Allow me a brief bout of hysteria
You know, I've been playing around with thoughts concerning shippers, sexism, and fandom in my head (prompted by some discussions at penny_lane_42's place). I hadn't quite gotten my thoughts organized in a way that I felt properly addressed my concerns. Now, though, I ran across something that made me flail, and I'm just gonna rant.
I'm frustrated, folks.
I have a shitload of meta on this here LJ. Meta that plumbs the depths of my love for all aspects of the show. Meta that I've spent an ungodly amount of time and energy writing and discussing.
It's not just me, either. There's so many intelligent discussions and pieces of meta being written in this corner of fandom (A very Spuffy-centric corner). Meta that covers a wide range of topics. Seriously, I think that the people around here are some of the most intelligent and thinky-type people you're ever going to find.
And I get angry. So very angry to see all of that dismissed.
In case you don't know, there's some discussion on about Spike's characterization in the IDW comics. I don't know much about it as I don't keep up with the comics. I'm just boggling. And you don't need to know much about it, as that's only peripheral to what sparked this rant. ubi4soft posted a Twitter convo between Bill Willingham and bitsy from Buffyfest. The part that made me flail? Bitsy's comment about the fans crying foul at Spike's characterization (not the fans here, specifically, but Spuffy fans elsewhere):
# At this point nothing short of writing Spike and Buffy making kissy faces at each other will get some fans off @BillWillingham's back.
about 1 hour ago via web
Shwoosh! With one fell swoop, they've managed to dismiss a slew of intelligent conversation and criticism.
And I'm calling it out. I don't know who the hell bitsy is, but I'm calling them out. I'm calling out anybody else that has made such an "argument". You know why? Because it's fucking sexist and idiotic.
Let's talk about romance, folks. Let's talk about how romance is devalued in culture because it's coded "feminine" and, thus, icky and stupid. Let's talk about how guys will complain about icky girly lovey stuff touching their Important Man Stories. And let's talk about how this standard is wielded like a strangely penis-shaped hammer to smack down any criticism you don't like.
Because in fandom? Admitting that you like a ship - are a "shipper" - smacks a big-ass scarlet letter on your username. Now if you start to say anything someone else dislikes, they can handily write you off as "a shipper", even if what you're saying has nothing to do with the ship.
All that meta I've written? The Willow meta, meta on Buffy's depression, about the feminist text in the show, about Xander's lie in Becoming 2, everything can be rendered the ravings of a mad, hysterical Spuffy shipper. Same with elisi's brilliant meta, or 2maggie2, or angearia, or any one of the fantastic other meta-writers around here.
What a convenient way to put us in our place. "Oh, I see that you're a fan of this one romance. Well, I've decided that only stupid, deluded women people like romance, therefore your criticism about this entirely different aspect of the show is unimportant and I shall mock it and you for being a stupid girl shipper."
You know what? They're setting the standards by which we're "allowed" to discuss and criticize the show. And by their standards? We can't have ever expressed any affinity for any of the romances anywhere. We must rid ourselves of the icky romantic associations before we're allowed to have an opinion on anything. Because, apparently, liking a romance makes us illogical, irrational, hysterical, and stupid.
I say fuck that. I say fuck anybody who's ever been a dismissive asswipe. Who are the illogical ones here? The ones unilaterally dismissing an entire segment of fandom because of one trait or the people who happen to get a warm fuzzy when thinking about the Spuffy (or Bangel or Bander or Spangel or Tillow or any number of ships)?
Newsflash you romance-devoid cretins, you do not get to set the guidelines for fannish discussions. No, you don't get to invalidate another fan's opinions on such an irrational and meaningless basis. You don't get to lash out in your hysterical manner and cut us down just because one of our (many) fandom activities includes reading fanfic about our favorite couple fucking. As angry as I am, I feel sorry for you. That you feel so much pressure to remain "above" fictional romantic entanglements. You feel so obligated to maintain the status quo of devaluing and dismissing romance, you take it to, frankly, illogical heights in your attempt to distance yourself from it. It's a purely emotional reaction. I know it can be hard when you're so addled by testosterone that you can't think straight. All you can think is, "Girls criticizing me/the show! Icky! They like romance!"
But you know what? It'll be okay. Just shut the fuck up for once, and we'll show you how easy it is to integrate the romance that the show provides with an intelligent view of the series. It'll take some time (and, again, shutting the fuck up) on your part. But with penguins and perseverance, we'll get there eventually.
Oh, in the meantime? Shut the fuck up.
ETA: I have to laugh. I've been informed that Bitsy is, in fact, a Bangel shipper. This changes my rant not a bit. For one, the rant's not entirely about this one incident. It's about a pervasive attitude that that tweet conveys. For another, if a shipper (of any ship) dismisses, wholesale, other shippers in such a fashion, they are a hypocrite and they are using sexist standards to smack down a discussion. And this irreverent bitch says, "Fuck that shit."
I'm frustrated, folks.
I have a shitload of meta on this here LJ. Meta that plumbs the depths of my love for all aspects of the show. Meta that I've spent an ungodly amount of time and energy writing and discussing.
It's not just me, either. There's so many intelligent discussions and pieces of meta being written in this corner of fandom (A very Spuffy-centric corner). Meta that covers a wide range of topics. Seriously, I think that the people around here are some of the most intelligent and thinky-type people you're ever going to find.
And I get angry. So very angry to see all of that dismissed.
In case you don't know, there's some discussion on about Spike's characterization in the IDW comics. I don't know much about it as I don't keep up with the comics. I'm just boggling. And you don't need to know much about it, as that's only peripheral to what sparked this rant. ubi4soft posted a Twitter convo between Bill Willingham and bitsy from Buffyfest. The part that made me flail? Bitsy's comment about the fans crying foul at Spike's characterization (not the fans here, specifically, but Spuffy fans elsewhere):
# At this point nothing short of writing Spike and Buffy making kissy faces at each other will get some fans off @BillWillingham's back.
about 1 hour ago via web
Shwoosh! With one fell swoop, they've managed to dismiss a slew of intelligent conversation and criticism.
And I'm calling it out. I don't know who the hell bitsy is, but I'm calling them out. I'm calling out anybody else that has made such an "argument". You know why? Because it's fucking sexist and idiotic.
Let's talk about romance, folks. Let's talk about how romance is devalued in culture because it's coded "feminine" and, thus, icky and stupid. Let's talk about how guys will complain about icky girly lovey stuff touching their Important Man Stories. And let's talk about how this standard is wielded like a strangely penis-shaped hammer to smack down any criticism you don't like.
Because in fandom? Admitting that you like a ship - are a "shipper" - smacks a big-ass scarlet letter on your username. Now if you start to say anything someone else dislikes, they can handily write you off as "a shipper", even if what you're saying has nothing to do with the ship.
All that meta I've written? The Willow meta, meta on Buffy's depression, about the feminist text in the show, about Xander's lie in Becoming 2, everything can be rendered the ravings of a mad, hysterical Spuffy shipper. Same with elisi's brilliant meta, or 2maggie2, or angearia, or any one of the fantastic other meta-writers around here.
What a convenient way to put us in our place. "Oh, I see that you're a fan of this one romance. Well, I've decided that only stupid, deluded women people like romance, therefore your criticism about this entirely different aspect of the show is unimportant and I shall mock it and you for being a stupid girl shipper."
You know what? They're setting the standards by which we're "allowed" to discuss and criticize the show. And by their standards? We can't have ever expressed any affinity for any of the romances anywhere. We must rid ourselves of the icky romantic associations before we're allowed to have an opinion on anything. Because, apparently, liking a romance makes us illogical, irrational, hysterical, and stupid.
I say fuck that. I say fuck anybody who's ever been a dismissive asswipe. Who are the illogical ones here? The ones unilaterally dismissing an entire segment of fandom because of one trait or the people who happen to get a warm fuzzy when thinking about the Spuffy (or Bangel or Bander or Spangel or Tillow or any number of ships)?
Newsflash you romance-devoid cretins, you do not get to set the guidelines for fannish discussions. No, you don't get to invalidate another fan's opinions on such an irrational and meaningless basis. You don't get to lash out in your hysterical manner and cut us down just because one of our (many) fandom activities includes reading fanfic about our favorite couple fucking. As angry as I am, I feel sorry for you. That you feel so much pressure to remain "above" fictional romantic entanglements. You feel so obligated to maintain the status quo of devaluing and dismissing romance, you take it to, frankly, illogical heights in your attempt to distance yourself from it. It's a purely emotional reaction. I know it can be hard when you're so addled by testosterone that you can't think straight. All you can think is, "Girls criticizing me/the show! Icky! They like romance!"
But you know what? It'll be okay. Just shut the fuck up for once, and we'll show you how easy it is to integrate the romance that the show provides with an intelligent view of the series. It'll take some time (and, again, shutting the fuck up) on your part. But with penguins and perseverance, we'll get there eventually.
Oh, in the meantime? Shut the fuck up.
ETA: I have to laugh. I've been informed that Bitsy is, in fact, a Bangel shipper. This changes my rant not a bit. For one, the rant's not entirely about this one incident. It's about a pervasive attitude that that tweet conveys. For another, if a shipper (of any ship) dismisses, wholesale, other shippers in such a fashion, they are a hypocrite and they are using sexist standards to smack down a discussion. And this irreverent bitch says, "Fuck that shit."