I'm Just Not that Breed of Fangirl

Apr 24, 2011 01:10

I know this probably goes without saying...at least for anyone who has followed me either on LJ or fanfiction.net or anywhere else for whatever fandom I've been in at the time period, but I am a very loyal, dedicated fangirl--to a particular fandom.  Lately I've noticed that the more people I talk to, when they find out what I'm interested in and share that mutual interest, inevitably I'm given a verbal list of things I will never remember that I should look up because they like it, too.  Or this person goes on about comparing our mutual interest to something else they're interested in that I know nothing about.  Its nothing but namedropping, title-dropping, I-don't-know-what-dropping.

And to tell you the truth, it annoys me.  Because I'm not that breed of fangirl.

Yes, I like Harry Potter.  That does not mean I like Twilight, Cassandra Clare's books, or any other popular young adult fantasy marketed series. It does not mean I like all British pop culture.  I am not obsessed with the various actors from the movie franchise, and does not mean that I like the Harry Potter films or that I've sworn my allegiance to J.K. Rowling's series blindly enough without thinking for myself and allowing myself to be disappointed by Deathly Hallows.  It does not mean I will not slam WB for making Deathly Hallows into two films, because I think if they could make do with one on Goblet and Order, then Hallows could survive, too.  And yes, I think its a ploy to get people to pay for two movie tickets, two DVDs, and make twice the profit since its the last one.

And don't get me started on J.K. Rowling vs. Stephanie Meyer.  I'm sorry, Twilight fans, you may like the way she writes romance, and I'm going to save my criticism of the content for a later post, but Meyer is technically an atrocious writer with an equally atrocious editor.  Don't get me wrong--J.K. Rowling isn't exactly Shakespeare, either, but at least she can write an intricate, detailed plot that spanned across seven books, full of clues and red herrings that encouraged all sorts of theories forums, books, and fan-written articles.  Her work was highly imaginative with mythical creatures, character names, and a magical world that drew from history, latin, mythology, folklore, and so much more.  Meyer made up sparkling vampires, ignored centuries of vampire folklore, and took away the frightening element of the vampire that makes them so intriguing to begin with.  It makes my insides shrivel anytime someone asks me if I like Harry Potter after I slam Meyer for her writing ability.  Technically Rowling isn't great, either, but it takes a lot more chops to make an interesting and detailed plot than to make little girls swoon for a romance between the average girl and a hunky, sensitive guy who gives her tons of compliments and wants to marry her.

Back to the point...I like Harry Potter because I like Harry Potter.

So I like Arashi.  I like Hey! Say! JUMP, too.  I even like listening to NEWS.  But I am not a Johnny's conisseur.  I don't want to be.  I don't want to know everything about SMAP, Tokio, KAT-TUN, Kinki Kids, or NEWS.  I don't even like NYC all that much.  I think KAT-TUN sounds awful live, and the only song I really get into is 'Real Face.'  I think Yamapi's face sometimes looks like a puppy with down syndrome.  I like Arashi and Hey! Say! JUMP because I just like them, and I don't see why I have to talk about/reference/like other Johnny's artists.

I like Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and X.  This doesn't mean I feel I need to play every Final Fantasy game.  I like the storylines, and yes, bitches, I like Cloud.  When did it become wrong to like Cloud best?  I feel like I get so much shit for liking Cloud its ridiculous.  And almost everyone goes on about how Zack is so much better.  Okay...good for you.  I'm glad you like Zack; I won't give you shit for it just because he's not my favorite.  That doesn't mean you need to feminize and verbally abuse my favorite character just to make him seem inferior to yours.  It doesn't make me less of a fan that I don't feel the need to play every single FF game (or even every KH game, because I hated 358/2 Days, and refused to finish it).  I like the ones I like and don't see why I need to suffer through the ones I don't like to be a real fan.  Or slam the ones people hate to be a real fan, either, because I enjoyed Dirge of Cerberus, and don't really care.

I like Naruto.  I like Inuyasha.  I like quite a few anime, but guys, I don't really like that many anime. Yeah, I have two Itachi plushes.  He's all over my computer.  But its because I like Naruto, and Itachi is my favorite.  I'm not one of those anime people.  Anime people try to talk to me and I have no idea what they're talking about.  No, I haven't watched Pokemon, Digimon, Dragonball Z, One Piece, etc...and the only reason I ever watched Sailor Moon is because my BFF loves it (it was the American version, too), and I wasn't that into it.

I like Gackt, Hyde, and Miyavi.  I'm not a hardcore J-rock person.  I like Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada, but I'm not hardcore into female J-Pop.  I don't always read the manga.

I'm seriously sick of this.  I feel like I'm in that Apple Jack commercial--"We eat what we like."  I like what I like, and I'm sick of getting judgmental looks, being told what I should get into because of one mutual interest, why someone else's interests are superior...For crying out loud, I am 26 years old and able to make my own decisions.  If I say I've never seen Dragonball Z, stop talking about it; I don't understand you, and have tuned you out.  If I say I'm not really that into KAT-TUN, it means I don't want to have a conversation about them.  If I say I think Stephanie Meyer is a terrible writer, you're not going to prove anything to me by getting me to admit I like Harry Potter.  Yes, I love Cloud Strife above all other characters in FFVII; you talking about how you can't stand him, calling him a pussy, and giving me that look isn't going to change my mind.

I guess its kind of like how I like everything.  I pick and choose; I've never been a genre person.  I know some people are making friendly suggestions, and they don't irritate me--especially if we have a rapport where I'm allowed to speak my mind and there is mutual respect, but most people that I seem to talk to...

People are driving me insane.

stfu, life, fandom

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