Fandom

[ohnoitsshirley]

I was going to do this after work, but I really feel the need to do it now. I don't really know why. I got the idea last night while I was trying to get to sleep, and I really want to do it.

So, I've been wondering a lot about fandom lately. Because it seems like for the past two weeks all fandom has been about is bashing and ranting and hating each other. Now I know that there is not one person on my friends page that got into fandom because they wanted to be hurt or wanted to hurt people. No one got into fandom just so they could call people stupid or be called stupid. We got into fandom because it's fun, and because we wanted to meet people with the same interests as us. Or something equally good like that. I think what everyone needs a reminder that that is what fandom is all about. I think anyway, that's what I need. Because I'm starting to forget that it was ever fun in the first place.

So if you're still paying attention (good job if you are), what I want is for every single person on my friends (yes all 140-something of you) to post a reminder about why fandom is good. It can be the first memory you have, the reason why you got into fandom, something about a friend you've made because of fandom. Anything that can remind me and yourself what it's all about and that it's never really been about which ship is better or which group of shippers is smarter. Because I know it can still be fun and not a crappy place.

Feel free to link others to this journal so they can come do the same. This is something I'm not friend locking, unless it gets out of hand. This wasn't my original plan, but I think it would do good, and hey. It might put a smile on your face to remember something that maybe you've forgotten.

I really want you guys to do this. No matter what fandom you are in. I think everyone needs a reminder of why we're here. Why we all collectively got together as a group and made fandom such a great place, and why it's silly for us to argue and bicker over things that don't really matter when really we should all just...have fun. Because hey, aren't we all just silly fangirls and fanboys at heart?

Comments

[missambs.livejournal.com]

Awww, this is a good thing. *pets you*

The way I figured it, fandom is like life. There's a lot of bad stuff -- a lot of bad stuff -- but overall? It's worth it for the good.

Fandom is the place where you can squee like an idiot or complain like a bitch, and always finds someone else willing to squee or bitch with you. There's a large sense of community, it's something to belong to. It teaches the people involved that no matter how strange, or odd they think they are? There are at least a dozen people who think just like them.

It's a creative outlet. It's a way to let go of real life and immerse yourself in the lives of others for a bit. To write pretty stories, to make pretty fanart and icons, of these characters, and just... escape daily life. Everyone needs an escape.

It's where I met every single of my close friends. Without fandom, I wouldn't have met any of these amazing people.

I'm sad that in the last few weeks I've lost three friends, but even with that? I know there are dozens of other people who still like me and don't think I'm mean, or stupid, or evil. Even though I'm all three on occasion.

Fandom is friendship and escape for me, two things I need desperately.

Besides that? It's fun. I mean where else could I find people that are willing to have a long, involved chat on crickets making their own Buffy spoof?

The way I figure it, you have to take the bad with the good. Anywhere where there's a lot of people, with strong personalities as most fandom people have, there's going to be conflict. There's going to be drama. But that's not all fandom is.

[naughtyelf.livejournal.com]

*pets Ambs*

The crickets ARE an important part of fandom in their own right! :D Yay for you bringing up the crickets!

[emma-daisy.livejournal.com]

Stellar idea, my dear. I'm gonna go do this right now. Is it OK if I quote a little bit of your post because you said it all so prettily. *g*

[made-of-magic.livejournal.com]

This is soo sweet.

No matter whats going on in your RL? If you've lost all your friends your job and are arguing with your family if you come online you have a bunch of friends who care about you and know just how to cheer you up always.

I've come online crying hating everything and ended up in hysterics at myself for thinking everyone was so bad.

[mmichelle.livejournal.com]

Fandom is something silly and stupid, a way you can escape your real life. Having a bad day? Go read some fluff and cheer yourself up. It's a place where you can squee about stupid things that most people in RL probably don't care about.

At least, that's what it was originally. But, for me, it's turned into so much more than that. I've made some wonderful, amazing friends, some of whom I've had the pleasure of meeting in real life.

Everyone in a fandom shares a common interest. Why do we allow ourselves to be divided over so many smaller, petty issues?


Lovely idea for a post. :)

[absentego.livejournal.com]

Why is fandom fun? I always liked getting excited about something. Then being able to get with other people and doing the fangirl squee thing. It's a way to connect with people who have the same interests.

Thank you for this, Toppie. It's a great idea.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_emomuffin/]

*hugs* Toppie, this is an amazing idea.

Fandom, to me, is such an escape. It doesn't matter how bad of day I've had, when I come online there's always something to make me laugh and cheer me up.

I met my girlfriend through fandom. She's my absolute best friend in the entire world and has been for a year, and my girlfriend for three months. I don't know what I'd do if I'd never met her.

I owe all the great friends I have to fandom.

[theyneedseven.livejournal.com]

Wow. I love you. The lack of love around here has seriously been making me want to cry.

Hmmm. Well, I first got into fandom because none of my friends really had the same interests as me, and I was dying to talk to other people about the shows and books I liked and have them actually know what I was talking about. Then I found S.U., and that's where it started.

I agree with you totally on every thing that you said. Fandom isn't about attacking other people because you don't agree with them. It's finding the things you both like about something, and possibly some friendly debate over the things you disagree on. I'm definitely not saying you should only talk about the things you have in common. Some of the best conversations I've ever had where when a friend and I were discussing something for which our views were completely different. But discussing and outright attacking are completely different things.

Thanks again, you have renewed my faith in fandom. It was starting to deteriorate.

[psycgurl.livejournal.com]

Very well said, hun. I'll definately do this and link to you, because you said it better than anyone possibly could.

[akadougal.livejournal.com]

Meeting people online and having their support when it really mattered.

[naughtyelf.livejournal.com]

The great thing about fandom, for me, is that you meet so many people who think so much the same as you. Its rare to find that in real life, because things like location and age etc get in the way, and to some extent dictate who you know and are friends with.

Online, NONE of these things matter - you can go and find people who have the same interests as you, no matter where either of you are. You get to make excellent new friends that in many cases open up so many opportunities - like yours and the twins trips over here. Like meeting Christie meaning that I had a new friend at Uni. All of these things are cool and the reason I'm still in fandom, even if they're not all the reasons I got into it in the first place - they're just bonuses.

[meggygurl.livejournal.com]

I am in fandom because of every single person I have met since friending you back in like, November. I love fandom because no where else will people know what I'm talking about when I say random stuff like "I remember everything" or "THings fall apart.." and get what I am talking about. I love fandom because the people are great and understanding and there for you when you fall down.

But mainly i love fandom because it is the only place I can be THIS big of a dork, and no one questions it. Cause everyone else is a dork also.

[jaguar83.livejournal.com]

Fandom is good because we can all be FANGIRLS (and BOYS) and SQUEEEEEEEEE all over the place and not get funny looks/men in white coats coming to take us away because we're just crazy!

[raisingirl99.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite things about fandom is that you'll have a person whom you originally met through Interest A, and then one day you discover that you both share Random, Completely Unrelated Interest B. Those moments make me absolutely giddy.

Another thing I love is that I, personally, have met so many great people through fandom. People I respect and admire and care about deeply. People who challenge me to look at things -- in fandom and in real life -- from a different perspective. People who had never met me, who only knew me as a fan of such-and-such, but were willing to listen to me or at least send me online hugs when I really, really needed it.

Sure, there are people online I really like (at least at first) who never take the time to get to know me, or just don't like me back. Sometimes I get discouraged, because I'm human. My feelings do get hurt. Still, reading thoughtful, positive, wonderful posts -- like this post, or lavellebelle's Icon Maker Appreciation Day idea -- makes it worth it.

[quinnykins.livejournal.com]

my fandom thing is:

naughtyelf and I are r/l friends but in two different fandoms online. But when we do get together we sit and talk for hours about fandoms!!! The cool thing is I don't need to know anything about Angel, Buffy, Scrubs, Alias, CSI....(shit toad you have alot!!!) etc etc and she doesn't have to know about LotR's for us to have a conversation because being part of a fandom *IS* a fandom. So its the same across the board. We talk about fic, RP-ing, sites, fanlistings the whole lot...when either of us rant off about characters the other one smiles and nods.

It's great! And I wouldn't have half the friends I do now and I wouldn't be going to conventions and making more friends if it wasn't for fandom!

Some one should make a Fandom Fanlisting. I would but I already have three appoved that I need to make!!! Time time time!!!

[naughtyelf.livejournal.com]

Fuck LJ! I just posted a lovely comment and it ate it!

Okay, so *toddles off to apply for Fandom FL*

I meant to say in my last post. Fandom has even made me closer to some of my RL friends than I would have been without it. quinnykins here being just one example - we have so much more in common/to talk about than before, and we were great friends before! We can sit and talk fandomy bollocks for hours, and she's right, the concept of all the fandom bollocks transcends all the actual fandoms.

Then there's rockchikita - Selina and I went to school together for five years without even so much as a hello before we met online, and because of all the fandom stuff we shared, we ended up walking down to my bus stop together after school every day for a year and a half.

And also, I love you people all so much that there are a LOT of you I wouldn't dream of not having there when I get married, even if it does cost a squillion pounds to get all of you over here. Definitely love the lot of you so much it'd be worth it!

Oh, and Quinn? *cough* Due South ;)

[kiratollan.livejournal.com]

Couldn't write it better than you did.

Fandom should be fun and bring people together not apart.

[satine79.livejournal.com]

You know why fandom rocks?? Because it's a fantastic way of escaping the absolute chaos of normal everyday life. Where else can you go to pretend that nothing else matters besides what your favourite actor was wearing (or not wearing) in that scene, or who should be shipped with who in your favourite tv show? Real life sucks sometimes -- I know everyone agrees with that, so if you can take a couple hours or even 10 minutes to just let it all go, it's worth it ;) Plus, like everyone else on here already said, how else would you meet all of these wonderful people. Some of the people that I care most about in my life live thousands of miles away from me and I never would've gotten to know them if it hadn't been for fandom!!

okay... that is all *loves you* And... I'm SOOOOOO pimping this ;)

[napple]

Fandom is what we need. To escape from the harsh days of RL.

It's fun, it's exciting, it makes me squee, damn it. I never squeed before fandom.

I have fallen in love with so many people. I never knew I was capable of this kind of love. (That includes you, Shirley! *loveloveloveloveloves*)

Fandom is beautiful. It's everything to me. I know I sound like a nerdy geek, but it's true. I have learned so many things, taught so many things, over the four years I've been in it.

Fandom is the reason my life ambition is to become a journalist. I don't plan on giving up any time soon. It really has affected my life. An addiction that is healthy for you. :P

Fandom brought me to LJ. Fandom brought me to AIM. Fandom brought me to RPGs. Fandom brought me to everyone and I think that's the best part about it all.

It connects, it tears apart, it makes me mad, it makes me depressed, it makes me so damn happy that I just can't stay away.

I love each and every single person I've ever said it to, and some of which I have not had time to. I mean it. I honestly, truly, do. And I hope people on my flist read this comment, because I want them to know this.

:) That was my take. Hope it was good enough. *huggles*

[blinded-dream.livejournal.com]

*loffs Shirley, DA, Maggie, Awk, Dig, Daph, Kitten, Lafi, Thrin and every other damn person on Lube*

I loff you all. And I am replying to DA's post because I'm too lazy to make my own.

I love the fandom because it is teh fandom. Simple as that. It is "teh fandom". It controls everything. It kicks ass. It kicks OUR ass if we leave it.

I chain myself to the fandom and bring everyone in it with me.

[ellie79.livejournal.com]

Lovely post Shirley!! And it needed to be said. As for my reasons, you and a small group of people are what makes fandom wonderful to me *hugs tight* You can see my full gushy explanation here: ellie79 *g*

[numberthree.livejournal.com]

(http://www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=teh_blends)