Dept. of Memes

[kaffy_r]

Frankenstein Meme, Day 19

Has social media caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why?

Nope. I’ve never had to distance myself from people in any of my fandoms, and I am deeply grateful.

Of course there are folks out there in most fandoms, including a depressing number of mine, who are trolls, toxic assholes, misogynists, racists, xenophobes, transphobes, gatekeepers, gas lighters, ad nauseum. But I have never faced the horrible reality some fans have.

Those people — and way too many of them are girls and women — have had to leave fandoms or, at the very least, have decided to recede into lurkerdom because they’ve been bullied when they dare to let the world know they have opinions.

It still happens, and it shouldn’t.

Earlier Questions

1. What's changed about your fandom life in the last 365 days?
2. Your newest fandom.
3. You've got your OTP, you have to throw a third into the mix (from the same fandom), creating an OT3. Who is the OTP, and in your opinion, why would they make a perfect third for them?
4. What are the origins of your penname/username?
5. What's a fandom that you wish had a bigger following?
6. What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom? What fandom was it? Not necessarily your oldest fandom, but a fandom that you started and still continue to read/write/create content for in some way.
7. What would make you leave a fandom, or prevent you from getting into it in the first place?
8. Squicks - What are some things that squick you in fandom - not necessarily "icky", though it can be. From anything involving blood, to bad grammar.
9. What's the hardest thing about writing, and why are titles the Worst™?
10. Do you have a fandom that you follow - either regularly or casually - with little to no knowledge of canon?
11. Ships that you currently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone has OTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.
12. A ship you have never liked and probably never will.
13. Do you prefer art, fic, or vids? Why? Bonus: If someone was to give you a fandom gift, what format would it be?
14. A pairing – platonic, romantic or sexual – that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.
15. What was the first thing you ever contributed to a fandom?
16. Do you remember your first OTP? Who was in it?
17. What is your favourite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?
18. How many fandoms have you written for? How many have you been in, and how many are you still in?

Comments

[cmcmck]

Sadly, not just fandoms.

I thought being trans would be quite enough to be going on with, but then I discovered the joys of being female and fifteen too!

I'm old enough to recall the weirdos on the phone help lines I helped to run back in the day too and by George some of them were truly weird.

[kaffy_r]

Sadly, not just fandoms.

You are right, and that's a shame. And yeah, you got whacked by multiple levels of gatekeeping, transphobia and misogyny. You've had to deal with a hell of a lot more than many folks in fandom.

You are probably too kind when you refer to those people calling the phone lines you helped to run simply as "weirdos" .Which is shameful.

[sallymn]

It's horrible when it happens - I have't had it in fandom (I paddle in the shallows, me) but in a different area the toxicity pushed me out except for just following my two or three admired stars...

[kaffy_r]

Eurgh; I'm sorry you had to deal with it in any circle/field! And I guess I, too, paddle in the shallows. The fact that the so-called shallows are rich with neat people and fantastic conversations means we can have places that are welcoming. I just wish the deeps were just as welcoming.

[liadt]

I prefer to stay in my quiet corner of fandom and keep out of the wider open spaces.

[kaffy_r]

Agreed. Agreed so hard.

[cassie_faith]

The struggle is real. I had issues being a "senior" aged fan once. Was called a r*pist sympathizer because I was using my brain and logic while all the teenagers and early 20-somethings I was surrounded by called me out and told their friends not to follow me. It was a mess. I walked away and never looked back. Now I'm rather leery of getting involved with any fandom that attracts wide age ranges.

[kaffy_r]

I'm sorry that happened to you. I don't know whether that was on Tumblr or not, but I've heard that is a terribly toxic place, or at least can be (I don't speak Tumblr, so I don't know from personal experience.)

I've been lucky in my experience with young and old fans, but that may truly just be luck.

[cassie_faith]

It was actually on Twitter! I don't really use Tumblr anymore, honestly. I just use it to find icons anymore. :p

[kaffy_r]

I was caught by surprise when people told me there were fandom Twitters, largely because I tend to use it only for straight or political news. I've heard that it can be pretty brutal.

[a_phoenixdragon]

Hear, hear!

There have always been trolls and asshats...but MAN, fandom can bring out the worst of these and make them seem like they outnumber everyone else. I, too, have been exceedingly lucky in avoiding such waters.

*HUGS*

[kaffy_r]

MAN, fandom can bring out the worst of these

Yep. It may simply be that even a small group of nasty people will seem an outsized presence in a small community. And as big as some fandoms can get, they're still smaller than the larger society around them, so their crop of trolls and gatekeepers play a far larger role than they should.