stuff I don't really get
I know I'm going to get a lot of "I agree" comments on this, but I'm going to say it anyway because seriously, I do not get it.
I am not a watcher of Doctor Who, or Torchwood, or Stargate: Atlantis, or any of Joss Whedon's several shows other than Firefly. I did watch all of Battlestar Gallactica and I read all of Harry Potter. There are no actual spoilers here.
I'm watching the reaction to Torchwood both here on my flist and on fandomsecrets, as I have done many things, and I have to admit, I'm baffled. I don't remember getting a contract with my television/computer/books that said that I am required to enjoy everything I consume, or if I do not enjoy them I must shut up about it, and certainly I must never, ever, ever criticize the creative decisions that went into that product.
I'm frankly amazed that the actual creative forces behind these shows are bothering to wander around telling fans to shut up because seriously what do they care? Why should Torchwood RTD care that some fans of the show are mad? In what way does this affect his payday or his industry cred? Someone is always going to have not liked what you did. But that doesn't mean you should dismiss them as cretinous assholes. Or, say, the SGA guy being a jerk on the website. Or Joss's weird song on the commentary track for Dr. Horrible about how fans suck.
Add that to fandoms that are basically insane-god forbid you say even one thing against Joss Whedon, or JKR, or RDM, or any of them, because people will ask you to please delete your journal. But the thing is, I watched all of BSG, and I hated it. And I hated it because of very specific decisions that RDM and his team made, that I think were bad decisions even given their operating premise and their stated goals. I found the finale to be laughably bad even though the whole prophecy aspect was the one part of the series I honestly enjoyed and was interested in. Similarly, I think that JKR couldn't write a good romance if you put a gun to her head and she should have left them out of her books because, as a friend of mine who will go nameless at this time once said, she apparently thinks that falling in love makes you an asshole. I also have very little time for the bizarre, sprawling mess that is the last three books for any number of reasons.
And you know, I get to say that in public. That's the thing about being a professional writer-other people read your shit, and they react to it. I cannot imagine that my reaction to the finale of BSG is going to effect RDM's paycheck by a single red cent, so seriously, what does he care? And hey, fandom person, what do you care?
Now, I know it sucks to really love something and watch someone hating on it. I totally get that. And I really don't think that like, only morons love BSG. People with other priorities than mine may like it a great deal. People who don't care about certain things in narrative may like it a great deal. They aren't stupid people; they're just different people. And that's really, honestly fine.
(Of course, if you liked BSG, I may never follow any of your future recommendations on things without a discussion, but that's not a slight on you as a person, rather, a recognition that our tastes do not perfectly overlap.)
So can everyone just shut up about how not liking something = whining? or that being disappointed in a show = being an asshole? Or you know, is this just a dumb thing that annoying people are going to do every time some big, divisive event happens in a canon? This is like, the fourth or fifth time I've seen this going around, and seriously, shit's getting tired.
I am not a watcher of Doctor Who, or Torchwood, or Stargate: Atlantis, or any of Joss Whedon's several shows other than Firefly. I did watch all of Battlestar Gallactica and I read all of Harry Potter. There are no actual spoilers here.
I'm watching the reaction to Torchwood both here on my flist and on fandomsecrets, as I have done many things, and I have to admit, I'm baffled. I don't remember getting a contract with my television/computer/books that said that I am required to enjoy everything I consume, or if I do not enjoy them I must shut up about it, and certainly I must never, ever, ever criticize the creative decisions that went into that product.
I'm frankly amazed that the actual creative forces behind these shows are bothering to wander around telling fans to shut up because seriously what do they care? Why should Torchwood RTD care that some fans of the show are mad? In what way does this affect his payday or his industry cred? Someone is always going to have not liked what you did. But that doesn't mean you should dismiss them as cretinous assholes. Or, say, the SGA guy being a jerk on the website. Or Joss's weird song on the commentary track for Dr. Horrible about how fans suck.
Add that to fandoms that are basically insane-god forbid you say even one thing against Joss Whedon, or JKR, or RDM, or any of them, because people will ask you to please delete your journal. But the thing is, I watched all of BSG, and I hated it. And I hated it because of very specific decisions that RDM and his team made, that I think were bad decisions even given their operating premise and their stated goals. I found the finale to be laughably bad even though the whole prophecy aspect was the one part of the series I honestly enjoyed and was interested in. Similarly, I think that JKR couldn't write a good romance if you put a gun to her head and she should have left them out of her books because, as a friend of mine who will go nameless at this time once said, she apparently thinks that falling in love makes you an asshole. I also have very little time for the bizarre, sprawling mess that is the last three books for any number of reasons.
And you know, I get to say that in public. That's the thing about being a professional writer-other people read your shit, and they react to it. I cannot imagine that my reaction to the finale of BSG is going to effect RDM's paycheck by a single red cent, so seriously, what does he care? And hey, fandom person, what do you care?
Now, I know it sucks to really love something and watch someone hating on it. I totally get that. And I really don't think that like, only morons love BSG. People with other priorities than mine may like it a great deal. People who don't care about certain things in narrative may like it a great deal. They aren't stupid people; they're just different people. And that's really, honestly fine.
(Of course, if you liked BSG, I may never follow any of your future recommendations on things without a discussion, but that's not a slight on you as a person, rather, a recognition that our tastes do not perfectly overlap.)
So can everyone just shut up about how not liking something = whining? or that being disappointed in a show = being an asshole? Or you know, is this just a dumb thing that annoying people are going to do every time some big, divisive event happens in a canon? This is like, the fourth or fifth time I've seen this going around, and seriously, shit's getting tired.