Case (
case) wrote in
fandomsecrets2012-07-29 12:11 pm
[ Anon Meme ]
Secrets, rants, opinions, anything you want to say about your fandom or a fandom or fandom in general, do it here! Anonymously, of course. Get it all off your chest.
Some ground rules:
1. Going anon is encouraged but not absolutely required (for those who struggle with captchas and stuff).
2. No autoplaying/autolooping embeds, or embeds that cover/stretch the screen.
3. No dropping personal info or IRL contact info, etc.
That's about it, though!
I'll be linking some general/general-fandom threads I see so people don't repost new threads with the same stuff.
Unpopular Ships
Obligatory Masturbation Thread
Fandoms you wish existed
How old are you?
What series have you always meant to watch/read/play/etc. but have never?
Time and location
Female-centric works
How do you feel about Tumblr?
Pet thread
Guilty pleasure thread
Favorite old shows
First fandom?

Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-07-31 05:59 am (UTC)(link)Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-07-31 06:22 am (UTC)(link)the extreme ones that you hear complaints about on the internet?
picking the wrong battles
actual social justice warriors?
carry on, you wonderful people ♥
Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-07-31 07:12 am (UTC)(link)The ones that call out people for one use of a suspect word, then won't listen to apologies and dogpile whilst calling the person who misstepped a shitstain forever? Hate them
The ones that actually do something in the world and stand up to people who are actually shitstains? Awesome.
Sadly, on the internet, the first breed tend to be far more common because SJ is more of an excuse to bully than to actually make a difference in the world.
Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-07-31 10:47 am (UTC)(link)Unlike the previous anons, I don't believe there are "real" SJW. People who actually do worthwhile things don't fall under the SJW category. Therefore: fuck 'em all with a rusty crowbar. I'm tired of censoring myself for uptight bitches with nothing better to do but troll in the name of righteousness.
Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-08-01 12:46 am (UTC)(link)Mostly, the idea of SJW is the tone argument (it is okay for a member of an oppressed group to get angry when yet again they see something problematic, really), a way of excusing saying/doing things that are problematic, and a way of silencing critique.
Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-08-01 12:49 am (UTC)(link)Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-08-01 03:01 am (UTC)(link)Re: Let's get some demographics in here?
(Anonymous) 2012-08-01 06:51 am (UTC)(link)I think that SJW's (in the stereotypical foaming-at-the-mouth sense) are much rarer than many people in fandom make them out to be. They do exist (and I'll get to them in a moment), but the term itself is used to silence honest critique just as often as it's used to call out bad behaviour, ime.
That said, actual SJW's seem to exist in two varieties. The first are the people who really do fit all the criticisms. They relish the kind of toxic call-out culture that lets them assert their superiority, and they've just appropriated the language of social justice because it's a convenient way to do so at this particular moment on the fora that they have available. They're the kind of people who, historically, would be accusing others of witchcraft or Communism if that was what it took to elevate themselves in their own tiny minds and in their communities. I have no patience for them.
The other variety are annoying, but I do believe they mean well. They're people who, I think, have a very simplified understanding of basic concepts of kyriarchy and also have a bit of guilt about the role they inevitably play in maintaining that system (And here's a tip for them: We all do things that prop up pre-existing power structures. We couldn't survive in the world as it is if we didn't. There's no need to feel guilty or defensive because of it.). The way that they assuage their guilt (or sweep it under the rug if they refuse to acknowledge it) is by making themselves "the solution" by calling out injustice wherever they see it.
However, because of their only rudimentary grasp on the structure of the system their trying to dismantle, they lack a sense of proportion, and they often misuse or misappropriate concepts they don't fully understand. I think the way "tone argument" is used by many of these people is a great example. The idea of the tone argument originated as a way of pointing out the unfairness of expecting minority groups (in the power sense, not the number one before someone chimes in with the old "women aren't a minority" argument again) to respond to demeaning language, stereotypes, portrayals, and so one with nothing but kindness and willingness to educate. Many SJW's, however, will use the idea of a "tone argument" to try to justify spewing hate at the slightest provocation even when they themselves don't even belong to the minority group being maligned.
This second group, though, I do have some hope for. Like I said above, I do think many people in this category have good intentions, even if they do lack deeper understanding and impulse control. In time, if they truly do care about equality and are genuinely willing to engage in self-reflection, I think they can mature a bit and really contribute to discussions of social justice issues in a more meaningful way.
That's my novella-length take on things, for what it's worth.