I can't be the only one who sees a certain degree of irony here...

[rushin_doll]

Well. Hello, LJ. It has been some time, has it not? While my posting history shows that I've been offline since early July, the truth is that my LJ habits have been sporadic since sometime in February of this year. This was due primarily to my class load being crazy and me just having a lot to do. Prior to that I was rather diligent about

Comments

[silveraspen]

I am -- for the moment -- going to leave aside the eye-blinking reaction that your remark about reintegrating with the LJ community for your own academic benefit induced, and address your query.

Write item 1. Walk before you run, etc.

Item 2 will likely not speak as well to your classmates because of their lack of shared context.

Do not write item 3. That involves a topical discussion of elements outside the scope of the stated focus on the shared story.

(Do I sound irritated? That's because I am. But I am extending you the benefit of the doubt and presuming you intend humor and don't realize that you appear to be utilizing a giant expression of privilege in dealing with what has long been a traditionally "safe" or protected space.)

[rushin_doll]

For what it's worth the remark was intended to be facetious. I'd be willing an interested in exploring the disconnect between my intention and your reading of it in more detail, as I suspect that it says a lot about me and the way I present myself, but I'll leave that up to you. For clarity: the driving force behind this post is that I am excited, I have friends I think will be excited to know that I am excited and possibly be excited to participate, and LJ happens to be a tremendously good tool for sharing that excitement with them

[silveraspen]

As I said, I figured you were sourcing your remarks in a humor-related basis, so yeah. I am also not at all surprised that you are excited and delighted to have the chance to share and engage with a group of people to explore something that is of great and enjoyable interest

[rushin_doll]

I'm with you on your first point, there. Perhaps ironically one of my undergraduate focuses in sociology was on social stratification and institutional privilege, so I have a strong intellectual and academic understanding of how privilege works. Of course I also belong to every politically privileged majority that I can readily identify within the power structure of the United States (white, male, heterosexual, protestant, etc.) so I often run the risk of slipping into it anyway

[ceitfianna]

I think you should stick with one for this first assignment or possibly two as long as you bring in ways to introduce other people to the canon. Since its meant to be true fanfic and stuff related to Milliways' etc is a whole other kettle of fish, an interesting one, but I think this probably isn't the place to get into it for the first time with people who have no context

[rushin_doll]

Apparently I'm enough out of practice that my tone is slipping. I mean, my basic intention was to A) explain where I am to my friends, and B) get some advice from my friends. This isn't a "Hello people of fandom, tell me what you think." This is a "Hey, I have friends who think about this sort of stuff... I bet they can give me some really good ideas!"

Also? Yay settling in. We should sit down sometime and talk about children's lit because it's a cool topic!

Perhaps clearer,
Ana

[impactbomb]

I would go with 1. Easier, and there's still plenty of wiggle room for what counts as a "major media property".

(You should write SESAME STREET fic. Blow their minds a little.)

Also, what silveraspen said - while I know you well enough to know you're poking fun at your own privilege there, you're not really doing it in a way that helps me feel you're actually calling yourself on it - it's that line about how satire only works if it's obvious as satire?

And the way you wrote that sounds almost exactly like the ways Fanhistory and Fanlib used to talk about their ventures into fandom in search of a quick buck and "indie" cred, rather than fandom for fandom's sake, while claiming to the mainstream to be "representatives" of fandom to the mainstream.

So ... just, you know, keep that in mind, bb.

[badninja]

Second vote on Sesame Street fanfic. Or Reading Rainbow. THE MORE YOU KNOW

[impactbomb]

take a look~ it's in a book~

And now I'm thinking of horrible, perverse interpretations of the phrase "reading rainbow". Lulz.

[badninja]

just apply kilik and his invisible wire trick and you've really got it going on

[badninja]

I, personally, if I were in this class, would find it interesting to have a fanfic brought in for a major property that was also older. Like, say, Tom Sawyer.

[anonymous]

You talk a lot about the "community" of fandom and online social networks, but it's easy to get the (mistaken?) impression that you only make the effort to be in the community when you want something from it.

[rushin_doll]

That's certainly fair. And it certainly bears some serious thought.

Pondering,
Ana

[rushin_doll]

That's certainly fair. A part of me wants to argue that that's not what happened at all, but honesty compells me to admit that while that was never my intention, it's certainly a valid (perhaps the most obvious, even) reading of things. And intent only counts for so much.

I actually hesitated to post this response, not wanting to further aggravate you, especially since I'm not sure it will accomplish anything positive, but... I don't know. I guess I just wanted to say that I'm sad that you feel that way, and that I wish it were otherwise, but that I can't find fault with your reaction.

Not that you need my approval, but...

Helpless shrug,
Ana