This is a ranty post. VERY RANTY. Feel free to skip.

[no_detective]

Oh, this week... I don't know if the planets have aligned with a specific purpose to make me extra-sensitive, but I've been cranky with fandom A LOT.

Cut into individual rants for your masochistic reading convenience. Although seriously, I wouldn't read this. I'm just relieved I fucking wrote it down. BAH FUCKING HUMBUG.

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Comments

[suzvoy]

So much fail D:

[no_detective]

It's been weighing on me this week; sorry I had to share. :(

[suzvoy]

No need to apologise. *cuddles*

[asta77]

I can identify with your Chris Pine fan rant given my fannishness of Jamie Bamber. Jamie, thus far, has been largely spared the paparazzi hounding him. The couple of exceptions I've seen (and would not link to on the comm) involved him coming out of popular LA restaurants where the photogs were looking for any celebrities, not specifically him. He's even admitted he's been lucky when it comes to people intruding on his life

[no_detective]

Oh, holy shit. I had no idea about the "affair", uh, RPF fanon. (Guess that's the right term, even if there's no fic involved?) That is HIDEOUS. I'm sorry you've had to encounter it in your fannish pursuits, especially since I know you're one of the most reasonable and respectful people in any fandom I've ever been in, and that's just INSANE speculation.

I feel the same way about physical proximity and awareness of the difference between image and person, but you're right - it doesn't seem to be typical. And oh, the presumed friendship is... well, arguably not as bad, but just as oblivious.

[asta77]

RPF fanon - good term! Though if they believe it's true does it go beyond fanon? Yeah, there have been stories about a relationship between the two, from a *very* small group in fandom, for as long as I can remember. The thing is while Katee and Jamie, from all indications, got along well while working together, there's no evidence they were particularly close. And there's never been any reports of them socializing beyond activities that involve most or all of the cast. I shouldn't have to defend these two people who both seem to adore their significant others. I think part of the problem is that, in a bad move, Jamie was asked in an interview (in British Glamour so you can imagine what kind of interview it was) about the potential of becoming involved with people you work with and he, in general terms, talked about attraction and temptation and reminding yourself you have someone in your life you love and you don't want to ruin that with a fling with someone on set. From that it was deduced he had to be talking about

[snowlight]

I like Uhura fine.

Uhura fangirls and some witch-hunting S/U fans? Different story.

[no_detective]

I recently read a great post about why it matters that Uhura is a black woman, and it made me all the more unhappy that the perspective of fans can be so polluted with 'shipping wars etc. - so much so to deny that she is one half of an AMAZING canon relationship for a reason. As crazy as I am about K/S, I would never brush off the fact that on screen, Spock and Uhura have something truly special together; not to mention the wider cultural context and the significance of her role in it.

I think it's time I start drafting that STXI love post... :D

[snowlight]

We are talking about different things: the character and the fans. Unfortunately, after a while it can be hard to separate the character from the behavior of the fans.

And personally, that's what happened to me with regards to Uhura (and it's something that has happened to my friends as well, even non-Americans who aren't even in the fandom). I love Uhura in TOS just fine (the duet with Spock? beyond awesome), but when I think of XI!Uhura, I kind of have to internally roll my eyes.

[no_detective]

I haven't had much experience with fans regarding Uhura's character in STXI, which is why the kink meme request threw me. Think of the character what you will, but the sort of blindness demonstrated in the request is unsettling (to say the least). And we are of different views on TOS and STXI Uhura, so we'll have to agree to disagree. :)

[bironic]

I saw that vid as a celebration of the bridging of different culture-languages and not as an association of "other"ness with the animalistic or primitive. The animals (I thought) were shown as sentient creatures capable of communication, as sophisticated as any newly contacted human culture. It'll be interesting to hear what the vidder says to you in reply.

As for Uhura-bashing and Pine-stalking -- ugh. I always have higher hopes for fandom than I do for humanity in general, so times like this are doubly disappointing and upsetting.

[no_detective]

I don't doubt the intentions behind the vid; however, the end result is... something else, at least in my view.

The STXI fandom has been pretty happy-go-lucky in my experience so far, which is why a few of these incidents taking place in the same week really threw me. I'm trying to focus on the positive, though. Massive love post in the works as we speak!

[sunfell]

Wow- what an assortment of chewy things this morning!

I've been a fangirl- but that was back in the days of the Pony Express, so nothing much came of it! And today, in my more -ahem- mature life-stage, I treat celebs the way I would like be treated myself- with dignity and respect.

As a result, I've had delightful encounters with celebs and famous people of all sorts. I work closely with powerful people in state government, which has helped to temper the disconnect between the person and their title or role. They appreciate being treated like people not objects. I'd treat Chris Pine or Zachary Quinto or Leonard Nimoy or George Takei the same way I would treat my state Governor, or the Speaker of the House, or any of the senior senators I work with daily

[no_detective]

It's interesting that you bring in the experience of encounters with political figures, because talk about image - and yes, the basics of social interaction ought to apply in any encounter regardless of the celebrity factor. It just surprises me whenever I realize that most people don't seem aware of this; it's just... fundamental. Kudos to you for articulating the voice of wisdom; the internet fandoms could always use a bit more of that!

I was among those who wouldn't look at what was presumably the pap video of Zach, but once in the know, I was impressed by the idea (well, outside of freaking out his fans). It's terrific that he's using that part of his life, as annoying as it might be, for something creative and constructive; but it can't be fun getting followed and photographed every time you walk your dog. Stil, he certainly seems to be dealing with it better than his co-star. (Thanks for that link btw - awww, ZQ, can you be ANY CUTER?!? I don't think so!)

Speaking of Uhura hate: here's a really powerful post about what

[sunfell]

Thank you for your kind words. It's nice that age and experience can actually lend advantage to something- it was a grace I fought hard and long to acquire. Happily, the seeds of it were present in my youth- I was 22 when I was asked to go get George Takei at the SF airport 60 miles away for an appearance in Sunnyvale. He and I laughed and talked the whole way there, and had a blast. I have a very unique souvenir from that afternoon- a chunk of plaster from my leg cast that he signed. (Yes, I was driving with my right foot in a walking cast- I used my toes to work the gas pedal! He didn't know!)

As far as pap photos and vids go, I do not actively go looking for them, but if one is posted, I will do something I've called 'witnessing'- stuff down my dislike of the acquisition and look at the image(s) in a dispassionate way. If a huge stink is brewing, I want to see what the image says, not the cloud around it. That was how I was able to ascertain that the steak and butcher ZQ vids were clever fakes, and not actual harassment. I knew

[sunfell]

THis is cool, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtJpCATKdCo&feature=related