more stuff no one cares about

[mamajoan]

I see all these arguments raging, like the whole BNF thing that never really seems to die, and more recently the "should a slash archive have a banner on TWOP" thing. I feel, on the one hand, like I should comment -- why? because I'm involved in Smallville fandom? Hardly! I've written four stories, and I half-co-moderate one list (but really taraljc does all the work) and that's about it -- and, on the other hand, like this is exactly *why* I don't get more involved in fandom. (There's a circularity to the previous sentence that you should do your best to ignore.)

Thing is, from what I can tell by having read very little of the discussion *g*, the BNFs are, in the main, taking the more rational attitude. With a few notable exceptions of people who will get bitchy about *anything*, it seems to me, most of the BNFs realize that, dude, this is all about FUN. This is about a TV show, which is entertainment; and it's about fanfic and fandom, which are supposed to be diversions, fun pastimes. It shouldn't be taken too seriously in some senses. (In the sense of getting your story beta-read and making sure it's the best story it can be, yes, take it seriously, but in just about all other senses, no.) Most BNFs I can see are going "huh? don't worship me! let's just write fic and get our rocks off and have fun!"

(I mean, shit, can you imagine what would happen if half of these people turned their energies to something that actually MEANS something? Like, while we've been reading slash and giggling over how good Michael Rosenbaum looks in a dress and debating whether Xander is an asshole, have y'all noticed that the economy is in the toilet, there's a war looming, AIDS and syphilis are ravaging minority communities, tens of thousands of children are starving to death, and more tens of thousands are being tossed in jail for the crime of having the wrong skin color or religion? And that's just in the USA -- other countries have, I'm sure, their own equally weighty problems that I just don't know much about.

I sure as hell hope that y'all have taken time out from your busy schedules of flaming liviapenn to go vote today. I'm just sayin'.)

Sorry for the ranty aside. To get back to my main point, which is All About Me -- really, in the main, I don't give a shit. This is why I don't make more of an effort to get into fandom, to become a BNF. Because at the end of the day, it's just entertainment. I want to read hot slash and giggle about the actors' *ahem* attributes and not have to worry about stupid intrafandom politics. I'd rather spend my worrying time on *real* politics and keep fandom reserved for my fun-time. Plus, like an anxious little kid, I hate it when the people I like and admire fight with each other.

And basically I love you all. No, seriously. I think all the BNFs are just unbearably cool. I think Te, Livia, Debchan, The Spike, Cara Chapel, Hope, Lar, Thamiris, Jenny-O, Kate Bolin, Destina, and all the rest of 'em are wonderful, interesting, funny, cool chicks. I love reading their journals and their fic. I get a flush of pleasure when they deign to reply to my journal or my LOCs. But it's not like I'm very close pals with any of y'all, not close enough to step in and go "Hey, quit fighting, let's work this out" and have it make a difference. So instead, I choose to just step back and wait until it has blown over and everyone returns to making witty and wise journal entries and writing fic that rocks my world.

BTW, any and all of y'all are welcome to AIM me (chlaal16). I'm always online during working hours (10-6 Eastern) and often at night too, and I'm just about always bored and desperate for chat. ;) But, I'm swearing off IRC for the time being. I just ... have Issues around it, apparently, and it's not worth it to me any more. If someone wants to arrange an IRC chat with me (i.e. "we'll be on X server on Y channel at Z time"), I'm amenable, but I can't do this "show up and see who's around" thing any more. It's been doing bad things to my blood pressure lately.

[IRC rant deleted because no one gives a fuck]

OK, that was self-serving in the extreme. Whew. I feel better. Wait, no one's actually going to *read* this, are they?

I'll just be over here hiding under the desk.

Comments

[taraljc.livejournal.com]

*waves*

[thamiris.livejournal.com]

. Wait, no one's actually going to *read* this, are they?

You'd be surprised at how many people read things you don't expect 'em to read. Me, I try to read everything on my friends list, including about hats lost in Montreal (not least because I'm from Montreal.) *g*

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well, it was hard to really convey how much that hat meant to me, at least without sounding silly. Cuz, it's just a hat. But not. You know?

What she said

[jrosehale.livejournal.com]

I've written four stories, and I half-co-moderate one list (but really taraljc does all the work) and that's about it -- and, on the other hand, like this is exactly *why* I don't get more involved in fandom.

Hallelujah. I (heart) the BNFs from a distance, and I will confess to running like a third-grader to the LJ in question when the schoolyard scuffle happened a few days ago. But for every time I've been sorry I don't have a group of buddies to meet up with at a con, there have been about 10 times in which I'm very, very happy I observe from far, far away.

[natilla.livejournal.com]

i put you on my buddy list. i have a badfic to share with you when i see you again ;-)

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

LOL. Uh, I can't wait. Or possibly No! Help! Run away! ;)

[canadian-snoopy.livejournal.com]

I've just spent... oh, about 2 hours catching up on my friend's entries. I didn't manage to get beyond the last 20 entries because I got distracted by reading the backstory to this latest blowup.

I've read the defense, the attack, the mocking (I think fandom_wank is the greatest thing ever) and the only thing I could think of was this...

I'm glad I'm too insignificant to draw this sort of attention.

This is about a TV show, which is entertainment; and it's about fanfic and fandom, which are supposed to be diversions, fun pastimes.

Word. Total and utter and complete agreement. I've said it before, I'll say it again and I'll most likely repeat it again in the future; the minute fandom participation begins to cause more headaches than happiness, I am out of here. I love the people here, I've met some truly fantastic people but my blood pressure can only take so much.

I can see why people are making the points they're making and I agree, if you feel strongly about something, you ought to stand up and make yourself heard. However... I can't escape the feeling that the best thing to do, after you've made your comments, is to step back, take a deep breath and realize that sometimes, the best you can hope is to agree to disagree.

Or do like I do and get buried under school work and completely miss the whole damn thing. And to tell you the truth, I'm beginning to wonder if the whole unintentional absence from fandom wasn't a blessing in disguise. I managed to miss not one but two kerfuffles!

So instead, I choose to just step back and wait until it has blown over and everyone returns to making witty and wise journal entries and writing fic that rocks my world.

Yes. Oh yes. So... get to crackin' making witty comments. You're here to amuse me, minion ^_^

And dude, you're going to kick yourself when you hear this. There was a minor reunion at #smallville yesterday! natilla was there, and so was linabean and Fu and a bunch of other, very familiar faces!

We squee'd over the babies o' destiny! We mocked Lionel's hair! We had inappropriate daddy thoughts! We made Martha evil! It was fun!

... erm... I just realized... don't shoot the messanger?

I think it's the notion of 'If you build it, they will come'. At first it was just caro, Fu and I. Then, within 15 minutes, both the spoiler room and the SV room were jumpin'. It was like the good old days... from last April.

Heh.

We ought to make a date though... I miss chatting with you. Now, if only blueraccoon would quit her job and write Chlex day and night, I'd be happy ;)

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Well, you make it sound pretty appealing, but being as I hadn't seen the episode, I probably wouldn't have wanted to be on chat anyway. But someone can certainly email/AIM me next time a chat is going... :)

p.s. you need to lj-cut your entries when you're spoiling SV.

Erm... oops?

[canadian-snoopy.livejournal.com]

Generally speaking, I try to make the subject heading on my entries clear enough so that people realize that I'll be spoiler-y. I figured, it's not like anyone reads this anyway....

But, you've got a point and it really doesn't bother me to add a line of code. I am really sorry about spoiling you though. I suppose I'll make it policy to keep spoiler comments about a new episode behind the tag. Will edit last few entries appropriately as soon as I'm done.

And dude, I didn't even think of emailing you! Where was my brain, I ask you? I will definetly drop you a line the next time a reunion occurs!