Watching a show wrong?
So once again a fandom's knickers are in a twist because someone involved in the production of a show said a particular group "were watching the show for the wrong reason" because they liked something that is outside canon.
I'm mostly seeing this play out on Tumblr, and I'm so tempted to post a flippant "Are you new?", but the fact is, many probably are newish to fandom and haven't lived through a "war" before. Wars where someone (usually a TPTB, but sometimes an actor) says something that stirs up a fannish reaction, and often it's about a slash pairing, or pushing a ship pairing that's probably not going to happen onscreen but dangling shippers along with online comments.
I am not a fan of accepting The Word of TPTB of what I'm "supposed" to be seeing (show, not tell after the fact, please), nor do I care if an actor doesn't like what I see, even if it involves his/her character. I'm a fan. I do fannish things. I have fanons for various shows, sometimes multiple ones that conflict with each other for one show. I will read pairings with characters who aren't even in the same show. None of it is canon. But it's a lot more fun. It can go where shows would never dare and no harm done.
I reblogged something on Tumblr about the "fourth wall" that used to exist between the audience and those involved in a show. I miss it, though I know with so much studio effort being put into allowing fans to gather online (hopefully in official spaces) in order to hook them even further and potentially bring their friends, the fourth wall has been nuked. TPTB/actors are venturing into fannish space [geezer fan twitch], some with better results than others. Orlando Jones is made of awesome on this point, and I feel like he could be an example to show how it's done, but then I feel like he's a fan who also happens to be an actor, so it's a bit different with him.
Would I prefer those involved to be a bit more diplomatic and either not comment on the issue or just say a neutral "Whatever floats your boat"? Sure, but they can express their opinion too, they just can't attempt to tell me what mine should be. The network doesn't care why I'm watching a show, as long as I'm watching. Though they'd prefer I had a Neilsen box so they could count me in their report to advertisers. Even so, they still want me watching, because I might buy official merchandise and the like, of which they'd get a cut. I'd also probably be telling other people to watch, and they might have a Neilsen box or some expendable cash to spend on merchandise.
It's impossible to watch a show wrong. Ship want you want to ship, and allow others the same freedom. Or don't ship anyone! It's all good. Just read Orlando Jones' "How To Not Be A Dick On The Internet" (click the link on his name above) and know that it ends with "Remember to have fun!"
(Those who know which show I'm talking about will recognize it immediately, but I'm leaving it out, so those of you who've been through a "war" can see how the more things change, the more they stay the same.)
I'm mostly seeing this play out on Tumblr, and I'm so tempted to post a flippant "Are you new?", but the fact is, many probably are newish to fandom and haven't lived through a "war" before. Wars where someone (usually a TPTB, but sometimes an actor) says something that stirs up a fannish reaction, and often it's about a slash pairing, or pushing a ship pairing that's probably not going to happen onscreen but dangling shippers along with online comments.
I am not a fan of accepting The Word of TPTB of what I'm "supposed" to be seeing (show, not tell after the fact, please), nor do I care if an actor doesn't like what I see, even if it involves his/her character. I'm a fan. I do fannish things. I have fanons for various shows, sometimes multiple ones that conflict with each other for one show. I will read pairings with characters who aren't even in the same show. None of it is canon. But it's a lot more fun. It can go where shows would never dare and no harm done.
I reblogged something on Tumblr about the "fourth wall" that used to exist between the audience and those involved in a show. I miss it, though I know with so much studio effort being put into allowing fans to gather online (hopefully in official spaces) in order to hook them even further and potentially bring their friends, the fourth wall has been nuked. TPTB/actors are venturing into fannish space [geezer fan twitch], some with better results than others. Orlando Jones is made of awesome on this point, and I feel like he could be an example to show how it's done, but then I feel like he's a fan who also happens to be an actor, so it's a bit different with him.
Would I prefer those involved to be a bit more diplomatic and either not comment on the issue or just say a neutral "Whatever floats your boat"? Sure, but they can express their opinion too, they just can't attempt to tell me what mine should be. The network doesn't care why I'm watching a show, as long as I'm watching. Though they'd prefer I had a Neilsen box so they could count me in their report to advertisers. Even so, they still want me watching, because I might buy official merchandise and the like, of which they'd get a cut. I'd also probably be telling other people to watch, and they might have a Neilsen box or some expendable cash to spend on merchandise.
It's impossible to watch a show wrong. Ship want you want to ship, and allow others the same freedom. Or don't ship anyone! It's all good. Just read Orlando Jones' "How To Not Be A Dick On The Internet" (click the link on his name above) and know that it ends with "Remember to have fun!"
(Those who know which show I'm talking about will recognize it immediately, but I'm leaving it out, so those of you who've been through a "war" can see how the more things change, the more they stay the same.)