![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
The Downside of Fandom
Apr. 7th, 2016 12:28 pmI've never been much of a crowd-based fan of things. Even with music, of which I can be a rabid fan about a song or an album or a band, you'll rarely if ever see me hanging out with thousands of other like minds going "OMG AMIRITE?" all over the place. I just feel a bit too self-conscious about it, I think. I like the idea of community, but I've never exactly felt completely connected to it, nor have I been compelled to be. I prefer to enjoy things at my own level and speed.
I think one of the reasons I've never quite been Part of the Crowd is that fandom can end up being somewhat of a cross between a hive-mind and a Purity Test. I've never understood the Secret Handshake School of Fandom. Every time I see evidence of that, I start remembering those days in high school when I hopelessly tried to fit in with the popular crowd, yet was judged by my dorkiness and acne instead. The Secret Handshake World came to me thirty years ago this month, when I discovered College Radio. It was precisely the same situation as that kid who discovered a hidden but proud gaming culture: a world he (invariably a male, let's face it) could claim as his own, to hell with those stupid popular kids who wouldn't let him into their world. I Hereby Claim This Alternate Universe In the Name of Geekdom and You Can't Come Because You're Ignorant Jerks. Unless You're One of Us. My own version: I'll wear that Smiths tee shirt and that tatty green trenchcoat forever and let my hair grow long and flaunt my creativity everywhere ("You don't like it? TOO BAD."), much to everyone's indifference and/or annoyance. Those who GET IT will be my allies.
Early 90s, when I'm in college. WFNX was the top Alternative Rock station in the Metro Boston area: a schism is created in the world of punks, nonconformists, alternageeks and loners, between those who are fascinated and excited by the fact that their favorite music is finally sweeping away the utter blandness of Top 40 Radio...and those who are horrified that their once-favorite bands and their beloved alternative scene is SELLING OUT. And that schism remains for years, as alt.rock is watered down and gets all the major airplay; and the "true" alternative goes off in its own several directions (math rock, alt-country, and so on) and championed by the hip indie scenesters like Pitchfork. The scenesters who mock great albums simply because they get commercial airplay and give ten stars to albums no one's ever heard of, merely on principle.
Fast-forward to the present, in which I find myself reading the latest news about the Naruto manga on Tumblr. In which I get to remember what rabid fandom tends to foment: another schism, in which there are those who enjoy the story universe and its storytelling, and there are those who are absolutely certain their version of the story universe is the RIGHT one. [And let me tell you, when Naruto ended, there were was quite the contingent who ragequit the fandom because they felt the ending didn't jive with their theories (translation: Naruto didn't end up with Sakura) and thus sucked ass.] In which I see uncensored namecalling being used because You're Not Doing It Right. In which potential fans are scared away because they don't quite fit the bill. [I mean, after all, girl geeks are really only cute popular chicks wearing black-rimmed glasses and calling themselves nerds, right? If I tried to ask them out, they'd laugh in my face. Might as well keep them out because they're fakers, right?] [What? I'm only trying to keep people from appropriating MY lifestyle! Isn't appropriation what all those feminazis and libtards go on about, anyway?] [HEY Don't tell me to shut up! I have every right to have an opinion! Screw you, asshole! Go fuck off and die!] [LOL, can't you take a fucking joke?]
Granted: not ALL of fandom is like this, and I know and appreciate that. This is only the noisier half. The ones who believe they're doing everyone a favor by being the gatekeepers, Keeping It Pure.
The quieter half, the ones who welcome you with open arms and don't care if you're not as excited as they are about something, they're the real fans, the ones who realize it's Not Just About Them. It's about everyone, and I mean everyone. Even that once-popular kid who gave you wedgies in the locker room in 8th grade who happens to like Star Trek as much as you do. Even that cute girl who agrees that the new Star Wars Rogue One trailer is freakin' AWESOME. Even that black kid who's gonna be camping overnight for tickets with you when it opens.
The downside of fandom is the vociferous, the gatekeepers, the purity testers. The ones who are evidently afraid that you're going to taint their pure fandom with something they don't like. The downside of fandom is that they will gladly ruin it for everyone, for fear that you'll ruin it for them. And some will go to any lengths to claim that right. And I mean ANY lengths, including illegal.
By all means: you have a right and a duty to put a stop to that.
This isn't about them. It's about EVERYONE.
And hey, if you want to like something and keep it to yourself, that's cool too. The rest of us are here for you if you ever want to hang out, no strings attached.
***
While I don't think this is the ONLY reason why some fans lean towards bigotry, sexism and even violence when dealing with outsiders or those they don't want part of their fandom, I can't help but think this is one of the many possible ones. Being pushed towards anti-social behavior by your unaccepting peers does sometimes foment the 'oh yeah, well I'll show THEM' mentality. Speaking from personal experience here, though I was able to grow out of it.
I think one of the reasons I've never quite been Part of the Crowd is that fandom can end up being somewhat of a cross between a hive-mind and a Purity Test. I've never understood the Secret Handshake School of Fandom. Every time I see evidence of that, I start remembering those days in high school when I hopelessly tried to fit in with the popular crowd, yet was judged by my dorkiness and acne instead. The Secret Handshake World came to me thirty years ago this month, when I discovered College Radio. It was precisely the same situation as that kid who discovered a hidden but proud gaming culture: a world he (invariably a male, let's face it) could claim as his own, to hell with those stupid popular kids who wouldn't let him into their world. I Hereby Claim This Alternate Universe In the Name of Geekdom and You Can't Come Because You're Ignorant Jerks. Unless You're One of Us. My own version: I'll wear that Smiths tee shirt and that tatty green trenchcoat forever and let my hair grow long and flaunt my creativity everywhere ("You don't like it? TOO BAD."), much to everyone's indifference and/or annoyance. Those who GET IT will be my allies.
Early 90s, when I'm in college. WFNX was the top Alternative Rock station in the Metro Boston area: a schism is created in the world of punks, nonconformists, alternageeks and loners, between those who are fascinated and excited by the fact that their favorite music is finally sweeping away the utter blandness of Top 40 Radio...and those who are horrified that their once-favorite bands and their beloved alternative scene is SELLING OUT. And that schism remains for years, as alt.rock is watered down and gets all the major airplay; and the "true" alternative goes off in its own several directions (math rock, alt-country, and so on) and championed by the hip indie scenesters like Pitchfork. The scenesters who mock great albums simply because they get commercial airplay and give ten stars to albums no one's ever heard of, merely on principle.
Fast-forward to the present, in which I find myself reading the latest news about the Naruto manga on Tumblr. In which I get to remember what rabid fandom tends to foment: another schism, in which there are those who enjoy the story universe and its storytelling, and there are those who are absolutely certain their version of the story universe is the RIGHT one. [And let me tell you, when Naruto ended, there were was quite the contingent who ragequit the fandom because they felt the ending didn't jive with their theories (translation: Naruto didn't end up with Sakura) and thus sucked ass.] In which I see uncensored namecalling being used because You're Not Doing It Right. In which potential fans are scared away because they don't quite fit the bill. [I mean, after all, girl geeks are really only cute popular chicks wearing black-rimmed glasses and calling themselves nerds, right? If I tried to ask them out, they'd laugh in my face. Might as well keep them out because they're fakers, right?] [What? I'm only trying to keep people from appropriating MY lifestyle! Isn't appropriation what all those feminazis and libtards go on about, anyway?] [HEY Don't tell me to shut up! I have every right to have an opinion! Screw you, asshole! Go fuck off and die!] [LOL, can't you take a fucking joke?]
Granted: not ALL of fandom is like this, and I know and appreciate that. This is only the noisier half. The ones who believe they're doing everyone a favor by being the gatekeepers, Keeping It Pure.
The quieter half, the ones who welcome you with open arms and don't care if you're not as excited as they are about something, they're the real fans, the ones who realize it's Not Just About Them. It's about everyone, and I mean everyone. Even that once-popular kid who gave you wedgies in the locker room in 8th grade who happens to like Star Trek as much as you do. Even that cute girl who agrees that the new Star Wars Rogue One trailer is freakin' AWESOME. Even that black kid who's gonna be camping overnight for tickets with you when it opens.
The downside of fandom is the vociferous, the gatekeepers, the purity testers. The ones who are evidently afraid that you're going to taint their pure fandom with something they don't like. The downside of fandom is that they will gladly ruin it for everyone, for fear that you'll ruin it for them. And some will go to any lengths to claim that right. And I mean ANY lengths, including illegal.
By all means: you have a right and a duty to put a stop to that.
This isn't about them. It's about EVERYONE.
And hey, if you want to like something and keep it to yourself, that's cool too. The rest of us are here for you if you ever want to hang out, no strings attached.
***
While I don't think this is the ONLY reason why some fans lean towards bigotry, sexism and even violence when dealing with outsiders or those they don't want part of their fandom, I can't help but think this is one of the many possible ones. Being pushed towards anti-social behavior by your unaccepting peers does sometimes foment the 'oh yeah, well I'll show THEM' mentality. Speaking from personal experience here, though I was able to grow out of it.
