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outlanderfandomfollies · 5 months ago

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Once again, in an attempt at a "gotcha" moment, a shipper overlooks an important detail, resulting in a total fail!🤦🏻‍♀️

Someone sent me a screencap of shipper SD's weird commentary on me** and my most recent fandom post. I know I shouldn't bother responding, but the insulting tone of her comments was particularly annoying--especially because SD had so cluelessly overlooked an important detail in coming to at least one of her conclusions.

Which Old Witch?

But first things first, SD said I was one of the "Witches of Mordor."🧙🏻‍♀️😱

How dare she! I'm not a "Witch of Mordor!"

I'm from Oz.😉

Hasn't she seen the header on my Outlander Fandom Follies Blog?

Hasn't she noticed my avatar? It's not just any old witch--it's Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. 🧙🏻‍♀️🪄😉

(Want to bet that some shipper takes what I said above literally, and claims that I admitted that I am a witch? 🙄😂)

When "Gotcha!" Backfires

Now that the "witch" stuff is out of the way, let's talk about the quote from my recent fandom post that made SD think she had found a reason to say "gotcha":

And so once again, I am saying "Really?" Not just for me, but for the small contingent of Tumblr Outlander fans who are not living in an "alternate reality," and who perhaps need to know they are not alone.

SD took this to mean that I was somehow "clumsy" in "inadvertently admitting" that "Shippers are the quiet majority of this fandom, or what is left of it."

It seems that in her "gotcha" excitement, SD overlooked one very important word in my comment: "TUMBLR." Specifically, I wrote: "the small contingent of Tumblr Outlander fans who are not living in an 'alternate reality.'"

I purposely limited my comment about reality-based Outlander fans to those on Tumblr, because hey, I was posting on my Tumblr blog--which is the only place I post about Outlander. And Tumblr is where most conspiracy theorists in the fandom (which includes the shippers***) hang out. Consequently, those of us who are on Tumblr and who aren't involved in conspiratorial thinking are in a minority. But that is NOT the case in the larger Outlander community outside of Tumblr.

Tumblr Outlander Fans Are "Special"

Unfortunately, because so many fandom conspiracy theorists are on Tumblr, the Outlander Tumblr community has a reputation in the larger fandom of being completely out in left field.

I'm not saying that there aren't any SC shippers or closet crew folks on other social media platforms, but I am saying that Tumblr has a reputation for being a place where "alternate reality" fans congregate.

Outside of Tumblr, the vast majority of Outlander fans aren't shippers, nor do they believe that S is gay.

Most Outlander fans don't even know what shippers are--and when they find out, they typically consider SC shipper beliefs to be very strange.

But don't take my word for it, take Diana Gabaldon's...

[Below the cut are some of Diana's spot on observations about SC shippers and Tumblr. In addition, you will find my rebuttal to the following SD insults comments--shown in the screencap below.]

"A Closed Circle of Positive Reinforcement"

Diana wrote some interesting comments on TheLitForum.com in Jan. 2018, after she was attacked on her Facebook page by shippers for having congratulated Cait on her engagement.

Can you imagine being so far down the rabbit hole of SC shipping as to directly accuse Diana of "creating fake news for money"? Can you imagine telling Diana that her congratulating Cait on her engagement "discredits" her?😳

Someone in TheLitForum then asked Diana if she had deleted the awful comments she had received. Diana said that most likely the comments were deleted by the person(s) who posted them, after some of her "700,000 followers" did not take kindly to the comments.

I love Diana's description of Tumblr:

(I don’t go on tumblr—life is Much Too Short—but I saw a few of the first shipper discussions when they started a couple of years ago; it’s a closed circle of positive reinforcement)

Diana underscores how when shippers venture outside of their "closed circle of positive reinforcement" on Tumblr, they are often surprised and dismayed by the fact that most Outlander fans don't support their views. Consequently, they often have to run back to their Tumblr "closed circle" to get the reassurance they need to keep on shipping.

An absurd SC "narrative" is compared to--"Slavery"?😳

I'm honestly astounded by this part of SD's commentary:

I assume the "Ten (but soon to be 12) Years a Slave" is a reference to the shipper's absurd belief that S & C are being "forced" by TPTB to "hide" their love and their "family" for at least the past 10 years--12 years by the time the series ends.

Besides the fact that this absurd shipper "narrative" would be illegal if it actually happened in this day and age, it is beyond the pale to compare this fan-invented SC "narrative" to the horrific institution of slavery.

Please. Try having a little perspective here.

The "Orc Army" and "Normalcy" in Shipperville

SD went from her inappropriate "Slave" comments to complaining about the threat of the "Orc Army."

MAKE UP YOUR MIND: On the one hand, SD is claiming that "Shippers are the quiet majority of this fandom," and those who don't buy into the conspiracy theories are a "small contingent"; yet, on the other hand, she is suggesting there is a whole "Orc Army" out there determined to "fuck up every single shred of normality."

How can a "small contingent" also be an "Orc Army"?

Well, beside the "Orc" insult, in case she hasn't noticed, most of us who used to take time to debunk SC shipper nonsense have moved on. So where is this "Army"?

For instance, aside from my recent "Really?" post, It's been a long time since I've posted a stand alone critique about the fandom, or a conspiracy debunk. As a matter of fact, going back over my archive, except for my occasionally reblogging others' posts and commenting about them, or once in a while reblogging one of my old stand alone posts on the fandom, it appears that the last time (before the "Really" post) that I wrote a new stand alone fandom critique/ conspiracy debunk was NEARLY A YEAR AGO on August 13, 2023.

But even if there are still some fans on Tumblr who are actively critiquing the fandom or debunking SC "receipts" and conspiracies, they weren't the ones "to fuck up every single shred of normality" in Shipperville.

THE "NORMALITY" WAS MESSED UP BY "TINHATTING": Whatever "normality" existed in Shipperville was messed up after Cait became engaged to Tony in 2018. At that time, whoever remained of the SC "wishful shippers" (i.e., the shippers who were reality-based and just wished that SC might be a couple someday) pretty much were replaced or driven out by hardcore "tinhat" shippers.

And although tinhat shipping is ubiquitous, it is the bane of every fandom in which it takes root, because the tinhatters won't see reason, and some even attack other fans, the SOs of the celebrities they ship, and sometimes the celebrities themselves. This is why lots of celebrities don't appreciate tinhat shippers or tinhat stans.

In other words, the tinhat shippers were the ones "to fuck up every single shred of normality" in Shipperville. They're the ones who drove out any wishful shippers who didn't buy into the SC conspiracy "narrative." They're the ones who created block lists so that newbies couldn't learn about different perspectives. They're the ones who went and looked at blurry video footage of events like C's father's FUNERAL to try to prove that SC are still a couple.🙄

On Manipulation

And then we have this comment by SD:

Well, I'm glad SD thinks I'm "not an idiot." However, what on earth is she talking about by calling me "a Manipulator-in-Cheap"?

I have no idea what the "Cheap" is about, but I am NOT trying to "manipulate" anyone. I just post my opinion on my own blog from time to time. I don't go to shipper blogs and comment. The only reason I saw SD's post at all is that someone sent me a screencap.

I figured out back in 2015 that S & C weren't a couple, but that C and T were a couple. I had lightly shipped S & C for two months in Feb. and March of 2015, and I was heartbroken when I figured it out. But it was what it was, and I didn't try to rationalize it all away.

After C married T in 2019, and the MC was later obtained by a number of Outlander fans (including some shippers), it seemed to me that one would really would have to work hard to dismiss all the accumulated information over the years that does not support the ship.

That's what I believe, and that's what I say every once in a while when I post about some shipper nonsense that is brought to my attention. When I choose to post, it is usually just out of frustration with the fact that so many adult women keep fooling themselves.

MY ATTENTION IS ELSEWHERE: But I am NOT very invested in this fandom anymore, so why would I bother to manipulate anyone?

Four years ago, I turned my main CO blog into a general blog, with a progressive American politics emphasis. I also created my Outlander Fandom Follies side blog, which I use when I occasionally post about the fandom or Outlander and its stars (although I also use it to reblog posts for "romance" shows like Bridgerton).

Since I changed the topics on my main CO blog, I have gained tens of thousands new followers (granted, about a third of them are probably bots 🤖😉).

As you can see from this post, I like to make or edit gifs. But I prefer to make gifs about politics these days. You can see an example of the kind of political post I like to make here.

In addition, unlike the Outlander Tumblr community, the Tumblr progressive political community is very supportive, and has zero drama.

I have a busy schedule in my real life, but in my limited time off, I prefer to post about American politics. The Outlander fandom is rarely on my mind. So why on earth would I want to manipulate anyone?

Oh Please!

Finally, we have this little gem from SA's rant:

Like a good conspiracy theorist, SD uses any reaction others have to shipper nonsense to confirm her conspiracy theory.

When I heard about "Kissgate," I rolled my eyes and posted about it because I was flabbergasted that after all these years shippers were still finding videos, enlarging small details, and misinterpreting the resulting fuzzy gifs/ photos, in order to keep their ship afloat.

If any of my nerves were activated when I was told about Kissgate, it was the ones that cued me to roll my eyes.

Sometimes, unfortunately, the truth hurts.

I'm sorry SD if I have offended you by just stating what to me is clearly the truth.

I don't believe SC shippers are "crazy," but I do believe they have succumbed to a very "addictive" conspiracy theory, and to the community that supports that theory.

Good luck to you if you choose to continue to stay on the ship. My fear for you is how you will feel when you finally figure out that you have wasted years on the ship to nowhere.

[edited]

__________ Video sources for my gifs/ my edited gifs: Glinda gif; Gotcha! gif; Pizza Delivery & Fire gif; Orc army gif; Manipulation gif, "Oh, please" gif: 01 + 02 Closed circle/ echo chamber/ bubble manipulated image sources: 01 + 02 Other gif sources: "Wait, What?" gif; "I can't" gif; Eye roll gif; "I've moved on" gif; "The truth hurts" gif Outlander Fandom Follies blog header*and avatar image: The sources for these can be found here; note that the header is a manipulated image with multiple sources. Other image sources: "The Australia Brief" conspiracy wall image NOTE: All gifs/images above (except for "The Australia Brief") were modified from their sources. **SD referred to me with my old "CO" moniker, which is odd for a relative newbie to do. I turned my CO blog into largely an American politics blog 4 years ago. When I write about the fandom now, I do so on my outlanderfandomfollies side blog. ***I'm using the generic "shippers" in this post to refer to "tinhat"/ "extreme" shippers, who actually believe their conspiracy theories. I've generally left off the "tinhat"/ "extreme" qualifiers in this post (except for the section that deals with "tinhatting") because I don't think that "wishful shippers" exist anymore in this fandom. I've never had any quarrel with shippers who just wish that S & C were a couple, but know they're not.

#outlander fandom #rebuttal #sc shippers #my gifs #my edited gifs #my edited images

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yeah-all-of-it · 3 years ago

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Thanks so much for the tag, @arrowflier! I actually don’t think I’ve been tagged in anything before so, woohoo!

1. Why did you choose your url?

It’s multi-faceted. The fruit rounds part is for the consistent existence of generic Froot Loops in the Gallagher kitchen over the years, and Ian’s love of them. The freedom part is partially from Outlander (“Freedom and Whiskey gang thegither.��) and partially because of the freedom Mickey found being with Ian (“Ian, what you and I have makes me free.”)

2. Any side blogs?

Nope

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

I lurked for a long time under some generic url before deciding to start actually creating and writing and interacting. But only a few months altogether.

4. Do you have a queue tag?

I... don’t know what that is.🥴

5. Why did you start your blog?

After binging Shameless for the first time in late 2020, I was searching online for Shameless and Ian/Mickey content and discussion and came across some beautiful gifs that got me hooked. No one I know in real life watches this show so I was basically looking for people who shared this common interest with me to create, dissect, and discuss the show. I enjoy connecting with people who have similar interests and this seemed like a great place to do that.

6. Why did you choose your pfp?

The border scene is such a beautiful moment (especially since we know it’s not really the end). It’s beautiful both in its content and it’s just so aesthetically pleasing. I added a Sheila quote which has nothing to do with Gallavich in canon but I feel like it so perfectly fits Ian and Mickey’s relationship.

7. Why did you choose your header?

Fruit rounds, obviously.🥣

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

Definitely this one. It’s one of my favorite gif sets I’ve made because I live for Cam and Noel goofing around and making each other laugh. (ETA: I feel the need to clarify that I don’t “stan” them. I know they are heterosexual irl, I just love their friendship. I’ve seen some creepy stuff out there from people wanting them to be a couple and I just want to state I am not one of those people, lol. Over-explaining and rambling is also a toxic trait of mine, I’m sorry.😬)

9. How many mutuals do you have?

I don’t know how to find this out?

10. How many followers do you have?

I’m going to go along with everyone else and not share but it’s a number that I’m pleased with given my mediocre content😂

11. How many people do you follow?

41, I think? I’ve been trying to follow a few new blogs each week because there is so much great content out there but I get overwhelmed easily, lol

12. Have you ever made a shitpost?

I don’t think so? I’ve ranted a time or two and I don’t know if that counts or not. So maybe?

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

Probably too much considering I have kids, but they’re in that angsty pre-teen “we spend all of our time in our rooms and don’t want to hang out with Mom” phase so I have some time.🤷🏻‍♀️

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once?

No. I am extremely non-confrontational, even online and would probably break out into hives if someone tried to engage in an argument or was hateful with me. I try really hard to keep things nice and kind so hopefully that’ll never be a problem.

15. how do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, but it’s not likely something I would do.

16. do you like tag games?

Yes!

17. do you like ask games?

Also yes!

18. which of your mutuals do you think are tumblr famous?

Not sure what constitutes Tumblr famous? But I do know I see a lot of @mickeygifs stuff outside of Tumblr; does that count? Don’t think they are a mutual, which is totally cool but I stand by this statement, lol

I’m going to tag a few that have probably been tagged already but here goes: @gardenerian, @gallavictorious, @wildandwired, @matteoamiras, @gingit-cake, @ianandmickeygallavich. And anyone else who wants to answer, consider this your tag!💜

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