Poll: Poll: "Tainted" by the fandom

[Raikas]

I think it depends - when we're talking books/tv series/single player games, no one is being forced to interact with other fans of those properties. But I do think there's a grey area for anything that's interactive by nature.

If you hate the fans, hate the fans.
It's idiotic to hate something for how other people react to it.

I don't think it's idiotic to hate a multiplayer game if most of the other people playing it are hate-worthy - that interaction is integral to the experience of the thing. I think certain types of music fall into that same category, where if a band/DJ/ensemble encourages or discourages certain behaviours at their concerts, they do then own some of the behaviours of their fans, and it's more than fair to judge them on that.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I voted "no." You can like something without associating yourself with the fans, which is generally a wise idea.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

It's OK, though probably ill-advised.

I have all the answers. Throw a harder one at me.

 

[josemlopes]

2) I never understood the "Sonic the Hedgehog" thing. Is there a problem with Sonic fans?

Go to Google, type your name and then "the hedgehog" and you will see what is the problem with Sonic fans.

I dont know exactly what it is but Sonic does have some kind of magnet for retardness. I like Sonic too but damn, it can be too much at times.

Also this:

(I have the impression that its a satire but it isnt that far out of the usual Sonic fanbase)

 

[kasperbbs]

Nope. If i think something is good then i will enjoy it, but if for some reason i wouldn't want to be associated with the people who enjoy the same thing then i would simply keep it to myself. It's not like i'm a huge fan of anything really, so i don't really care about how many fans the thing has or what are they like since i wont bother interacting with them.
I just realised that i'm not really passionate about anything, fuck.

 

[SKBPinkie]

I dont know exactly what it is but Sonic does have some kind of magnet for autism. I like Sonic too but damn, it can be too much at times.

When the fuck did it become okay to make fun of autism? Seriously, why would anyone mock a disability? Is this 4chan's doing? Has "autistic" replaced "fag" for their word of the day?

OT: No, as long as the community doesn't define the product (multiplayer), I don't care if a fan sucks off a moose. I'm gonna judge the product for what it is. Let's face it - the dude who would do such a thing probably also likes music. Doesn't mean I gotta stop listening to music.

 

[josemlopes]

I dont know exactly what it is but Sonic does have some kind of magnet for autism. I like Sonic too but damn, it can be too much at times.

When the fuck did it become okay to make fun of autism? Seriously, why would anyone mock a disability? Is this 4chan's doing? Has "autistic" replaced "fag" for their word of the day?

OT: No, as long as the community doesn't define the product (multiplayer), I don't care if a fan sucks off a moose. I'm gonna judge the product for what it is. Let's face it - the dude who would do such a thing probably also likes music. Doesn't mean I gotta stop listening to music.

Fine, I'll change, but to be honest I am not making fun of the disability, I am making fun of perfectly functional people that when it comes to how they act in relation to whatever thing they are fan of (in this case Sonic) they can be mistaken for people with that disability.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

Most of the time I'd say that there's a line that separates the work from its fans... but it's not always the case. For example, MOBAs. I love Dota2, but I will be the first to admit that it has one of the most toxic and vile fan base due to the nature of the game. If you want to get into Dota then you WILL HAVE TO communicate with the fans and it might affect the way you perceive the game itself. Although, video games are actually unique in this regard as this is the only interactive medium and in PvP multiplayer games you will interact with fans. In all other cases I think that fanbase exists separately.

 

[Ieyke]

I think it depends - when we're talking books/tv series/single player games, no one is being forced to interact with other fans of those properties. But I do think there's a grey area for anything that's interactive by nature.

If you hate the fans, hate the fans.
It's idiotic to hate something for how other people react to it.

I don't think it's idiotic to hate a multiplayer game if most of the other people playing it are hate-worthy - that interaction is integral to the experience of the thing. I think certain types of music fall into that same category, where if a band/DJ/ensemble encourages or discourages certain behaviours at their concerts, they do then own some of the behaviours of their fans, and it's more than fair to judge them on that.

In multiplayer games the other players are part of the game, not just fans.
In the concert scenario you hate the concerts and/or the musicians, not the music.

 

[Something Amyss]

I can understand the fans wearing on you or even possibly souring something somewhat. Bronies and Browncoats and Dark Souls fans all make me (or made me, in the case of Firefly) reticent to check out the content.

But if the fans are the only reason you dislike something, then something is wrong.

 

[Piorn]

Since anything must stand seperately from it's creator(s), like for example Orson Scott Card's writing, a fandom must also be judged seperately.

You can enjoy things alone, disregarding by or for whom they are actually.

 

[Techno Squidgy]

Pre-MLP:FiM I would have said no, just enjoy the thing. However, post-MLP:FiM, I'd say it's perfectly legitimate to hate something based on it's fandom. I enjoyed the MLP pilot. Bronies made me so fucking sick of it that I didn't bother to watch any more of it. I'm just glad that 'Love and Tolerate' is no longer being pasted across the walls of the internet like a kid with a handful of it's own shit.

 

[Raikas]

In the concert scenario you hate the concerts and/or the musicians, not the music.

The music doesn't exist in a vacuum that's going to be totally separate from the musician themselves when we're looking at the context of a concert.

That's just how we are as humans - when people have positive associations with music because they had a good experience at a concert (or just because it was associated with something positive in their lives), that's the same thing. Now maybe you consider that equally idiotic, but I tend to think that those associations (positive and negative) are part of how human emotions are wired.

I also think that's different from people who choose to engage in fandom elements that they know they don't enjoy and then complain that the music/game/series/whatever is ruined for them - I agree that that's foolishness, but because those people choose to keep going back to things they don't enjoy. Just having a general association made because of the context of a specific encounter isn't quite the same thing.

 

[Fox12]

[
I'd respond to your post but first I need to wrap my head around the concept that you're an English teacher who speaks English.


....

No good.

(Explodes)

But to actually answer: while I don't know the specifics of your situation, I can understand when it might not be the best idea to reveal certain interests in the real world (i.e. away from the internet). And that saying "Well they are just making an illogical judgement on you and you've done nothing wrong!" doesn't really help when the brick hurling mobs show up.

The specifics are pretty much "lives and works in a conservative minded country, where most people know very little about the world outside of tabloid news (seriously, if you think the Daily Mail and the Sun are bad, they can only dream of the kind of hold local tabloids have on the people here) and are prone to talking smack about people who disagree with their norms." And yes, that's entirely the point I've been making: I'd very much like to enjoy things, or admit to enjoying some of the things I enjoy, but I can't because of the nature of my work.

I'm curious, why do you feel you can't express your interests if the subject matter has legitimate academic value?

For instance, the majority of comic books are c-grade pulp fiction trash, but that doesn't mean that works like Watchmen, Berserk, and Maus don't have literary value. I wouldn't share that with middle school students, of course, because they're not old enough for the material in question, but I've seen Alan Moore being taught in universities across the nation. You should be happy to mention games, comics, and other stories that have legitimate cultural value, because they're avant garde. They're pushing they're respective mediums forward as legitimate art (though comics seem pretty dead in the water these days).

If you can't discuss it with your colleagues for whatever reason, since middle school and high school are more opposed to free thinking then college, then try and form a sort of "literary group" of close friends. You can discuss the artistic value in games and other forms of alternative media. But don't be ashamed to enjoy what you enjoy.

OT: Yeah, I ignore fandoms. All of them. They tend to get really annoying really quick.

 

[Fifty-One]

The first thing I thought of when I read the post was religion. I'm not going to take it any further than that.

 

[Ieyke]

I can understand the fans wearing on you or even possibly souring something somewhat. Bronies and Browncoats and Dark Souls fans all make me (or made me, in the case of Firefly) reticent to check out the content.

Can't speak for Dark Souls, but you're probably short-changing yourself not watching Firefly. I only know one person who doesn't like Firefly, but I guess that means it's technically not for everyone.

MLP:FiM is pretty good, but admittedly not for everyone (if you like Foster's House For Imaginary Friends and/or Powerpuff Girls, you'll probably like it).

I don't play Dark Souls because I don't have the time or patience. Game looks and sounds cool though. *shrug*

.
...I kinda feel like letting an overly-excited fanbase scare you away from something great is just a way of screwing yourself over.
Kinda like you're letting the crazies win.

I hate fans of great things who spoil stuff, and I hate fans of dumb things who make dumb things profitable enough to spread (e.g. Twilight).

 

[Ieyke]

In the concert scenario you hate the concerts and/or the musicians, not the music.

The music doesn't exist in a vacuum that's going to be totally separate from the musician themselves when we're looking at the context of a concert.

No. Then you hate the concert. The music is a separate thing that still exists when you remove all of the people, the venue and even the band.

If you hate concerts, don't go to concerts. If you listen to the song on the radio, the band, venue, and crowd are meaningless to the music.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Personally, I dislike things because of the people. For example, while I don't particularly hate My Little Pony, the fans of the franchise are such that I'd never actually associate with them. Most popular online games tend to spawn a fan base that ensures I won't ever actually bother to talking to people as I play. Having terrible fans is rarely cause for me to hate a thing but it is often reason enough to keep me from becoming a fan.

 

[bojackx]

I'd say not, the actual work doesn't change no matter how terrible the fandom surrounding it is, but fans do ruin it by association.

I got into anime about a year ago, and whilst I never really took notice of them before then, I absolutely loathe weeaboos with a passion. It makes me so sad that if I were to be vocal about how much I like anime that there's even the smallest chance someone will automatically associate me with the fuckheads who spew "kawaii" and "souka" and add honorifics to their names when they have no Japanese roots or knowledge of the language past what they picked up from anime.

I actually find fandoms more annoying when I'm technically part of them, so maybe I'm just odd like that.

 

[Ieyke]

I actually find fandoms more annoying when I'm technically part of them, so maybe I'm just odd like that.

Because then it's like people are speaking for you, giving "you" a bad name, and robbing your opinion of credibility.