case: (Default)
Case ([personal profile] case) wrote in [community profile] fandomsecrets2014-06-19 06:46 pm

[ SECRET POST #2725 ]


⌈ Secret Post #2725 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 018 secrets from Secret Submission Post #389.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Re: Going against the FS hivemind

(Anonymous) 2014-06-20 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Eh... I don't think this goes against the FS "hivemind" (at least how I assume FS to be). I commented somewhere above and I agree with the exact sentiment you stated. And I think a significant minority here is also in the camp that's familiar with that refreshing feeling when you can geek out over details and stats and take a break from the "your fave is problematic"/*ist discussion that colors female-heavy parts of fandom.

I think the reason people are getting defensive is the OP's use of the word "catty". It plays into really unpleasant and untrue stereotypes of women. I don't really think the dogpiling/"calling out" nature of female-heavy fandom is born out of natural female cattiness or anything like that. I think it's just a situation where... (1) women in general are a large demographic that tends to care about social issues and social inequality (which is a consequence of being, well, basically a secondclass citizen, if not today then certainly through nearly all of history -- that gives you more of a tendency to care about social inequality); compound that with (2) the fact that being social-justice-savvy is a way of showing superiority (like you said). So then (3) people realize that caring about social issues is an easy way to get an ego boost and gets you admiration, followers, popularity, etc. Finally, (4) most people in fandom are young or insecure enough to want to capitalize on this way of getting praise.

I don't really see cattiness so much as a moral high-ground being used to boost self-esteem. It's similar to me the way Mary Sue-bashing used to be a big thing in fandom. I don't think it was cattiness that motivated that, just people being embarrassed at people making "rookie" mistakes and wanting to feel like a better writer for knowing better than Sue authors. So yeah, I think there are legitimately frustrating aspects to female parts of fandom, but I find the word "catty" kind of insulting.