Fandom survey, then and now
Jan. 9th, 2006 08:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tocryaboutThe Facts
My Golden Age of Fandom was 17-19. I loved X-Men, Highlander, DS9, and North of 60. My best friend/unrequited crush got me to read Harry Potter, but it never really "took" and I gave it up when we broke up.
Anyhow, in those days my fandom experience was markedly different than it is now.
(a) I read more fics. I didn't need recs from three different respected sources. I didn't click away after two lines. If it had MY character in it and was tolerable, by God I read straight to the end.
(b) I went after more canon. I had to see every episode, read every book, read the biographies of all the cast members.
(c) I never wrote myself, nor did I contribute to lists (except with North of 60, which wasn't a "fandom" as such--the only list in existence forbade ficcing and looked askance at wank and meta).
(d) Slash was a much bigger turn-on. In Highlander I exclusively read slash. I saw slashiness, and saw it everywhere.
__________
19-22: Repeated episodes of depression. Giving a shit is difficult. Fandom activity ceases.
__________
22-23: Today, I really only participate in X-Men fandom. And "participate" is pretty generous. I don't read the lists, although I am subscribed to them. Still enjoy DS9 and No60, can't ignore Highlander's shittiness anymore. Am enjoying BSG, but find it hard to "break in" to write it -- it's too tight, I don't feel comfortable interfering in the storyline, interpolating and extrapolating. Maybe in a few years.
Differences:
(a) I read much less. If ten stories come up on my flist, I might dare a peek at one of them, IF it's recc'd in the strongest possible terms by someone I respect. I regret this.
(b) I delve into canon much less. Part of this is because it's X-Men, and if you go too deep you might never come out. You can't know everything, and it's discouraging.
(c) I am writing myself, but I'm making very free with the source material. Not terribly prolific, either. Contributing occasionally to meta discussions.
(d) Slash barely interests me at all anymore. Once in a while I find a nice sexy story, but I don't see media through a slasher's filter.
__________
This may sound weird, but I always wanted to be accepted in a fannish community. I felt like these were my people -- obsessive, creative, interested in deconstructing the human psyche and the way we tell stories. To this day, there are fandoms that I want to "get into" because I like the people. But I never have been able to insinuate myself, and now I actually miss how passionate I was about those shows.
So why can't I be that way anymore?
(a) In part I blame university. English courses have warped my ability to just love a fun series. I'm very neurotic about my "taste" so I spend half my time defending X-Men and the rest pretending that I don't like The Dead Zone or Due South (ugly truth: I totally do).
(b) The endlessly chattering critical mind has also ruined my ability to just enjoy a Cyclops story because SCOTT! AW! SQUEE! I really think this is a loss. "Squeevision" is an empathic state, it's unconditional love directed at a fictional character, no matter what form s/he appears in. It's an important ability, in some sense. I can't put my finger on it.
(c) My writing is very stiff and constricted, limited to a few favourite themes that replay over and over. This is how it feels to me, and it may be wrong, but right now one reason that I'm holding off on writing other stories and other characters is fear of covering the same territory. I'm not writing original fic at the moment. I have nothing to say right now except this.
Is my nostalgia for a Golden Age hopelessly weird? Am I wrong in assuming that other people in fandom are basking in the perfect bliss of fannish love? I would be seriously interested in seeing how fannish feelings have progressed for others, in as much detail as you care to muster.
My Golden Age of Fandom was 17-19. I loved X-Men, Highlander, DS9, and North of 60. My best friend/unrequited crush got me to read Harry Potter, but it never really "took" and I gave it up when we broke up.
Anyhow, in those days my fandom experience was markedly different than it is now.
(a) I read more fics. I didn't need recs from three different respected sources. I didn't click away after two lines. If it had MY character in it and was tolerable, by God I read straight to the end.
(b) I went after more canon. I had to see every episode, read every book, read the biographies of all the cast members.
(c) I never wrote myself, nor did I contribute to lists (except with North of 60, which wasn't a "fandom" as such--the only list in existence forbade ficcing and looked askance at wank and meta).
(d) Slash was a much bigger turn-on. In Highlander I exclusively read slash. I saw slashiness, and saw it everywhere.
__________
19-22: Repeated episodes of depression. Giving a shit is difficult. Fandom activity ceases.
__________
22-23: Today, I really only participate in X-Men fandom. And "participate" is pretty generous. I don't read the lists, although I am subscribed to them. Still enjoy DS9 and No60, can't ignore Highlander's shittiness anymore. Am enjoying BSG, but find it hard to "break in" to write it -- it's too tight, I don't feel comfortable interfering in the storyline, interpolating and extrapolating. Maybe in a few years.
Differences:
(a) I read much less. If ten stories come up on my flist, I might dare a peek at one of them, IF it's recc'd in the strongest possible terms by someone I respect. I regret this.
(b) I delve into canon much less. Part of this is because it's X-Men, and if you go too deep you might never come out. You can't know everything, and it's discouraging.
(c) I am writing myself, but I'm making very free with the source material. Not terribly prolific, either. Contributing occasionally to meta discussions.
(d) Slash barely interests me at all anymore. Once in a while I find a nice sexy story, but I don't see media through a slasher's filter.
__________
This may sound weird, but I always wanted to be accepted in a fannish community. I felt like these were my people -- obsessive, creative, interested in deconstructing the human psyche and the way we tell stories. To this day, there are fandoms that I want to "get into" because I like the people. But I never have been able to insinuate myself, and now I actually miss how passionate I was about those shows.
So why can't I be that way anymore?
(a) In part I blame university. English courses have warped my ability to just love a fun series. I'm very neurotic about my "taste" so I spend half my time defending X-Men and the rest pretending that I don't like The Dead Zone or Due South (ugly truth: I totally do).
(b) The endlessly chattering critical mind has also ruined my ability to just enjoy a Cyclops story because SCOTT! AW! SQUEE! I really think this is a loss. "Squeevision" is an empathic state, it's unconditional love directed at a fictional character, no matter what form s/he appears in. It's an important ability, in some sense. I can't put my finger on it.
(c) My writing is very stiff and constricted, limited to a few favourite themes that replay over and over. This is how it feels to me, and it may be wrong, but right now one reason that I'm holding off on writing other stories and other characters is fear of covering the same territory. I'm not writing original fic at the moment. I have nothing to say right now except this.
Is my nostalgia for a Golden Age hopelessly weird? Am I wrong in assuming that other people in fandom are basking in the perfect bliss of fannish love? I would be seriously interested in seeing how fannish feelings have progressed for others, in as much detail as you care to muster.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 05:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 03:22 pm (UTC)When you can't stop crying because something bad happened to Adama, and you're camping out outside Mary McDonnell's house, and you're wearing your BSG uniform to work, THEN start being scared.
Until then it's fun, which is my point. Fandom is wasted on the young!
I want to watch the DVDs now and I'm supposed to be in class all day, thanks a lot.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 03:43 pm (UTC)Hum, what if I already do some of that stuff?
It's a shame, when the first part of season one comes out I'm going to rent it with a few friends and watch the whole thing - too bad you're 2 hours away.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 03:53 pm (UTC)So yes, slash = gay.
Why would you want to label something as slash if it isn't gay? I'm curious.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 07:02 pm (UTC)This is kind of like saying, "Does all water HAVE to be wet? Personally I like stuff to be nice and dry. Where can I get some dry water?"
no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 05:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 07:06 pm (UTC)slash: usually m/m, sometimes f/f as well
femslash: specifically f/f
het: m/f
gen: general interest story that doesn't centre around the romance/erotic aspect.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 05:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 02:52 pm (UTC)I'm sure Commander Adama would write slash if he felt like it and had exhausted all his other hobbies (the model ships and such, which I think are so cool).
no subject
Date: 2006-01-12 05:14 pm (UTC)