We Didn't Start The Fire.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

I still like my fandom.

Not a lot of people are saying that today, and you probably already know why: at Anime Boston this weekend, several girls cosplaying as Germany and Prussia attended the Hetalia photoshoot and seig heiled the camera

Comments

[pyrrhiccomedy]

can you believe I'm even paying more attention to politics now? XD

Oh God, me too! I think that's really common! I mean, I always did my best to stay informed before Hetalia, but Hetalia's gotten me more interested in all news, not just the things that are relevant to me.

I think it's probably inevitable that things like this will happen again, but that's no reason for the rest of us to slink into the closet with our tails tucked between our legs. Those idiots are not us, and people should hear more about us.

[plotbunny_tiff]

I hadn't heard about this...but wow. Just...wow.

I want to write about this, do you mind if I quote you?

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Sure, feel free.

[plotbunny_tiff]

Thank you. I wanted my comment to be longer and more in-depth, but I was trying to type between bouts of anger and phone calls

[pyrrhiccomedy]

the negative behavior of a few misguided individuals should not deter me from something that I truly love and enjoy. So thank you for that. I really mean it.

No, thank you so much--

I want to fight for that side of Hetalia, instead of lurking in the shadows.

--For this. All fandom is grassroots, you know? It's a mistake to think that we individually can't have an effect on how we're seen: by fandom as a whole, by our friends and family, and by people who've never even heard of APH. You start with just a couple people you know, who think Hetalia is sketchy but they're willing to have a conversation about it, and it spreads out from there. I can't tell you how happy it makes me when, every so often, I see one of my non-Hetalia friends somewhere on the internet, defending the Hetalia fandom, because whatever charge Hetalia is facing this time, well...they've heard differently.

I really hope you can come back to the fandom and have fun and engage with things again. There's so much good stuff here.

[hiza_chan]

Oh thank you for this. I've been reading all the comments about everyone avoiding Hetalia cosplay and photoshoots with dismay, cause damn, those girls fucked up, they were dumbshits but I'm hoping to hell that it's not going to mean... well, I won't say the END of the Hetalia fandom cause I don't see that happening, but I don't want people to start disliking the fandom just because of some dumbfuck cosplayers. I mean, this is kind of big

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Oh, yeah, it's not like the whole Hetalia fandom is going to hit an iceberg and sink to the bottom of the sea over this, but--it's up to us how much we let this drag us down. We can be ashamed, and stop going to cons, and retreat into the closet with our gay countries...or we can say "For sure, fuck those girls, but the Hetalia fandom is still one of the best places you can be. Let me tell you about this amazing comic I saw yesterday." I want to see more of that.

I mean, hopefully they've learned

One of the girls' friends commented on that giant thread, at least, and apparently the girl is mortified. Which like--good. I hope they all feel that way. Treat it as a learning experience and don't be such a douchebag next time.

I really hope it blows over.

Me too. And I think it will. This fandom is too cool to get slowed down by this shit for long. ♥

[neocloud9]

*applauds*

[pyrrhiccomedy]

♥♥♥

[animedutchess]

You know what? This. This so very much.

I remember seeing the picture with the seig heil and going, "...O-kaaay, taking it a bit too far there?" But hey, I wasn't going to say anything about it because I knew it was gonna upset people. And then it did.

No, I'm not proud that some people in our fandom decided to do that in the first place. It's not cool. What I am proud of, though, is the overall good-naturedness and open-mindedness of the fandom. I'm proud to say I'm a Hetalia fan, and I'll continue to be one.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

♥ You are totally one of the good fans, hon. I hope you stick around for a long long time.

[animedutchess]

^///^ Nyaaaw, that's so sweet! *hugs* Thank you...I'll be around for as long as I can, and I hope you will be, too!

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Ffff, at the rate TCE is going, I should probably invest in a Hetalia fandom retirement home.