#fandom critical

[sophieabigail2021]

"How fandom react to criticism" wheel

[violet-2084-turkish-warrior]

Probably

- Bad representantion (i honestly don't give a rat's ass about representantion but still me being properly depicted as a Muslim woman with respect and dignity and without stereotypes and Islamaphobia wouldn't hurt).

- I maybe would be shown as the cliche opressed Muslim chick that West loves to depict so much (i know there are Muslim girls and women like this but still...). I would written as a Muslim woman who was forced into comply religion and later permanently leaves religion,takes off her hijab and adopts a more 'secular' and 'modern' lifestyle.

- There would be people make misogynistic and Islamaphobic remarks about me.

- I totally would get mischaracterized.

reblog for a bigger sample size if you feel like it

[randoms-pokemon-garbage]

A mildly warm take that I've somehow never seen before.

The SuMo art style is very good, but Ash has a bad design.

Everyone else looks fine, it's just that he wasn't adapted to the art style well. He's always been a very angular and spiky character, so making him soft and squishy was never going to go over well with the fans, but Ash specifically looks terrible in a way that none of the other characters do, and I think it soured everyone's opinion of the show before they could actually watch it.

Character design rant below the cut.

Regarding his design being bad, I'm actually surprised that nobody's cared to explain why he doesn't look right beyond "he's SQUISHY >:C" because if you look at his SuMo design alongside the others, it's actually pretty easy to see what's wrong with him.

They messed up his anatomy.

Let me explain.

Throughout the course of the previous anime series, Ash has had a relatively consistent facial structure, even during the switch to digital animation. SuMo, however, drew his face wrong and for some reason, they just kept it like that.

The image I found in this Reddit post has them all side by side (minus Journeys) and with them all together, it's pretty blatantly obvious what they got wrong with his anatomy.

His eyes are too small and his mouth is too big. That's it.

Stylized as SuMo was, I'm genuinely shocked that they didn't go back and fix something as simple as this, given how much effort they put into the rest of the animation.

Another weird thing about this design is that nobody else in the anime has proportions like this. It's literally just Ash. I'd be more understanding of the "It's just a different art style!" crowd if that weren't the case, but Ash's design is uniquely bad in a way that none of the other characters are.

Fuck, Mallow's face structure is more Ash-like than the Ash we got in SuMo. If it's really just stylization, why didn't they make him look more like her instead of what we got?

Along with the fucked up anatomy, I don't like his outfit and I don't think that it's something that Ash would realistically wear day-to-day, given what we've seen him with before. The color scheme is right, but throughout the series, he's shown a preference for wearing sportswear, particularly lightweight jackets and fingerless gloves that look similar to the special batting gloves that baseball players use. Comparatively, the outfit he wears in SuMo looks like something he pulled out of the Old Navy bargain bin. It might be a decent enough outfit for another character, but it doesn't look right for Ash.

Obviously he wasn't actively traveling like how he was in the prior generations, but because he never stopped working with Pokémon while he was in Alola, I don't see a reason for him to drop the sportswear. Even when they dressed him up as fucking Calem in XY, they did the bare minimum and modified his outfit so that it was more appropriate for his character, cutting off the sleeves and letting him keep his gloves. If they were that hellbent on making him cosplay Elio from the games, why didn't they do the same thing they did in XY?

I also generally hated the relatively short lived XY-SuMo trend of putting him in other characters' outfits and I'm glad it died. Rest in piss.

In short, despite what rage baiting YouTube channels would have you believe, SuMo doesn't have the worst art style ever made.

(That honor goes to Journeys, but that's a rant for another day.)

Hell, it doesn't even have a bad art style, and the show is both a fun break from the bland edgefest that was XY and just a generally well animated series. Ash's design just sucks because for whatever reason, the character designers went out of their way to make it suck, and I'm sad that the animators got so much shit for it when it was just one shitty design in a sea of good ones.

So to all the people who have been fighting for a million years over whether SuMo is ugly or not, here's your answer.

There is one (1) ugly character design in the show that breaks all of the design conventions of that show for no reason and everything else is great. All of you can shut up now. Goodbye.

[theheartmold]

I was reading this post over on the Ao3 subreddit this evening and I think it brings up a lot of good points about how fandom, as a community, has been shifting in its treatment towards fanfic writers.

Fanfic is more popular than ever, which means there are more works "competing" for the readers' attention, who take on a passive approach that treats fanworks not as a means to talk to people with similar interests, but as content, as products. [...] Gift cultures thrive not on monetary exchanges, but on the expectation that the gifts freely given will be returned in an unspecified future through emotional and relational means. This used to set fandom apart, but it's slowly being absorbed into the mainstream way capitalism operates. Where does that leave us?

And it's demotivating to see the responses authors get when expressing their grievances with this state of affairs, or how they feel underappreciated. Being called entitled, told to write for themselves, or to promote their work as if writing and posting isn't enough. I write for myself, I post for the community. There are things I want to say about the source material and characters, and I do through storytelling. And I'm grateful about each of the comments I got, no matter how short. It's just that it doesn't feel like there's a community out there when no one talks back. Writers aren't just expected to write, but to do it for the "right reasons", and to also be as pleasant about it as possible, lest they'll be criticized by more people than the amount that's offering them support.

I've seen posts going around on tumblr that have approached this topic as well--that fanworks (particularly fanfic) should be created from the perspective of a perfect vessel that can pour, pour, pour out and never needs to be poured into. You should do it for the "right reasons" and not complain because "no one owes you interaction". But what is fandom if not interaction?

Writing fanfic is one of the most time-consuming labors of love that makes up a fandom. (That's not to say other fanworks aren't labors, time-consuming, or made with love. We're talking about fanfic). Your 300k+ enemies to lovers slowburn porn-with-plot fic that has reshaped the entire way you approach a specific pairing or media has been made with time, effort, for free, with the intention to be shared with you.

And in the state of current fandom, it has been made with the expectation to receive nothing back. Is that fair? Maybe. Silent readers exist and a kudos on Ao3 is at least an acknowledgment that some people read and enjoyed. But does it hurt to leave a comment? Even a heart emoji or an "I loved this, thank you for sharing!" is enough to at least start a dialogue, a conversation, form a connection.

That's not even to mention the isolation of fandom interactions to private Discords; time after time I've heard from fanfic authors who found out that there have been discord servers or twitter groupchats where their fanfic has been discussed, loved, and lauded at length--but never once was the author told this! Ao3 has comments for a reason. Many authors link their tumblr profiles or emails in their bio for people to reach out to them.

It's just a sorry state to see it go.

[flowersforthemachines]

I wish all people who tag a post with a rare ship only to spew hate about it in an alarmingly media illiterate way a very explode ten to twenty times

[kittyit]

one of the very offputting and indigestible things about a lot of modern media is the pivot to the quality being the same experience as reading fanfiction. I've only read a little fanfiction in my life, and of course, there are always stand outs in fan works. But I feel everyone can know what I mean when I say it's like reading fanfiction. And I feel like it's a spectrum. For example, right now I'm rereading Hench, and I would say there is a distinctly fanfiction flavor to the work, in that I can tell the author has read a lot of fanfiction, I can clearly guess at some of their favorite tags and tropes, the taste of fanfiction is in my mouth. However, the work itself is compelling enough, the characters flushed out an interesting enough, and the story inviting enough that I am able to bear it with grace. This is like the middle of the spectrum. The far end of the spectrum is when reading a book is exactly like reading a fanfiction (term for this? If the other is flavor...) It's all trope. it's cheap and unearned. It's shallow. It's enjoyable mostly to people who read a lot of fanfiction because it does exactly the same thing. Fanfiction flavored is sometimes tolerable to me, but I resent it, especially when the tropes are paraphilias and fetishes in disguise, but not only then. It's distasteful. And more and more new books and TV series and movies are further and further on the spectrum of how much like fanfiction they feel, how clearly they are made by creators who grew up in fandom, "living and breathing fandom". And because fanfiction-adjacent creations are stripped down to the most appealing and easily accessible plot points and paths, characters & emotions for a fandom-steeped or fandom-ready (innocent) audience, they sell well, they test well with test audiences, they make money. I just routinely see the idea that fandom is basically a free space, it's not hurting anyone everyone's having fun, why do we need to be critical of this? And it's like well it's profoundly transforming the entertainment industry, which profoundly transforms what media people grow up on which is certainly something worth thinking about. And media literacy is a term that's now reached internet driven semantic satiation and become a meme. Instead of something that is important to moving through the world and a practice you can develop your entire life. And I hate how defensive everyone gets about this. I have no power to take away your fandom. I just want think critically and deeply about this like any other social phenomenon.

[thinkingofausername]

i really wish simple things weren't so complicated within fandoms. a character can be problematic but interesting. a character can make a mistake but not be evil. a character can hold a position of authority and still be a victim. a character doesn't have to be perfect and pure and innocent to be a victim. a character doesn't have to be perfectly pure for you to like them. liking a character who's fucked up doesn't mean you support their every action. why is this so complicated

[queenspiderr15]

Media literacy would be nice to see in the fans. One bad action in your worst moment does not define you- though if it's a pattern that's a little different.

People can handle evil characters(for the most part--usually they twist their behavior and water it down) but people really can't handle good characters that lose their head or lose themselves and have a moment of fallen grace. Fandom has shown this time and time again. They really look at them as worse than the initial evil.

[sneakyboymerlin]

Posts about 1x04 being “the ultimate merthur episode” (of which there are many) always feel a bit like they’re missing the point in regards to Arthur and Merlin’s characters.

Merlin doesn’t save Arthur’s life because he’s in love with him, or because it is Arthur specifically, and the same applies to Arthur: he doesn’t save Merlin’s life because it’s Merlin. Merlin is, at this point, still a random guy off the street. They don’t rlly know each other yet.

Merlin saves Arthur because it’s the right thing to do. As Gwen says in 1x05, “Merlin would do anything for anyone.” If it had been Morgana who was to be poisoned, he would have done the same to save her. He does the same for Gwen in 1x03, in fact, when he takes the blame for the poultice that healed her father, (in)effectively trading his life to save hers.

Likewise, Merlin could have been any random person off the street — in fact, Merlin is any random person off the street — and Arthur still would have been honor-bound to save his life in return. Arthur doesn’t save Merlin because he loves him (in fact, I’d argue that they’re not even friends yet). He saves Merlin because it is the right thing to do.

Sometimes when applying the shipper lens, fans will unintentionally block out important, deliberate characterization. Especially this early into the show, this kind of exposition is needed to contextualize a character’s overall values and later actions or changes in belief.

[in-the-drowning-deep]

just. as your local aro sapphic, my opinion on today's disk horse is as follows:

saying you would like to see more non-shipping content in fandom: yes! good! same!

saying you prefer a particular pairing to be platonic: alright! cool!

saying you prefer an F/F rarepair to be just friends, because the canon says they're like sisters, and you're annoyed with the 0.03% of fandom who ships them, and PUTTING THAT POST IN THE RAREPAIR SHIP TAG: jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200 etc

[michanvalentine]

I read an anonymous post that said something along the lines of: "I know people who started hating a character because of the fandom—don’t let others determine what you like or don’t like." It struck me because I saw a bit of myself in it—that’s exactly what I’ve felt too, to some extent.

When I first landed on Tumblr, not long ago, I had no idea what Baldur’s Gate 3 was. Or who Astarion was, obviously. I played it for the first time just a year ago, and fresh from that experience, I started sharing my thoughts here on the platform. Completely unaware. Unaware of the internal wars, unaware of what apparently are some sort of taboos—literally unspeakable unless you want to end up on someone’s blacklist. Or even get verbally attacked. As if someone’s personal experience could somehow diminish someone else’s.

And so it happened that, despite never having interacted with certain users, despite never—and I stress NEVER—posting anything in the "opposing" conversations to undermine anyone’s points or, worse, to judge in any way the person expressing them, I was attacked and insulted for the content of my posts by people who sympathize with AA. Just like that. Out of nowhere. With no warning or preparation on my part. Without me giving a single damn about how they chose to play, how they interpreted the game or the character, or how they appreciated something vastly different from what I personally enjoyed. Which is not only valid but obvious, because fortunately, we’re not all the same.

Of course, not everyone who supports AA acts this way—there are plenty of thoughtful, respectful fans on both sides.

At that point, I had to dig deeper and found out how much bitterness has existed for a while now between the two sides: AA vs Spawn Astarion.

The thing is, it’s hard to stay indifferent when you feel attacked. It’s almost an automatic, physiological response. It’s simply human. And when you keep reading more and more, even blatant absurdities that attack (and judge) those who choose to play Astarion’s redemption arc—because in that case Tav is supposedly an abuser who enjoys his powerlessness (just to name one)—well, it’s only natural to start hardening. Not just toward the fandom, unfortunately, but also toward the character. He starts feeling annoying, almost unbearable. Because, due to a whole set of associations and neural connections your brain makes automatically, that character becomes tied to a whole web of unpleasant emotions and sensations, mostly stemming from interactions with those who champion one ending or the other. Even more so because of how those interactions are handled—interactions that could be polite, healthy, and enlightening.

And reading that comment above, it pissed me off. Because damn, the anon was right! That I prefer Astarion’s radiant hopeful ending is no secret—I think it’s the healthiest choice for him for a whole bunch of reasons I’ve already gone on and on about to the point of exhaustion, because I find his romance more suited to my preferences (and I truly wish the best to those who feel differently, it's still a matter of fantasy, after all), and because I tend to play a good and pure hero most of the time. Or morally grey characters who get into trouble and have some fun, but in the end always make the right choice—for the greater good.

But damn it, I’ve never hated AA. I don’t want to hate AA! I want to play him freely as a villainous companion and enjoy him whenever I feel like being evil too—and I want to do that without having to tie him to all the unpleasantness surrounding him! I hate the idea that someone or something might influence my experience, the way I play, the way I express myself, or the way I view something. It’s just not fair!

[rattlebear25]

Thing that i didn't add about that Ragatha drama...

People complained about "We can't handle complex female characters bla bla bla..."

What about Gangle?

In her episode she is well developed, her character is in a similar way to Ragatha (a person who tries to please everyone and has had enough at some point) and can be considered annoying for her behavior even if it is justified but i haven't heard anyone say "Gangle sucks!" or "She must be the real villain of the show!" because she actually gives you those vibes... I heard one """fan""" hated her but it was just one, not a mass of people like this dumb drama. No one made the mess that happened with Ragatha when Gangle episode came out?

Fandoms are really confused and make a mess about nonsense. I hate them.

I just think TADC is full of kids who don't understand what "grey character" means...

[shyjusticewarrior]

At some point "fanfic can be as good as professional writing" became "fanfic should be as good as professional writing" and that's caused major damage to fandom spaces.

[violet-2084-turkish-warrior]

Me with Squid Game fandom (particularly with the fandom's take on 457 and Sangihun)

no I don’t support all fandom takes. some of you think light yagami is an incel

[theheartmold]

‘She wasn’t a good mother’ great are we evaluating this character trait as one of her many facets or are we just damning her for not being the most maternal womanliest woman who ever womaned

[mofsblog]

"This is some gay shit" Good. Silly. Fair enough. Doesn't inherently invalidate other interpretations of the relationship. Honestly yeah, it is kind of gay regardless of their canonical relationship status

"There's literally no platonic explanation for th-" WRONG!! KILLING YOU WITH AMATANORMATIVITY KILLING LOBSTERS 🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞🦞