ratherastory | Really, fandom?

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Really, fandom?

I'm perplexed. Amused and a little appalled, but mostly perplexed.

Maybe it's because I'm still sort of new to fandom? I've been around for about seven months or so.

First off, I will admit to caving and going to poke at the anon meme after there was controversy about one of the BigBang fics. I'm not touching on that since many, many people have said what needs to be said more than eloquently.

No, what I stumbled across, and have since seen more than a few times on my flist, is that apparently there is wank about the

deancasbigbang. It appears that some people (hard to tell how many since they're all anonymous) have decided that Dean/Cas (or Dean & Cas) fen are elitist princesses who want to segregate the fandom by ships.

Really, fandom? Seriously?

I'm participating in the

spn_j2_bigbang this year. I was super excited when I saw announcements go up, and I signed up and wrote (and angsted at length here about it). Then later on there was an announcement for the first ever

deancasbigbang and I got all excited about that too! I don't really ship Dean/Cas, but I had an idea for a Dean & Cas fic (yes, it's still going to be gen) and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to write it.

It never even occurred to me that a Dean/Cas BigBang was somehow infringing on the non-D/C people in fandom. All I saw was an opportunity to write.

Someone (anonymous, of course) wrote that they were being denied an opportunity to write their non-D/C fic and were being discriminated against because they shipped something else.

...

Umm. WHAT? Dude, WRITE IT ANYWAY. If you have a long!fic to write that isn't Dean/Cas, then just write it and post it! Why is that hard? If you want art for your fic (and who wouldn't?), then hit up your flist or some of the comms. Maybe you'll luck out and someone will produce art for you.

I'm actually kind of sad at the idea that, just because a group of people got all cranked up and excited about their ship/pairing/whatever, another group of people felt that this was somehow designed to exclude them/make them feel bad. I get all cranked up and excited about SO MANY THINGS about the Show, and never once have my thoughts even veered close to: "That'll show those $fans what for!"

Sheesh.

Also,

nyoka has revealed to me that multi-shippers are like bisexuals and unicorns: we don't exist. As a result, I am halfway tempted to write an orgy fic involving every single main and recurring character from the show, just to watch people's heads explode. You're all VERY LUCKY that I have yet to muster up the courage to write really explicit porn. ;)

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Wow. As a bisexual multi-shipper (reading rather than writing, because me trying to write pairings would just be awkwardly amusing) I doubly don't exist. Must check forehead to make sure I haven't turned into a unicorn.

*checks*

Apparently not - yet.

Oh, why must there be wank in fandom? Given that non-fandom thinks we're all insane anyway, why can't we enjoy our diversity?

Where is the anon meme? Can I go and poke at it too? Or would it put me off my food?

It would likely put you off your food, but I can point you to the comm if you *really* want.

There are a few threads in there which are civilized, but there's a LOT of wank, too.

Oh, point me to it. My congregations are behaving themselves at the moment; I'm organising a fabulous Refugee Service with some friends; my life is currently remarkably wank-free.

spnpermanon

Have fun!

*packs you a sandwich*

I'm now flummoxed. Have read some of the comments about "Between Earth and Sky" (I think that's the title) which has now been removed by the author because of all the negative comments about setting a story in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

BUT - it was a J2 story!

So, people were against using the real-life tragedy of Haiti fictionally (which I wouldn't think was a problem, given the number of stories that use real tragedy as a setting - right down to a 9/11 Spider-man comic that I thought was very well done) but not against someone writing a love story that uses the identities of two real-life men who are each now married (to women, not each other).

I'm not seeing the higher ground here.

Oh, pastor darlin', steer clear of that anon meme. It will put you off your food for MONTHS. I've poked my nose in a couple of times out of curiosity re: something a flistie has mentioned, and within two or three minutes I honestly am sick to my stomach.

It's such a sad thing that the majority of fandom is made up of intelligent, caring, thoughtful people. And then there's the fringe element. And they do so love inventing drama where there was none.

Apparently I'm a unicorn too. I honestly don't get Dean/Cas, but if they want to write it and post it and have a comm and a BB for it...fine. As my dad is fond of saying, "It's no skin off my [posterior]." But you know, this is all familiar: I know the mods of the Gen rec comm had to duck a lot of flak from people who claimed their comm was discriminatory against slash. (Which...what? It's a Gen rec comm.)

Fandom, you are awesome in your crazy.

So very, VERY crazy, I don't even know where to begin.

This is the second time I've allowed myself to get sucked into reading something there, and it's a bit like watching a train wreck. Egads.

Well, I've had a look at spnpermanon and so far haven't seen anything that people couldn't have attached their names to. So I'm not sure what the point is. And given the level of comment I've decided life is too short to hang round there. I like knowing who I'm talking to on LJ, as much as one can given we all use user names.

DUDE. I just can't even come up with a coherent response to most of that -- I mean, DUDE. Just write your damn fic whenever you damn feel like it! And stop your bitching. We don't appreciate it. At all.

Also, multi-shippers DO exist! I, for one, am perfectly comfortable appreciating multiple shippings in the same fandom, as long as the characterization IN THAT INSTANCE is correct. Because shippings, for me, are all about instances in which you see those characters as being romantically compatible, and if I can see the for multiple pairings involving, say, Sam, then I think that's totally cool.

I WANT TO READ THAT ORGY. (and participate in it cough cough)

That is one of the stupidest wank-fests I've ever seen. There are some other ones going on right now that I think are a bit justified, but the never-ending D/C vs Wincesters is so ridiculous.

MULTI-SHIPPERS UNITE. I seriously don't understand why we don't exist. LOL. It's so haaaaappy over here! And I would totally read your porn. :D

We are like UNICORNS! I think there should be more sparkles! \o/

MULTISHIPPERS UNITE! *waves flag*

XDDD

And on the other hand, D= because that's just really sad and, actually, pretty pathetic. I have always, when I HAVE done projects of any type for fandom, done them with the expectation that, at most, they may make 1 or 2 people smile and/or think. And maybe even say "Hey, it's cool that you did this because something inspired you so much!" I consider myself something of a jack of all trades and a master of none in fandom because I will try really hard at things I do but there are so many REALLY amazing people in all the different things I've tried and, of course, I expect their things to get more attention - because they are BETTER. Sometimes, it is also because they are more popular in a certain group or have come at just the right time, but someone's fic has never done extremely well JUST BECAUSE of those reasons.

People write fic because they enjoy it - that there are different venues meant to inspire different kinds of fics does NOT MEAN that just because there isn't one currently present for your idea that you can't do it. In fact (in my mind) it is sometimes BETTER to post an original idea that no one's thought of when other events are happening because it will catch attention in it's uniqueness.

Also, I hadn't come across this wank at all because I hang out with multi-shippers like myself. o_o;

I hang out with multishippers too. Maybe we're in a parallel universe and never knew it? Because apparently other shippers out there believe we don't exist.

In fact (in my mind) it is sometimes BETTER to post an original idea that no one's thought of when other events are happening because it will catch attention in its uniqueness.

Yes, this. :)

ORGY FIC, ORGY FIC. *cough*

See the problem with orgy fic, much like with multi-shipping, is figuring out what goes in what holes! *coughs again*

MULTISHIPPERS UNITE. \o/

And fandom, make art, not war. :D

I'd probably get hate mail for choosing the wrong "bottoms" or something. ;)

Someone who can make icons (i.e. not me) needs to make a MULTISHIPPERS UNITE icon.

Dude, it's an orgy -- let everyone take turns on the bottom/top/middle.

That's what I was thinking, but I'm sure people would manage to get offended anyway. ;)

It's a hypothetical orgy, in any case.

Of course there'll be offended masses -- it's fandom.

People (in general) are stupid and precious.

I DON'T WANNA BE A UNICORN!!!! Um, I totally enjoy, read, and think about more than one 'ship. I'm not really even partial to one in particular. One of the best slash stories I've read was Dean/Bobby as wierd as it sounded at first, and one of my favorite series was John/Jo. Sam/Dean are really popular, so of course I've read more of those than anything else, but I'm also a fan of Dean/Cas, Sam/Cas, Sam/Dean/Cas, Read a fantastic Ellen/Dean (heh, cougar) and I've even read a Dean/John that somehow managed not to be wierd. I also have a WIP that's Dean/Lisa, if I can ever get the damn thing past chapter 3. So...I'm not bisexual, but apparently, I'm a mythical creature. Good to know.

And, uh... if they want a bigbang for their 'ship... start one?

I personally found this very entertaining to read, if only for the sheer doublemindedness of the whole thing: STOP BEING IN MY FANDOM. STOP BEING IN MY FANDOM SAFE ZONES, EVEN IF THEY ARE TECHNICALLY ALL-INCLUSIVE. ALSO STOP BEING EXCLUSIVE AND CREATING YOUR OWN FANDOM SAFE ZONES, YOU'RE EXCLUDING ME. CRAP. I MEAN. OH FUCK IT, DIAF. But this wank is nice and safe compared to thenyxie and gatorgrrrl's things, so I'm getting some lolz where I can, I guess.

On the other hand, the language being used is so problematic I don't even know where to begin. =/ Oh, wait, no, I did figure it out and posted about it. Ugh.

And one for personalization:

You ROCK. :D

we don't judge! ha! Fantastic!

I find the whole thing amusing and sad at the same time.

IDK, but this anon meme seems to be full of people who have way to much time on their hands.

I'm a multi shipper. a ship whore if you will. If it's written well, I'll ship pretty much anything. The key is not the ship, but the writing, IMHO.

Plus if people are feeling excluded, nothing is stopping them from creating their own big bang community.

The anon meme is full of pathetic, immature cowards. (Pathetic because they apparently have nothing better to do than spend their days trolling the internet looking for something to trash & reading fics with the intent of not liking them. Immature because they get their rocks off by bringing other people down. Cowards because they can't even (wo)man up and put their name on their hurtful words.)

I almost feel sorry for them.

It's so true, right?

One of the things that immediately drew me to fandom was the amount of positive energy. The fact that no one is getting paid [except in squee!] and most everyone is full of so much heart, enthusiasm and good will.

It's too bad that some people can't just enjoy it but instead have to tear it down.

Lol. I don't really read fic that doesn't comply with the general tone and lean of canon, but I WOULD LEAVE YOU SO MANY AWESOME COMMENTS ON THAT ORGY FIC JUST TO PISS EVERYONE OFF.

DOOOOO EET.

Wait. Is there a rule somewhere that you can't write words over a certain length unless they're for Big Bangs?

I am SO screwed, if so.

"Help, help, I'm being oppressed! Now we see the violence inherent in the system!"

My general rule is: there should be fic. Lots of fic. Lots of different kinds of fic. Some kinds I read pretty much all of. Some I read if it looks good. Some character combinations/tones/ship/tropes do nothing for me. So guess what? I don't read them. Doesn't mean I don't want people writing them or feel disenfranchised by their existence. A very, very few tropes I find actually objectionable, but that is a whole different issue.

As for the anon meme: if there is something out there worse than TWOP, and it sounds like the anon meme might be it, I don't ever want to go there.

Do we need to send the wankers to the time out corner again? It's like dealing with a 3 year old having a temper tantrum in the middle of a store. There's plenty of fandom for everyone.

I am apparently completely clueless. I'm happy reading the kind of stories I like, and seeking out the people who write the kinds of stories I like, and that's all I know. I'm glad.

I kinda love what you said about multishippers, bisexuals, and unicorns. Word. (Honestly, I've never really understood the whole shipping wars thing.)

Also, speaking of bisexuals, are you reading

classy_lawyers? I don't know if RPF is your thing, and realistic RPF often makes me bunches of uncomfortable, but this AU comm has been really fun to read. It's

longsufferingly and

setissma role-playing as Jared, Jensen, and Danneel in an AU lawyers'verse that uses the LJ comment thread as a storytelling device.

I'm mentioning it to you because one of the things I love about it is that Jensen's bisexuality in the story is, imho, well portrayed. He's dated men and women and not just a long time ago. He displays attraction for both males and females, and it's very different than most portrayals of bisexuality that I've seen in my short time in fandom, where the attraction to the sex not part of the OTP is all offscreen. So, as a bisexual I'm enjoying it for that reason, in addition to the kinda hilarious story they're creating.

I wrote a Buffy fic once where a curse dictated that every main character had to have sex with every other main character in order to avert certain doom. In lieu of an actual sex scene, there was this:

[insert what ever couple you wish in whatever kind of situation with whatever level of kinkiness you prefer. Just remember that said characters will also end up, in varying degrees of television rating, with everyother character.][sic]

It seems I also labeled it "G/O/B/W/X/S".

I would love to see your orgy fic!

Edited 2010-06-16 02:57 (UTC)

First off, I will admit to caving and going to poke at the anon meme after there was controversy about one of the BigBang fics. I'm not touching on that since many, many people have said what needs to be said more than eloquently.
Yep, saw that one coming when I read the summary of the fic. I have mixed emotions on it all. In fact, I'd need about seventeen more hands for all of the "on the other hand" comments I'd make if I entered that debate.

It appears that some people (hard to tell how many since they're all anonymous) have decided that Dean/Cas (or Dean & Cas) fen are elitist princesses who want to segregate the fandom by ships.

I love that, after all of these years, in whatever fandom I run across, people still fight over ships. It's just kind of adorable and makes me want to smarm and throttle fandom simultaneously. Really? I don't care. If the story is well written and compelling, I'm game. There's some ships that have to work harder to get me on board with the fic (and I admit that Sam/Dean is one of them), but there are authors that do. And it's good. However, I must have missed the giant drama where the Dean/Cas folk started squashing the wee folk of other ships. They're like a dragon. They must be slain.

I'm a unicorn. I crap rainbows and everything. Also, my ability to sparkle makes Edward Cullen fucking weep.

Related to absolutely nothing, I just had this crazy flash of a scene from Pete's Dragon where Pete and Elliot were arguing in a cave.

...

I have no reason for that. Unless the D/C dragon to be slain is rather like Elliot. But, really. I'd be sad to see it die then. Even though, damn, Disney singing happened there.

Yeah, so, lack of sleep and all of that.

That anon meme seems like the worst kind of lazy poison to me, and as to the panicky OMG they're splitting the fandom by shipping Dean/Cas seriously, what? Have you seen the size of the SPN fandom?? Have you seen how many shippers and pairings and OTPs there are out there, happily being read and scribbled and passed on by by those into one and not the other? The fabric of SPN as a fandom was still intact last time I looked.

Like you, I don't get it. If you want to write a Dean/Cas, Sam/Gabriel/Chuck/The Heavenly Host fic write and post it!! Good grief, how much hand holding do some people need?

You should totally write that orgy fic, and just use euphemisms so you don't have to be explicit, all "Curious Sofa" style:

"Lady Celia led Alice to her boudoir, where she requested the girl to perfom a rather surprising service" or
"Reginald, another remarkably well-set-up young man from the village, provided everyone with the most astonishing little device" or
"Colonel Gilbert and his wife, Louise, came in after dinner; both of them had wooden legs, with which they could do all sorts of entertaining tricks."

It would be EPIC.

As for the wank, I am astonished that people have that much time on their hands. I mean really, think of how much fanfic could have been written in the time and space devoted to complaining about where people are posting their fanfic. The mind rather boggles.

I`m a Wincest OTP shipper, and my reaction to various other slash fic challenges out there is scrolling by, not flaming. I won`t lie, the first thought after seeing the name

deancasbigbang was "What`s that, a Sam-free BigBang?", but ... then I felt embarrassed. Let`s admit it, it`s Zachariah levels of pettiness.

I don't really like Dean/Castiel (or Sam/Castiel for that matter) but I've read some and enjoyed them because people are amazing writers and - why on earth would you stop them writing or shipping who they want? Isn't fanfiction about creativity, putting characters in places they don't go in the show and making it work, making it believable and showing off your skills as a writer? If you have a fic idea WRITE IT. THAT'S WHAT WRITING IS FOR. *HEADDESK*

I get all cranked up and excited about SO MANY THINGS about the Show, and never once have my thoughts even veered close to: "That'll show those $fans what for!"

Why would people want to poison show-watching with bitterness?

You know what's awesome about the show? In an episode where Dean tells Cas to blow him, Zachariah tells Adam that Sam and Dean are erotically codependent. Makes it hard to have a OH HAHA TAKE THAT moment.

Also, I hate the anonmeme. Hate it. I understand the need for freedom in some cases, but that place is a pit of hatred. Not many people are mature enough to be polite even when they're anonymous.

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Really, fandom?

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When you get old like me you learn ...

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