[ SECRET POST #3468 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3468 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 51 secrets from Secret Submission Post #496.
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.

Comments

[blitzwing]

I agree with that, with a caveat. Criticizing general trends can be good for bigger media like TV and comics, but when it comes to criticizing trends in fanfiction the spaces in which the criticism occurs is often so small that it might as well be individual works being called onto the carpet.

Like if we talked about how ~problematic~ Snape/Neville is and analysed how writing it is perpetuating pedophilia and abuse there's going to be a very small pool of people that everyone knows we're talking about and the criticism will probably occur in a space they'll see it without seeking it out.

I also think that when it comes to fandom and such, there's not actually much importance to criticizing the media in terms of making a change. I think social change will happen, and that will pull the media after it. Overall I think that people overemphasize the legal aspects of social justice, without letting some elements remain social, and change naturally as part of social shift.

This times a million. Pushing media to change might might help speed social changes up a little, but for the most part problems in media are symptomatic of a greater disease, they're not an illness in themselves. Art is a reflection of the place, people, and circumstances it was created in.

[ketita]

I absolutely agree with your caveat. Criticizing fanfiction is often so small. I think, though, in that sense there's a place to have personal conversations about some selected topics. Like, that shit with the cosplayers doing the Sieg Heil. It's not "important" to criticize them for doing that, but I think that fans who find it disgusting are allowed to mention it. (I know that you can then say "okay, but that only works for things YOU PERSONALLY find reprehensible", which is true; and I think some of it has to do with the fandom environment and the way things interact. I think there should be a balance between making the fandom fun and friendly for all its members, and allowing members to do their thing and people who don't like it to ignore it. That's part of the way a community is built. There isn't one hard and fast rule, imo).

And re: your final paragraph, it's funny because I'm actually studying literature - so in a sense, I'm doing exactly that, looking at media trends and issues on a more worldwide scale and in a more systematic way.
A perfect example of media being symptomatic imo is the whole Ghostbusters fiasco. That level of vitriol is absolutely symptomatic of social issues. I will not for a minute believe otherwise.

[(Anonymous)]

Criticizing general trends can be good for bigger media like TV and comics, but when it comes to criticizing trends in fanfiction the spaces in which the criticism occurs is often so small that it might as well be individual works being called onto the carpet.

I think you are misreading OP here.

OP said that "certain fandoms, genres, and works have serious issues with race/gender/representation, and conversations about how to fix this are necessary."

To me, that's talking about works of media, genres of media, and fan communities that respond to media. In general, I don't read the main thrust of OP's statement as being that it's important to criticize fanfiction. When I read that it seems to me that OP is talking about the way that we talk about and respond to media, not primarily the way that we talk about and respond to fanfiction.

Using Moffat-era Who as the attached image reinforces that idea. When people talk about Moffat-era Who being problematic, they're not saying that people are writing bad fanfiction. It's a wide-ranging debate about the actual televised show Doctor Who as produced by Stephen Moffat, which a lot of people think is deeply problematic and refuse to watch, and which there are massive flaming debates about. So I read OP as referring to that kind of conversation.

Are you reading this whole thing as though OP is just talking about people who yell at fic writers?