns borderline criminal or particularly insane, does turn me away from something I might try otherwise. Of course, the nutso Backstreet fans send me scurrying into my shell, as well. I'd rather die than be lumped in with the whackos who think they're engaged to Nick Carter because he waved to them from the tv once.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I've certainly been put off things because of people like that - but if I was to avoid everything that has nutso fans I wouldn't watch any shows or movies, read any books or listen to any bands *g*. Bad enough I've been put off going to fan cons with guests cause other fans make me cringe so much.