Fandom Isn't Perfect, But It's Not Broken
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| News Media Commentary | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Fandom Isn't Perfect, But It's Not Broken |
| Commentator: | Angel |
| Date(s): | June 1, 2016 |
| Venue: | online |
| Fandom: | |
| External Links: | Fandom Isn't Perfect, But It's Not Broken - The Geekiary, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Fandom Isn't Perfect, But It's Not Broken is a 2016 article by Angel. It was written as a response to Fandom is Broken.
Some Topics Discussed
- Chuck Wendig's tweets regarding the massive amount of backlash for including LGBTQ+ characters in his Star Wars novel
- fan campaigns
- fan entitlement, social justice
Excerpts
Even though Chuck Wendig is a creator who seems to understand the balance in fandom, I’ve seen many creators I admire share this article without defining the nuances between these two groups. A part of me thinks so many creators are sharing it because they feel that an active and vocal fandom may be trying to dictate their stories. They may feel fandom feedback, including calling for more diversity and inclusion on screen, is hampering their creative process. And you know what? I get that. I’m a writer, too. I write articles here on this website (and guest write at a few others) and creative fiction as fanfiction in my free time. Some of the feedback I’ve received both on my articles and on my fanfic has stung me deeply so I get it. I’ve even been doxed before, so man I really really get it. Your desire to want to continue creating free of this type of hurtful behavior isn’t outside of my comprehension here, but you can’t lump all of your critics together into one big bunch. You need to look at their motivations and what they are asking of you. Hatred and a desire for more diversity in media are two entirely different beasts here.
Is fandom broken? I don’t think so. It’s got some problems, but overall I believe it’s a net positive. To quote Chuck Wendig, “shitbirds gonna shitbird.” The dangerous and hateful language does need to be talked about, but lumping in people who just want to see more diversity in the media is terribly offensive and does a major disservice to those who are on the receiving end of these types of bigoted attacks. We aren’t the same so don’t tell us that we are. We see that hate too. We see it every day on social media and off the Internet in our real world lives. We see what you see, so please don’t put us in the same boat as the hateful and bigoted fans who are hating on us too.
Some Essays and Articles: Related and in Response
- Ghostbusters, Frozen, and the strange entitlement of fan culture (May 25, 2016)
- Fandom is Broken (May 30, 2016)
- Fandom Isn't Perfect, But It's Not Broken (June 1, 2016)
- Why we're terrified of fanfiction (June 2, 2016)
- About our "broken" fan culture (June 2, 2016)