fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3356 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3356 ⌋

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

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Notes:

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...does it make anyone else super uncomfortable, or is it just me?

Only in the same way I get uncomfortable when anyone in the media is talking blindly about something they don't understand.

Depends on how they're doing it, but mostly I'm amused because it's like your grandma and grandpa trying to figure out tumblr.

I went to a Comic Con last year and right before I went, I was chatting with my grandparents. I was shocked when they engaged me about my weekend plans and asked if I was going to see Wil Wheaton. Then I realized they watch The Big Bang Theory. Which is fine, whatever, yay, but it did feel pretty awkward because I'm so used to keeping my geeky hobbies sort of quiet, because "normal" people aren't supposed to know anything about it.

I do get kind of annoyed when media lurches down into fandom/conventions/fanfic and tries to sensationalize it and portray it as insane, perverted, whatever. But that's nothing new, they've been doing that for decades.

"I do get kind of annoyed when media lurches down into fandom/conventions/fanfic and tries to sensationalize it and portray it as insane, perverted, whatever. But that's nothing new, they've been doing that for decades.""

Agreed. I wish it could just be considered normal and a regular hobby. I would also love because I'd love to see fanfiction not be treated as something you have to grow out of to be considered a "real writer".

Oh agreed, but I don't think mainstream perception of fanfic even has gone so far to have a reputation of "practice writing". I am pretty sure every time I hear mainstream media talk about fanfic, it's perverted. Like, talk show hosts showing popular male actors all the fanfics slashing them (purposely picking the most ridiculous summaries), or something else really sexual and shocking like that, not to mention obsessive and creepy.

And then published authors who make really dramatic statements about how fanfic ~destroys their creative freedoms~ and ~rapes their characters~ and blahblah.

I'm not sure I've ever seen fanfic portrayed positively in mainstream media. Or even neutrally.

Seriously, I swear I'm not radfem even though this next statement is going to bring out the 'whatev radfem' trolls...

The way fanfic is portrayed in the media, I think it's because there's still a general perception that women are not sexual beings outside of scenarios where men are present or in control. Men especially seem to struggle with this idea.

NA

I think it's more that culturally we tend to value and respect interests and perspectives which are typically thought of as masculine more highly than ones which are typically thought of as feminine. Feminine interests and perspectives tend to be belittled, dismissed, or ridiculed for being silly, trivial, shallow, excessively emotional, etc. Meanwhile, yes, there is some degree of questioning and pushback against masculine interests and perspectives, but for the most part they are respected or even glorified.

Fanfic's approach to sex and eroticism tends to be strongly feminine (as we typically define feminine). So much of it is about what the characters are thinking and feeling, about (mis)communication and pining and self-doubt and internal conflictedness, and insecurities and so on. And then it's also about extremely explicit, kinky-as-shit sex. And combining those two elements seems to make a lot of people, especially men, really uncomfortable. So many men (as well as a smaller percentage of women) seem to want all their porn sanitized: extremely explicit and kinky-as-shit is great, as long as it's just horny fucking. But whatever you do, don't bring thoughts and feelings and motivations and vulnerabilities into it - you know, "girl stuff" - because that's super embarrassing and off-putting.

Not that there's anything wrong with wanting your porn to be just horny fucking. It's a valid preference. The problem is that people who do want their porn to always be just horny fucking rarely seem to see porn involving thoughts and feelings and motivations and vulnerabilities as equally legitimate and valid.

Hate to break it to you, but geeky hobbies ARE normal and common. That's why "normal" people know about it.

Uhh that was sort of my point lol. Especially recently, geek culture has gone more mainstream - with shows like The Big Bang Theory and "geek" becoming more chic in general. It's weird to me because I don't expect average people to know about cosplay or fanfics and such, but more and more people do.

One of my favourite podcasts once talked about how they'd just discovered that A/B/O was a thing...and the whole discussion made me really uncomfortable and also like I wanted to defend A/B/O (it's pretty indefensible), but fanfic in general.

This is the podcast, which is otherwise very funny and excellent - episode 23 is one that mentions fanfic:
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/bring-plate-peter-bec/id673614784?mt=2

It's rage inducing. Especially if it says 'teen girls' and includes random tidbits from interviews with fans.

Yeah, definitely. I liked it better when no one knew what I could be reading, lol. I also liked it better when fandom was separate from the creators.

I find it a little tiresome when I come across stuff on YouTube about fanfic and people talk about it being all porn.

It's very strange...especially if they pull a Cowboy Bebop at His Computer

I don't really get uncomfortable with it, and I like it when people are honestly interested and open to learning about interests that aren't their own. I could do without the armchair psychology that goes on, especially when straight men want to theorize about slash fans and seem to always come to the same dumb conclusions. Your mighty dongs just aren't that scary, guys, sorry.

The fandom circles I first hung out in were pretty insular. It was like there was this unspoken rule to not talk about fanfic outside sites that posted it.

When it first started to become more internet mainstream, comments (positive or negative) about fic on various sites was a mental cry of "WHat Are YoU DoIng?! You're Breaking The FirSt RUle of Fandom!"

It's less weird now, but it still feels odd.

In the New Yorker they put quotation marks around the phrase fan fiction in a way that looked really condescending.

[ SECRET POST #3356 ]

When non-fandom media talk about fandom/fanfic...

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