I'm just curious what (if anything) people might ask

[erilyn]

Gacked from half my friendslist - Ask Me My Fandom Opinion

How it works:

Ask me one fandom-related question in the comments. This can be fandom specific, general, or about fandom/lj stuff/fic writing/etc. in general.

Just one question, please, but it can (and perhaps should) have sub-parts.

That's it. It can be as normal or odd as you like.

I know I don't post about others a lot, but I watch/read in many fandoms, so knock yourself out!

Comments

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

Explain elf fic.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

People are weird?

Heh, actually I assume it's because so many people in fandom would have a background reading fantasy, and some people just have a real elf kink. There's also the aspect where some people might find it easier to come up with a fantasy plot than a plot that fits with the source material (like Professionals). Then it just becomes a self-perpetuating fandom thing, though despite Sheppard's pointy pointy ears, there's a disappointing lack of it in SGA ;)

[lydia-petze.livejournal.com]

That's a very kind and tolerant answer - I'd have stuck with "people are weird" :-)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I hope this fits.

Why do you think popslashers are seen in such a bad light by certain areas of fandom?

I ask because each time I've been to connotations I've received comments about how popslash is something to be ashamed of. On one occasion someone even told me that even the furries look down on the popslashers. Which hello, shut up! Our fandom rocks. But I do wonder why people may think that. It seems to go beyond the rps aspect, and I just don't get it.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I assume (beyond people being stupid dickheads) that its because not only is it the dreaded real person slash (EVIL! EVIL! Invasion of privacy! Stalking!), we're writing (and fangirling) boyband members.

Cause it can't be the fandom (which, while it's had its flare ups, has been fairly sane in the four years I've been here), and it can't be the fic (it's among the best I've ever read).

So I think it must be people being snobs about the guys' and their music.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Great answer. I especially like the stupid dickhead part :)

[turlough]

How do you manage to be interested in so many fandoms at the same time without becoming totally muddled?

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I only tend to have one (or a couple) of major fandoms at a time, that I'll actually be involved in, but for me the norm is watching/reading in far more than that. I tend to accumulate fandoms over the years and not lose many, so I stay interested if there's good new fic or news. That pop has been my main fandom for about four years now has been quite a change for me, normally I'm more of a fannish butterfly.

But I've never found getting muddled a problem. Lack of time, maybe, but not confusion.

[turlough]

What is it with popslash that makes people give up their fannish butterfly lifestyle?! I've been here for two years now and I've never stayed longer than 6-12 month in a fandom before. I mostly tend to discard my old fandoms though, gradually losing interest as time pass.

[callsigns.livejournal.com]

I've only seen the first two or three episodes of Dr. Who with David Tennant as the Doctor. Will I understand/enjoy Torchwood? Can you give me pictorial evidence?

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

I would strongly recommend seeing at least the Captain Jack episodes from the Ninth Doctor series (since he's in Torchwood) and the season ending episodes from the Tennant season.

It's not absolutely necessary, per se, but the relationship between the two shows is very much like Buffy and Angel (the producers have even described it like this). Seeing at least these episodes will help explain quite a bit that's going on in the show, and add a lot more depth and meaning to Captain Jack.

As for the show itself...I've been having mixed reactions. There's some aspects (the humour, the universal bisexuality) that I've really enjoyed, but the show has been quite uneven so far, and some of the characters don't do much for me.

However, it's improving (this weeks ep was the best yet) and I loved Captain Jack before, and the backstory to him is the most intriguing part, so I'm definitely sticking around.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

Now that Lance is officially out, would you read/write Lance/Reichen fanfiction? And how the heck does one pronounce "Reichen"? ;-)

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Probably not. It's weird, but I'm a bit squicked by fic about actual relationships. I don't know why, but I am :) However, I reserve the right to change my mind if an author I like writes about them.

You're asking how to pronounce Reichen? I figured we should be asking you! Ryekin is how I pronounce it anyway.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

I feel similar. Are there even Lance/Reichen stories out there?

Ryekin is how I pronounce it anyway.

Heh. The German ch sound is hard to write phonetically, I wouldn't know how to do that. I think I have to find a way to record how I'd pronounce "Reichen".

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, if I was actually trying to pronounce it in proper German way, I'd a) fail miserably but b) do it differently *g*. But as far as I know, that's how it's pronounced for him.

I know some people have linked to theirs, or a comm they started or something, on the still_gay community, but I didn't look.

[vaudevilles.livejournal.com]

What pinged for you in popslash so much?

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, good one, there's a few things.

The humour in the stories was a big thing for me, especially Chris ;)

I liked the 'setting' of the pop world - different to other fandoms for me, and it gives a plausible reason for people being closeted. Also, outing fic is kind of a kink for me, so this was a good fandom for stuff dealing with that. Then there were also the fantastic and varied AUs, which I also love. The sensibility and tone and style of a lot of popslash just really suited me, as did the magical realism stories.

Once I got past the stage of only reading trickyfish, the wide variety of pairings that I enjoyed was a delight - I'd tended to be fairly OTP-ish in other fandoms, or they were just OTP fandoms like Sentinel. Plus the threesomes and moresomes, it's probably my first fandom where they were plausible and well-done.

Did I mention Chris?

[vaudevilles.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure. Is there popslash about a Chris?

*g*

I like the reasoning for closeted-ness and the secrets, tension and weight it gives the stories too.

I didn't realise that you'd started out as a TrickyFish girl though! It's amazing the number of pairings I'll read in popslash when I'm usually such an OTP girl. And it's not just anything with Chris anymore (though I'll still choose that over anything else). And yes - moresomes are all of the good and work well in popslash. Which. Um. Hot!!!

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

First popslash story I read was...ok, that's not actually true.

Jump back a year or two before I got into pop fandom. I was on a mailing list called bunny-o-rama, very fun place particularly focused around Sports Night and Sentinel and some other shows, where people would throw plot bunnies around. Some great stories ended up being written. I only posted a little bit (mostly just lurked in awe), and hung out in chat a bit, but it was a nice list. helenish, synchronik, smallbeer and many other really good writers were among the members. The list wasn't always terribly high volume, and then after a fairly quiet spell Helen and others piped up about their new obsession, Puppies.

I had no idea who or what they were talking about. But once I realised it was RPS I backed away not-that-slowly. However, I kept seeing this story by Helen keep getting recced by people (both from the pop fandom and not), cause of it's fresh approach to various things. And because of this and because it was Helen, I read the story.

It was The Same Inside, and I enjoyed it, while having absolutely no idea who these people were. And I was not drawn to the fandom. This was early 2001 maybe?

Then, late 2002, hnix gave me a disc with various things on it, including some fic recs. She'd been taunting me that she'd been reading some good popslash, and I was resisting recs. But I was browsing through the disc one day, bored, and started reading The Long Run by wearemany. The amazing writing and structure just sucked me in. Then Two Straight Guys in Wisconsin by rhyssj, then Coldhearted by jae_w (which, while hilarious, combined with The Wrong Band and other stuff to give me an anti-BSB bias that lasted a little while). All trickyfish, all wonderful. So I rationalised to myself that I still wasn't interested in this stuff, but hey this Chris/Lance pairing had good fic, so I went looking for more. Then I started reading more and more of the other pairings (it wasn't 100% trickyfish from start, but it's what I sought out). Then I stopped finding the guys hideously unattractive, and after seeng eponymous's songvid Kiss, admitted that I really did want to see footage (we'd only seen a few vids found on Kazaa). By Christmas, two months after starting to read the fic, I owned 3 Nsync cds, and we were luring in more and more friends.

It's been just over four years now, and pop's been my main fandom for a lot of that, which is probably a record for me *g*.

[vaudevilles.livejournal.com]

Oh it's nice to know how you were sucked into the howling vortex converted to the pop. Especially given how influential you've been on my spiralling fall into full on sparklemuffinity.

And bunny-o-rama sounds fabulous. I'm jealous because I missed the heyday - not that I think pop is dying at all but I can only imagine the glee at a new Helen or Synedochic story.

The Same Inside! That was what got me started on reading pairings other than TrickC. And china still has an-anti-BSB-bias (say that three times fast) and anti-Lance-bias because of Coldhearted.

[sperrywink]

Did House of Carters change your opinion of Nick?

[marrymehowie.livejournal.com]

Ooh. Good question:)

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Yes it is (damn her). I'm going to actually have to get around to rambling at length about my reactions to the HoC.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Ha, I was planning on rambling about HoC once my exams are over (1 left) and I think I'll include my reply to this in that.

Good question (damn you!)