#take back fandom spaces

[frownyalfred]

hey just for the record, if you’re on r/ao3 and keep running into these kinds of comments on bookmark related posts — it’s not a good take. calling someone’s writing “slop” and saying it deserves criticism for being bad BECAUSE it’s posted publicly might seem like a nuanced take, but I promise it isn’t.

yes, sometimes us writers get a little too obsessed over a cryptic comment or bookmark; no, that doesn’t actually mean the solution is to say whatever you want in them because authors “deserve” your honesty. 

I know we’re in a touchy time for readers and writers, but comments like these are NOT kind, refreshing, or nuanced. they’re just kind of mean and discouraging.

[stromblessed]

jayvik shippers need to understand that non-jayvik shippers are annoyed with you not because of not shipping jayvik, but because there is no escaping you.

you clog every tag on every social media platform. want to look at caitvi? jayvik posts tagged as caitvi for some reason. want to look at viktor posts? jayvik. jayce posts? jayvik. want to look at mel posts? jayvik. anyone talking about mel and viktor in the same sentence is obviously secretly talking about jayvik. (and by the way here's why every mel scene is secretly about jayvik and every viktor scene is secretly about how all he thinks about is jayce and why mel is inferior and jayce was a good boy and was right all along). you dominate the discourse and don't give room for criticism of jayce or viktor's writing and don't tolerate other interpretations. every theme in the show was about jayvik all along.

on my main blog, i write fic and make arcane posts - not complaining, staying in my lane, making my own content for me and my friends - and my tags, comments, and replies are full of people talking about jayvik and asking about jayvik when the ship is not tagged or present in my posts or fics, and jayce usually isn't even tagged because i just don't have fun with him as a character right now, and all people want to talk about or comment on is him or jayvik. so here i am, venting on my sideblog

this is a curse i specifically bear and cannot escape because as a fan of the writing of these aforementioned characters SEPARATELY, any and every algorithm is gonna shovel piles of jayvik posts 10 feet deep right up against my front door, and everyone on tumblr is "tagging for visibility" or whatever so there's no escaping it here either. blocking and muting does not help because either jayvik isn't always tagged, or jayvik is tagged at random and i end up hiding swathes of posts i actually do want to see. and there is also the fact that i WOULD be into jayvik because i do think it's fun, i WOULD have more fun discussing jayce specifically as a character who i think is a very fun hot mess, if social media wasn't making me despise both with a burning passion right now, which sucks

the only haven is Ao3 because people are still slightly sane when tagging their fics - at least with the relationship tags. jayvik shippers you do need to stop tagging mel though along with any other character who doesn't affect the plot of your story and i am dead serious

this is a vent post but i am also declaring - the reason why people are frustrated and annoyed at jayvik at large, as a concept, even if you yourself are a chill shipper and you don't see why we all can't just get along, is because the collective has poisoned the well and it's not fun for other people to be in the same space as you right now. there are a lot of you - be glad of that and happy, not every fandom let alone ship gets this large and energetic a following - but don't be surprised that people like me are gonna be mad because. it is irritating. and you're everywhere. and unfortunately there's nothing that any one person can do about it. it is an environmental thing and you just. need to come to terms and be aware, idk

[drenched-in-sunlight]

saying this as respectfully as possible but. Do not put fandom content creators on a pedestal. We are also just fans contributing to a community just as you are. We have boundary on our own work and that’s it. What I say is not and should not be considered sth the whole fandom should listen to. I’m just a normal ass person ranting about things on my blog. If it does not have a fandom tag for others to engage in, do not make it out to be me trying to start fights or addressing the whole community. Because it’s not.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, my art, my lore talk, is biased. I’ve never tried to hide that I view Marika a certain way and will always develop my theory following that base assumption.

Aside from translation stuffs and pointing out in-game items, everything else I say you can look at it, agree or disagree, and move on to form your own opinions. Just because I draw stuffs doesn’t mean you get to saddle me with responsibilities about managing fandom expectations. What the hell? I’m a fan artist, I’m the last person who you should look at for “leaderism” (?) WHAT?

I can and will be a hater in my own space, like I know sometimes other artists will just post their stuffs and not engage too heavily with fandom, and for a while I did try to do that here (because I’m already a dramatic ass on twitter), that’s just not me though.

You will get art and you will get my opinions as well.

[what-am-i-doing-in-this-fandom]

STOP I'm thinking about the part in Gravity Falls where Stan shows up with freshly bought (stolen) light bulbs only to see Ford screwing a new one in surrounded by family.

And OH my GOD. AGH.

Stan gets a little (ir)rationally upset about this because... It's.. Guys,,,

Stan perceives it as Ford once again easily receiving the praise and love of their family when he had to fight tooth and nail to receive even half of it.... I'm not well ✋😔

[snivel1]

No matter how much you try to hide it, the crippling fear of abandonment is all too obvious in you🫵

Astarion, at his very core, is scared, and even ascended it's all too apparent. No matter how much he tries to cover his fear with the veneer of confidence and control, he wants to be wanted, to be needed. So he wants to have control over you, so that you would never even think of leaving him.

In other words: Ascended Astarion is very very yucky and tragic and I hate him but can't help but pity him :(

[windsweptinred]

My daughter has just reached that age where she's taking her first steps into fandom (Good Omens in fact). Watching her find such delight in it, constantly bringing me Ineffable Husbands fanart and shorts to watch, with a huge beaming smile. Drawing her favorites over and over and writing her first self insert Mary Sue 😅. Have a good natured, two week sulk at the end of the second season and then promptly get over it. And most importantly just shrugging off things that don't click with her respectfully. It reminds me why I'm here, frolicking in fandom in the first place. And how utterly irrelevant so much of the fandom wank is. 

(Ps, also a reminder I think we all need now and then. There are young people here in fandom. What they engage with is not your responsibility. (Though tagging correctly sure as hell is!) But what is your responsibility, is how you behave around other members of your fandom. Next time you're about to publicly shoot down someone's bad take, be a dick about someone else's ship on their post or utterly ignore that first attempt at fanart/fanfic. That could be a teenager on the other side. Many platforms allow 13 year olds to join. Remember that! That could be little more than a child on the other side. And their innocent love of something you're about to brutally dismantle.)

She's not here yet, but if and when, I'm counting on you Good Omens Fandom!  

[he-did-this-one-note-and-he-died]

I miss the bfu fandom buzz_wheeze shaniacs shitheads watchermoron shanebread showfeetguy goxtman supernatural true crime freerangegrass memes of the month on the bfu official instagram page shitty ryan and shane picsart edits the hotdaga professor morris ashley ricky goldsworth cc tinsley demon shane annabelle in shane's ribcage timmy's ball sallie house Winchester mansion spaghetti apple tater i think he pooped himself pearl all my ghouls won't you tug on my shirt all hail the watcher maisie coming out of my shell dr. goondis era

[ironicsoap]

you are expendable, you are not expected to return

[some-pers0n]

Of course people are allowed to have differing opinions and readings of characters and should not be harassed nor scrutinized for such, but also like...you know when you see criticism or some sort of opinion about something and instantly know that it's that person's first time ever engaging with fiction more complicated and nuanced than a Disney Channel cartoon

[kid-from-gotham]

You know what I can't stop thinking about since it 1st popped into my head

Jayce post hexcore stumbling across his mother while trying to find Viktor and Accidently regressing around her I think it would be so bitter sweet in a way

[novadragoness]

A builder who totally understands where X is coming from, collecting all those shinies for Coco, because she also likes shiny things, and has been secretly leaving pretty rocks on Unsuur's porch for weeks now.

[askchilchuck]

Do you support Kamala?

No idea who that is.

[revenantghost]

Man! I feel bad about being not as present for bookclub as I was last year, and also about how behind on messaging/responding to peeps between migraines and health stuff I am, but the community here and support and kindness has been amazing even as I feel like I'm letting everyone down, and I've just gotta say:

Thank you <3

[meat-pvppet]

i scroll through mouthwashing twitter or tiktok and i realize that it shouldve been gatekept more

specifically about some of the people on the mouthwashing confessions twitter acc cuz dude. what.

not to be bitch but i think some of you should explode forever /lh

but yeah no the fandomification of mouthwashing has been atrocious chat can none of you appreciate the art and story of something and discuss things without consuming it like content slop in a trough to slurp up holy shit

these recent years online have been THE WORST years to be creating art outside of just AI bullshit cuz some of you cant help but woobify this and babygirlify that and "oh i cant hate jimmy cuz hes probably experienced trauma :[" when that is a literally RAPIST and ABUSER and "curly deserved what happened to him for being complacent in anyas abuse" when he was BRUTALLY BURNT AND MUTILATED AND HAD HIS AUTONOMY STRIPPED FROM HIM and on the complete flip side of that last thing "curly did his best and he did nothing wrong forever!!!" when he was complacent in anyas abuse and let it be perpetuated cuz it was his friend and "anya should have told swansea or daisuke!" when they wouldnt have done anything either and "anyas a pick-me" do you have no sympathy for rape victims or are you just a misogynist im being so so so real right now

every fandom has a side to it thats rancid but holy FUCK guys

[monstersinthecosmos]

the most rancid drama starters in fandoms are always like "gee i wish this fandom was nicer, why do we have to fight all the time :("

[looz-y]

don't care if i seem like a gatekeeper, but normies getting into fandoms and making fun of people for "being weird" or what the fuck ever is annoying as fucking hell. no, you ARE an asshole for making fun of angst fanart. you ARE a bitch when you complain about harmless furry art. and you ARE a dickwad for your attitude on shippy fun.

if you cannot handle the weird then get the fuck out of fandom spaces. we're here to BE weird!! either embrace it & get good or Get The FUCK OUT!!!!