[into the fray again]

I've been thinking recently about the balance between 'fandom love' and 'fandom snark', and how I think there needs to be a balance of both to have a satisfying fandom experience (at least for me). I can't really imagine enjoying being in a fandom just to bitch (or even just to squee), though I'm aware a number of people do just that. Perhaps I'm just not a constant enough person; all I know is that when things go out of balance in the snark direction, as in, everything I see is a source for mockery, I feel like I'm doing something wrong. (Though blind adulation and worship with a disregard for flaws in terms of canon -or- fanfic just plain freak me the hell out.)

    And it's funny how fandom's divided between people who're willing to snark about canon -or- fanfic but generally not both. I guess it bothers me because people forget that we don't necessarily enjoy things because they're good, so in some ways going on about how something's 'not good' or doesn't make sense or is silly is actually just-- beside the point when it comes to why it's popular or why other people like it. Not that I'm saying ranting is bad ('cause clearly I do it a lot), but rather the sort of ranting that is prescriptive or judgmental over fandom or the worth of a text is just... uh... stupid. Basically, you can say what a text is lacking or what you don't like or the issues you see, but if you forget for a moment that this is just from your standpoint, you're just blathering on uselessly about like, next to nothing. Because you're the one who makes this piece of fiction important in the first place; no one else. So in that sense, it's as inane as squeeing.
    (Of course, once one starts going on about people caring too much about inconsequential things, I'd be here all day; here's where that whole relativism thing comes in handy, just to keep your sanity & a bit of respect for people.)

However, I think I'm going to cry or tear my hair out or... something if I see one more person has rewritten HBP as H/D, whether an oh-so-cute-and-original 'missing scene' or the whole shebang. And I realize it's not important or consequential or objective; it's just my history in fandom and my personal needs from the pairing and my investment in canon that makes me react like this, but what can I do? The only difference between me and the fandom-snark addicts is that I really don't enjoy it. At all.

( ...so maybe I'll just rant anyway. )

I'm not sure what my point was, except I wanted to rant a bit about the HBP!H/D phenomenon. And earlier tonight, I was all happy imagining HBP!Draco/Hermione, of all things-- hey, I could almost see it, so maybe I'm a hypocrite. I think the solution is to stock up on my fandom love and, um, go read my Gundam Wing fic....
    Though really-- fanart is my Fandom Love at this point. Today, it was leelastarsky's Ron and Draco portraits-- so spot-on and oh -Ron-, with that tiny smile and that look in his eyes, he just makes me want to hug him. And Draco's little smirk!! Eeeeeeeeee :D