fannish types

[meganbmoore]

Here is an interesting post on two Intellectual and Emotional fans and approaches to fandom and fiction.  (Though I think "Analytical" is much more fitting than "Intellectual."  I think it represents the responses and comments better, and that most would be more willing to label themselves as such.)

See also:  Why Megan hates or is "meh" about many

Comments

[pikabot]

I am an Intellectual/Analytical fan the whole way. Some things elicit a more visceral, immediate response than others but even those, after I've had my five minutes of warm fuzzies I am not only willing but in fact eager to go back and examine why I liked that. I love cracking my fandoms open, not just for meaning and shit but also for the mechanics: the paneling, the prose, the camera angles, see what works and what doesn't. I love noting where a piece of music rises and falls, and if it's timed well with the rest of the scene. I love fleshing out minor characters, giving them a fuller personality and speculating on why they might be the way they are

[meganbmoore]

*nods*

Most Avatar "meta" I've read or been directed to has centered around how...well...it was wrong to be a show aimed for 8-12 year olds...

[pikabot]

Yeah, and that drives me bonkers.

Also this is going to sound HORRENDOUSLY elitist but I generally find that fanfiction etc coming from "Intellectual" type fans tends to be better than that which comes from "Emotional" type fans. Not in terms of prose writing or anything, but because they actually analyze what they're reading, they tend to have a firmer understanding of canon characterization and a firmer grasp of character voice as a result.

[meganbmoore]

What you wish/want the text to be saying vs what the text is saying? Combined with what the text is saying with this element as a part of the whole vs what the text is saying through the filter of this element

[fivil]

I'm beginning to become allergic to "two polar opposites" type theories of anything, but I guess this one makes sense considering a lot of people seem to start out in fandom as youngsters ('fanbrats') who step on a lot of people's toes with their extreme emotional responses to something. Still, most people would be a mix of the two. Like I personally don't meta just for the sake of meta-ing something; there has to be something there for me to think through, semi-analyze, why I like it, why it seems to make sense, why I don't like it, what turns me off about this/that character. A lot of the time, whatever I watch/read just doesn't do that to me, so I suffice to saying I really like it, and write a bit about why I like it but nothing deeper than that.

[meganbmoore]

*nods*

Ithink most fall mostly on one side or the other, but not completely, but I think the post does a very good job of explaining the different types of responses.

I'm obsessive about writing up everything I read (a shock, I know...) but not really with what I watch, as sometimes all I can think is "well, i liked that."

[issen4]

I'm watching Hearts at Nineteen which has a very sweet Cinderella premise without the guy ever acting like a jerk--ok, at the beginning before he falls in love. But the reason he falls in love is that he thinks she's utterly fantastic and better than any other woman he's met so he just... respects her a lot. (The angst in their relationship comes from parental objection, because he's rich, has higher status and she's from the country.) She's pretty cool too--he teased her a lot but she stood up for herself and is all: "if you want to date me, you can't call me 'country bumpkin', geddit?" And duly chastised, he stops!

I'm not a fan of the rich jerk trope. ^^

[kakkobean]

I can't stand the cinderella trope in kdrama *avoids it like the plague, and avoids it in twdrama as well 'cuz it's annoying* DARN ANGSTY EMO MAIN GUY WHO IS TOO IMMATURE TO TREAT THE LADY HE LIKES NICELY DDDDD8< There's one drama that I started that kind of did a flip to the Cinderella thing, though--instead of focusing on a Cinderella character, it focuses on an "evil stepsister" character, who has been viewed as the evil girl ever since she's known "Cinderella", despite "Cinderella" being a conniving double-faced bitch that I secretly think is in love with the step-sister character because she drives all men away from her so she can have her all to herself.

[meganbmoore]

What's the drama?

I don't think I've encountered the Cinderella/Jerk Prince trope in txdramas as much. But then, I haven't seen many. I see it mostly in romantic kdramas and romantic shoujo. Naturally, the popular ones of both are the ones with the trope, and the less popular ones are the ones most don't like/won't touch because it doesn't cater to the trope.

What's the drama?

[kakkobean]

Love Patzzi--in the Korean version of the Cinderella tale, the evil steps-sister's name is Patzzi, thus the name (because it's a story that involves two very decent guys ending up falling for the brutally honest charms of the "EVIL STEPSISTER" character and seeing beyond "Cinderella's" fake charm 8D

I still think that the Cinderella character secretly loves the other girl, causing her to be the main cause of her misery for the majority of their lives >.>

[rainmage]

I'd be someone who's analytical/intellectual over some fandoms and emotional over others, I reckon. With some series I'm kind of there to enjoy (or for the lulz or for eyecandy, it can happen) or there's not really a lot to ponder about, so I'm more lenient and don't nitpick/build thoughtful opinions about things. With some others I make elaborate theories or spend awful time trying to understand a certain character's personality/build a culture for plot-device civilizations/make ways for a pairing I like be IC/patching plotholes with plotbunnies. It just depends of the fandoms, I suppose. In some others I might even be a mix. I do usually look more analytical to others since I squee less loudly