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Ruminations on fandom
Mar. 3rd, 2020 06:09 pmI've been pondering fandom for the last few days following the situation of the blocking of the AO3 in China.
I do not know enough about what went on to have an informed opinion about what did/did not go on and whether or not one batch of fans going on a supposed rampage of reporting stories they didn't like was the actual cause of the AO3 being blocked. Considering the regime in question and what is already blocked in that country I doubt even one batch of rabid fans is that powerful.
I do know that blaming the actor that the fans purport to be supporters of - and I don't see the behaviour they engaged in as in any way supportive - is utterly incomprehensible to me. I understand lashing out in frustration but to deliberately retaliate and try to hurt the actor and projects he's involved in/been involved in is also behaviour I find reprehensible. It is not the actor's fault and will potentially harm them and other people they worked with that might rely on the those projects for a wage.
Actors do not control their fandoms nor do the management companies they work for.
In my time in fandom, I have been at events where the following happened:
1) A female nut-job (I refuse to call her a fan) literally had to be pulled off of the main guest at an event by security minders after she launched herself at him and wrapped her body around him. She'd apparently told family members she was going to do it and nobody believed her. I saw it happen.
2) An announcement had to be made over the tannoy system to tell people coming up to have photo sessions with an actor that groping their rear end was not permitted. Again, I was in the audience for a nearby talk when that announcement was made.
3) Been in a guest talk when a person deliberately joined the queue to ask questions so that they could ask the actor if they believed their slash paring with another actor was canon on the show.
4) Attended another guest talk where a question was asked about the actor's child and being a parent. The actor politely but firmly stated that they considered matters like that private - as it bloody well is - and moved on to the next question.
The self entitlement of some fans genuinely frightens me, especially in this age of social media insanity.
An actor/singer/director/photographer/dancer that you support might be in the public eye because they are successful. They are not your personal property to demand certain actions or to insist that your fantasies about their private lives are true and they are just hiding because of a reason that you invent in your head.
Acting/singing/directing/photographing/dancing is their job. At the end of they day, they go home to water their plants, cuddle their pets, be with their family and do real life stuff. They lose some privacy by being in the public eye and they have to deal with that. Dealing with rabid so-called fans should never have to be a part of it.
I will continue to be in fandom because I love it - even in my quiet corner. I will support the shows, actors, bands, movies that I like but I will be respectful in doing so.
I will live in the hope that sanity prevails in the end but I have my doubts.
I do not know enough about what went on to have an informed opinion about what did/did not go on and whether or not one batch of fans going on a supposed rampage of reporting stories they didn't like was the actual cause of the AO3 being blocked. Considering the regime in question and what is already blocked in that country I doubt even one batch of rabid fans is that powerful.
I do know that blaming the actor that the fans purport to be supporters of - and I don't see the behaviour they engaged in as in any way supportive - is utterly incomprehensible to me. I understand lashing out in frustration but to deliberately retaliate and try to hurt the actor and projects he's involved in/been involved in is also behaviour I find reprehensible. It is not the actor's fault and will potentially harm them and other people they worked with that might rely on the those projects for a wage.
Actors do not control their fandoms nor do the management companies they work for.
In my time in fandom, I have been at events where the following happened:
1) A female nut-job (I refuse to call her a fan) literally had to be pulled off of the main guest at an event by security minders after she launched herself at him and wrapped her body around him. She'd apparently told family members she was going to do it and nobody believed her. I saw it happen.
2) An announcement had to be made over the tannoy system to tell people coming up to have photo sessions with an actor that groping their rear end was not permitted. Again, I was in the audience for a nearby talk when that announcement was made.
3) Been in a guest talk when a person deliberately joined the queue to ask questions so that they could ask the actor if they believed their slash paring with another actor was canon on the show.
4) Attended another guest talk where a question was asked about the actor's child and being a parent. The actor politely but firmly stated that they considered matters like that private - as it bloody well is - and moved on to the next question.
The self entitlement of some fans genuinely frightens me, especially in this age of social media insanity.
An actor/singer/director/photographer/dancer that you support might be in the public eye because they are successful. They are not your personal property to demand certain actions or to insist that your fantasies about their private lives are true and they are just hiding because of a reason that you invent in your head.
Acting/singing/directing/photographing/dancing is their job. At the end of they day, they go home to water their plants, cuddle their pets, be with their family and do real life stuff. They lose some privacy by being in the public eye and they have to deal with that. Dealing with rabid so-called fans should never have to be a part of it.
I will continue to be in fandom because I love it - even in my quiet corner. I will support the shows, actors, bands, movies that I like but I will be respectful in doing so.
I will live in the hope that sanity prevails in the end but I have my doubts.
