Thorts About Fandom's Reactions
(Have Canada and NZ had COE yet? That's usually when I give up protecting spoilers.)
As you know, I share the shock, grief and disappointment experienced by a big chunk of TW fandom over Ianto's demise, and I'll kick the ass of anyone who derides us for the intensity of our feelings. (Especially anyone who mocks the younger fans. The adolescent brain is wired for explosive, irrational feelings. I cried at Michael Knight's wedding, ffs.) Some of the reponses have been quite sweet: that poem left at the door of the "Hub" was actually rather well-written. (Although one fan sending the Beeb fifty packets of coffee is just cheating!)
The power of my own reaction means I can at least understand the anger, even though I just can't share it. A bit of dismayed ranting, especially in the initial shock and denial, is pretty much harmless. And of course the overentitlement is just a fact of fandom; fans have always overestimated how much they matter and what they're owed, and it really doesn't make any difference.
What I cannot understand is the hate. The vitriol, the viciousness, the abuse - and the casualness of it. Liar, cunt, prick, asshole, twat, arrogant tosser, gay-hater, child-hater, traitor, plagiarist. "RTD gets an open-handed smack in the mouth. He knows why." "RTD needs a good kick in the groin region!" It's probably partly teh Internet stupid - quick, careless posting - and partly groupthink, with angry fans working each other up; and of course, it's only a subset of a subset of a subset of a subset, a few individuals, not some sort of frightening movement; and of course, it's not all meant absolutely seriously. Maybe I shouldn't take it seriously. But the online hate was why I was paranoid about SDCC: shit, what if someone had?
As you know, I share the shock, grief and disappointment experienced by a big chunk of TW fandom over Ianto's demise, and I'll kick the ass of anyone who derides us for the intensity of our feelings. (Especially anyone who mocks the younger fans. The adolescent brain is wired for explosive, irrational feelings. I cried at Michael Knight's wedding, ffs.) Some of the reponses have been quite sweet: that poem left at the door of the "Hub" was actually rather well-written. (Although one fan sending the Beeb fifty packets of coffee is just cheating!)
The power of my own reaction means I can at least understand the anger, even though I just can't share it. A bit of dismayed ranting, especially in the initial shock and denial, is pretty much harmless. And of course the overentitlement is just a fact of fandom; fans have always overestimated how much they matter and what they're owed, and it really doesn't make any difference.
What I cannot understand is the hate. The vitriol, the viciousness, the abuse - and the casualness of it. Liar, cunt, prick, asshole, twat, arrogant tosser, gay-hater, child-hater, traitor, plagiarist. "RTD gets an open-handed smack in the mouth. He knows why." "RTD needs a good kick in the groin region!" It's probably partly teh Internet stupid - quick, careless posting - and partly groupthink, with angry fans working each other up; and of course, it's only a subset of a subset of a subset of a subset, a few individuals, not some sort of frightening movement; and of course, it's not all meant absolutely seriously. Maybe I shouldn't take it seriously. But the online hate was why I was paranoid about SDCC: shit, what if someone had?