RPF May NOT Be Your Cup of Tea
It's interesting to me, the dynamics of any fandom on the interent, to clarify. At writerverse there is currently a debate about what fanworks based off other original works should be classed as. Are they fanfiction? In some senses they are. Fanfiction by its loosest definition is the act of creating a body of written work in admiration of another work. But it also predisposes a level of famousness (forgive the poor word choice) that most original works found on the internet don't have. Please note I said most and not all.
But RPF again is a different kettle of fish. In writing RPF, the author has to take a person, not a fictional character, and create a fictional identity for them. The person, be they an athlete, musician, or actor, are crafted into a person that is almost as fictional as they are real. It's an interesting balancing act, and one that makes many people uncomfortable. The recrafting of someone's identity for fictional purposed without their consent isn't for everyone. As just about every RPF fandom knows.
However, there's also a line that shouldn't be crossed by people not in an RPF fandom. If it's not something you understand, like, or want to be a part of leave it alone. It's not hurting you. Unless, of course, you're the person being written about and are mortally offended. What I find reprehensible is going after fanworks created by people who do enjoy expressing themselves in this way in a semi-public forum and mocking and deriding them. I find it even worse when people who purport to respect other fans do so. I don't understand how anyone can see mocking an author where anyone can see, with links no less, is acceptable. There's a person behind that piece. It's no different than if I created an open twitter and took a link to one of the many half-assed blogs on the interent and started deriding it and being a condescending prick about it. The author may not share my views, we may not enjoy the same things or the same players, but that in no way gives me the right to belittle their work. Trust me, if it did there are several tennis related blogs that would make my list, often times ones that get a good amount of publicity.
As it was pointed out, this sort of action is no more than a different form of cyber bullying targetted at an out-group this particular in group of assholes doesn't understand. And by now, anyone in the tennis RPF fandom knows exactly what I mean.
Personally, I don't give two shits. They can mock or deride my work all they want. I write what I write because I enjoy it. I spent most of myn childhood being bullied, and I refuse to spend a moment of my adult life feeling bad about what I enjoy. It's not hurting anyone, and I don't give a flying fuck at a rolling donut what such vindictive and hurtful people think of me. I really don't. But I'm not like every person in any fandom. My attitude isn't like most people's. I acknowledge that. And I like to protect the people I've met in fandom who are wonderful, talented, and not as "two birds for you" as my sister described my attitude today. They have every right to be creative in peace. And unless your name is David Ferrer, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, or any number of other celebrities, you don't have the right to judge what anyone does with their free time.
So, use your descretion, your back button, and the scrolling wheel on your mouse, and leave your fellow internet dewellers in peace. The same way they left you.
But RPF again is a different kettle of fish. In writing RPF, the author has to take a person, not a fictional character, and create a fictional identity for them. The person, be they an athlete, musician, or actor, are crafted into a person that is almost as fictional as they are real. It's an interesting balancing act, and one that makes many people uncomfortable. The recrafting of someone's identity for fictional purposed without their consent isn't for everyone. As just about every RPF fandom knows.
However, there's also a line that shouldn't be crossed by people not in an RPF fandom. If it's not something you understand, like, or want to be a part of leave it alone. It's not hurting you. Unless, of course, you're the person being written about and are mortally offended. What I find reprehensible is going after fanworks created by people who do enjoy expressing themselves in this way in a semi-public forum and mocking and deriding them. I find it even worse when people who purport to respect other fans do so. I don't understand how anyone can see mocking an author where anyone can see, with links no less, is acceptable. There's a person behind that piece. It's no different than if I created an open twitter and took a link to one of the many half-assed blogs on the interent and started deriding it and being a condescending prick about it. The author may not share my views, we may not enjoy the same things or the same players, but that in no way gives me the right to belittle their work. Trust me, if it did there are several tennis related blogs that would make my list, often times ones that get a good amount of publicity.
As it was pointed out, this sort of action is no more than a different form of cyber bullying targetted at an out-group this particular in group of assholes doesn't understand. And by now, anyone in the tennis RPF fandom knows exactly what I mean.
Personally, I don't give two shits. They can mock or deride my work all they want. I write what I write because I enjoy it. I spent most of myn childhood being bullied, and I refuse to spend a moment of my adult life feeling bad about what I enjoy. It's not hurting anyone, and I don't give a flying fuck at a rolling donut what such vindictive and hurtful people think of me. I really don't. But I'm not like every person in any fandom. My attitude isn't like most people's. I acknowledge that. And I like to protect the people I've met in fandom who are wonderful, talented, and not as "two birds for you" as my sister described my attitude today. They have every right to be creative in peace. And unless your name is David Ferrer, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, or any number of other celebrities, you don't have the right to judge what anyone does with their free time.
So, use your descretion, your back button, and the scrolling wheel on your mouse, and leave your fellow internet dewellers in peace. The same way they left you.