#everyone is absolutely entitled to their own opinion and music/artwork should be criticized | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

phoenix-angel-suyari · 7 years

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Dear Fandom: It's time we had a talk about what qualifies as an appropriate comment on fanworks. We've all been there. We've all had that moment. When you find the most wonderful piece of fanwork you have ever had the luck to run across. You are entirely enraptured by it, you can't look away. Whether a fic, a piece of artwork, a video or a music list, this piece speaks to you. It reaches in and makes you feel and you just have to leave a comment. It's very tempting to just keyboard smash and emoticon your way through a comment. Creators of fanworks can be touched by these kinds of responses. But, please do read through them at least once before leaving them for good. Because sometimes, while we are emotional, we may phrase things in such a way that actually causes harm - whether intentional or not. There are times where we can be so wrapped up in the fan content we're experiencing that we can become suddenly surprised by content we may not have been expecting. We've all been there. You saw the fanart and you clicked it so quickly you may have sprained your index finger. And then you see the artist's tags or comments and their perspective suddenly clashes with yours. It wasn't the pairing you thought it was. The artist's view or opinion is in direct opposition of your own. How could they have produced the work you're looking at and not see the same thing? STOP. You're wrong. Do not leave a comment and inform the artist that their content is in some way invalid because it does not comply with your standards, opinions or personal headcanons. You are entitled to those as a fan. But you are absolutely NOT entitled to force them on another fan for any reason. You spent hours reading what you thought was the perfect fic. It had the perfect blend of your OTP, your favorite tropes and the absolute perfect balance of kink and fluff. And then you get to the part that suddenly surprises you. A reveal or a cliffhanger that just doesn't agree with the fic YOU have personally been enjoying spending your time and energy on. How could they do this? Why would they do this? What were they thinking?! STOP. You're wrong. Do not leave a comment that directly or passively aggressively attacks the author(s) or their work. Their work is their interpretation. They are spending their own time and energy to create content which they then share of their own free will. Their work does not suddenly become less valuable because you personally disagree with the direction THEIR work has taken. You do not get to tell them how it can be fixed to best suit you. That fanvid was so seamless. It had everything! The perfect song coupled with the right application of clips. Until you reach that one clip that you feel should never have been included in the first place - for whatever reason. Are they not as deeply committed to this fan following as you?! Honestly, where are they even getting all of this?! STOP. You're wrong. Everyone interprets the relationships between characters differently. There will always be outliers. The fandom canoes adrift in the wake of armadas. You do not get to tell someone their feelings are unimportant or that their connection to the source material isn't as impactful as your own. You cannot force your ideas on other people. The music list was going PERFECTLY. It fit your OTP to a tee! It was just the right blend of emotive and transcendent. Until that one song you just can't stand cropped up. How could they even think that that song was acceptable? It has nothing to do with them or their relationship! Clearly the compiler is lacking the connection you have to the characters, their stories and their histories. STOP. You're wrong. Just because a song causes a different emotional reaction in you does not mean that the compiler's work has no bearing. You do not get to say what holds emotional weight or connectivity for others. Am I saying that you have to like everything? Absolutely not. You are as free to your opinion as everyone else. I repeat: You are as free to your opinion as everyone else. That means that everyone's experiences with the source material is valid. Everyone in a fandom has an equal right to be able to express themselves and share their connections. Just because you do not agree with someone, does not mean you cannot both like the same thing overall. There will always be differences of opinion. That's just a part of what it means to be a society. Which Fandoms ARE. And just like any society, everyone has the responsibility to conduct themselves with at the very least a modicum of respect. Just because you are a part of Fandom does not mean that your personal ties to that fandom are in any way more valuable than anyone else's. Fanworks are contributions to a society in the same way that any work produced contributes to any society. Fanworks happen to be free and plentiful. That does not mean, however, that you can treat them as an entitled resource. Behind every fanwork is at least one person. Someone out there in the world, going about their every day and trying to live their lives as best they can with what they have. Fandom is a gateway, it is an escape, it is a place where we can connect with other people and share the things that have made a real difference in our lives. And the way you would not want someone to walk up to you and comment on the state of your dress, or the book in your hand, or the doodle you're creating in your notebook, or the conversation you're having, fan creators with every creation they share do not deserve to be criticized or ridiculed or harassed or debased because of the content of their work. Am I saying that you have to constantly praise and adore fan creators? No, I am not. You can disagree with their content. But, unless your disagreement is based in actual fact that can help enlighten someone so their content can be improved upon, there is no need to comment at all. Disagreeing with the way someone handled a situation because they may not have all the facts is entirely different from disagreeing with the way someone handled a situation because it is a direct violation of your own personal headcanon. It is just as simple - some may argue more so - to simply leave the content. If the content does not agree with you, you are well within your right to leave the situation. But, if you do not agree with the content, that has nothing to do with the fan creator and everything to do with you as an individual. There is absolutely no need to attack someone or try to make them feel unworthy because of a difference of opinion. It's a plague on all of Fandom as a whole. And there is no need for it. Just as there is no need to try and 'correct' someone else's fandom experience. There are more than enough of us, that there will be people with whom you can share your fandom experience with. I guarantee it. It's the beauty of Fandom. There will always be someone else, somewhere who will see things very close to the way you do. And you will always find one another - eventually. In the interim, can we please try to be kinder to one another? Can we acknowledge the fact that all fanwork is valid. And that just because something is free does not give someone the right to try and control it. Remember, words can and will hurt. And the last thing you want is to crush the spirit of someone doing the fandom community a vital service.

#Fandom #Fandom Life

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