#not crit or neg just kinda opening up the discussion

[cupcraft]

to add to the conversation about meta and critical analysis and stuff i just want to say that critical analysis isnt bad in general. Hear me out though keep scrolling if you dont want to read a long discoursey kinda post but its not neg for reference /srs.

NOT A VAGUEPOST! I am commenting solely on trends of things in the fandom since my experience being here since 2020 writing meta since january 2021.

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many people (like me for example) enjoy writing analysis that is through a critical lens even though we enjoy the narrative and character. Some people enjoy writing through that lens and they dont like that character or narrative. some people dont like the narrative or character at all and it would be critical. i think at least in all my experiences in fandoms is a really normal part of fandom analysis and enjoying a story and is fine! if you maintag you for sure should tag your crit and stuff but in general i think this on the whole isnt bad. Gen really weird cc neg is bad, and theres some other nuance of course but thats not the main pt of my post, but i dont think thats the majority of critical analysis in any fandom including this one we are in here. I just want to stress that people engage in this fandom in various different ways as they do in all fandoms.

I think what is really stressful is the vagueing that goes on. and for the record i am not vagueing anyone specifically by saying that and none of my mutual or people i follow or anyone at all, once again i am commenting on trends ive seen /srs! Like meta has become really difficult in my experience in fear of the neg that comes along with it or the thought that people "hate the dream smp/the content" or "hate cc's" etc because of it or even "cc's dont do lore because of posts like this". And i think that's something that needs to be addressed and talked about because it's something that we're all aware of existing and its definitely been a source of contention i think...

I think reblogging someones meta directly to discuss or add your own points (i always include a pls add on personally!) and or sending that person an ask if theyre willing to is also fine. I also think being inspired by meta to write your own points is quite fine too, those are all really enjoyable parts of fandom analysis.

and to use a personal example i know a lot of people who dont like c!ranboo or his narratives and after the ghostboo caimsey stream i remember there being a lot of discourse. I personally dont block crit analysis or anything bc i usually like to read it regardless, but i remember having a vastly different view of that stream and the narratives! So what i did was make meta about the lore from my perspective without vagueing anyone or have ties to what i read. I just was like "i really liked xyz and heres why" kinda posts. Its also crit analysis and all sorts of meta in general that have helped me change my views of characters or explore new narratives because of the different views i see about it.

What i'm trying to say is that like i think we can exist in a world where fandom crit and meta and noncrit meta and silly hcs and etc. can be enjoyable and cohesive together though i do realize there is some nuance to what i'm saying and this doesn't really handle all circumstances within this discussion.

And maybe youre a person who crit analysis stresses them out and it ruins your fandom experience. I think this is very valid but i think in fandom spaces we need to find ways to curate our own experiences. i'll admit some lore discourse has stressed me out too but i generally dont engage with it or i start ask games or hc games or i write unrelated meta or things just to avoid it. I dont have a lot of solutions for this other than: tag discourse and crit in maintagged posts, ask people you are mutuals with or follow if they can tag something (though there is no guarantee someone will and thats a okay!! you may need to block this person or their personalized blog tags for lore analysis), and or do what i do and write meta about how you did love a stream and why and start new discussions. Though i'm not sure of any other solutions off the top of my head, so i'm happy to hear more solutions.

The reason i'm writing this post is because of the crit analysis = you hate a cc and you just hate the narratives and you dont love the dsmp at all and you hold them at too high a standard etc etc etc kinda mindset i've seen since like late 2021. Because i don't hate cc's or the narratives. if i did i wouldn't be in this fandom, i woudn't write meta or engage with the content at all. and the vagueposting that i've seen is very discouraging to see at the very least especially as i've noticed how things have evolved since 2020 fandom.

I'm not sure if this is a good post, or if it adds to the discussion well. Tbh im afraid this will start discourse in itself which isnt really the point (though i tagged it that way for blacklisting...). This post is intended to help our fandom space be more cohesive to allow people the space to take narratives where they want (with nuance of course!) and for people to curate their fandom experience how they want too.

So as i always do with meta please add on, please send me asks about this. Reply. correct me even!! though i have turned off rbs because im kinda nervous for such a large discoursey style post being rb-ed around. All i ask is just dont vague me or sc this...like my anons are on i'm happy to discuss this and vagueing stresses me out which should be obvious from me writing this whole post.

because i want us to have a healthy fandom experience if we can and I see how stressed out its made me and many people on dsmp.blr during lore discourse days/analysis moments/etc.

let me know your thoughts <3!

#discourse #fandom discourse #cup.dsmpblr #not crit or neg just kinda opening up the discussion #not a vaguepost #long post

[hyperfixation-hideout]

i actually like hearing your thoughts on the show even the critical ones cause im scared to say my thoughts if there not positive sometimes cause when i do i get people angry at me and thinking im hating on rwby for fun or being nitpicking or ect. ive been folowing you awhile and i know you like the show and are nice about things and give benefit of doubt but you still get fought when you dont like something so i think ill keep keeping my mouth shut haha

I'm glad someone likes what I have to say, thank you, that means a lot <3 I've also been (and still am tbh) pretty scared of sharing my thoughts on RWBY, even the posts that are mostly positive and just have one or two qualms sit in my drafts for ages out of fear they'll be taken as hate. It's part of why I've found some solace in the r/RWBYcritics sub recently -- there are myriad positions, opinions, discussions, etc., both positive and negative, and people are generally open to having their mind changed and giving other perspectives a real chance before responding with theirs. Whereas my personal experience (and anecdotal from others) in the main RWBY sub has been very much that if someone has an opinion (positive, negative, or neutral), others often feel the need to argue the "right" opinion and react angrily if theirs doesn't align, calling people stupid for not interpreting things the same way or liking the same things/characters.

A lot of the time parts of the FNDM can feel consensus-based. Like there are right and wrong ways to think, feel, interpret, and discuss any given thing that happens in the show. Even things like people who headcanon Yang as bisexual being called lesbophobic because the FNDM decided she's a lesbian. I got called lesbophobic for saying I headcanon Weiss as aroace, or that I would love for her to not end up in a romantic relationship. Or black people voicing issues with how the White Fang was presented being called racist, only to reveal they're black, at which point they're told they're being sexist or homophobic instead for criticizing a show with female leads, written by straight cis men. There's a lot of assuming morality when it comes to how critics are seen, when a huge portion are critiquing it because they're women, queer, people of color, disabled, neurodivergent, or otherwise marginalized, and want to address how certain things regarding them were handled. But the first assumption is hate. It can get overwhelming and frankly unhealthy.

Not all of the FNDM is like this, of course! And I've made a lotta friends here! As a whole though, it can be a bit... unwelcoming towards critique to say the least. And as such, a lot of fans feel pressured to shove down and swallow our thoughts on the show if they deviate in any way from the majority consensus. There's nothing wrong with enjoying things that happen in RWBY; there's nothing wrong with disliking things that happen in RWBY.

I do feel that often when posting more critical analyses or opinions that my points are automatically taken in bad faith (which is kinda ironic since that's the accusation levied against critics wrt the show), especially if I tag with "rwby crit" or "rwde" or even "crtq." I tag so people who don't like seeing these takes can blacklist, and people who do like thinking about this stuff can find it and have a discussion. But some people seek out these tags with the intent to argue and act as though every critic has the same opinions, intent, and morality. Fans are not a monolith, nor are critics, and we need to all recognize that we're diverse individuals and not diametrically opposed. I consider myself part of both.

I will say this: to my knowledge, I've never lost a follower on this blog for speaking my mind on things I find personally confusing, disappointing, problematic, etc. And I am so grateful that this community, this cozy corner of the fandom, is more open to hearing thoughts that might differ from their own, and even sometimes changes their minds, or changes mine!

I'm sorry you don't feel able to express how you feel about a show you enjoy without getting attacked. I hope the RWBY FNDM grows more open-minded and collaborative as time goes on, because I really LOVE analyzing the show from a meta and storytelling standpoint, especially as a writer, and fostering discussion is fun for me. One of my favorite parts of RWBY is engaging with the community. Theorizing, analyzing, discussing, critiquing, reacting, creating... and it's unfortunate that I feel I'll drive people away the moment I say I don't like something. I am open to people responding with their own thoughts, and always try to see it from their pov, but more often than not the replies to critique I've seen are aggressive and make assumptions about the critic as a person, coming from a place of wanting to defend the show and showrunners rather than genuinely wanting to have a conversation. It feels very us vs them, and I don't like the polarization that attitude simultaneously feeds on and nourishes.

So thanks for sticking around, y'all <3

#tagging so people can blacklist #fndm crit #rwby crit #rwde #crtq #i'm glad I havent had to deal with much hate #but i see it all the time #and it's just stressful when I just wanna think about the show with a critical lens #it actually makes me enjoy it more #quinpost #quinanswer