We roll in the hay skill fiction and fantasy with a stark , burning latria . And our love of these musical genre helps make them well , because we support our favorite creators , make our own works and trade in cool ideas . But sometimes , fandom has a sullen side . Sometimes , buff can fall into ego - loathing , and this can lead to some destructive behavior radiation diagram that in reality corrode the awesomeness of SF and fantasy .
Here are 10 ways that self - hating fans can in reality make the history they love worse . I experience like I ’ve credibly been guilty of all of these at one time or another .
10 . Leading a backlash against successful creator , and rooting for thing to fail
A certain sign of a self - hating buff is that you turn that hate against creators who really handle to progress to a larger audience . And it never fails — the moment a author or theater director or producer first to profit a serious fanbase and industry buzz , the haters start sharpening the chain saw . I ’m not verbalize about lift critiques of someone ’s body of work , or just realize that it ’s not your fussy loving cup of Camellia sinensis — I ’m talking about hat someone ’s oeuvre just because it ’s become relish of the calendar month and this particular creator has a lot of enthusiastic on-line buff . Which bring us to …
9 . Complaining that your favorite matter is too democratic now
Say you ’re a fan of Doctor Who , and you could think of the time , not long ago , when only a few particular multitude knew the remainder between Tom Baker and Colin Baker , or what a Cybermat was . And now everybody and their ma is a devotee of Matt Smith , and they ’re rediscover the classic series . It ’s easy to feel a bit put out that you ’re no longer the keeper of awesome secrets , or to have a hipstery moment of “ I was into Doctor Who before it was nerveless ” or whatever . But if you ca n’t take delight in the fact that more multitude are enjoying the thing you wish , and it ’s flourishing in the light of popular acclaim , then chance are there ’s a part of you that feels a pith of shame for liking this show in the first position — and you were clinging to the notion that you had a special enigma , as a kind of recompense . Let it go , because the more multitude like the things you like , the more amazing those thing can be . ( At least sometimes , more popularity match more money , and more entree to mellow - powered talent . )
8 . Pretending to be into something fashion more isolated than what you really like .
“ Oh , well , all the even masses like Star Trek , but I ’m only into Jason of Star Command . It ’s kind of an hush-hush rage show , you credibly have n’t heard of it . The DVDs are out of print , too . It ’s more sophisticated than Star Trek , and it does n’t spoonfeed you account for everything . You probably would n’t like it . ” ( Or substitute Doctor Who and Sapphire and Steel , I guess . ) Again , nobody ever feels the need to disavow their love of the democratic Book , shows and movies , unless there ’s some weird ego - reproach going on . And hipstery obscurantism only validate the notion that popular stuff is automatically schlock — which makes it more likely to become schlock , because that ’s what everybody expect anyway .
7 . Claiming we ’re into wellness food when we ’re actually only into confect
Everybody claims to hate the transformer pic , and yet somehow they make a billion dollars each . Meanwhile , everybody claims that they want to see more original , challenging , arty projects — but all too often , the non - franchise picture and off - the - wall TV shows and books languish in obscurity . affair is , there ’s nothing wrong with loving junk intellectual nourishment — dust food is yummy and awesome , and it can be quite in effect in its own elbow room . ( I wastotally stokedabout Lockout , which is the most sugary , deep - fried piece of junk intellectual nourishment I ’ve consumed in ages . ) It ’s gentle to sympathize why we all want to act we like “ good ” stuff than we really do like — but it ’s corrosive . Not just because after a while , nobody will heed to us any more when we claim we require original projects instead of sequels and remakes — but also because we ca n’t make a differentiation between good junk nutrient and bad detritus solid food , unless we admit we care junk intellectual nourishment .
https://gizmodo.com/lockout-will-shrivel-up-your-brain-and-youll-like-it-5901812
6 . Being defensive when creators from other genres try their hired man at SF or fantasy
Sometimes it seems like there ’s a knee - jerk hostile reaction when , say , a “ literary ” author write a genre book . Or when someone like Miranda July or Lars von Trier dabbles in science fable themes . And it ’s sure enough unfeigned that an author who ’s mostly been reading outside the writing style tend the risk of regurgitating cliches , there ’s also the distinct hypothesis that a fresh perspective can give some really new ideas and some newfangled creative energy . And it ’s hard not to feel as though the ill will to these trespasser come , at least in part , from a fear that they ’ll look down on the fans of these genres . ( It does n’t help when you get the very occasional ratification of this fear , frompeople like Glen Duncan . But who cares , anyway ? Non - self - hat fans will just shrug , and then stake a vituperative defence . See below . )
https://gizmodo.com/why-science-fiction-writers-are-like-porn-stars-5856158
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-SIa9YHQ8 g
5 . Not talk up and defending our favorite stories when people plunge unjust critiques .
Every now and then , someone does decide to try out and clip out some slothful stereotype and broad - brush generalization about science fiction and fantasy — the New York Times hasestablishedanannual“let ’s bash Game of Thrones ” custom , for example . And it ’s for sure not deserving getting cockeyed or defensive when unknowing people are given a large meeting place to expose their ignorance . But we also should n’t let the tiny part of ourselves that suspects these criticism have a smidgeon of merit keep us from responding — in a grown - up , level-headed fashion , of course . If we do n’t respond to this stuff , the snarks and grumkins win . And nobody wants that .
https://gizmodo.com/the-new-york-times-misses-the-point-on-game-of-thrones-5898471
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl6V4yTOxMM
4 . Getting squirrelly when people want to analyze what ’s really go on in these stories .
Moff ’s Law . It ’s not just a suggestion , it ’s a law . It ’s right there in the name . As the TVTropes page helpfully explain , Moff ’s Law does n’t mean that you have to examine or deconstruct thing to death — just that you should n’t get upset when other people want to do it . If you ’re good and ego - assured in your dear of The Phantom Menace , then you should n’t care if other people require to bring up the weird subtext of Jar - Jar . By all means , defend River Song from her critics — but there ’s no reason to assert that criticize / analyzing River Song is incompatible with enjoying her tarradiddle . If an in - depth discussion of Vampire Diaries ’ intimate politics is seriously stymy your ability to apprise Naked Damon , then just bar reading . But do n’t let your insecurity order how everybody else can talk about the stories you enjoy . Because yes , sometimes , in - depth analysis can impart to making stories well , in the end .
3 . depend down on some other group of fans
Whenever people feel unquiet about their own fandom , the lifelike thing is to move that onto hat some other mathematical group of fans . You might distrust , deeply in your mettle , that your love of Thundercats is dizzy — but hey , at least you ’re not a Twi - severely . And so on . This is not cool . By all substance , provide a reasoned , informed critique of Twilight — there ’s plenty to criticize — but do n’t look down on the fan . Because trying to produce hierarchies of fandoms just result in some people feel unwished-for , which makes everything smaller and less interesting . And you know , the fine distinctions you ’re do between the brainy thing that you like and the fearsome thing that other people like will be lost on many , many people . They ’ll just hear that everything is dreaded , and this translates , in the minds of Jehovah , to “ We should n’t ever attempt to make things not frightful , because nobody will note anyway . ” )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQpMM6dLO0
2 . Not being able-bodied to apprize crummy , one-time - school day stuff and nonsense on its own terms .
Silver Age comic , classical sixties and 1970s TV appearance , old B - moving-picture show … most of this stuff has n’t aged well . And it does n’t quite live up to your rosy retentivity of seeing it as a kid on belated - nighttime TV or in the used comic binful or whatever . It ’s easy to be a bit humiliated that you still like Space : 1999 , with all of its blare melodrama . At that point , you have two choices : poke sport at stuff , and like it ironically , which is a altogether valid and entertaining response . Or cling to your rosy memories in the human face of the grounds . Either way , you ’re not really appreciating the frankly thrilling and demented Space : 1999 on its own terms , as a dotty gravid - than - spirit psychedelic marionette show , only with humans instead of puppet . This is only a trouble if we let our posture to previous , dated material dictate our reception to anything new — like , if we expect the new Space : 2099 remaking to live up to our unrealistically rosy memories of the original , alternatively of building on the flawed but wonderful show it actually was .
1 . Not agnize when we ’re being enablers
Sometimes , when creators and big companies are falling into bad habits again and again , somebody demand to take their keys away . It takes a lot of ego - regard to keep from being an enabler . It ’s easier just to permit it slue one more time — to allow a comic book fellowship bring up its existence for the hundredth clock time , or have Satan go around overturn people ’s marriages . Or to dissemble that the one-billionth contrived crosswalk is as interesting as the millionth was . It ’s hard to be the person who launches an interposition and help everyone to say no to more moving-picture show based on random toy , board games and other eldritch bits of IP . ( Like we said sooner , junk food is awe-inspiring . But some kinds of debris food for thought are just better than others . ) This is likely the ultimate sin of the self - hating fan — being an enabler , and not expecting Godhead to scavenge up their act .
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