Fandom and the Media...

[accioslash]

One of the things I think about a great deal in terms of the changing face of fandom is how much more visible it is to outsiders/the general public today. Although I have no illusions that actors and show producers were ever ignorant of the existence of fandom or slash, there is a far thinner barrier between TPTB and the ordinary fan today.

Comments

[citiesandsigns]

I'm part of one particular book fandom which is not primarily English-language & where the authors are very engaged, and while they're absolute darlings it really does make me think twice about what commentary I post- unless I lock it they're more or less guaranteed to see it, & they've reblogged my meta posts on tumblr to the official blog for the series before, which is a baffling combination of flattering and terrifying, & while they're specifically pro fanfiction the sense of potential scrutiny makes it feel rather fraught. They are fans themselves, and I like talking to them, but I wonder if I'd be more creative there if they were more distant. (Probably.)

I feel like fandom is also more visible in Sweden than in the UK for example, though I'm also four years out of date on the state of uk media so part of that is probably more temporal than geographic. But a lot of people who are media personalities from my generation or a little older are also people who you run into in fandom spaces. Less of a sense of outside scrutiny, more people talking about fan culture they're part of on their radio shows or whatever.

But yeah, I'm super uncomfortable with fandom being thrown at creators and actors who didn't sign up for that shit. That bit I'm clear on. Ain't cool.

[accioslash]

They are fans themselves, and I like talking to them, but I wonder if I'd be more creative there if they were more distant.

Oh, now that really puts a different spin on it. I would feel significantly restricted by the knowledge that everything I said about a fandom would be seen by the author, especially if I've come to see them as friends or even acquaintances. Like many critical reviews, they aren't written for them, but for others.

But yeah, I'm super uncomfortable with fandom being thrown at creators and actors who didn't sign up for that shit. That bit I'm clear on. Ain't cool.

*Nods* I take issue with anyone - fan or professional journalist - trying to provoke a reaction, no matter how good-natured the celebrity might be, by showing them sexuality explicit material featuring them and their co-star without some warning and an opportunity for them to decline.