[ SECRET POST #2028 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2028 ⌋

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

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 05 pages, 107 secrets from Secret Submission Post #290.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 2 3 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

10. http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy92/PA-Secret/ComicCry.png

[(Anonymous)]

OP, I love going to the Con, but I can completely understand where you're coming from. I know several groups of people who work events there, and every time I see them, they look more and more exhausted. One of them has quit going altogether, even though his life's work is in the industry. From a retailer/vendor/worker perspective, I imagine that it's like five years' worth of holiday shopping seasons all at once. So no judgement from my side of the internet.

This said, I must confess I'm curious as to the crazy/terrible stories that your secret hints at. Is it one group of people, or just everything all at once?

[(Anonymous)]

You should create a Tumblr for confessing all your ~TRUE FEELINGS~ about ComiCon!

[(Anonymous)]

"CON-Fessions"?

[imnotasquirrel.livejournal.com]

What, OP? You can't just leave it at that. I need details!

(so I'm a sucker for BTS gossip....)

[elaminator]

Welp, I've always loved the idea of going to comic-con (despite the horrible anxiety I'm sure I would feel being surrounded by so many people if it were to actually happen) but working there? Sounds like hell on earth to me.

[veronica_rich]

I love cons, and I've always liked the idea of going to Comic-Con and DragonCon, but I know myself well enough and what con problems are like on a small scale, that I can't really envision having just a whole lot of fun at either of those behemoths.

[(Anonymous)]

I volunteer at a much much much smaller con but with a rather sizable amount of attendees. There is a huge amount of stress that goes with being even a normal volunteer that's not one of the main people in charge. Goes to show no matter how big or small running a con is stressful as hell.

Also a bit of a "I told you so" to all my friends who are anime con vets that are leaving anime cons for "normal" comic cons because they can't stand the "dramu" that's been going on in the past few years. Almost all cons have freaking drama. Even the big ones.

[(Anonymous)]

I second the plea for these stories

get it all out of your chest, op

[(Anonymous)]

Nah, that makes sense. I've been behind-the-scenes at a couple of my local cons, and while they're nowhere near that size and fame, of course you're bound to run into stress and drama when you're working a high-pressure event in a small space with lots of the same people. I've seen it happen at every one, and I'm not really surprised that SDCC is the same in that respect.

[omorka]

All cons have small-group-politics problems, and it takes a really deft con-com (or high natural turnover*) for that to not eventually turn toxic. It happens no matter what the size of the con is, or what type it is, but I imagine that for really big cons the level of toxicity can go up really fast.

*The one con I've remained affiliated with for a long time is a college con, and because of the nature of a college club, half the con-com rotates out every four or five years. The faculty sponsor of the club is the only source of institutional memory, which is sometimes a problem, but holy crap has the forced turnover cut down on bad-blood personal politics.

[(Anonymous)]

I've had a booth at sdcc and even just that much was awful bts junk. I can totally see that working bts of the whole con would be stupidly stressfull and full of drama llamas.

[silverau]

Sucks you had such bad experiences at what's supposed to be such a fun event. I'm glad you're able to quit. And you shouldn't have to refrain from venting just because you're afraid it would spoil it for everyone... it's not Disneyland, we're not children; I'm sure we all know the staff is made up of humans with flaws.

[barnabys_bane]

I imagine working at an event like that would be hell on earth.

[(Anonymous)]

deets OP, deets. you can't just tempt as all with juicy, juicy nerd drama like that and not follow through with it.

That said, I still want to go someday. living on the east coast always sucks come SDCC time. :'|

[deadtree]

even working at comparatively tiny cons was stressful and gross for me, I can't IMAGINE what a nightmare working comicon would be.

[kallanda_lee]

I'd love to be able to go someday - but I bet visiting is different than working there.A toxic work environment is never fun, even if it's in the most wonderful place in the world.

[cherrycoloured.livejournal.com]

I do AA and that's stressful enough, so I can't imagine it would be pleasant to actually work at cons, particularly SDCC.

[the_glow_worm]

Omg, please spill.

[netbug009]

Yeah, fans can be really mean. Which is odd, seeing how we should all probably know better after getting picked on in school so much.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, OP. I know how you feel. I worked at Comic Con too and the paycheck was not worth the stress, lack of sleep, and exhaustion I got. I'm right there with you bro. There were times I dreaded going out on the show floor. The only good thing was the swag and getting on of the elusive My Little Pony "Derpy" toys for my desk at work.

[(Anonymous)]

I am friends with the major movers and shakers for an up and coming (and still rapidly growing) anime con in the West. I hate this con and everything it has done to my life, my friends lives, and the impact it has on my life for the past five+ fucking year.

We have four very close, long time friends (they've known my husband since high school and me for the last ten years, and one of them is an ex-boyfriend I remain on good terms with) and this con sucks all the joy out of dealing with them, especially the new con head who has been left holding the bag after the last five-six years of con-political clusterfucking. But some September, our social lives will go on total hold as all the rest of our friends who are involved (ie, most of them) throw their LIVES into htis thing. Though he con will be in October, November-January will be "Burn out" and holiday ridden, as well as "post con discussion", so essentially for the next five months we'll see next to nobody, and when we do see them, all they will want to do is vent about the con to someone uninvolved.

The anime club it was originally based out of remains a pit of the worst sort of otaku; one guy's funneling extra money to his wife's cosplay contest (and if he walks, she'll walk and she'll bring all that shit crashing down-- as well as probably make off with a ton of cash) and won't get a real job (just dicks about with the con and the amvs), one guy just got married and his wife sends catty messages via the social network of choice about OMG I am ON MY HONEYMOON so of COURSE We won't be at the next meeting how could you EVEN ASK and ... augh. They're just shitty people and I have no idea why my friends put up with them.

Right now, the new on head is desperately trying not to make it a "job", but we want to point that is is, basically, their summer/fall job every year and has been for several years. We've helped out to a point, but ultimately our experience with the con is that it's miserable to try and deal with any of it, and stepped away from it for our own sanity. We don't go to the thing, we don't care about the thing, and I personally hate to wish it, but I'm counting the days until it implodes and we can finally get back to normal.

I don't know that it ever will.

tl;dr this con fucks with my life majorly for six months a year and minorly for the other six. I'm fucking tired of it and wish it would die so I could have my friends back. Also, cons are apparently toxic as all hell to run or staff.

[(Anonymous)]

I've never been to a con. I want to go, but I don't think I've ever heard a good review or experience by anyone. Even my friends who go every year only tell me how horrible it was and I don't get why they keep going back

tl;dr Australian cons don't sound worth it either and I'm very suspicious about new places with bad reps so I've never gone

[(Anonymous)]

I'm terribly sorry to see that you went through all that hardship, OP. I understand what it's like, and it's fucking hard.

Although I still want to work at cons (doing A/V tech stuff, mind you, not my previous jobs), some of the behind-the-scenes bullshit can be excruciating to deal with. I've worked conventions and conferences (both related to anime/vidya and those academically - student conference, college staff conventions, and the ilk), and it's the same circle-jerking drama wank bullshit no matter where you go. I've always had to toe the line and play things as neutrally as possible to avoid any shit behind thrown my way, and sometimes you wound up burning bridges in spite of that.

Anyway, I know your feelings, OP, and I'm glad you're happier now.

[(Anonymous)]

Really not surprised to hear this. I think the way fans can behave online is bad enough, but having thousands of them altogether? Not to mention all the Divas who are the guests, and the overriding thing is the organisers and celebrities need to milk as much money from fans as they can to make the whole thing worth it.

It's kind of mean to start with, so it's no wonder working there sucks all the joy out of you.