The current fandom culture is...stupid. Trends invading spaces, with known fandom history (that is interesting to read), and overtaking to the point entitled brats to think they can control the space. What a mob mentality...
I entered fandom when I was 12ish, close to 13. A freaking decade I spent in the background; I saw shipping wars, a minor 'discourse' that doesn't take over the entire community, the insistence of shipping something you need to, fun theories, etc. The thing is that is internet space with fandoms being niches.
Before I even heard of Archive of Our Own, I read fanfiction on Fanfiction.Net. That had become my mainstay for a while until I moved to college. I mostly read Gen fics or the popular het ships since there are a lot more there than m/m unless they are popular fandoms like Hetalia.
On FF.Net, I have seen tags on summaries like Slash, Rape, and all kinds of kinks. They are warning you for a reason. I actually avoided all things sex (because at that time, I was still debating on whom I am attracted to) but I read a lot of violence. I didn't hurt the authors for even writing the thing; if they're writing in the first place, it could mean it was for titillation and for the enjoyment of others and just because it's fun to explore. It's 'problematic' but it remains on the internet with tags for all to see. Even Don't like (the summary explaining everything, the tags, etc), Don't Read say it outright it's your choice. I read long fics and anything to do with my ship. If the site doesn't have it, I go to another site to find it. I barely even read slash fiction there.
As for the anti 'movement', if you can call it that (seriously, they are only attacking fandoms just for having something fandoms has like being a bubble of exploration of problematic and fluffy material instead of you know teaching nuanced critical thinking of recognizing potential predators. That is more beneficial than protecting a hypothetical 'child'), I think I first saw them arise in 2013-14. The first anti-fandom I came into contact with is Anti-Freeze Team, an anti-Frozen group. This group does bring up legit points such as the unoriginal storytelling and lack of worldbuilding for example. However, this is also the same group that hates on ships like Elsanna, Hanna, Helsa, Kristanna, and Jelsa. Look I understand if your friend harass you into pairing a particular ship or you think the ship is disgusting, but don't hurt other people. Criticize all you want but stay in your lane and don't hurt anybody who actually used shipping for fun and exploration and coping because guess what? They're utterly fictional, belonging in a niche. While I do admit Kristanna does look problematic, the fact it is underwritten is the failure since Hanna seemed to have more development. So I took away from this group of antis is that they have legit grievances that are necessary to be talked about. Just they are taking it on the wrong people. Do they even know what shipping even is? They seemed to think canon is the way when not really fanon is called fanon for a reason. Jelsa is a crack crossover ship for a reason. People shipped Jack with Hiccup and you don't see that hurting Dreamworks in any capacity. People should also stop saying 'queerbaiting' too because it was thrown around so easily and to get caught up in your shipping is bad when you are dealing with canon and canon is not the end-all of all shipping. The argument I have seen was 'IT'S CANON!' - guess what? Canon matters so little to shipping, which is subjective. There is no reason why one should adhere to canon for shipping evidence. Sure, go ahead but don't confuse canon with your headcanons.
And that was just the start of anti's, folks. They gained more and more momentum from the mob mentality, negativity, SJW, and purity culture. There are literally antis for anything you can think of: Naruto, Bleach, FMA, Voltron, feminism, shipping, anything.
Purity culture is toxic. Purity does not exist. Even Shakespeare knew his character Bianca in Taming of the Shrew. Hell, depicting problematic material does not mean the person is in support of it. Are you saying that George R.R. Martin supported incest? He's a liberal. Fanfiction writers have a whole laundry list involving kinks, standard kinks too, and they're just sex.
Don't get me going into age gap relationships in fiction. Now, modern shipping culture seemed to mean that any age difference and I do any of them including two full grown adults like an 80-year-old with a 60-year-old and that's pedophilia. Um, they're both adults? Do you even understand the word, adult, or the word, pedophilia? Do you even understand the world is not America-centric? Are American teenagers and young adults that entitled and self-centered to not see that the world does not revolve around their morals or what they believe to be taught? Do you just confuse statutory rape with pedophilia?
Hey, no matter how much you criticize some fandom practices, be glad they are a niche and aren't as widespread. Seriously, A/B/O dynamics are an internet creation, similar to the Humans are Space Orcs threads. I doubt a lot of people actually know or care A/B/O actually means. Hell, as a whole, I cared as much as I do piloting a plane which is NOTHING!!!! Seriously, I don't care much for A/B/O at all. Sure we can theorize what made it popular or appealing; people are allowed to hate it or not care much for it.
Do you understand how reality works? Purity does not exist. The Victorians tried to push for that and guess what? It didn't work. People regarded fandom as a niche. Do I have to point out how people were surprised by Trekkies and Star Wars fanatics? Do I have to point out to you there are specific groups of people who go to conventions in cosplay (I still need to work on my Kaitou Kid cosplay) and panels? There are groups of fans who buy tickets or outright traveled to see them live? Does anyone remember how fans were even treated outside of the fandom sphere? And that's not getting into America's depiction of geekdom. Even with The Big Bang Theory's less than amazing depiction of nerds, at least they got right the fact that it is a niche. Their coworkers may or may not get the references but at least they get it was nerdy. Seriously, if The Big Bang Theory got it right, then you, the consumer, are doing it wrong.
This is why I don't get antis. Fandom doesn't have anything in reality. It's a niche. It's not as widespread as you think it is.
That makes them no different from sports fans. Sports fans are a niche. Sports had become a part of our culture to the point of almost a military ceremony beforehand. Sports is really just a ball bouncing around to person to person.
Back then, people ship whatever they wanted. Sure, there is ship hate then and the occasional ship war but none that overtook the fanbase unless they are popular in some fashion. Back then, fandoms have been toxic. Back then, fans expressed fanart regardless of what canon says. Back then, canon meant nothing to fans. It is called fanon for a reason! Back then, people celebrated their interests and just indulged. Back then, you don't need to reveal personal information to strangers just to allow you to even have your indulgence. I seriously hate that because these guys are preying on the vulnerable to release personal information. It's one thing, revealing age and zodiac sign but beyond that...yeah, you're setting yourself up for vulnerable situations.
That is more horrifying than an A/B/O fantasy. Seriously, at least those A/B/O fics don't hide they are basically sex fantasies. What these guys aren't hiding is that they are abusing vulnerable people who simply want to explore.
Now, it's canon is the priority regardless fanon still exists (seriously there is still the perception of a fanon character versus a canonical characterization. I mean it's hilarious in the VLD fandom where before Keith's Vlog, people see Keith as this arrogant boy who got everything on a silver platter despite his ancestral issues despite people saying that interpretation is wrong on all accounts. And this is a fandom that has all the modern fandom trends come together in a bad mess and a fandom that seemed to think they are the best in controlling others including thinking they can also police in AO3 including lambasting anyone posting mpreg in a supposedly pure ship....are you kidding? It is not called AO3 for nothing and do you not know the history of fandom and AO3?). Now, it's buzz words thrown around so easily that the actual people who committed the crimes slipped under the radar and crimes overlooked. Now, it's purity all over the place. Now, it's the normalization of abusive techniques and mob mentality over people who simply have different life experiences thus preferences. Now, it's a 'crime' to post things that are normal to humans even as far back as the great intellectuals like Plato arguing about Patroclus and Achilles. Seriously, this happened. Now, fanfiction seemed to be policed where safe spaces like AO3 are being attacked. Now, cathartic fiction should never be written according to stupid entitled children who only have a surface education of the world, who confused terms and laws, who failed to recognize fiction is a place to explore, unlike nonfiction.
Believe me, I began learning so many things about the world once I exited high school. I took a class in sociology. I learned reliable information from various sources to extend my learning if my classes or school of education did not teach such a thing. I am currently looking for a goddamn job.
Entitled spoiled brats of teens to the early twenties who think they can control other people are a major problem. Even older people who should know better than to bully to the point of creating multiple blogs to have 'receipts' of people who committed a horrendous crime of fanart or shipping something, designating them as disgusting people who committed those deeds despite the fact that they are simply fandom-based ships that will not hurt the canon. Not even caring to listen to criticism, they deemed themselves morally right to the point that sane people outside of fandom space called them out for their horrendous behavior from non-fans!
While I do consider Steven Universe enjoyable and its messages do need to be said especially in a time where hate and controversies are so easy to stir up especially when everything started to get political regardless of the author's intention to just have fun, the insane fans gave the sane fans a bad reputation. Harassing crewmen and artists (who have no say in the story but they can say which they ship) is disrespectful over a fucking fanon ship. YOU don't get a say in canon. YOU don't own it officially. You are simply creating headcanons that you confused canon for.
Steven Universe is made for everyone. How the hell does self-righteous POC, LGBTQIA+, and whatever identity and sex you identify with own that? In gatekeeping, you are making people force away something they'll enjoy and interact with people who share that interest. Avatar the Last Airbender comics outright mocked fake fans and gatekeepers, for Godoka's sake. Creators including those who aren't even involved in the final process are 'exposed' by these gatekeepers as these not great people who deserve none of the praise. I just...wow...
In VLD fandom, one of the youngest fandoms I was seen, these anti-shippers or at least a small percentage of them sent death threats over which is strictly fanon (Klance is fanon, guys. Shipping isn't canon. Sure we would love some canon backing such as intimacy and teamwork but those are interpretations. Unless something that is undeniably romantic like Kataang's continuous interest although admittedly getting LGBT media unless you are LGBT yourself regardless you is inclusive and treat everyone like equals are difficult to identify. People didn't see Korrasami or Solangelo but they will admit it is canon. They don't like it but they'll move on. They might criticize how it's handled and such and such. They are allowed to hate it. They are not allowed to hate people who are inclusive to even write them. Are you saying that the VLD supported pedophilia? No, Josh Keaton explicitly said they have to learn the definition of pedophilia. His friends particularly Shada and Bex are fine with their Klance shipping. And they're all friends. Montgomery and Dos Santos said that all ships are valid. And they are friends with the VAs. Alex Hirsch basically said that all ships are valid alongside headcanons despite his mocking of well everything really from shippers to Tumblr itself. I'll mock Tumblr myself and more like mock its purity no-boundaries sjw minority that pushed an agenda that is impossible to achieve because they have such little knowledge of fandom in general. Just because a ship is canon does not negate other ships; if people ship NH and SS, that means people can ship SNS or Narusaku. I will repeat this to death: you guys don't need canon for your shipping. Ship whatever you want; but if you seriously want canon, you cannot confuse canon with headcanon. Headcanon: Keith is Korean, Lance is bi. What is canon is something like this: Keith is Galra, Lance has a beauty routine, Hunk loves to cook.)
And this is the same fandom which has a strong anti-Shaladin policing community to the point that the anti-Shaladins who remained on their lanes look so bad. They would rather have a fanon couple like Shlav (which again they can ship; I personally don't care much of it) but refuse age difference relationships that are normal in high school and real life. I just don't get their logic here. They'll allow an obvious fanon ship but something that even resembled a real relationship between two people who even has just as much as two year age difference even though it's so freaking common in real life. My mom and dad have an 11-year difference. I have a friend who then was a sophomore dated a senior. Another person on Tumblr met her husband when she was 19. Other people even commented that when she was 18, her 16-year-old boyfriend abused her. So...yeah....age differences in relationships make no difference in reality. Sane people would call them out for their SJW agenda that no longer resembled reality and more like a fantasyland full of arrogant snot-nosed brats who know far too little of the world. They'll be laughed off in reality.
They are forgetting that people still ship SasuNaruSasu despite the manga ending or jumping the shark or anything really. They forgot that people still ship Pokeshipping despite Misty not appearing since her last appearance in AG. They forgot that people still ship Ichiruki despite Rukia not even appearing in the manga in years. They freaking forgot that people still ship Johnlock despite canon and creators pretty much shamed them for even liking them together. They forgot that Spirk is one of the oldest slash couples out there and had not hurt any movement in the real life like LGBT parades and protests in real life events that have an impact on the conscienceness. They didn't hurt the actual movement itself!
Seriously from what I gleaned, Matt is a discourse now for shipping. WTF, now it's Maladin and I just... We just saw a canonical Matt expressing a crush on Allura and now that's bad. What is wrong with shipping a guy who simply has a crush on her? Regardless of your preferences, it's a fucking ship on fandom. You guys can still ship Matt to anyone! Age is utterly meaningless in shipping fandom! Age them up or make them animals or put them in Amestris or cross them into the world of ATLA or gender-switch or bodyswap or make them pirates or put them in modern day! Ship Matt with Lance, Allura, Pidge, whoever the fuck you want! Just don't hurt anybody, you stupid fandom!
Also fandoms, please for the love of Shakespeare, do not put too much stake in theories and expect it to be canon. You can love a theory. I'm a lover of Wild Mass Guessing and love it when the writers proved me wrong or right or outright troll us. People can create lovingly detailed theories out of anything. Hell, there are crack theories like Miss Fizz from The Magical School Bus is a Time Lord. That's fun! Don't sit on a throne, expecting special treatment just because you have a theory you firmly believe to be true.
Shipping meta is best described as a reach at any point in time (even one of the Klance analyzers, who does not participate in meta much or fandom much admitted it was pushing it and she doesn't watch the show for the ships!) but just fanon fun. Don't get invested in fanon to expect things from canon. Because the creators hint at one thing does not mean that it is the thing you strongly desired. You guys don't need to pick canon. Canon is simply the backbone or not of all the backbone. Mycroft and Greg Lestrade were paired up precisely because of a passing comment from Greg. I shipped Sam X Mercedes and people shipped Sam X Blaine and Kurt X Puck? And you know what, it's all fine!
Fanon means to explore things that canon will not or would not or could not explain in great detail. You can literally explore anything. Coffee shops au's are so common you can literally find them in every fandom to date.
My headcanon for Suyin's father is Sokka. So by that headcanon, they're both terrible parents! Then again, they cannot be Kataang. Aside from me being a happy Tokka shipper, it's still a headcanon. The creators admitted that unlike Katara and Aang, the others' lives (i.e. Zuko, Sokka, Toph, Suki) are left up to interpretation. This was supported by the comics which the creators themselves have spoken to the writers. Hell, LoK made that pretty clear that we still don't know what happened to Suki. Katara could have at least mention Suki but literally none. Therefore, Sokka being Toph's daughter's father is still right in our books. Hell, aside from harassment from fans, the creators are pretty cool with the fandom using their material and encourage them.
How I wish all creators to actually see fanfiction as a creative writing medium? People aren't making money off of it. People are afraid of getting their asses sued off. While Anne Rice started to take a stance towards tolerating fanfiction, her actions in the past erred multiple people and made it into fandom history. Not even Stephanie Meyer didn't sue E.L. James (I never been so grateful. That will be so messy).
Seriously, fandom is a niche. It had not impacted anybody at all. In fandom history, fandoms in the past have been treated like it's an awful thing. Sure certain number of fans are awful and unrepentant about their doings. But there will be the sane fans and the casual fans who simply enjoyed the work. Fandom is voluntary. Either you join it or you don't. If a fan is being dumb for one reason or another, don't interact with them, just don't for your peace of mind.
I'm actively avoiding the VLD fandom and I feel guilty about that since I know antis are a clear minority to the point that even normal fans and casual fans could easily see what's wrong. I'm sure they're nice people to talk to in said fandom. I just wish that the vocal part of the minority doesn't warp fandom to the point fandom can't even do fandom anymore. Only fandom that these selfish entitled brats think they can police.
You know, before fandom adopted the word discourse, the previous word was wank. I guess discourse sounded more mature. Some topics they discussed may be nice like speculation of the hidden clues in Gravity Falls. Some might be so stupid like shipping wars. The Maladin and Shaladin discourse are so stupid I just cannot believe they think they are the police when they are the monsters of the night. Why the fuck would you care about ships when it doesn't even fucking matter outside of fandom space? People look at fandom ships as what fandoms usually do. Why the fuck do you think how the news circulate of a blackmail to the creators on a fucking ship to become canon? You do not own the work. All you do is stupid shit upon stupid shit.
Assholes in fandom will always exist. Trolling and G.I.F.T will always be on the Internet.
It is your responsibility to consume the Internet and its purposes. There is worse stuff than fandom shipping stuff you deemed incest, pedophilia, and abuse. There are porn sites out there that required no official account, literally easy access with no credit card and believe me when I say that. I even accidentally came across porn sites now and then, but I avoid it. There are videos out there that show awful stuff in history like says a filmed suicide.
Think what happened on Persona 5 where one guy died on public television. Those things will be posted on Youtube and circulate. That is far worse than any fanart that depicted a character having sex with a fucking towel or having fictional characters having sex in general, anyone. Imagine watching someone die onscreen in real life and it's not fiction. So yeah, don't think for a fact you're doing any good.
Representation doesn't really help LGBT rights and the movement. Sure we need inclusion in the western society and we need to see more marginalized people actually treated as equals from both ends. There are marginalized people who expect you to treat them as godsend just because of their sex and identity. We are looking for basic human decency here. There is a reason why people have such a backlash against the Steven Universe, Undertale, and VLD fandoms whenever they start to harass VA's and creators. Representation is helpful to the extent for people who want to see themselves in their shoes. Vietnamese people are so underrepresented in western culture; Vietnamese media is totally different because it aimed towards the people of Vietnam just like how Japanese media does to Japanese people. When I look at ML's Kim and TJ's Cheshire, I am relieved to see that I am at least represented in the west. Do you ever wonder why the Persona series are so successful in the first place? Even with its political messages? Even with its progressive thinking? I'm pretty sure people are outright reacting to what Persona 5 have to say about the society in question. P5 was radical, even having one of the villains being an expy for Shinzo Abe, someone that the crew at Atlus certainly disagreed with and hated.
Just you stupid young teenagers to barely young adults, you are not fighting for a good cause. If you want to fight for the good cause, go protest or donate or help actual nonprofit organizations or actually research stuff. There is a difference between fandom, a niche because seriously these cons are basically that a niche and actual porn. Porn that has actual children involved, the porn industry that actually affected society, porn that is easily found on the internet. Fanfiction and fanart are remarkably tamed because while shaped by society, it is not harmful to anybody. For example, Kylux is popular but it was influenced by racism and misogyny however unwitting. Anybody outside of fandom space knew that. People called out the insane fans who spit venom at the creators and fans for their actions. Why do you think the SU fandom has now been called a toxic wasteland by the public outside of fandom? Even the sane SU fans have that hovering over their heads.
Now Tumblr does have a problem that the staff desperately needed to work on, making sure to have no misinformation spreading - seriously, looking at you, antis - and SJW purity gatekeeping.
Why can't people on Tumblr get it through their heads that people aren't perfect? That their purity idealism is impossible to reach?
I don't see their 'movement' dying down anytime soon.
Seriously Reylo or whatever ship that had gained lots of hate from antis, go free, create your fanworks and enjoy it! For what character is called a problematic fave, go and have them as your favorite character! If your character is a villain, care less about what people wanted perfection when your interpretation counts just as much!
Now excuse me, I will be playing Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild. I want to explore the world they have to offer.
And to watch Miraculous Ladybug S2.
Because I'm a huge Pokemon nut, I'm going to buy Ultra Sun and Moon. Hey, it's the first game I ever played in my life and I remained playing the flagship games.
