Again, behavior is behavior. People feel like fandom is an investment, and they begin to feel entitled to access and attention from the object of their worship. This has been going on since the Old Testament, forget country music. You spend your time with someone’s vision, and you start to feel like that time spent and in many cases money spent gives you a say. And it doesn’t. AT ALL. But but but but NO.
Back when Harry Potter fandom was infull metal batshit, an online acquaintance started a discussion about why so many Potterfen absolutely did not get that yes, J.K. Rowling knows the stories better than you. She’s not betraying anything by not writing an ending in which (spoiler!) Harry and Hermione do not hook up. It’s HER STORY. And what we came down to is that for many many people in Harry Potter world, this was their first experience with being a fan of something, with being caught up and fascinated and participating in an active fandom.
So naturally when things didn’t go their way they flipped the fuck out. The first time that happens to you, it’s incredibly disconcerting. The 35th time (grumble grumble The Closer grumble Lost grumble) it’s kind of like, “Eh, this is why I don’t get too worked up.” It’s why even in politics, I seriously can’t … I mean, John Kerry does not listen to me. I know this. I may wish he would, but wishing and sending him money does not make it so. Ditto, for that matter, Barack Obama.
A lot of these Tea Party assholes claim to be participating in politics for the first time. They’re gonna figure out that this happens. It’s gonna be painful, and by painful I mean HILARIOUS, but pretty soon they’ll be just like the rest of the cynical Interwebs.
A.
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The only time I get truly disappointed by a movie/TV/book series is when it doesn’t get the chance to end properly(i.e. Twin Peaks, Millennium, X-Files)due to lack of money, low ratings or the egotistical male lead thinking he’s some kind of big movie star, leaving the show and completely fucking up the continuity. Yeah, I wasn’t nuts about the way BSG ended but at least it got to have a proper ending.
And yes, every time a David Duchovny movie flops at the box office, I feel a little happier inside. Although her character annoyed the fuck out of me, Gillian was the real star of that show.
Never thought of the Tea Baggers or the Obama cult as fandom.
But you’re absolutely right. It explains why you can’t have a rational, balanced opinion of a politico. Either they are totally good or a total bum. (Look what is happening with McCain and Palin).
Another influence though – in moral development around 3 to 5 years of age (from the top of my head) a child is supposed to learn that things aren’t totally good or totally bad but can be a mixture.
Only problem is that a lot of folks never seem to get out of their infantile outlook.
OMFG, why is it so impossible for some to hold a nuanced view of Obama? I’m pretty pissed at him but I still realize the alternative is so much worse.
ooh, it rocks not being a total fangirl!
Blakno1, Because he rules the world. He simply has too much power to have a ‘nuanced’ view of him. He can either use that power to good in peoples lives, or he can use it to cause harm. Simply using that power in a less hostile way is not going to make people view him as a good guy.
The world looks significantly different if you don’t see one party as flawed, but decent and the other as evil incarnate. Most people just see two groups of scumbags trying to screw them over to help their campaign contributors.
Really, whose view do you think is closer to reality?
I’m reminded of the Kitten Board – the furiously betrayed and scorned separatist fandom community that arose whenTHAT UNTALENTED FAT SEXIST HOMOPHOBIC RAT BASTARD JOSS WHEDON KILLED OUR TARA!
Woe to the lesbian Whedon fan that disagreed or tried to reason with them. I’ll just say that was during that time I really developed an appreciation for Stephen King’sMisery.
Cockadoodie!
None of which excuses theStar Wars prequels orBuffy season 7.
Virgo, God, I’ve been out of active Buffy fandom for so long I forgot how they invented batshit. Don’t forget the Spike fangirls who will argue to the death that he’s not an evil bastard but a misunderstood fluffyhead who just needs twoo wuv to get over that whole “attempted rape” thing.
Buffy Season Seven was ass. David Fury can bite me. But that’s coming from a total Giles fangirl who prefers to think Lies My Parents Told Me never happened.
A.
Buffy Season Seven was why I was actually kinda glad that Firefly didn’t make it past one season. Lovelovelove the early years (there’s a reason I ended up with the BuggyQ handle–try typing Buffy fast), and I thought Hush was brilliant. But season 7? Jeebus. And I found the Spike fangirls deeply disturbing.
I’d never really though about it like that before but yeah, Sarah Palin does lack the most basic work ethic to nurture her fans. And part of it is because she lacks the support system that a country music star or hit TV series or whatever has — it’s her and Todd and maybe a couple close friends, but no one with the energy, devotion and salary to maintain a “fan club.” That shit takes work, it takes ** staff ** it takes an entire TEAM which is why country music artists not only have record label and publicity teams behind them but “street teams” and fan clubs and all the rest.
It’s not something any one person can cultivate on their own but I am surprised that Palin doesn’t have the smarts to recognize she needs this and go out and hire some folks to do it. Hell, why not get Bristol to do it? Oh scratch that.