Protecting What You Love: On the Difference Between Criticism, Rage and Vilification

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Title: Protecting What You Love: On the Difference Between Criticism, Rage and Vilification
Creator: Emily Asher-Perrin
Date(s): March 15, 2015
Medium: online at Tor.com
Fandom:
Topic:
External Links: Protecting What You Love: On the Difference Between Criticism, Rage, and Vilification, Archived version, March 24, 2015
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Protecting What You Love: On the Difference Between Criticism, Rage and Vilification is a 2015 essay by Emily Asher-Perrin.

Topics Discussed

Excerpts

Criticism is part of how fandom functions. But there is a substantial difference between thoughtful discussion and hyper-fueled teeth-gnashing destructor mode. And when that sort of festering anger gets leveled at people over making a lukewarm piece of continuity? It’s ugly. And it’s not what fandom is about.

The dividing line between criticism and keyboard-smashing rage is hard for some to parse out. And this is especially true because criticisms can get heated, particularly when the critique is centered on a group of people or subject that is often mistreated by fiction. And the fact is, angry criticism is not automatically bad criticism. Angry criticism might lack clarity on occasion, but that doesn’t make it incorrect by any means. However, the point of criticism is to direct our attention to places where the material might need work or deeper consideration—ways in which it’s perpetuating regrettable patterns and stereotypes or contributing to unfortunate trends, or simply falling down on its message and mission as a work of art, whether we’re talking about a Batman comic or a Virginia Woolf novel. And criticism is not out of place in pop culture, no matter what anyone says. If I see one more internet comment telling someone to “relax, it’s just a tv show/movie/book/comic… why can’t you just have fun and stop dissecting everything?” then I’m going to keyboard-rage-smash until the internet turns into all-caps letter soup. See? When other people refuse to engage in a constructive manner and choose to deride helpful discourse, it just creates more anger, and then I’m suddenly becoming Strong Bad.

We’ve all had that feel, bro. This is not my Superman! That is not my Tolkien! They are not my Avengers!

J.J. Abrams is nothing but lens flare! Brannon Braga knows nothing! You are betraying the very soul of that thing I love!

But frankly, the worst case scenario here is simply deciding not to engage with said property until it morphs into something that excites you again. Outside of that, it seems as though the majority of the rage is directed toward the idea that other fans will come to the fold through this new version of your fandom and “not understand” what it’s about.

Irritation is understandable, of course; the entertainment industry at large is a trend-driven monster and often doses us with much-of-the-same. It feels good to complain sometimes, but it’s not worth anyone’s fury. At best, it is worth our well-considered critique. Our disappointment. Possibly even our dismissal. And none of that amounts to actively trying to hurt another person, regardless of their perceived mistakes. Trolls will do what they do, but no one is going to be fooled into finding their antics relevant or impactful, or smart, or cool. If anything, those “us against them” tactics are far sadder than a failed first season of television, or an over-simplified reboot. It makes it hard for fans with different tastes to unabashedly like what they like, and harder for others to criticize the work in a meaningful way. So do fandom a favor: save your ire for plotholes and stereotypes and bad movie science. Debate with care and never forget that you are talking to and about other people. Contribute, rather than detract and threaten. And remember that even if you feel a certain amount of ownership over the stories that move you, that doesn’t give you leave to vilify anyone. Fandom should be the best kind of playground, not a never-ending game of King of the Mountain.

Comments: At the Original Post

I can’t thank you enough for writing this article. I have a friend who thinks this way unfortunately. If someone makes a movie or TV show not up to his standards, the only reason said person – whether director, writer or actor – could have failed is because they are a terrible, greedy person who is only interested in money. Of course, he doesn’t think “good” creatives are concerned with money, provided they makes movies which meet his standard. I take your view that criticism is not only a way to help us better understand the work itself, but also helps us create better, more enriching works in the providing – without hating on the person who made the work in the first place. [1]

I think something needs to be added to this.

Art is about inspiring emotions. All art. Analysis will always diminish those emotions. Critical analysis is important. But if you’re first observing a piece of art while analyzing it you’re already crippling the piece.

The first time you see a movie, the first time you read a book, shut off the critical part of your brain. Take the art in on a purely emotional level. You’ll enjoy everything you take in more.

It’s easy to analyze anything into the ground(for reference watch a few Cinema Sins videos.) Hating things is easy, and a great way to look smart on the way out of the theatre lobby. But it’s a terrible way to enjoy anything. So go in planning not to analyze. You can do that later, after you’ve gotten the full emotional spectrum of whatever art you’re supposed to be enjoying(Video Games, Books, Movies, Comics, Adult Films, etc….) [2]

Great article. I agree with most of Emily’s points. It is amazing how much vilification George Lucas has gotten for many later Star Wars decisions, despite the fact that he created the very property so many love. People get so emotionally attached to these properties. I do have to contest you on the Lens Flare issue with JJ. It just made the Star Trek reboot very annoying to watch. But we shouldn’t hang the guy for it. :-) [3]

Great article! I hope this actually reachs the people who really need to read it. The important thing to remember is that these new interpretations don’t change the originals at all. The only one I have a hard time with is the new Dune novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson. I have to remind myself that no matter what they try and do to the Dune saga, the original six novels will still be there, waiting to be read. [4]

And of course, I remember all of the craziness surrounding the Star Wars prequels and various declarations and definitions of who the ‘true fans’ were and what the prequels SHOULD have done, and how they should have used THIS idea, and GEORGE LUCAS RUINED MY CHILDHOOD, and just on and on and on. (That said, I suppose you could argue that for the originals since he’s made getting the theatrical versions so hard to get…).

Fandom is a funny thing. I definitely have my own preferences and ideas about what a story is about, and there have been things my favorite fandoms have done that I feel goes against that (Star Wars EU is a good example fo this, but there’s so much EU out there it’s not too hard to pick and choose what you will follow). And this is probably all tied up in the idea of what is ‘canon’.

Edited to add: Of course, I always want more of what I like so, for example, with the new Star Wars movies, if they aren’t ‘what I like’ (about Star Wars, at least)…I will be very sad.[5]

Sometimes YOU CAN’T turn off that part of your brain. As a woman, if all I see of myself represented in a video game is as a disposable abuse toy for the player character, I can’t turn that off and “enjoy it for what it is” because what it is, is telling me it doesn’t consider me a person. [6]

But oh my god Mass Effect fans, and Transformers fans. I remember all the ‘BAY RUINED MY CHILDHOOD! MY CHILDHOOD HAS BEEN RAPED!’ net rage, the fact that groups apparently protested his offices (old offices.)…I’ve been a trekkie since at least ’91, and I’m still afraid to join in the Trek community. Lotta fans should read this article. Even the ones who defend whatever property that makes some angry to the death, again with Transformers, you’d have one or two who’d constructively say why they don’t like say Transformers 4, then be attacked for hating the movie and only liking the 1980’s Transformers, then you’d have them fighting the anti Bay Transformers crowd, that after a while you just stay far away.

With Trek and Nu-Trek alive, that’s why I’m afraid of joining that community. I mean what if you love both Trek and Nu-Trek? And the novels? Especially post-Nemesis Trek? ANd you think Vanguard is a sort of TOS DS9? And Seekers is a sort of TOS Voyager but only good? and you have factions who are fighting over all that?

Fandom is a funny thing.[7]

“But that person was doing their job, trying to make something that they were hoping you’d like (…)”

How do you know? In the age of “The Franchise, The Reboot and The Stockholders’ demands” your argument seems to be artistic integrity, that is, all those great people out there are trying to do some great stuff to please the fans. If you have a look at the 100 box office grossing films I beg to differ.

Some films and tv series and books and comics are simply made to make money. Even if the makers know it’s crap. In fact, with modern marketing elements of provocation are instrumentalised to attract publicity, interest and then cash again because if there is a row more people will know – and buy. So dishing out nonsense has become part of the marketing plan because if you follow up with a really great book/ film/ tv series etc. then people will be even happier… ;)... However, with the rise of social media and mass marketing what used to be a “fan base” has turned into a “marketing and let them buy shit base”; at least that’s how a couple of people feel nowadays. No, we don’t need trolls but I don’t need to be told by a Hollywood production company they’re acing out a great new film when even with trailers and pre-production material it becomes clear that this is just a waste of time.

Because they don’t seem to care that much anymore. Fandom used to be – and I’m well over my 40s so I’ve seen a bit of it – a two-way street and to this very day there are so many awesome people out there loving their fans and the fans returning that love and that’s how it should be. Even if some things don’t work out, next time it’ll be awesome again! No worries.

But if we are talking big buck shows, big buck franchises and you know from merchandising companies’ meetups when managers from the aforementioned companies tell you, verbatim, “we’re going to sell them so much shit it’s going to come out of their ears!” – well, then maybe it’s time to no longer be a fan of that particular “cult phenomenon.”

And yes. Things change. I think it’s time we tried to find a new word for “fandom.” Because it either has been changed into something people from 20 years ago wouldn’t recognise anymore or this isn’t “fandom” anymore and a new way of appreciation we need a new term for. [8]

I appreciated the prequel novels by Kevin Anderson and Brian Herbert, and the followup volumes for Dune 7, for the information value. It was important to get the content of Frank Herbert’s notes to the world in the wake of the cliffhanger he left us with. However, the writing doesn’t compel me to read any of their more recent books. I certainly wouldn’t have been quite so literal with the “enslaved by machines” bit, even if that was the elder Herbert’s intention…. I think the phrase is an exceptional metaphor for today’s society.

On Star Wars Prequels: I stopped taking Star Wars seriously when George Lucas stopped taking it seriously. It’s a mindset that allows me to sit back and enjoy episode I-III for what they are.

On Star Trek vs. New Trek: There were some bad decisions made. I recall reading that Abrams had never watched Trek before taking the job. On that basis, I would not have hired him, but can’t fault him for failing to connect with a large number of existing Star Trek fans.

We have to remember that often it’s not the creative minds calling the shots… it’s the suits and the bean counters upstairs who are more interested in generating profits than in creating art. [9]

I hope I haven’t been a ranter, but I do know I’ve parted ways with franchises that don’t have the same feel they used to. This has been more prevalent for me since the whole “reboot” concept took off, and I wonder if that concept’s rise has coincided with increased frequency and vociferousness of these rants? Where the reboots get to me isn’t what they choose to do with the property next, so much as the sadness of knowing the comfortable feel of the property I’d come to love has been let go of, never to be revisited again. My mantra to discourage rants in those moments is that actors age, stories need revision to suit new social mores, there are few constants of any kind in life, and – let’s face it – I’m just getting old. [10]

I believe that an emotional – 0r to be more specific, an empathetic appreciation for movies and books, where you try to immerse yourself in the world created by the artist, is far more enjoyable than a more analytical, distanced appreciation. But people are different. Some are more emotional, some are more analytical. They’re just wired differently.[11]

...calling a creator out on issues in their work that seem racist, sexist, etc. to me still generally falls under the criticism banner. For example, I wouldn’t count bringing up Joss Whedon’s little-girl-big-gun-this-is-how-I-do-feminism trope as a personal attack on him. I’d group that in with critical analysis, even if it does seem to say something about the creator by way of addressing it. (There’s definitely a reverse side to this, where fandom will viciously defend certain darlings because they are believed to be above any ill-word. Which is its own brand of incredibly harmful, imo.)[12]

I appreciate the sentiment of this article very much, but as someone who was systematically harassed and driven from a online Trek fan site, I have little hope for this type of “fan” behavior of stopping.

I dislike JJ’s Trek and I made it known, but with two very important caveats: 1) I have very specific reasons for my problems with his interpretation, centering around the selfishness of his characters and the lack of genuine heroism and 2) I am ready to say when I think something is good( I praised the likeable aspects of the films and performers and even defended the Kirk death scene because I felt it was one of the few times the films had genuine drama) and yet, I was branded a hater and insulted, threatened and trolled to the point that I had to stop posting there (and I was there since “Insurrection”).

I just think its a result of entitlement, consumerism and fanboy fantasy wish fulfillment, none of which is going to get better any time soon. [13]

One thing you have to remember though is that is pretty hard to disassociate crap from the person who made the crap. It’s kind of like you’re saying that it’s OK to recognize that someone took a crap but not ok to go after the person who crapped all over the place. So according to this article it’s not OK to go after the person who crapped on my floor but only to object and disapprove of the crap itself. This thinking leaves the creators unaccountable in my opinion. Some franchises have millions of people who have a vested interest in them, emotionally and even financially. We don’t want to see something we so dearly love and have an investment in ruined. Especially when the things that have ruined it could have easily been avoided if those creatives in charge had done their job thoroughly enough. However, to the fan it just seems like the creatives have just crapped in our living rooms and we just have to live with it. That’s what this article says to me. In otherwords creative talents are telling us fans let us crap all over what you love and stay out of our way while we’re doing it.[14]

But here’s where your analogy falls down. In the case of someone creating something, it ISN’T your floor. It’s a story (movie, book, etc) that does not actually belong to you. You pay your money to read, watch, listen but the story isn’t yours. You pay for the experience and that is the extent of the transaction. You may enjoy the experience or you may not, but your enjoyment is not ever guaranteed. Nor could it be. If you liked it, fantastic. If not, you were not robbed, cheated, ruined or anything of the sort. No one forced you to participate. Money does not buy anyone the right to harass or otherwise attack another person. There is no excuse for such behavior. [15]

I definitely saw the same type of thing in Star Wars fandom over if you liked or didn’t like the prequels and people declaring that all ‘true fans’ either HATED the prequels for descecrating the great Star Wars canon, or all ‘true fans’ must blindly accept and love the prequels and anything else George Lucas might put out, and brook NO criticism of the great Creator.

And that is putting it politely :)

(I guess it is similar in a way to religious groups battling it out; I’ve seen so many other examples of divisiveness, us vs them type behavior that, unfortunately, I think that for some reason it’s just a kind of ingrained thing we have to constantly work to overcome, and if we didn’t have religion, people would find some other thing to latch on to and fight over, and people would find other reasons to exploit that trait. I was going to say that at least the stakes are generally a bit lower and people don’t do heinous things in the name of fandom, but then I remembered all the Gamergate crap about who ‘true gamers’ are what gamer culture should be and all that horribleness, although that’s also a big mess of male privelege/misogyny. Which I suppose could then be argued is the fault of organized religion although in my view it’s the other way around – another unpleasant facet of humanity that has infected many different things, including organized religion). [16]

Part of the problem is that perspectives have changed over time. It used to be only die hard movie buffs would obsess over directors, writers, art directors, etc. I think the IMDB and DVD commentaries changed that for a lot of people. Now the behind the scenes is as much a part of fandom as the scenes themselves. I recall hearing Joss Whedon on “This American Life” reciting a poem he wrote about how he has to record a DVD commentary and he’d rather just have the art stand on its own merits.

So, people are getting more “inside information” about their favorite movies/games/books/TV shows and then social media is making it not just easy, but mandatory to share one’s opinions on all things related to that particular thing.

What do I mean by mandatory? This article is a great example: Ms. Asher-Perrin wrote a very nice, thought-provoking article. The only options I have to tell her so are: (1) here; (2) Twitter; and (3) Tumblr. These are essentially public forums. If I wanted to share an opinion privately, I guess I could contact Tor and ask them to forward an e-mail (or paper letter even!) to her. But, otherwise it’s public or not at all.

I’m not complaining. I understand why things are the way they are. Consider, though, the effect of having a whole bunch of fans all reading each other’s thoughts, emotional outburst, and arguments (well-reasoned or otherwise) — social filters often break down and the level of discourse devolves.

Many, many (many!) years ago, before the graphical web even, people hashed out some guidelines for interacting over the Internet. They were collectively called “netiquette.” This article is a good reminder of what netiquette is all about — remember that your target is another human being; don’t treat people online differently than you would face to face. [17]

References

  1. ^ comment by Hades77
  2. ^ comment by Aminar
  3. ^ comment by The Aandor Guy
  4. ^ comment by Jason_UmmaMacabre
  5. ^ comment by Lisamarie
  6. ^ comment by Aeryl
  7. ^ comment by Loungeshep
  8. ^ comment by Marcel Aubron-Bülles
  9. ^ comment by lerris
  10. ^ comment by Cecrow
  11. ^ comment by Rene Narcisco
  12. ^ comment by EmilyAP
  13. ^ comment by Allen2Saint
  14. ^ comment by Ktrek
  15. ^ comment by J Town addressing Ktrek
  16. ^ comment by Lisamarie
  17. ^ comment by Lufbery
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