I want to repeat this. Respect others' opinions even if you don't like the thing. I hate seeing slash fans being put down just for shipping two guys together just because you don't see it. Even if there are slash fans who would pour down the throat what they ship doesn't mean that they are dong anything horrible. Tell them what they are doing is wrong to force something down your throat and also make it clear that you just don't see it and/or ship it; be polite about it too. Notice I said slash fans: why is the word 'fangirl' come across as such an insult beyond being a girl simply passionate of what she loves? What about boys too?
There are such thing called I don't know queer reading. There is a difference between the queer reading of the text and queerbaiting. Hell, there is a difference between queerbaiting and fetishization of LBGTQIA relationships particularly the G part to get the audience you want.
There are people who don't ship at all and I'm becoming one of those people recently. Just for the love of somebody upstairs, do not be condescending just because people see something you don't. There are people who see Destiel as a bromance, romance, brotherhood, friendship, family, or anything really. Do you see me hating on people not shipping them? NO!
Hell, I don't hate Shizuorona shippers at all! I disagree on the ship for various reasons but hating purely for the sake of interfering with my ship is stupidity and petty hatred. Just so petty.
I dislike Jim x Ariel and Jack Frost x Elsa but you don't see me hating on fans who loves the ships with a passion. Hell, I don't dare to make fun of them because I don't see the purpose of making of them because what are they doing is so terrible beyond shipping? As long as they are aware of bad things in the ships (like codependency and incest in Wincest, abusive behavior from both ends like the Twilight ships), then everyone would be happy.
Don't generalize yaoi shippers as figures to be avoided. Ships are practically free advertisement by fans. Hell, I got into Supernatural purely because I heard of Destiel. Why are het fans prioritized above other shippers? Beside the heteronormativity which is bad enough but seriously what about potential other ships that would be great on its own? In Hetalia, the Nation-tans could have an orgy and I wouldn't blink an eye at it because well there are just so many potential ships in Hetalia, Hell, I don't even mind Pokemon ships to have one big orgy too!
Shipping is meant to be fun and that's it. Respect others; have you been taught this by your teachers or parents? Just don't hate or be such petty assholes just for people shipping things you don't like. Be polite and be kind to others.
...I snapped after seeing horrible comments on Destiel shippers and seeing those people seeing themselves as better people than shippers who are just having fun... Yeah...
EDIT: Do not lord your opinion on a relationship over those who ship it, saying that these characters hate each other or calling them bros. It's one thing that it's your opinion but it's another when you force people who ship them to your opinion. Do not deny their reading of the manga nor deny their ship. It makes you look stupid and completely arrogant. I saw a review of a MiSawa fanfic and.... yeah I really do not like what the reviewer is saying regarding the relationships, being willfully ignorant how the relationship is a huge part of the story. It's romance for a goddamn reason. The author is a Misawa shipper for a reason.
I utterly hate people who force their opinions on a harmless ship that hurt nobody. How about make them aware of the bad stuff in the relationships like Stockholm Syndrome or abuse? Be aware than discourage people from shipping two people altogether. Have writers rewrite the mess of the relationship.
This not only corresponds to shipping but also to media works. JesuOtaku doesn't like RWBY and there are others that do. Just respect others and don't spread vitriol. I don't even hate Frozen as much as my cousin do but she and I respect the other's opinion and we spent a couple days ranting about Frozen's potential. Hell, even DCCU is one of these things as I really want Warner Bros to have their own MCU but with Synder and Goyer at the helm... I just don't want them near the projects anymore. I am well-aware of the behind of the scenes things such as Synder still at Justice League director chair due to filming right after BvS release....which followed by a huge disappointment by DC and moviegoers alike.
Note there is a difference between telling somebody you don't like a type of food/media. But it does not excuse any form of racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and all those phobias and -isms. There's a difference between "I hate coffee" and "I hate black people". The latter is unsettling and hatred filling.
I don't know people who voted for Trump because every one of my friends and family wanted Trump out of office. There are people who voted for Trump because of what he said he would do but there are people out there who believe they need change.
I have another comment: When one wants to critically analyze what it to be progressive in Japan, please study Japanese LGBTQIA+, feminism, and the likes from actual Japanese people who experienced the oppression. Do not patronize the Japanese when you are practicing cultural imperialism. The Japanese media are made for the Japanese market. There are people who are making steps forward in Japan and most people in Japan did not know there is even a market here in the West. Just please for the love of god, just enjoy rather than critically analyze if it's queerbaiting or not when it's in a totally different country with different sensibilities. Just please understand the Japanese struggling in their own country, wanting their country to be progressive just as much as we want America or any other country to be just as progressive in their own country's right and well-being.
That might come off contradictory when I said about shipping earlier. Now shipping I don't mind because that is just enjoyment. Just as media apparently given an open text to people with different opinions. Just do not patronize people that your preferred reading of a ship or text is correct; just that the other interpretations are just as valid as yours. Be polite and kind to others; spread positivity than hatred because what is the point of the main fandom when it is not filled with love?
Be the fandom you guys were meant to have; love, respect, understanding, drawn together by a common interest, being a community on the internet. There's a reason why I hardly interact with fandoms precisely just how toxic Tumblr, Reddit, Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and other social media can be. There can be some good but there will always be the bad in fandom. Spread what I said and you can have a community. Seriously the only community I ever stayed infinitely with is Pokeani and Hetalia whereas I left Persona temporarily (because fans apparently want spoilers without context and accuse homophobia/sexism, again without context and without knowledge of Japanese sensibility) and left FMA fandom altogether. The very last one is particularly bad because FMA is my favorite anime of all time and I just can't return to the fandom after meeting people who did not understand. I'm still with other fandoms I can't bother naming but seriously just be kind and respectful. There is a reason why Cinderella 2015 is one of my favorite adaptations.
Canon is the gateway of fandom. There will always be subtext, unintentional or not, and different readings of the same text. I'm an English major; we have to be open-minded and I do plan to be a literature editor on top of being an English professor. There will be disagreements on how the media is presented for it to be progressive like feminism and redemption arcs for characters or relationships...just as long as it remained infinitely with right media such as Japanese progressivism with Japanese media. Show vs tell; show, don't tell. There will always be an imperfect work out there and as long as you tell civilly directly to the person instead of insulting that person for liking something you deemed unfeminist despite that person is feminist. Take directly to the person because that person might listen to you point-blank with lots of people backing you up. Also, point out to the creator whenever he or she tried to push the blame off the character he or she created; the character may be fictional but the creator is the one who made the character come to life and responsible for the character. That and the character's writing. Looking at you, Stan Lee for Invisible Woman and Jennifer Lee for Frozen.
Fanon is whatever you choose but can respect canon; headcanons, fanart, fanfiction, fan videos. It meant to be a fun and wonderful way to be together in making dorky headcanons like funny selfies that Allison got in her phone in Teen Wolf. I may not like Glee canon much due to its many, many issues but that does not mean I don't respect it for changing telly just as much as I don't hate South Park for changing adult telly.
Oh and creators, don't insult your fandom. They are your free advertisement through their ships and readings of the text. They might or might not recommend your product but they might enjoy their product and as long as you understand that you can't please everyone, then it's okay and be welcoming to fans. Look at MCU where fans and critics are treated with respect.
And fans, don't overreact once it appeared that your ship or reading might be invalid. Look at the actions carefully. Sterek fans were afraid that Sterek might be shut down when it, in fact, it hasn't. There are many easier ways to shut them down like outright saying that they are no longer seeing each other as lovers but brothers and sister, arguing like siblings. Making the couple apart would develop tension. Many meta writers point out the easier paths and that Sterek, heavily alluded in visual and text, is still going on. Again, look at the show carefully you are watching until it is decided that your ship or reading is not there anymore. You guys can still ship no matter the in-show text shut the pairing. Look at Destiel fandom which kept going on despite the show itself shut down the pairing and the show itself is a zombie. Even if the show did have interesting ideas and characters. Look at you, Timothy Omundson, King Richard, Cain!
...After the new Yuri on Ice episode that came out, people are saying that Japan finally quit queerbaiting and made history. I wanted to scream and tell them that to view the show with Japanese sensibilities. Remember what I said about the queerbaiting versus getting an audience you want. Japan does the latter! Additionally, we don't know if Victor and Yuri are actually gay or bi. If anything, that kiss could blur the lines further. Merlin queerbait, Yuri on Ice does not because, under Japanese sensibilities, it's fetishization of LGBT relationships to get the audience you want. Either way is still bad but make this clear: do not in any circumstances, put your western sensibilities on a show that is made specifically for Japanese audiences. I am already fucking pissed off I have to say it again.
I am happy about the kiss. And I wonder how the show is going to be handled overall. I will make my judgment when the whole show ends...with Japanese knowledge on deck and no Western knowledge to make any kind of cultural imperialism. I made an entire essay about cultural imperialism for god's sake and you don't know just how pissed I was just even writing the damn thing. And I brought it up in class discussions when we were discussing Conrad's Heart of Darkness. That is how bad a berserk button it is for me.
I also want to make the remark that the show is not a shounen-ai/Boy's Love/Yaoi but a sports anime...which is bubbling with its own homoeroticism. Again, view it with Japanese lens and do not for the sake of the Japanese living there in Japan, input your Western views on LGBT which includes queerbaiting into a show by Japanese people for Japanese people.
...Okay since it had been confirmed by the creators that yes Victuuri did share their first kiss with a tweet from one of the creators Kubo. Since it had been confirmed, I am still going to approach it with a Japanese mindset. I know that there will be people going to be progressive in Japan which means I have to look at it from the Japanese progressive set of mind particularly that of their LGBT. Their LGBT is a whole different beast than America's. Please understand that you don't ignore the LBGT Japanese. Just please for the love of progressive Japan.
