Why Fanfic Folk Drive Me Buggy

[akirlu]

It's nothing about the fanfic -- I don't read it, I'm not much interested. But the thing that drives me bugfuck is the way fic fans use the word "fandom". Because that word means something. It's meant the same something for a lot longer even than even Kirk/Spock slash has been around: fandom is fans, and their ways. But when fic fans say "fandom," they aren't talking about the group of humans who comprise science fiction fandom. They're not talking about fan culture, conventions, clubs, fanzines, or even the practice and culture of fanfic, they're talking about the object of their fandom. They're talking about some freaking show. This strikes me as a needless muddling of a perfectly useful word. And it hurts my mighty brane every single time it's used that way. I see 'fandom' and I think, oh, okay, we're going to be talking about something fannish and then get talk about "characters" and "cannon" and whatnot instead, and the old brain clashes gears and burns oil something fierce. That's not fandom, that's what you're a fan *of*. Your show is not fandom, it's just a show. Fandom is what you and other fans do about it. Writing about the characters in your show is not writing about fandom, it's practicing fandom.

Jeez Louise, where's my walker? Get off my lawn.

Comments

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Rockers are good.

You don't have 'skeeters there, do you? On the virtual porch?

I even see why they redefined our word; they need some word for "the activity surrounding show x", and the redefinition they made works well for what they needed. Damned kids.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

No skeeters here.

It's a fair point about the need, it just doesn't help my brane cope. If the world were perfect and everyone entered their respective fandoms by the same vetting portal then fic fans would have been handed the word 'X-fanac' to describe the fan activities surrounding X, but, well.... Rockers are good.

[seawasp]

REdefinition? That's the same definition YOU old guys are using. They usually are even pretty specific so as to avoid confusion. You can be purely part of the Gundam Wing fandom, or of the general anime fandom. You could even go meta, and be part of the fanfic fandom.

You old geezers just don't want to EXPAND your horizons, and wanna keep it for your dusty old books and outmoded fanzines.

I'm a member of the Saint Seiya fandom, Samurai Troopers Fandom, DBZ fandom, and a bunch of others, and I've done plenty of fanac in the form of fanfic (even published in an APA) and cosplay, and running conventions.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

Not that I can see; the qualification is antithetical to my usage.