Far from the madding crowd?
Feb. 26th, 2001 07:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rsadelleIn a rare bout of agreement with quite a lot of other people, I'm sick and tired of fandom. I feel about fandom in general now the way I felt about Mulder/Scully Romance when I stopped reading it. The stories are more or less the same, and so are the discussions and arguments. The first time the same issues came up, I watched. The second time, I got involved in the discussion. This time, I'm just sick of it and inclined to throw my hands up and say, "Fine. Let it all go to hell."
Instead of being one of the authors so passionate about fandom, I'm now just another one of the old and bitter slashers who slowly starts working herself out of slash fandom.
That doesn't mean I've disappeared completely. I'm now on digests on a lot of lists, and I left other lists, but I also joined some new lists. The lists I joined, with one exception, are gen/het lists and, under one of my aliases, general discussion lists.
My fascination with gen and het, especially well-written and Real People gen and het, is very much the same as my initial fascination with slash; it's something different. I'm sick and tired of the stories that all have the same plot and basically the same characters, no matter who they pretend to be. I'm sick and tired of the same discussions about what makes good fic and why RPS is or isn't evil. I'm ready for fic about different people in different styles. I'm ready for discussions about what Jarod and Miss Parker's relationship might be. I'm ready for lists that don't leave me frustrated, annoyed and angry all the time.
In a not unrelated rant, I'm struggling very hard not to say to a great number of people, "Just grow the fuck up already." It's not just the women in their thirties who act fifteen. It's not just the teenagers whose journals I read and think, "Of course you feel that way; everyone feels that way at your age." It's not even just the old and venerable, relatively speaking, slashers who are so taken with NSync. It's all of them and more. Everywhere I turn, there are people who by rights should be mature enough to deal with the real world and the fan world, yet aren't. In the midst of all this infuriating immaturity, who's acting like an adult? The ex-friend who usually insists on being all of about thirteen. Ah, irony, how thou hast not failed me.
Instead of being one of the authors so passionate about fandom, I'm now just another one of the old and bitter slashers who slowly starts working herself out of slash fandom.
That doesn't mean I've disappeared completely. I'm now on digests on a lot of lists, and I left other lists, but I also joined some new lists. The lists I joined, with one exception, are gen/het lists and, under one of my aliases, general discussion lists.
My fascination with gen and het, especially well-written and Real People gen and het, is very much the same as my initial fascination with slash; it's something different. I'm sick and tired of the stories that all have the same plot and basically the same characters, no matter who they pretend to be. I'm sick and tired of the same discussions about what makes good fic and why RPS is or isn't evil. I'm ready for fic about different people in different styles. I'm ready for discussions about what Jarod and Miss Parker's relationship might be. I'm ready for lists that don't leave me frustrated, annoyed and angry all the time.
In a not unrelated rant, I'm struggling very hard not to say to a great number of people, "Just grow the fuck up already." It's not just the women in their thirties who act fifteen. It's not just the teenagers whose journals I read and think, "Of course you feel that way; everyone feels that way at your age." It's not even just the old and venerable, relatively speaking, slashers who are so taken with NSync. It's all of them and more. Everywhere I turn, there are people who by rights should be mature enough to deal with the real world and the fan world, yet aren't. In the midst of all this infuriating immaturity, who's acting like an adult? The ex-friend who usually insists on being all of about thirteen. Ah, irony, how thou hast not failed me.
Considering growing up
Date: 2001-02-27 05:39 am (UTC)ROTFL!
Date: 2001-02-27 09:33 am (UTC)Okay, think about it... According to what you state, you give the appearance of having a hard time dealing with the fan world. And yet, you also imply that those who can't deal with the fan world are immature. Not that I'm drawing conclusions or anything, though.
'Just grow the fuck up already,' indeed. Old and bitter? At 20? Are you really sure that it's others that have growing up to do, or are you picking at unfavorable traits of your own that you see mirrored in others?
Live and let live.
Date: 2001-02-27 12:51 pm (UTC)I agree with you on one thing - when you've seen it all, it tends to become boring. There are quite a lot fandoms where basically the same story is replayed over and over again. No plot, no discussion, no character trait seems new because you've seen it all countless times before. Leaving is the best, and maybe the only thing you can do then. Been there, done that.
However, I think it's wrong to blame anyone for this. If other people like to stay obsessed with the fandom - let them. If they want to discuss the same things time and time again - fine. Maybe they haven't been there before, or maybe they just don't grow tired. There's nothing bad about that.
As for immaturity - sorry, but who are you to decide what is mature and what isn't? If the "old and venerable ... slashers" like NSync, then what the hell is wrong with that. Mind you, I don't like them and don't read about them, so I'm not biased. You don't have to like their music. You don't have to read stories about them. But you should repect others if they want to. We all have our obsessions. Some of us move on - but I wouldn't call that "growing up", others don't. And stability isn't necessary worse than change.
On a entirely different note, I think people should have the decency and the courage to sign their comments or - if they have a journal - log on. ::shrug:: Well, not my business.
wow.
Date: 2001-03-01 01:09 pm (UTC)Um, wow. "Everyone feels that way"? Can you ever really say that about people? That EVERYONE feels a certain way? That's really cold. That's really misinformed. I don't care what age group you direct such a comment at- it's an assumption, and a poor one at that. Sure, people may experience similar feelings at similar points in their lives, but no one will EVER have the SAME feelings. Furthermore, your use of the phrase, "of course" is pretty fucking demeaning, ESPECIALLY if you're responding to someone's angst. Certainly, Teenage Angst can start to sound the same, and it can be boring and annoying (I have read MORE than my share of stupid teenage journals), but to categorize it as such...I just don't agree with that, and I wish you'd reconsider that part of your head.
As for the desire to have other people "grow the fuck up," it might do you well to realize that "growing up" has Absolutely Nothing To Do With the sort of music a person likes. Musical tastes may evolve, personal tastes may evolve, but I have yet to see the proof that a kid who listens to and/or obsesses over Boy Bands is less mature than someone the same age who listens to the Pixies or something. Maturity is found elsewhere. You know that, because you said it. Maturity is found in dealing with the real world. Be sure you ALWAYS draw the line between the two. It's irresponsible to do otherwise.
love and kisses,
Meg (http://fisticuffs.org)