A not very ranty rantpost

[dolorosa_12]

In your own space, Scream Into the Void. Get it all out.



I feel weird doing this, but anyway...

Moving from one online platform to another is not going to solve systemic problems within fraught and argumentative communities — it will just replicate those problems in another setting (professional SFF community, I am looking at you)

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting

I would like more of an assumption of good faith when disputes flare up in fast-moving fannish spaces

And yet I would also like people in fast-moving fannish spaces (all right, fine, Twitter. I'm talking about Twitter, and to a lesser extent Tumblr) to consider the source and not just mindlessly click retweet/reblog from a stranger because their post is funny/appears to be aligned with the retweeter/reblogger's worldview

In general, retweet/reblog/share buttons plus algorithmic feeds plus easy to use apps with a low barrier to entry were a real double-edged sword for online community

Shipping is not activism

To be honest I feel like a lot of fandom activism is a displacement activity

I guess this post of mine is something of a displacement activity itself, given the things I'm lamenting are really insignificant in the scheme of things

I did mention I feel really weird writing this. I've said all these things in various places for years, but it feels odd to just pour everything out in a single rantpost. I'm also still in the serene and productive blissed out mood that always descends on me on New Year's Day, and find it hard to summon up much rage when it comes to fandom-related stuff.

Comments

[yarnofariadne]

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting
I literally just muted a Discord server because the entire conversation this evening appears to be "I hate everything that's popular but I don't want to write my own interests myself" and I'm too old and tired for this nonsense.

[wearing_tearing]

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting
Y E S! A thousand times yes! It's so much more productive to create something you actually enjoy than spending your energy being a negative person. And if you must be very angry about fandom things, creating out of spite exists and it's also more helpful than complaining all the time.

To be honest I feel like a lot of fandom activism is a displacement activity
I would agree with this. Especially when that turns to calling people out left and right for not engaging at the same level. Fandom is an escape to a lot of people and not treating it as a form of activism doesn't mean one's a bad person and/or not advocating for change in their personal and real lives.

[senmut]

Good points.

[corvidology]

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting

I never did have much energy for listening to this and I now have zero fucks to give.

[peaked]

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting

But! But! How else will I get attention and validation for hating this one thing??? Why does no one like what I like??? I must complain and guilt people into liking what I like and seeing what they like is wrong!

Honestly, if people used all that energy they have judging others for liking things they don't like, they'd be encouraging more of the work that they do like. Fandom complains about the lack of work about X, but then spends all its energy policing those who like Y. It's inside out.

I would like more of an assumption of good faith when disputes flare up in fast-moving fannish spaces

Same. I wish people in fandom also realised that someone disagreeing with you has nothing to do with your value or quality as a person and isn't a reflection on who they think you are. They just don't like what you like. (And sometimes debates are just debates and have nothing to do with you as a person!)

[merit]

Shipping is not activism indeed.

Yes, I've seen a few authors move from Twitter to Instagram and well. Your blogpost from 2021 sums up a lot of issues - with authors forced to be their own marketing, despite record book sales, these things will continue.

[svgurl]

I agree with everything you said here.

Shipping is not activism
So much this.

[evilinsanemonkey]

People who spend the majority of their time and effort complaining about the preferences of fandom at large instead of creating fanworks, commentary, or hype and enthusiasm about the things they would prefer to be fandom-at-large's preferences are exhausting

FUCKING YES! (shameless self plug, but that's what led me to create ficreadersadvisory)

Shipping is not activism
I remember Back in the Day when fandom was a) more openly homophobic and b) *even big name slash writers* were vocally homophobic besides shipping!!!

[darkmarcy]

Excellent screaming, this. Very good points, my "favourite" is the Shipping is not activism.

[dolorosa_12]

Ugh. You made a wise decision!

[dolorosa_12]

Y E S! A thousand times yes! It's so much more productive to create something you actually enjoy than spending your energy being a negative person. And if you must be very angry about fandom things, creating out of spite exists and it's also more helpful than complaining all the time.

The thing that baffles me is that I don't understand what the complainers hope to achieve. If they're annoyed that more people are interested in Ship X or Character A than their preferred Ship Y or Character B, endlessly complaining and insulting Ship X or Character A isn't going to persuade me to check out their preferred ship or character — it's going to discourage me from engaging and encourage me to avoid the ship/character's fans!

Especially when that turns to calling people out left and right for not engaging at the same level. Fandom is an escape to a lot of people and not treating it as a form of activism doesn't mean one's a bad person and/or not advocating for change in their personal and real lives.

I also sometimes feel that calling out fans for alleged lack of ideological purity is a way to do 'activism' without risk: it doens't (often) involve confronting the far-right, it doesn't involve people with real political or societal power, it doesn't involve the effort required to get involved in local politics or activism, or even doing something like writing letters to politicians. It's just shouting at other fans on the internet. That's why it feels like displacement to me: the person doesn't want to pick a fight with the far right, so instead they yell at someone about their 'bad' ships and feel like they've done something useful. I have a small amount of sympathy with this: I'm not keen to get on the radar of violent far-right extremists either. But there are many other ways to make a change in the world, yet somehow none of these seem attractive to the fandom activists.

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[dolorosa_12]

Same!

[dolorosa_12]

Honestly, if people used all that energy they have judging others for liking things they don't like, they'd be encouraging more of the work that they do like. Fandom complains about the lack of work about X, but then spends all its energy policing those who like Y. It's inside out.

I know, right? I've been saying this for years!

I wish people in fandom also realised that someone disagreeing with you has nothing to do with your value or quality as a person and isn't a reflection on who they think you are. They just don't like what you like. (And sometimes debates are just debates and have nothing to do with you as a person!)

I agree entirely.

[dolorosa_12]

Honestly, the issues I raised in my blog post from 2021 were apparent when authors made the move from LJ/personal blogs to Twitter more than ten years ago. A platform is not going to magically fix systemic problems, particular if those problems stem from a tense, argumentative community who believe they're operating in a scarcity economy within which attracting attention is the only way to achieve success.

[dolorosa_12]

I'm glad you agree — fandom would be a much better place if more people realised these things.

[dolorosa_12]

I remember Back in the Day when fandom was a) more openly homophobic and b) *even big name slash writers* were vocally homophobic besides shipping!!!

I hadn't even thought of this — I was thinking more along the lines of people embroiled in ship wars who argue that their own ship is somehow more progressive, or the other side's ship is 'harmful' in some way, and that arguing in this way is equivalent to real-world activism. But your point just adds further weight to this!

And self plugs are in no way shameless — that's a cool idea for a comm!

[dolorosa_12]

I'm glad you liked it!

[evilinsanemonkey]

But your point just adds further weight to this!
haha yes, that's' what I was aiming for! Sorry if I wasn't clear!!

[muccamukk]

I really liked your blog post.

What happened on substack? I'm not online enough, I guess.

[lirazel]

To be honest I feel like a lot of fandom activism is a displacement activity

It absolutely is.

[chestnut_pod]

All good points -- and mostly, I'm happy that you are serene and blissed-out even 6 days after the new year! Long may that state continue.

[shipperslist]

Shipping is not activism

*applauds*

[merit]

Maybe that's why I see so many writers referring to fellow writers as 'colleagues.' Trying to enforce some sort of code of conduct (you can't give a negative review to a fellow author!) that is disjointed from actual workplaces.

[dolorosa_12]

This was a while back, but from memory Substack paid a bunch of journalists/commentators to use it (I guess to make it look like a good platform for their colleagues), and it ended up that a lot of prominent transphobes were among them. This caused a lot of Substack users — paid or unpaid — to leave the platform en masse.

[dolorosa_12]

I know, right?

[dolorosa_12]

Thank you!

[dolorosa_12]

I'm glad this seems to have resonated with a lot of people!

[aquietjune]

These past few months I've been trying to move away from Twitter fandom spaces (and also other twitter spaces to be honest) and rebuild an online presence that would be nourishing for me and others -- a slower pace, time to think and write about topics and not share everything, and especially a place where there's no need to try to sell anything to anyone -- and your thoughts on it (both the Wordpress post and the rest of your points) are great to read. To most, I agree wholeheartedly and everything is giving me a lot to think about: I too am worried about the blind celebration of the past, and the conflation of critique & preferences with activism in fandoms really bothers me just as well. Hopefully there's still a way to carve oneself a web space to just be, but work is needed in order to succeed. Thank you for writing this.

[dolorosa_12]

It's so hard, isn't it? Online platforms in and of themselves aren't the problem — they are neutral — the problem is that they are used by human beings, and we bring all our problems and dysfunctionality with us. I think the solution is to do the sorts of things you're suggesting: bring a bit of reflection and intentionality with us when picking online platforms, when using them, and when deciding whether to walk away. I'm glad you found the post useful.