[speaking of the pleasure button...]

So lately I haven't been too inspired to post here-- partly 'cause I really ran out of steam, partly 'cause my flist isn't fannishly active in HP (which remains my only fandom) and partly 'cause I've been posting on my Myers-Briggs board & obsessively learning Tarot. And when I say 'obsessively', I mean I bought something like 20 decks in the space of 2 weeks... which reminds me quite painfully of a post by fangirljen that linked to the the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lady of DOOOOM. D:
    I was gonna say something here about how ideally, one shouldn't just splurge on things and soak up everything about them as if it's manna from the heavens, no matter how good/insightful/fun it is, and instead try to distance oneself enough to learn something/keep perspective (read: sanity)... but then, this is my personality, too :/ Here but for the grace of chance go I, thankfully not fixated on TMNT paraphernalia. :/ I mean, that's sort of what the point of that post was, but at the same time, gaaahhh... that is not a good thing. I also have to admit I look down on obsessiveness about paraphernalia & 'acting it out' in general (ie, people who're way into cosplay) 'cause it's so surface and materialistic somehow, haha. But, well, being mentally masturbatory isn't any better than doin' it with the suit on, I guess. I don't have much confidence I can seriously always tell the difference between 'too much surface' (ie, scary fangirlism) vs 'illusory depth' (ie, pretentiousness), though I do have to say I get annoyed when people are so ticked off with pretentiousness they venerate surface squee/simplistic or badfic-style writing as if it's just naturally 'more honest' and therefore full of genuine goodness. Yeah, right. If you consider being honestly an idiot a good thing, more power to you, I guess. I still think there are many different flavors of idiots & there's room for everyone.

Just to state the painfully obvious, I found that original post and its yaye-fandom attitude to be way too rose-colored; there are tons of ways to be an unhealthily 'fanatical' fan and to just be unhealthy about fandom in general. I'm sure everyone in fandom knows someone who shouldn't be here, or just shouldn't be here as much and are just avoiding their real life, real issues, real friends. It's so easy, especially on the internet, to just-- live a whole 'nother life, a life where everything's focused on single-minded pleasure. Whereas some people can handle it, and need the escape, the 'safe space' from a life already spent working hard and not being entirely 'themselves', other people simply don't have that sort of work-ethic or natural grip on reality, pure and simple.

In any case, I think it's silly to either say 'fandom is love' or 'fandom is for losers'-- obviously, it depends on both the individual and the circumstances, but generally I'd say it's a bit of both.
    ( blah. )