You're harshing my squee, man.
So I woke up this morning to find a really bizarre comment on my xangablog, which I'm still keeping up despite writing more here because I still have RL friends there, mostly college buddies. It was in response to my ramblings about The Dark Knight yesterday. Relevant text below:
So, yes. The Dark Knight? Two-and-a-half-hour continual geekgasm. I thought "This is awesome" an average of once every five minutes. I talked out loud in the theater (which I almost never do, especially when going by myself), mostly things like "HOLY CRAP!" and "OH MAN!" and "SAVE HIM, BATMAN, SAVE HIM". I laughed and choked and gasped in shock (all three in equal amounts). The Joker? Totally, totally scary. The movie was just on the edge of How Dark You Can Go without losing me completely--there were moments when I felt literally nauseated. Such a bleak world, that Gotham is, with so few rays of hope.
I also thought, more than once, that this is a Batman, and a Batman universe, who really, really needs a Robin. Archetypically, Robin is the shaft of light in the dank dungeon, the sweet note in the minor-key symphony, the fulcrum on Batman's lever. (And of course, I love Robin unreasonably--that character is what drew me into the Batman fandom back when I was sixteen or so.) I think the Tim Drake kind of Robin would work in this new movie-verse, too, though I'm not sure a Dick Grayson Robin would work. A circus acrobat? Ward of a billionaire? Just a little too sixties to fly in this gray new world. But a Tim Drake who figures out who Batman is and follows him back home and says, "Hey, you need help and I want to help you," and who won't give no matter what, who is just as aggressive and driven and ninja-freak-psychotic as Bruce himself, only a little more optimistic (as well as younger and cuter)? Yeah, that would fit. They could even call him Dick Grayson if they wanted--I would know that it was really Tim.
The comment was from this kid I knew in college, JS. Granted, he's always been a little odd. And has no sense of proportion. This is the kid who will IM me with page after page after page of stuff I don't want to know, spoilers for Batman comics I haven't read yet, ravings about his YouTube show, that sort of thing. Usually I just tune it out. I know he is who is, and that's fine, whatever. I don't have to deal with him in RL anymore so I'm okay, and he does have his good points. But this was just weird:
JS: i love you laura but why do you talk on your xanga like your the greatest batman fan on the planet? Im mean im a fan too, and all i see is saying that you loved the dark knight more than anyone else on this planet.....when ive been into him since age 5!? im just saying give your review open minded and be senestive to other peoples feelings but dont act so narrow minded in your movie reviews :( anyway glad you liked it........
Okay, WTF, mate? Where did I say this? I am so confused. I hurt his feelings? How did I hurt his feelings? Does my squeeing somehow offend his squee? Again, confused. Where did he get this? Was it because I mentioned getting into the Batman fandom when I was sixteen? Does that somehow translate into "I'm the biggest Batman fan on the planet"? How? Why? I'm sure lots of people become superhero fans in their teens, or long before. That was also in the middle of my huge love affair with the Star Wars Extended Universe, when I read all of the novels multiple times and wrote scads of fanfiction, much of it with Wedge Antilles.
My response: JS, where did I say that I was the greatest Batman fan on the planet and that I loved The Dark Knight more than anyone else on the planet? I said neither of those things. I think you are reading into this more than I said. And even if I said "I'M BATMAN'S BIGGEST FAN EVER!" (which I didn't), that wouldn't change how big of a fan you are. I'm sure there are lots of people who think THEY are the biggest Batman fan on the planet. I never said that. I never even thought that. I KNOW that I'm not. (Obviously, since I haven't even been keeping up with the comics lately.) But if I did, why would that hurt your feelings? Because someone claimed to be a bigger fan than you? JS, I don't want to hurt you, but that's really silly, man. Get over yourself.
And open-minded review? Ha! This was in no way, shape or form a review! It was the squealing of a fan girl! It was not open-minded and it was not meant to be a critique or anything. It was my personal thoughts on my personal experience. I didn't write it for you, or for anyone else. I wrote it as an expression of my own feelings. Don't try to stop me from expressing myself, man. For one thing, you can't. And for another thing, that would hurt MY feelings.
Relax, JS. You're still the biggest Batman fan ever. (Possibly, within your little circle of friends, maybe.) I took nothing away from you with my two paragraphs in one blog entry.
More questions for you, my wonderful, smart, funny friends who actually read the crap I put out here. Was I too defensive or harsh? Specifically with the "Get over yourself." that's in there? I had just woken up when I wrote this and was really weirded-out and a little upset, so I wasn't thinking real clearly. Is there another way that I can get through to him without being, you know, a giant douche?
On the other hand, I know this kid. Subtle hints are not going to do it. I don't know if I would have said this face to face, but it also would have gone on a lot longer, and I don't have the time or patience for this.
Another thing: Why do people do this? I know that this sort of thing isn't uncommon in fandom, with the whole, "I'm a bigger fan than you!" "No, I'm a bigger than fan than YOU!" "I've watched all ten seasons fifty times!" "I have every line of dialogue memorized!" "I own ten t-shirts proclaiming teh awesomeness!" "I have twenty t-shirts, and A BLOG DEVOTED ONLY TO NEWS AND REVIEWS AND OTHER COOL STUFFF ABOIUT TIS AN YU R TEH DUMMMESSSTTT!!!!111!!!"
Is this purely a male phenomenon, a "Time to get out the rulers" thing, or does it cross all boundaries? I've managed to stay away from this sort of stupidity in most of my fandoms, mainly because I usually just read and write fanfic and other UGC and mostly stay away from forums, where the crazy lives. And also, of course, because I seek out friends who share my sensibilities and are awesome and cool and not insane. *squishes f-list*
And how should I handle this in the future? Is ignoring idiocy the best policy, or should I fight the dumbness where I find it?
So, yes. The Dark Knight? Two-and-a-half-hour continual geekgasm. I thought "This is awesome" an average of once every five minutes. I talked out loud in the theater (which I almost never do, especially when going by myself), mostly things like "HOLY CRAP!" and "OH MAN!" and "SAVE HIM, BATMAN, SAVE HIM". I laughed and choked and gasped in shock (all three in equal amounts). The Joker? Totally, totally scary. The movie was just on the edge of How Dark You Can Go without losing me completely--there were moments when I felt literally nauseated. Such a bleak world, that Gotham is, with so few rays of hope.
I also thought, more than once, that this is a Batman, and a Batman universe, who really, really needs a Robin. Archetypically, Robin is the shaft of light in the dank dungeon, the sweet note in the minor-key symphony, the fulcrum on Batman's lever. (And of course, I love Robin unreasonably--that character is what drew me into the Batman fandom back when I was sixteen or so.) I think the Tim Drake kind of Robin would work in this new movie-verse, too, though I'm not sure a Dick Grayson Robin would work. A circus acrobat? Ward of a billionaire? Just a little too sixties to fly in this gray new world. But a Tim Drake who figures out who Batman is and follows him back home and says, "Hey, you need help and I want to help you," and who won't give no matter what, who is just as aggressive and driven and ninja-freak-psychotic as Bruce himself, only a little more optimistic (as well as younger and cuter)? Yeah, that would fit. They could even call him Dick Grayson if they wanted--I would know that it was really Tim.
The comment was from this kid I knew in college, JS. Granted, he's always been a little odd. And has no sense of proportion. This is the kid who will IM me with page after page after page of stuff I don't want to know, spoilers for Batman comics I haven't read yet, ravings about his YouTube show, that sort of thing. Usually I just tune it out. I know he is who is, and that's fine, whatever. I don't have to deal with him in RL anymore so I'm okay, and he does have his good points. But this was just weird:
JS: i love you laura but why do you talk on your xanga like your the greatest batman fan on the planet? Im mean im a fan too, and all i see is saying that you loved the dark knight more than anyone else on this planet.....when ive been into him since age 5!? im just saying give your review open minded and be senestive to other peoples feelings but dont act so narrow minded in your movie reviews :( anyway glad you liked it........
Okay, WTF, mate? Where did I say this? I am so confused. I hurt his feelings? How did I hurt his feelings? Does my squeeing somehow offend his squee? Again, confused. Where did he get this? Was it because I mentioned getting into the Batman fandom when I was sixteen? Does that somehow translate into "I'm the biggest Batman fan on the planet"? How? Why? I'm sure lots of people become superhero fans in their teens, or long before. That was also in the middle of my huge love affair with the Star Wars Extended Universe, when I read all of the novels multiple times and wrote scads of fanfiction, much of it with Wedge Antilles.
My response: JS, where did I say that I was the greatest Batman fan on the planet and that I loved The Dark Knight more than anyone else on the planet? I said neither of those things. I think you are reading into this more than I said. And even if I said "I'M BATMAN'S BIGGEST FAN EVER!" (which I didn't), that wouldn't change how big of a fan you are. I'm sure there are lots of people who think THEY are the biggest Batman fan on the planet. I never said that. I never even thought that. I KNOW that I'm not. (Obviously, since I haven't even been keeping up with the comics lately.) But if I did, why would that hurt your feelings? Because someone claimed to be a bigger fan than you? JS, I don't want to hurt you, but that's really silly, man. Get over yourself.
And open-minded review? Ha! This was in no way, shape or form a review! It was the squealing of a fan girl! It was not open-minded and it was not meant to be a critique or anything. It was my personal thoughts on my personal experience. I didn't write it for you, or for anyone else. I wrote it as an expression of my own feelings. Don't try to stop me from expressing myself, man. For one thing, you can't. And for another thing, that would hurt MY feelings.
Relax, JS. You're still the biggest Batman fan ever. (Possibly, within your little circle of friends, maybe.) I took nothing away from you with my two paragraphs in one blog entry.
More questions for you, my wonderful, smart, funny friends who actually read the crap I put out here. Was I too defensive or harsh? Specifically with the "Get over yourself." that's in there? I had just woken up when I wrote this and was really weirded-out and a little upset, so I wasn't thinking real clearly. Is there another way that I can get through to him without being, you know, a giant douche?
On the other hand, I know this kid. Subtle hints are not going to do it. I don't know if I would have said this face to face, but it also would have gone on a lot longer, and I don't have the time or patience for this.
Another thing: Why do people do this? I know that this sort of thing isn't uncommon in fandom, with the whole, "I'm a bigger fan than you!" "No, I'm a bigger than fan than YOU!" "I've watched all ten seasons fifty times!" "I have every line of dialogue memorized!" "I own ten t-shirts proclaiming teh awesomeness!" "I have twenty t-shirts, and A BLOG DEVOTED ONLY TO NEWS AND REVIEWS AND OTHER COOL STUFFF ABOIUT TIS AN YU R TEH DUMMMESSSTTT!!!!111!!!"
Is this purely a male phenomenon, a "Time to get out the rulers" thing, or does it cross all boundaries? I've managed to stay away from this sort of stupidity in most of my fandoms, mainly because I usually just read and write fanfic and other UGC and mostly stay away from forums, where the crazy lives. And also, of course, because I seek out friends who share my sensibilities and are awesome and cool and not insane. *squishes f-list*
And how should I handle this in the future? Is ignoring idiocy the best policy, or should I fight the dumbness where I find it?