A silent excommunication; fandom observations both personal and at large
A long-time LJ friend de-friended me a few days ago. The act was done in silence; no warning, no notice, no message ... no courtesy. Just a silent disconnection. The event that apparently caused this reaction has aided me in making an observation about the HP fandom as it is at present, which I'll discuss a little further below.
My ex-friend is very strongly pro-canon and pro-OBHWF, and as the years have progressed there's been less discourse between us. But we've still gotten on okay. Looking at just the last two years I see that I posted 18 comments on her journal in response to matters both HP and real life, almost always receiving a pleasant response in reply. But the pressure of the movie 'Deathly Hallows: Part 1' appears to have put her on edge and made her super-sensitive to differing opinions.
I'm taking care not to escalate matters, no names, but her recent post which marked my final appearance was only three sentences in length, with the last line being a pro-Ginny referral which I didn't address at all in the comment which apparently engendered her ire. Since it's so short, and a public post, I'll repeat the first two sentences of her journal entry here:
Isn't it amazing how much some members of the HP fandom are panicking over the latest HP movie? How upset they are about the H/Hr additions?
How threatened they feel about the Harry/Hermione interaction?
I think the movies - and most certainly this movie - are quite useful in helping us to examine Rowling's writing. They provide a lens which assists in focusing on some of the weaknesses that are in the original canon. But boy, aren't some of the pro-canon fans taking it HARD!!!
My ex-friend is a perfect example of a pro-canon fan who has been finding it difficult of late to survive in the wash of movie H/Hr love. Little mini-rants popping up in her journal comments over the past few months against Kloves and Harry/Hermione. So I took pains not to add to her burden, as you can see; I didn't attack her comment. I didn't address her closing "I love Ginny" line. I didn't oppose her statement that the movie viewers "liked what H/G they saw".
No. All I did was simply post a line of supplementary information, a lateral addition to what was originally mentioned; some people liked the non-canon H/Hr stuff too.
DANGER DANGER DANGER POSITIVE NON-CANON STATEMENT THREAT TO CANON EJECT EJECT EJECT DE-FRIEND BAN DANGER DANGER
Sorry, my sense of humour showing. It's really rather funny - although sad, too! - if you look at it. Ex-friend says "most people prefer canon". Brad says "oh, I've been talking to some people who quite liked the non-canon material too". Ex-friend panics, jettisons the saucer section and activates the Cone of Silence.
While my ex-friend is a beautiful case of a pro-canon fan taking all of this non-canon goodness particularly hard I've seen it at other places too. Various polls that have been put up asking for opinions on H/Hr versus R/Hr and so forth. With a significant number of wounded pro-Jo people reacting much like my ex-friend; well, not de-friending and banning the owner of the poll (!), but going into similar rants. Hate Kloves. Hate Harry/Hermione. Hate anything opposing precious canon. Precious canon is precious because it's canon. Must protect precious canon, protect Jo.
I think it's fascinating, seeing just how threatened these people are. What must it be like to be so enthusiastic about your preferred HP position ... but fearing contamination from anything that doesn't support it?
Of course I'm not targeting all of the pro-canon slice of the fandom with my questions. A lot of fans are firm in their faith and aren't afraid of the 'other side'. Or they acknowledge there are flaws (in all sides!) but are content in their personal preferences. Or they just don't care. :-)
There's a second fandom observation I'd like to make which is also related to my recent excommunication; my ex-friend added this ETA to her blog entry:
"One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument."
I'm *assuming*, from what she wrote, that my ex-friend is justifying giving me the chop because I am a 'troll', a magic label hung on me to exonerate her behaviour. But nothing could be further from the truth.
It follows, does it not, that a most evil troll might post anonymously? A proficient troll would surely submit a large number of provacative messages. A most excellent troll would post responses to all the other people commenting in the blog, so as to cause 'maximum distruption and argument'. A first-class troll would certainly, above all else, attack the statements of the blogger, rather than just simply adding a single sentence of supplementary non-contradictory information.
I stand before you as the WORST TROLL EVER!!
:-)
So, yeah. If you can't support your own position or arguments, if you're frustrated because you have no rebuttal, if you just want to get rid of the nasty person who's interfering with your shakey grasp on your personal fandom beliefs, if you want to eliminate reminders that fanon alternatives exist and are more attractive than your own (in the books, movies, whatever), don't try and save face and excuse your actions by calling those who bear such tidings a 'troll'. Such an act is cowardly and marks you with dishonour.
I'll close on a positive note ...
One of the polls I referred to above is here; in the article the author writes:
"It's always platonic ... until it's not". What a brilliant line! It chops off half of the braying "but it's not canon!" protests from those bitter (and threatened) canon fans (who should remember that Rowling also is in accord with this view). But it also served to remind me of why I got into this HP fandom thing in the first place. It's that potential, the complexity and joy of seeing a deep (platonic) friendship evolve into something even better, which is such a terrific draw of H/Hr. I feel re-energised, yay!
My ex-friend is very strongly pro-canon and pro-OBHWF, and as the years have progressed there's been less discourse between us. But we've still gotten on okay. Looking at just the last two years I see that I posted 18 comments on her journal in response to matters both HP and real life, almost always receiving a pleasant response in reply. But the pressure of the movie 'Deathly Hallows: Part 1' appears to have put her on edge and made her super-sensitive to differing opinions.
I'm taking care not to escalate matters, no names, but her recent post which marked my final appearance was only three sentences in length, with the last line being a pro-Ginny referral which I didn't address at all in the comment which apparently engendered her ire. Since it's so short, and a public post, I'll repeat the first two sentences of her journal entry here:
- So I haven't seen DH Part I yet, but I've been reading all of the reviews. Sounds like most people enjoyed it, liked what H/G they saw, but wanted the *canon* emphasis on shipping rather than Steve Kloves's invented scenes.
- Looks like you and I are reading our reviews in different areas of the fandom, fancy that! :-) Over in my corner they're all squee'ing over the H/Hr goodness. And yes, they all mostly enjoyed the movie too.
(I'm not looking forward to their reactions with the final movie, where - surely? - the characters will be moved into their canon-compliant positions?)
I haven't seen the movie myself yet, not sure I will.
Isn't it amazing how much some members of the HP fandom are panicking over the latest HP movie? How upset they are about the H/Hr additions?
How threatened they feel about the Harry/Hermione interaction?
I think the movies - and most certainly this movie - are quite useful in helping us to examine Rowling's writing. They provide a lens which assists in focusing on some of the weaknesses that are in the original canon. But boy, aren't some of the pro-canon fans taking it HARD!!!
My ex-friend is a perfect example of a pro-canon fan who has been finding it difficult of late to survive in the wash of movie H/Hr love. Little mini-rants popping up in her journal comments over the past few months against Kloves and Harry/Hermione. So I took pains not to add to her burden, as you can see; I didn't attack her comment. I didn't address her closing "I love Ginny" line. I didn't oppose her statement that the movie viewers "liked what H/G they saw".
No. All I did was simply post a line of supplementary information, a lateral addition to what was originally mentioned; some people liked the non-canon H/Hr stuff too.
DANGER DANGER DANGER POSITIVE NON-CANON STATEMENT THREAT TO CANON EJECT EJECT EJECT DE-FRIEND BAN DANGER DANGER
Sorry, my sense of humour showing. It's really rather funny - although sad, too! - if you look at it. Ex-friend says "most people prefer canon". Brad says "oh, I've been talking to some people who quite liked the non-canon material too". Ex-friend panics, jettisons the saucer section and activates the Cone of Silence.
While my ex-friend is a beautiful case of a pro-canon fan taking all of this non-canon goodness particularly hard I've seen it at other places too. Various polls that have been put up asking for opinions on H/Hr versus R/Hr and so forth. With a significant number of wounded pro-Jo people reacting much like my ex-friend; well, not de-friending and banning the owner of the poll (!), but going into similar rants. Hate Kloves. Hate Harry/Hermione. Hate anything opposing precious canon. Precious canon is precious because it's canon. Must protect precious canon, protect Jo.
I think it's fascinating, seeing just how threatened these people are. What must it be like to be so enthusiastic about your preferred HP position ... but fearing contamination from anything that doesn't support it?
Of course I'm not targeting all of the pro-canon slice of the fandom with my questions. A lot of fans are firm in their faith and aren't afraid of the 'other side'. Or they acknowledge there are flaws (in all sides!) but are content in their personal preferences. Or they just don't care. :-)
There's a second fandom observation I'd like to make which is also related to my recent excommunication; my ex-friend added this ETA to her blog entry:
- ETA: I've deleted three comments thus far. I don't like to f-lock my posts, but I don't have to put up with trollish behavior, either.
"One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument."
I'm *assuming*, from what she wrote, that my ex-friend is justifying giving me the chop because I am a 'troll', a magic label hung on me to exonerate her behaviour. But nothing could be further from the truth.
It follows, does it not, that a most evil troll might post anonymously? A proficient troll would surely submit a large number of provacative messages. A most excellent troll would post responses to all the other people commenting in the blog, so as to cause 'maximum distruption and argument'. A first-class troll would certainly, above all else, attack the statements of the blogger, rather than just simply adding a single sentence of supplementary non-contradictory information.
I stand before you as the WORST TROLL EVER!!
:-)
So, yeah. If you can't support your own position or arguments, if you're frustrated because you have no rebuttal, if you just want to get rid of the nasty person who's interfering with your shakey grasp on your personal fandom beliefs, if you want to eliminate reminders that fanon alternatives exist and are more attractive than your own (in the books, movies, whatever), don't try and save face and excuse your actions by calling those who bear such tidings a 'troll'. Such an act is cowardly and marks you with dishonour.
I'll close on a positive note ...
One of the polls I referred to above is here; in the article the author writes:
- She was his best friend. He confided everything in her. He noticed when she took extra care in her appearance and was looking particularly pretty. He was always the first to sense when she was upset. He trusted her completely. Of course, I'm talking about 'Harry Potter,' but I bet you thought I was talking about Ron and Hermione. I'm not.
- Sure, the argument that all of the above was just platonic is valid. It's always platonic... until it's not.
"It's always platonic ... until it's not". What a brilliant line! It chops off half of the braying "but it's not canon!" protests from those bitter (and threatened) canon fans (who should remember that Rowling also is in accord with this view). But it also served to remind me of why I got into this HP fandom thing in the first place. It's that potential, the complexity and joy of seeing a deep (platonic) friendship evolve into something even better, which is such a terrific draw of H/Hr. I feel re-energised, yay!