The older I get, the more I distance myself from fandom spaces. The purity policing, the arguing over canon and arguing over simple opinions is so exhausting. It's odd how much people need their opinions reinforced versus just having fun 😭
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Fandom culture itself is a fucking scourge on humanity that’s best eradicated. Anti-intellectualism and performative activism reigns supreme, and they only look at the same six cartoons or same seven franchises without even TRYING to broaden their horizons 😭
I get you. I was like that but I have realized it was much better to let people do what they wish. It doesn't say anything about me if they differ in opinion with me.
That’s pretty much the whole tokusatsu community on YouTube. The second you make a comment they gatekeep you and bash your name all over their twitter to seek attention and lose their credibility at being a “Professional” insert YouTuber. I was a victim of it from a tokutuber called Foulplayz.
What bothers me the most is how big accounts get worshipped and it’s all about gaining followers. you can’t just simply enjoy the content. Too much pressure.
The release of Veilguard (which in my canon is called Dreadwolf lol) has been quite the eye opener. Not only are we subjected to anti 'woke' cunts being bullies but our own fandom is full of jerks it turns out.
Yep it made me totally distance myself from the larger community spaces. People were vile and cruel and didn't allow for opposing opinions even aside from the stupid "woke" bs. Just exhausting and not something I needed
this is how I feel. I enjoy fandom at arms length. I will watch a show and not engage or seek out fandom material for months. Or I'll look it up every once in a while and reblog art. Read a fanfic and comment. But I don't follow much "fandom" blogs and those I do I make sure aren't drama-pedalers
also I don't like this shift of turning being a fan into an ultra consumerist hobby. buying or collecting merch is fine (and good for supporting the artist depending on the IP) and has always been a thing but I feel like there's a pressure to buy your way into being a "true" fan .
Idk why it's so important for people to have their opinions/headcanons justified by majority or canon now. It's such a strange shift that I've not been a fan of. Too much going on now to make issues in spaces we are supposed to find joy in.
Eeeeeeeyyuuuuupppp, I've just been enjoying the stuff I like in my own space with the folks I allow in over the last 10 years and lemme just say, I'm having a blast honestly, absolutely the way to go. It is a shame to miss out on the larger community moments tho, but gotta protect my joy.
And that's why Michael Burnham is my captain. If I am following anyone 900 years into the future it's the woman who spends a year on her own in a hostile universe but when the Enterprise catches up, she has a fly outfit, her hair is done, and she has a job.
All of my fandoms have been infected by the "it's so woke now, it's ruined" crowd, which of course means me being female automatically negates my thoughts/feelings/opinions on anything. Or I get accused of being a paid shill.
People can't just go "I don't like this ship so I won't interact with that part of the fandom"
Instead they give you a multi paragraph post on why the ship they don't like is problematic and a moral failing of society.
I remember the days of Yahoo Groups. I belonged to a few and one of them, all it was was ppl arguing how THEIR interpretation of a character was THE ONLY CORRECT ONE. The group would split (again) w one of the arguers forming a new Group & taking half the group with them. Good times.
it’s strange how instead of going “here’s how I relate to this *fictional* world in my *real* life” these spaces are all about creating some kind of reality out of a fictional space. and trying to interpolate things that cannot be there, like cats going to look behind the television
I stopped following so many people this last year because of this, you have to like the thing in the way the like it or you are wrong. Having fun is not an option anymore
Yes, but on the flipside of that, as an old lady, it's an absolute riot seeing the fighting in new fandoms because the fight never changes. It's better in the sidelines watching than being actively involved in fandom drama.
That's the result of incompetent leadership and not regulating social media.
We have all become so self-centered, that we even demand attention. That is our own mistake, but mainly our government for not updating classes about internet safety.
And it works, because we post everything. So much data
I’ve been distancing myself from fandoms for over a decade it never ended well engaging in them. Toxicity, “my ship is canon and yours isint,” “don’t lewd my favorite character”, “a reason why this character is toxic and liking them makes you one a 🧵 💅 “
Are a few of the reasons I don’t talk to
But when someone goes too far and makes 'MegaFan of X' part of their identity, any perceived criticism feels like a personal attack and is reacted to accordingly.
The less they have going on outside the fandom, the stronger the reaction.
People need something to define themselves by. Once religion was that force and it unified people against the common enemy, i.e. anyone having different beliefs. Now fandoms do the same thing for many people. It’s not the fandoms' fault, it's because people are inherently spietful beings 🤷♂️
Not everyone is going to agree with this. Some people are dedicated to one thing. Yes, it makes them particularly spiteful, but everyone has the right to be as spiteful as they want. You can just avoid these people and not interact with them 🤷♂️
For real we see that a lot in wrestling fandom. People make one promotion or wrestler their entire identity and they refuse to accept criticism and then the other promotion is always bad.
I did this with DragonBall daima. Watching it was a fun romp through a new setting, and it canonized my absolute favorite transformation with some small design changes that I loved.
The next day, Google tried to push an article about how "daima ruined goku and super saiyan 4".
"So, uhhh... any of you guys into Star Wars?"
"Yeah except Disney RUINED it"
"Okay well you've been saying 'they ruined Star Wars' for 42 years can we please talk about what we like about it now??"
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The opinions & fighting over them has killed thousands over centuries.
Nobody expects the Star Trek inquisition....
sure thing, chief
I've been thinking its due to factors
1)ongoing consequences of attention economies online
2)ongoing intentional radicalization efforts: the gamergate strategy is imo playing out across ALL fandoms and online communities
Instead they give you a multi paragraph post on why the ship they don't like is problematic and a moral failing of society.
But DS9 is the best Star Trek, we all know that.
We have all become so self-centered, that we even demand attention. That is our own mistake, but mainly our government for not updating classes about internet safety.
And it works, because we post everything. So much data
Are a few of the reasons I don’t talk to
But when someone goes too far and makes 'MegaFan of X' part of their identity, any perceived criticism feels like a personal attack and is reacted to accordingly.
The less they have going on outside the fandom, the stronger the reaction.
"Fandom politics are the most vicious form of politics, because the stakes are so low."
The next day, Google tried to push an article about how "daima ruined goku and super saiyan 4".
Fans ruin things.
"Yeah except Disney RUINED it"
"Okay well you've been saying 'they ruined Star Wars' for 42 years can we please talk about what we like about it now??"
fuck!!
drives me fucking insane!!
"Batman would never kill" except yes actually he would and he has CAN WE MOVE ON
I fucking hate fandoms man they're the absolute worst!
Fandoms aren't what they used to be. They're just exhausting now.