public space is not an excuse to lose self-consorship

[kattahj]

I've been back for less than a day, and I already have a rant.

I do not understand people who throw up all over other people's creative efforts and then claim that if it's in a public space, it's a free target. That people shouldn't take it personally, that they aren't their fics, and so on. (And no, this rant isn't due to anyone saying that to me

Comments

[kattahj]

See, to me trashing fic in public seems more akin to walking into an art exhibition and loudly saying that your four-year-old can paint better than that. Rude, but allowable.

I think it's *baffling* that a person would do something like that in front of a painter. If the painter wasn't there, or it couldn't be assumed that s/he was, then yes, I could see it. But even then, it would be an insult to people who are actually there to watch the paintings. Not as rude as making similar comments in a movie theater, but definitely showing lack of all manners.

If you put a work of art in public and expose it to commentary, there will be people who don't like it. Maybe they'll say so where you can hear them. I've read some scathing reviews of concerts, books, exhibitions, etc. in my time, and I don't think fanfiction gets an exemption from that process just because there's no money involved.

I think one major difference is that reviewers are sent out. They don't have a choice about giving an opinion - they have to do it. And quite often they

[kattahj]

Argh! The quality of the *concert*, obviously, not book.

[wesleysgirl]

I see people do that occassionally -- mostly teenagers at the mall yalling at other people they don't know, saying that they're ugly/fat etc. And when that happens, every single reasonable person's reaction is "Wow. How rude and immature." Because, yeah, that's what it is. It's not reasonable behavior.

[kattahj]

What really grates me is the idea that the writers "shouldn't take it personally." If they shouldn't take it personally because the person commenting is an ass, then yeah, I agree. But to think it's less serious to make fun of a person's creative efforts than, for example, their looks - that I can't comprehend.

[ex_bamfchic]

I agree 100%. There is a vast difference between constructive criticism and just being an ass.

[kattahj]

Yeah. Sure, some authors are way too weepy - "Oh, no, you said a word was spelled wrong, you *meanie*!" - but sometimes the reader just should learn a bit of self-control.