The "Nation Card"
Suvians have always complained about con crit. Always. But lately a new twist seems to have arrived.
The creators of American Transfer Sues (who seem to exist in every fandom set in a foreign country, though especially in Harry Potter) have found the reason that people hate American Transfer Sues so very much.
Not because they are boring.
Not because they have been done ten squillion times before.
Not because they are cliches which signal that canon is flying right out the window.
No.
Not according to the Suethors.
According to the Suethors, reviewers hate American Transfer Sues because--get ready for this one...
THEY HATE AMERICA.
I've seen the pleas and rants often in the past few weeks:
"To those who don't like my character, plz don't be HATIN ON AMERICA!"
"This is not a story for those who don't like Americans! I am American and I am proud of it and my character is American too! And if you don't like Americans, then DON'T READ IT!"
"If you don't like Americans and American characters then YOUR NOTHIN BUT A RACIST!! and don't bother to leave me any reviews becuz I am an American and proud of it, and I don't think you should be hating America!"
Over and over again, the same concepts are reiterated--that the author's use of an American character stems not from familiarity with life as an American teenager, but from fierce nationalistic pride; that dislike of said character stems not from poor portrayal of the character's personality or from the reader overdosing on timeworn cliches, but from some deep-seated, twisted hatred for one's own country; that being American is a race, and that anyone who hates Americans is necessarily a racist.
I have seen something similar before after 9/11. The theme that kept appearing that in fanfic was that terrorists, and people from third world countries inevitably hated Americans. But this assumes that EVERYONE hates Americans--and that criticism must be politically or nationally motivated.
This is a phenomenon I have only seen since the war with Iraq started, and I wish it would stop.
Blind hatred for criticism--and blind allegiance to a nation--both scare me.
The creators of American Transfer Sues (who seem to exist in every fandom set in a foreign country, though especially in Harry Potter) have found the reason that people hate American Transfer Sues so very much.
Not because they are boring.
Not because they have been done ten squillion times before.
Not because they are cliches which signal that canon is flying right out the window.
No.
Not according to the Suethors.
According to the Suethors, reviewers hate American Transfer Sues because--get ready for this one...
THEY HATE AMERICA.
I've seen the pleas and rants often in the past few weeks:
"To those who don't like my character, plz don't be HATIN ON AMERICA!"
"This is not a story for those who don't like Americans! I am American and I am proud of it and my character is American too! And if you don't like Americans, then DON'T READ IT!"
"If you don't like Americans and American characters then YOUR NOTHIN BUT A RACIST!! and don't bother to leave me any reviews becuz I am an American and proud of it, and I don't think you should be hating America!"
Over and over again, the same concepts are reiterated--that the author's use of an American character stems not from familiarity with life as an American teenager, but from fierce nationalistic pride; that dislike of said character stems not from poor portrayal of the character's personality or from the reader overdosing on timeworn cliches, but from some deep-seated, twisted hatred for one's own country; that being American is a race, and that anyone who hates Americans is necessarily a racist.
I have seen something similar before after 9/11. The theme that kept appearing that in fanfic was that terrorists, and people from third world countries inevitably hated Americans. But this assumes that EVERYONE hates Americans--and that criticism must be politically or nationally motivated.
This is a phenomenon I have only seen since the war with Iraq started, and I wish it would stop.
Blind hatred for criticism--and blind allegiance to a nation--both scare me.