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

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that that's what she said.

[seawasp]

Perhaps, but what she said seemed to imply they're using the word WRONG, whereas it seems they're using it perfectly correctly, with particular subdivisions to denote THEIR fandom. General SF Fandom covers some people, but it doesn't cover those who have no interest in written SF. And those who have no interest in general SF but interest in one particular show or subset thereof are definitely *SOME* kind of fandom, as in a kingdom of fans, and their fandom is defined by their show or shows or books or manga or whatever.

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

No; the usage defended in your initial comment was the one, it seemed to me, that akirlu was defending, not the one she was attacking.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Yes. Thank you.