zimshan | Statement of Fannish Intent Regarding SPN in 2009

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Statement of Fannish Intent Regarding SPN in 2009

I’ve been pretty absent for most of the last year, so I didn’t experience a whole lot of the SPN fandom craziness during season four, but I’ve been around fandoms long enough to imagine pretty well how it’s gone.

But the state of fandom even along the fringes as of late has had me all thinky about where I stand, and I came to the conclusion that a post like this was needed. Because it’s been too long since I’ve said all this. So in the spirit of clearing the air, a more up-to-date blanket statement for my own stance and journal...

I know things have gotten pretty rough with the SPN fandom sparring lately. So because it’s been a while since I’ve explicitly made this point which can get muddled in all my squee and rants, and because there’s a lot of new people floating around, I just want to state a few things to make clear where I stand.

For the record, I love this damn show inside out and backwards. Four damn years and still going strong. Whether I’m squeeing or ranting, drama queening or deep in meta, I do it because I love. And when I love a show so fully, it means I love everyone, every character, my God I even love John to itsy bitsy pieces. So I can’t begrudge you for your character loves. We all have our preferences which might skew our perceptions of each episode but that’s what makes us human, now doesn’t it? I like my diverse flist because it keeps me on my toes, and makes me see things I might have otherwise not seen or noticed, and all of that only adds to my enjoyment of the show, whether its squee or criticism.

I'll concede I do have the occasional habit of feeling bad when some people don’t get the squee that I get and get the urge to help fix it for them. Because I think, ‘WHEE! I’m all squeeful! I can make them squeeful too and then they’ll be happy too!’ It’s a stupid way to think though, because not much changes my viewpoint when I’m on a rant until I work it through myself, or we get more episodes that mellow me out again. So I apologize for those of you that might have been victim to this at all along the way.

I will admit that all these labels being thrown around lately just make my head spin. Because personally, I have never identified with these labels of Dean!girl or Sam!girl. If I really break it down, from the start of watching the show, what really made me turn my head was the character dichotomy between the two, so it‘s essentially the contrasts between the brothers that fuel the show for me. Over the years as characterizations have progressed, I have definitely had preferences for one character over another. But I have found that these preferences change fluidly depending on the way of the narrative. (I guess I could say I have a knee-jerk Dean identification as the older sister that I am, but with a natural Sam sympathy that comes with it, so I find myself harder on Dean, as one would be on one’s own self.) But both brothers stories have parts I have strongly identified with at different points in the show. Dean’s loyalty and familial responsibility. Sam’s struggle for personal identity and independence. I can see myself in each of them, their faults and flaws only emphasize that which I can see in myself, and so my sympathies go both ways. Yet I’ve also along the way come to love Ellen fiercely, adored Henriksen (and shook my pitchfork for the first time ever in this show when he died!), loved Bela (second pitchfork!), and am totally crossing my fingers Jo makes another returned appearance. And everyone knows my unhealthly obsession with the scoring. I’ll be first to admit part of my distance with Castiel comes from me not striking up a relatable point with him as of yet like I have with the boys. But I understand others could have the same problem with Dean or Sam or any of the other characters. And that doesn’t mean I don’t love Cas for all his doubt-y and hysterically deadpanning angelic ways anyway. :)

But it means sometimes it’s hard for me to remember, other people watch the show for other reasons. Just like I’m allowed to watch Castle just for Fillion‘s corny self. Fringe just for Josh Jackson‘s smile. Bones for the science vs. emotional contrasts. Dollhouse for the thinky thoughts. But that’s just me and my sentiments. Everyone has their own reasons for watching a show, and many factors are involved in it working for them from one week or season to another.

And it’s your journal so if you have a problem with an episode it’s your prerogative to post about it and voice your complaint, just as I did like the worry-warting drama queen I was for the most of Season Three. I’ve been there, I get it. And I don’t think you should at all feel bad about it. I feel I’ve mostly found my happy equilibrium for this show as of late, but just when I think I’ve got it all figured out, I’m sure Kripke will throw me a curveball.

I say all this precisely to make clear that I do not condone the vitriolic hatred going around as of late. Disagreement is one thing. Criticism is one thing. Direct hatred for characters or especially groups of fans just brings everyone down, and while it happens as things like this always tend to do in fandom, I do not stand with it. In fact, I mostly just like to pull wool over my eyes, and stay away from it completely.

But, I also want to be clear: I will never be mad at you for not having the same opinion and viewpoint as me. In most cases, I’ll probably only love you more! All the different ideas you all bring to the table are half of what makes fandom so much better than just watching a show on your own and percolating in your own ideas. Besides, let’s be honest, have you seen me on initial reaction with this show? You all are the ones responsible for keeping me sane! :)

But in the end, we're all here because we love one of the characters, and whoever it is, they’d undoubtedly be fans of the others. So we really can’t begrudge any side right? So let’s all be nice and have some ice cream sundaes, yes? WHO WANTS CONES?! XD

*doles out the ice cream, chocolate and whipped cream to all*

I have one INSTA!FIC-REC to share this morning:
FIC: 'A Feast for Two at the Turquoise Dragon' [Sam, Cas]
This idea is TOTALLY personal canon to me now! How did Cas spend his time until his appointment with Dean in 5.04, you ask? Well, a theological and philosophical discussion with Sam on fate and free will at a Chinese restaurant at 5 in the morning, of course! And until I hear otherwise, no one is gonna tell me any differently. ;) But Kripke, you can still make it happen at any time and point this season.

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I don't think I've taken a show as seriously since VM, but yes, we all love it, for good, bad and indifferent. :D

I'll take some ice cream, even before I've had lunch.

Ha, oh yes. I think VM broke alot of fannish backs. I actually never want to take any show so seriously as I did with VM ever again. It just really didn't work for me at all, looking at everything so myopically like I did, I ended up being more disappointed than anything else. VM definitely ended up redefining my way to watch tv. Watch for the stuff you like, eyeroll to the silliness, and move on. I do admit I still get hung up when want I like goes wrong. But hey, I used to hate the bright saturation change of SPN. And now that they've changed it back to such desat, I like the colors and still find myself dialing them up. So who knows! The mind is fluid like the wind sometimes...

ENJOY YOUR ICE CREAM! XD

I think that one of the biggest "lessons" I learned from VM fandom is that getting involved in fandom can be a huuuuge headache. I mean, don't get me wrong - I'm in SPN fandom to the extent that I write/post fic ( ... in theory, anyhow - it's been almost a year since I've finished anything) and that I talk about the show with people on my flist. But I'm not as hyperinvolved in communities as I was with VM. Which is good, for me.

Less drama, less vitriol, less fun ruining moments.

I guess my point is that I love fandom, but I like it in tiny doses. When people go all crazy (as I presume has been happening in SPN fandom as of late, from the looks of this post), I don't have to know about it ... unless someone on my flist is among those going crazy. And I try to keep that kind of crazy to a minimum on my flist.

But, yeah, I don't always agree with your reactions to an ep, Shannon, but I do love to read your reviews. (plus, there's not NEARLY enough people in this fandom that like John as much as I do, so ... yeah)

Happy almost time for another episode of Supernatural, you guys! :)

That's a valuable "lesson" Lizzy. I've learned the same thing--I just don't need to be that invested as I was then. But if I hadn't been that involved in one fandom before, I wouldn't know how to avoid that same level of involvement now.

Exactly. I mean, back then it was like, "This is fun! I know SO MANY PEOPLE in fandom!" And not that I don't like knowing a lot of people in fandom, but it made it that much more painful when everything splintered during the last season and a half. :(

Oh god, YES. Communities is the big one, which I made a point when I first started watching SPN not to get involved in. Because I was fresh off remembering the headache them became with VM just in watching them! Let alone running them! Ugh. I remember they were great when the show first started and there wasn't that much of us but once the show popularity online explode, jeeze, you didn't want to touch those crazies with a ten foot pole! Now I keep my spn comms to a minimum, I think the only three I have are the newsletter, vidrecs, and meta. That's all I need. Anymore would give me an aneurysm.

I definitely have always liked to keep my flist as manageable in size and sanity as possible, so I'm thankful that I don't have to run into the insanity unless I'm reading some big posts elsewhere. I just want everyone to be clear I don't stand with this craziness that is elsewhere. But that's due to lessons learned as well. I'm going on my--god, what, I guess SPN would be fourth fandom now? So I definitely can enjoy more and step more cautiously these days.

Technically, my first fandom was Passions (yes, the soap opera), but I wasn't on LJ at all, so I never got the memo on community moderation being the equivalent of evil. Not that that didn't explode with wank too, when I thought the favored 'ship was going to hell and no one else seemed to agree with me.

Anyhow, vmfic hasn't been *too* terrible to mod (minus the wankery of various members when we make rules), but fic_from_mars had more than it's share of drama. In SPN fandom, I don't really partake in any comms right now, but I'm a member of a few for a variety of reasons. (icons, check ratings on Friday AM, fic, etc.) Dean_Sam seems to have a new wank going on every other day, from what I've heard ...

Of course, this isn't to say that I support the concept of isolation in fandom, but when it comes to communities, I think the correct term is fandumb ... but maybe that's just me?

VERY well said. :)

And thanks very much for the rec. That was delightful. :D

Oh, well thank you!

Glad you could enjoy the rec! I enjoyed it too much not to share. ;)

Hee - I hope I wasn't the cause of this with my thinky thoughts/unhappiness re Fallen Idols.

I'm glad you feel that way and didn't really have a doubt you would because you are far too intelligent to be anyway else.

I tend to have a few shows that draw me in and obsess me and last year, Season 4 did that for me with Supernatural. I kind of wish it didn't because it hurts far too much when you are obsessed with a show when things happen that don't thrill you. (I was right there with you on VM)

But at least we enjoy our rants/squees probably more than the average viewer!

(A cute idea but I honestly think Cas stood by the road the entire time. Though I wish he would have more talks with Sam. I would love it. And jealous Dean! Hee!)

Aw, well thanks! I was kinda unsure of whether I had come across as too pushy with the last ep. Your own posts definitely contributed to bringing me back to some level of sanity and coherency Friday which I needed! But always thinky which I always love. This post here was more kinda cumulative from a lot of posts and comments I've seen across the board this week, from the hateful and bzwaaa??? variety to the thinky and labeling exhaustion. I sat down just to set everything straight in my own head and then figured I'd clear the air here as well.

With epic love also comes epic rants and squees! This IS true! XD

I have to say I agree with your stance on SPN, 'cept Bela. ;)

But this is coming from the girl that loved both versions of Ruby. Yeah, I said it. Ruby and Ruby 2.0.

Also, my first foray into fandom was nothing so cool as VM. It was Dawson's Creek.

Feel free to defriend me now.

Also, my first foray into fandom was nothing so cool as VM. It was Dawson's Creek.
HA! REALLY? No defriending here! DC was my first fandom as well! I just don't really talk about too much because well, I was young and I had a ball, but I look back at some parts and kinda cringe in remembering, oh, how petty and silly I was. But I still love the show to unhealthy degrees, even as I watch years later! I probably love it more in retrospect then I did watching it, because I was such a myopic PJer back then. But oh gosh, I'm coming up on my tenth anniversary of watching the show this January! *TEAR, TEAR*

So, yea, I can't claim having cool VM as my first fandom either. It was the first fandom I was in that started airing when I was on LJ, and kinda took it to the max on the fandom obsessive level. But it burned me so hard I'll never do it again. I'm still not back in good graces with that show. DC though I can look back at much more fondly. So wait, you weren't on LJ during DC were you? Where was your head base?

Oh, and Ruby WAS totally awesome. I'll agree with you there. I had my words of frustration back when we still had no idea what was going on. But retrospectively she was a brilliant little bugger that is for sure!

Hey, better a PJer than a DJer! Those Dawson fans...

Talk about crazy. ;)

Aw, but we PJers were really kinda horrible to Dawson and the Beek, and mocked DJers so excessively, I kinda feel bad about it now. Because retrospectively I've kinda come to even love Dawson in all his thick-headed stupidity. Of course that has something to do with getting a happy ending so I don't have to see him as a threat anymore. But you know, hindsight is always the loveliest! ;)

But it did make me learn early on that I am so over shipping wars. That shit was nuts on those official WB boards before they shut them down, and fans moved them elsewhere. Then things got alittle more civil (because only the saner fans made the move? idk!). But oh man, the very idea that I used official boards as a homebase makes me cringe now. I can't even imagine touching thecw.com with a ten-foot pole now. But I guess ten years ago internet times were different too!

I know what you mean! But there were some good times in that war. I remember all the DJers flipping their shit when the spoilers came out that Joey and Pacey were going to sleep together, and then the finale. And yeah, PJers were not graceful winners.

I haven't watched any eps in a while but I did pop in S6 one day just to watch Jensen and Josh fight over Audrey. It's like fandoms colliding! I am so easily amused.

OH GOD! That video! *facepalm* Terribly ungraceful winners indeed and yet ugh, it's such a classic. Just brings me right back to some of those fans who acted so superior and snooty for so long and after four years, with what a sweet victory that was, I just want to laugh and point all over again like a 15 year old! Horrible, really! Really! *shields eyes*

Haha, Ackles time in DC. I'll admit I can't watch his scenes seriously these days! I just dissolve into fits of giggles! But I'll admit I totally want to hear of Jackson hanging out with the Js, now that Fringe is filming in Vancouver this year. ;)

Oh yeah, I think Dawson and Joey fans were worse than PJers, well they had the show backing them up with their whole soul mates thing. I blamed DC for my distaste the minute I hear the words soul mate used anywhere else.

aha, Ackles time in DC. I'll admit I can't watch his scenes seriously these days!

Was it the hair? I boggled when I first started SPN that he could look so damn hot, I mean on DC he was cute, yeah he's pretty but I was still all woah what a difference a haircut makes! I was way impressed with him as Dean too because I found CJ didn't leave much of an impression, besides being pretty.

I blamed DC for my distaste the minute I hear the words soul mate used anywhere else.
HAHAHA! Same here!

Oh yes, it was definitely the hair. My brain can hardly even leap to the idea that they were the same person. It borders on bizarre how much difference it makes!

Bwah! It's so true. I don't think I even put it together until I saw the S1 bloopers on the DVDs (cause honestly, I didn't get into SPN until the end of S2, so I had to go back and buy S1 to catch up) and Jensen was like you might know me from that award winning show Dawson's Creek, and I was all huh? Then it was like omg! CJ! That's right! I remembered him from Smallville before I remembered him on DC. Doh! I blame the hair. Plus, young me was super in love with Pacey Witter, no one stood a chance.

OT but: In case you miss it, UM, YOU REALLY NEED TO SEE THIS!!!

OMG! Boys! *sniffle*

Everyone has their own reasons for watching a show, and many factors are involved in it working for them from one week or season to another.

Thank you for this post. ♥

Heh, well, your post was definitely a big help in sorting my displaced braincells into some sort of coherency.

But I'm always happy to be of service! ;)

I'll concede I do have the occasional habit of feeling bad when some people don’t get the squee that I get and get the urge to help fix it for them. Because I think, ‘WHEE! I’m all squeeful! I can make them squeeful too and then they’ll be happy too!’

Hee, I have this same exact habit. :D

There's hatred going around in the fandom? Oh, so not cool. *reaches for a comfy security blanket and eagerly eyes the ice cream*

Hehe, I'm not alone then. It's not the worst habit in the world to have but I tend to do it without really realizing and can understand how kinda annoying and really pointless it is. *facepalm*

Oh yes, it's been kinda getting to gross levels of bad in some parts if you look hard enough. Thankfully I haven't hardly seen it around my parts, but when you see people going into journal posts just for the purpose of making trouble, you want to put your guards up!

*passes ice cream bucket and scoop*

Just a note... I've now seen until the end of episode 15, season 1. Still only have to 2x05 acquired, so we'll see how I get past that with Internet potentially being hard. Maybe I'll rent DVDs and do it all legit, heh.

Aw, internet hinderings aren't fun! Not like being in another country and all but I've been having problems downloading as well, which has hindered my Dollhouse catchup. I'm two episodes from the finale now.

So you've seen 'Faith' then? Wheee! The Ep 109-112 run has a special place in my heart.

Been following your NZ adventures so far, things are sounding hectic but exciting! Congrats on finding the flat!

Ooh you're gearing up for some amazing stuff!

Yup, yay Julie Benz!

Congrats on finding the flat!

Thanks!

Amazing stuff? Really? Oh man, my download better work tomorrow!

Wasn't Benz fabulous? She floored me in that ep, because I'd only ever been familiar with her in Angel, where her character annoyed me for the most part. So I was surprised to see how good of acting chops she actually had. I still need to track down Dexter one of these days as well! *adds to ever growing list* XD

I have to say, I agree with you pretty much completely, especially about the Sam girl vs Dean girl thing. I suppose if I were pressed to choose, I'd say that I identify more with Dean, but I really love both of them.

And I want other people to squee with me too when I love something, because you just want to share the love and have other people enjoy it as much as you do. But pushing shows on friends hasn't really worked out too well.

Whatever wank is going on, I try to stay out of it. I can't imagine why people would purposely pick the show apart and try to find things wrong with it or the stars or whatever. It makes no sense to me. So I just sit it in my corner and see what my flist has to say, read the newsletter and meta, and occasionally pop up with my own contribution. From what I've heard, it seems like Supernatural is much worse than Veronica Mars for this sort of thing (which is the only other fandom I've really been involved in).

I do have the occasional habit of feeling bad when some people don’t get the squee that I get and get the urge to help fix it for them
This is what real fangirls should always do!But very often it turns out like something very frustrating and SQUEE-depressing!I agree with you about the "not much changes my viewpoint" but sometimes people can get very annoying and their unpleasant feelings spread like the plague!

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Statement of Fannish Intent Regarding SPN in 2009

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