[ SECRET POST #191 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #191 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 06 pages, 133 secrets from Secret Submission Post #027.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 1 ] broken links, 0 not!secrets, 0 not!fandom.
Next Secret Post: Tomorrow, Monday, July 16th, 2007.
Current Secret Submission Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Re: 16

[pretentioustfu.livejournal.com]

Quote:

No, actually, it wasn't in response to something *I* wrote, except maybe in a very general sort of way. I was aiming it more towards the fans who insist that certain fanfics somehow exemplify greater problems in society

Sometimes they do, or can be perceived to be doing so. While fantasy and fiction are just that, and not real in the least, there are times when something like a work seeming to promote overt racism or sexism or scary attitudes toward Nazis/crime/whatever is a worthy topic for metadiscussion. If you don't want to see such discussion, you can treat it the same way you do fic: don't like, don't read.

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and then try to address those problems *through fandom*.

It depends, again. Yes, trying to address an issue through fandom may be silly, but people have the right to believe what they wish. If I think a certain pairing exemplifies heteronormativity and homophobia from how it's written and the behavior of its shippers as a whole toward slash fen, I have a right to believe that and discuss it. You may think it's just a cool ship, and that's your opinion too. The problem a lot of people don't seem to understand is that yes, EVERYONE can have an opinion.

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Catty comments, flames, internet outrage, and a billion emotionally over-wrought journal entries later

You're conflating two things: metadiscussion and drama. Yes, they're both often connected, but ANY discussion of anything aside from "squee!" can get drama-prone. I've seen people lower themselves to this over what the proper spelling of the Japanese rockstar Hyde's name is. (Is it "Hyde-sama," "hyde," "Haido," "His Majesty," "Haido-sama," or "Magnum Holster?" Will we ever know? Who even cares?).

Please don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. ^_^

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nothing is accomplished besides hurt feelings, ruffled feathers, and the gleeful mockery over at Fandom Wank.

Fandom Wank IS the problem here. People who post there often troll discussions they're involved in (even though trolling from there is prohibited), assume everyone has the worst motives, and immediately start crowing wank on and dogpiling a discussion that could get heated at points, but eventually *might* work out somehow on its own.

I think Fandom Wank sucks for that reason: it creates its own disease by causing people to cast a jaded eye on everyone, to assume everyone has the worst motives and the worst intentions, and to in the end work as a jeering circus gallery on debates that should be between the original participants only.