...not earth logic
Aug. 25th, 2004 08:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reenkaI guess I miss feeling that innocent atmosphere of -enjoyment- I remember from Nimbus last year; something separate from analysis or enjoyment of analysis-- it's what makes you want to -do- the analysis. Meh. There's a difference between discussing canon and feeling like you want to dictate where canon goes. Alternatively, people who are 100% sure of their canon interpretation also puzzle me in that sort of 'um, why....' sort of way. The least one can do is separate what's personal projection onto the characters and what's an objective-as-possible reading of what the text is saying 'as is'. Even then, hopefully it will remain in context of that particular reader's biases. Claim your bias!! Why does nearly no one do this? Why, why, why, why, why?
Seeing people judge characters as if they were real people outside their context and then compare them and claim they're 'better' (smarter, more deserving of love, anything other than 'more interesting to them as a reader', which is the honest thing to say)-- man. It just turns me off from fandom. All too often, 'discussion' is really an excuse to pick fictional(!) sides and 'put down the enemy', and what fun is that?
It's just a sad day for all involved when I, of all people, am moved to defend Hagrid. I don't even care about Hagrid. Or like, most of the minor characters. I don't even feel militant enough by nature to defend Harry most times. But the sheer amount of bashing and not-Earth logic, man.
I wish there were more people who saw the positive in any character, but that's just too good to be true, isn't it? Well, it still pisses me off.
When one goes from descriptive to prescriptive analysis-- that's where I feel it's not fun anymore, for me at least. That's where one starts feeling the seething bitterness and then what's the point of still reading/writing? It's just bad vibes if there isn't that layer of sheer fun, man.
If I can't get myself to believe I'll make a difference to the people who think Sirius is 'better' than Snape, how can I make a difference to JKR? So it's a choice, as I see it, to accept and outline one's discontent without passing judgment or to set yourself up for disappointment and bitterness.
Perhaps I can only say that because I'm only really invested (in terms of canon) in Harry, but I don't think that's true. I care what happens, I will just allow pretty much anything to happen, because I think when I 'bond' with a story, I'm open to it and allow it to sweep me along. If I enjoy it, I trust the author to entertain me, and if they don't, I stop reading. It all seems so simple, but fandom makes it so complicated....
I'm open to suggestion, I guess. I have no real desire for canon to go in any particular direction, and maybe that makes me a weirdo, I dunno.... All I can say is, I'm interested in the story, but I'm not the one telling it, and I wouldn't if I could. I write fanfic about characters, but these are -my- versions of Harry & Draco, not JKR's. JKR is writing about hers, and can do with them as she wills without drawing judgment from me on her choices until the end; after the end, I can, I suppose, call her a bad writer for said choices and detail where I think she went wrong, but even that won't be very earth-shaking as far as I can see.
I do -wish- to see Ron/Hermione and I -hope- Draco gets utilized and I -hope- Harry doesn't die, but all I really need is for the books to make sense within their own context. As long as I feel I'm reading the same story, it's good enough for me, 'cause that's what I signed up for. The story determines my expectations, and informs my responses. I only like Ron/Hermione or Harry (or Draco, or Snape) as a character 'cause JKR set the books up for me to do so. If she continues to write in a consistent manner, then logically speaking, I shall continue to enjoy it. Simple, no?
In fandom, nothing is ever simple, it seems, past the 'omg, SQUEE' stage. *sigh* Such is life. Maybe I should take another break.
Seeing people judge characters as if they were real people outside their context and then compare them and claim they're 'better' (smarter, more deserving of love, anything other than 'more interesting to them as a reader', which is the honest thing to say)-- man. It just turns me off from fandom. All too often, 'discussion' is really an excuse to pick fictional(!) sides and 'put down the enemy', and what fun is that?
It's just a sad day for all involved when I, of all people, am moved to defend Hagrid. I don't even care about Hagrid. Or like, most of the minor characters. I don't even feel militant enough by nature to defend Harry most times. But the sheer amount of bashing and not-Earth logic, man.
I wish there were more people who saw the positive in any character, but that's just too good to be true, isn't it? Well, it still pisses me off.
When one goes from descriptive to prescriptive analysis-- that's where I feel it's not fun anymore, for me at least. That's where one starts feeling the seething bitterness and then what's the point of still reading/writing? It's just bad vibes if there isn't that layer of sheer fun, man.
If I can't get myself to believe I'll make a difference to the people who think Sirius is 'better' than Snape, how can I make a difference to JKR? So it's a choice, as I see it, to accept and outline one's discontent without passing judgment or to set yourself up for disappointment and bitterness.
Perhaps I can only say that because I'm only really invested (in terms of canon) in Harry, but I don't think that's true. I care what happens, I will just allow pretty much anything to happen, because I think when I 'bond' with a story, I'm open to it and allow it to sweep me along. If I enjoy it, I trust the author to entertain me, and if they don't, I stop reading. It all seems so simple, but fandom makes it so complicated....
I'm open to suggestion, I guess. I have no real desire for canon to go in any particular direction, and maybe that makes me a weirdo, I dunno.... All I can say is, I'm interested in the story, but I'm not the one telling it, and I wouldn't if I could. I write fanfic about characters, but these are -my- versions of Harry & Draco, not JKR's. JKR is writing about hers, and can do with them as she wills without drawing judgment from me on her choices until the end; after the end, I can, I suppose, call her a bad writer for said choices and detail where I think she went wrong, but even that won't be very earth-shaking as far as I can see.
I do -wish- to see Ron/Hermione and I -hope- Draco gets utilized and I -hope- Harry doesn't die, but all I really need is for the books to make sense within their own context. As long as I feel I'm reading the same story, it's good enough for me, 'cause that's what I signed up for. The story determines my expectations, and informs my responses. I only like Ron/Hermione or Harry (or Draco, or Snape) as a character 'cause JKR set the books up for me to do so. If she continues to write in a consistent manner, then logically speaking, I shall continue to enjoy it. Simple, no?
In fandom, nothing is ever simple, it seems, past the 'omg, SQUEE' stage. *sigh* Such is life. Maybe I should take another break.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-26 01:33 am (UTC)So even the people who're being negative now, I am sure, think theirs is a defence. I'm not saying they're perfectly logical, because you *know* how mad I was when OTPer of the Day looked like she was more into bashing the competition than loving her OTP. But I guess... from their POV, it's just the same? Why I am being oppressed by all this love for things I think are negative as concepts, and then being told to shut up? It's warped because it translates into wars and rabidness but I guess what I am saying is... there's love behind the frustration? I guess what I am saying is justthat I don't want you to go away. We should challenge each other to make very very positive post?
You know I had this total rant not about JKR but about being told to shut up and I've been editing it for two days now because I realised, after writing it, how aggressive it was. I don't want to be aggressive but just explain myself. I don't think any of this bitching would bother you if it was, in fact, just presented in its proper form of "textual discussion". Would it? All the people here love the books to some extent. It's just a difficult time lately because the Author of the books had made some incendiary (from the pov of her fanbase, so this is not an attack to her) statements that brought really into focus the base attitude of everyone towards certain sections of the books - the Slytherins, always the Slytherins - and because the Slytherins are connected to everyone else being the foils, then the focus is on everyone else too. It's just that people are emotional. It's their love that they feel attacked, not so much by JKR but rather by the rest of the fandom.
I mean, take you and me. You are upset by the negativity, and I am upset by the opposite feeling, positivity at all costs. But for none of us these concepts imply being hateful or oppressive (or rather, I don't think I am "negative" in a way that's hateful). It's just that most people cannot separate themselves from their emotions. Hell I know I can't. I always thought owning it was honest enough, but it's clear it upsets you all the same. You say it's not me, but it's got to be me, at least in part. I'm always posting here my peeves with Rowling. I'm sorry. Does it consoles you that I still love a lot of what she created? And that I am sure, everyone still does, too? It's just a moment of... revolution, probably, everyone is trying to understand how they stand on this issue. So it will settle down - at least partly, in a way that can be acceptable because it's the tenor of negativeness and emotional bias that is everywhere in the world, not just in fandom.
Let's create a community for talk of canon? Just canon, no meta? About subjects we enjoy? Sounds cheesy, but it could save us all a lot of bile. It's like... Five Minute Love, or whatever.
no subject
Date: 2004-08-26 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-08-26 02:07 am (UTC)yes. *breathes*
WHEEEE H/D META FOR EVERYONE!! :D :D :D
no subject
Date: 2004-08-26 02:27 am (UTC)Anyway, I'll be wracking my brain all afternoon over community-names. for the canon one, too. and i so think we should actually restart from PS. <3 we should call it "down the wizard's hole" or something. you know, a community that's only about what's *inside* the book. what is the truth of these scenes?
alice is pretty neutralish? i have a couple persons i think are very reasonable. the trick is not to pimp it. :D
no subject
Date: 2004-08-26 02:33 am (UTC)Down the Wizard's Hole, teehee :D :D OMG THIS IS SO EXCITING!!1 :D :D!!1 (we could pimp it but set it so only a few people have commenting/posting rights, teeheee... maybe anyway) OMG YEAY.
If Alice agreed, that would be great :D :D :D!!! *bounces everywhere* MY ENTHUSIASM IS SUDDENLY BACK, WHAT A SURPRISE!! :D!
no subject
Date: 2004-08-26 03:07 am (UTC)I mean, I -adored- the comic, `The Books of Magic', as written by John Ney Reiber. I adored it much more than I adored JKR's writing (though I'd be hard-pressed to say whether I loved Tim as much as Harry, but anyway that's a stupid question). Anyway, then another writer took over and the book became CRAP. Complete, utter, irredeemable CRAP. The main character wasn't even -recognizable- anymore, and the plot-arc was totally unrelated and this felt like a TRAVESTY. I -adored- this series and it was RUINED, y'know? Was I upset? Hell yah. Did I stop reading & try to forget? Yeah. Do I still shudder with horror at the sight of the new series? Yeah. But. It happens, y'know. I don't feel it's a personal insult to me-- it just sucks, y'know? With JKR, on the other hand, at least it's still gonna be her vision-- her writing. How different can it get?? So I guess I wasn't setting my hopes up too high, either. I just want the same product, hopefully. I set my expectations rather low :> Then again, I thought OoTP was a great book & half the fandom didn't, apparently, so clearly I'm no great judge of anything ;))
You're not the aggressive one. I think you should be -more- aggressive, but then, you amuse me & other people don't ;)) *is clearly NOT AT ALL BIASED*
It's really not you. Honest! I mean... I always know where you're coming from and you explain yourself well and use reasonable (overly reasonable at times!) language and try to see the other side to some extent and you don't bash anyone. I just snapped-- it's been building for awhile now, believe me. I've been negative in the past myself, and I -know- all about the desire to bitch/complain/etc (um... I'm sure you've noticed), it's just... I dunno, I felt like it wasn't any fun, and I was probably overreacting, but then, I never felt fandom was a 'good idea' in the first place, y'know? Time-suck, soul-suck, time-wasting endless ruin of my life that it is ;))
Usually I guess I justify it by saying it's -fun-, but all the 'meh' feeling isn't fun. Still, I was overreacting :>