fandom confuses me
Here's something I don't understand. This isn't about any one particular person on my flist or one particular fandom, it's something I've seen time and again in the last year. It's not just about BSG or Veronica Mars or Firefly anything else. It's not directed at the people who poted today or yesterday or last month. it's just something that's been confusing me.
Why are people so adamant about not watching something just because other people love it?
Now, before people grab their pitchforks, hear me out. I'm not talking about that show EVERYONE loves and the premise just sounds stupid to you. Or that show with that actress you HATE and can't stand to see in anything. The show I'm talking about is that show that sounds interesting and looks cool and you normally would've watched but the ONLY thing keeping you from watching it is the people around you who LOVE it.
Now, I understand that nobody likes anything to be forced down their throats. Unfortunately, I've seen a LOT of hatred for what people post in their own journals. Bitching that people should "shut up about x show/movie/book/comic already" and that sort of thing. It's a personal journal, people.
Lets say my favourite thing in the entire world is orange socks. and 99% of the posts in my journal mention orange socks. and you never had a problem with orange socks, wouldn't hate them if you had a pair. Suddenly, a bunch of your other friends take up the orange socks love! Everyone's posting about orange socks! Now, you were never anti-orange socks before, but since everyone seems to be so fixated on orange socks you suddenly insist on being anti-orange socks? Or worse, you know you'd probably like orange socks if you just wore a pair, but somehow the fact that a lot of people around you are into the orange socks craze makes you want to boycot orange socks on principle alone?
That's what I don't understand. Explain it to me? I'm open to eharing other people's points of view. that's why I'm making this post. I'm honestly curious.
Now, lets change the scenario. Say I go on a rampage and declare that I won't be friends with anyone who doesn't wear orange socks! In that case, I'm being absolutely ridiculous and petty and obsessive and really, you shouldn't want to be friends with me. In that case, it makes sense to be anti-orange socks because, really, orange socks have fundamentally altered the mental state of your friend.
In addition to that, the other thing that's been bugging me lately is this:
Why do people get mad at others for posting about things they enjoy?
Yeah, it sucks to feel excluded from your friends journal because you don't watch/aren't interested in what they've been posting about lately. If you honestly aren't interested then don't read those posts. If you're intrigued by it, why keep yourself from something you might enjoy just because other people seem to really love it? I've seen a lot of guilt lately from people who are involved in fandoms and that makes me sad. I don't understand people who say they feel like they can't post about orange socks becuase people have gotten mad at them for posting only about orange socks. If you don't like orange socks, don't read those posts.
Yeah, fandom can be scary and insane and tunnelvision-y. But at the same time fandom can be awesome and thought-provoking and fun. It really pains me to see so many people unwilling to post their fandomy thoughts or admit that they think about things jsut because they're worried about the backlash they'd get.
If you like something, post about it. Anyone who freaks out at you isn't worth being friends with and hey, maybe you'll bring this love of orange socks to someone else.
Why are people so adamant about not watching something just because other people love it?
Now, before people grab their pitchforks, hear me out. I'm not talking about that show EVERYONE loves and the premise just sounds stupid to you. Or that show with that actress you HATE and can't stand to see in anything. The show I'm talking about is that show that sounds interesting and looks cool and you normally would've watched but the ONLY thing keeping you from watching it is the people around you who LOVE it.
Now, I understand that nobody likes anything to be forced down their throats. Unfortunately, I've seen a LOT of hatred for what people post in their own journals. Bitching that people should "shut up about x show/movie/book/comic already" and that sort of thing. It's a personal journal, people.
Lets say my favourite thing in the entire world is orange socks. and 99% of the posts in my journal mention orange socks. and you never had a problem with orange socks, wouldn't hate them if you had a pair. Suddenly, a bunch of your other friends take up the orange socks love! Everyone's posting about orange socks! Now, you were never anti-orange socks before, but since everyone seems to be so fixated on orange socks you suddenly insist on being anti-orange socks? Or worse, you know you'd probably like orange socks if you just wore a pair, but somehow the fact that a lot of people around you are into the orange socks craze makes you want to boycot orange socks on principle alone?
That's what I don't understand. Explain it to me? I'm open to eharing other people's points of view. that's why I'm making this post. I'm honestly curious.
Now, lets change the scenario. Say I go on a rampage and declare that I won't be friends with anyone who doesn't wear orange socks! In that case, I'm being absolutely ridiculous and petty and obsessive and really, you shouldn't want to be friends with me. In that case, it makes sense to be anti-orange socks because, really, orange socks have fundamentally altered the mental state of your friend.
In addition to that, the other thing that's been bugging me lately is this:
Why do people get mad at others for posting about things they enjoy?
Yeah, it sucks to feel excluded from your friends journal because you don't watch/aren't interested in what they've been posting about lately. If you honestly aren't interested then don't read those posts. If you're intrigued by it, why keep yourself from something you might enjoy just because other people seem to really love it? I've seen a lot of guilt lately from people who are involved in fandoms and that makes me sad. I don't understand people who say they feel like they can't post about orange socks becuase people have gotten mad at them for posting only about orange socks. If you don't like orange socks, don't read those posts.
Yeah, fandom can be scary and insane and tunnelvision-y. But at the same time fandom can be awesome and thought-provoking and fun. It really pains me to see so many people unwilling to post their fandomy thoughts or admit that they think about things jsut because they're worried about the backlash they'd get.
If you like something, post about it. Anyone who freaks out at you isn't worth being friends with and hey, maybe you'll bring this love of orange socks to someone else.