Dear Bloggie
And thus is continues. As you know, dear bloggie, I recently had an interesting experience on fanfiction regarding a story I posted, now apparently I should have seen it coming?
I received a PM from a reader who could not even finish the story and I was informed that I should have expected the reaction the story received and I was the (unwitting) scapegoat for the fandom.
Is this an honor I should embrace?
Or should this attitude bother me?
There was a time when we could happily embrace various storylines, look at characters in this fandom from differing perspectives, but now we can’t—or perhaps I can’t unless I wish to become a scapegoat.
Ah, I ask again, what have we become?
I am trying to take it all with a grain of salt—although a part of me wants it to be a grain of salt and burn.
We all have flaws—I as a writer, the characters on the show and the readers of fic (and viewers of the show).
I stand by my story.
I guess if this gives me the mantle of scapegoat, I accept that too. I’m not sure why we need a scapegoat, I’m still not sure why I should have expected this from my readers or the fans, but such is the way of things.
I guess the fact a reader/reviewer felt it necessary to write me an additional note defending their review was a little odd. Or maybe sad, perhaps that it.
Again I ask, what have we become?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Anger and Death Threats
Dear Bloggie
I recently posted a story on fanfiction.net, Words Spoken in Anger. I knew there would be controversy, but frankly I am stunned by some of the response. I chose this single moment for a reason, I know, within the terms of the episode, other things were said by both brothers, but I wanted to deal with this one moment. Now most of you know I am pretty much bi (I heard that snigger, Dean Winchester) when it comes to the boys—I love both brother’s but my leanings are and always have been a little more Dean than Sam. They always have been, but I try to be fair and balanced.I identify with Dean for a number of reasons and tend to want to see things through his eyes. I write both Sam centered and Dean centered stories. You cannot have Supernatural without both. I LOVE BOTH BROTHERS! I have always felt that way, and frankly the growing division in the show between the brothers (and our fandom) kills me. That’s what prompted this tag. Yes, they both said hurtful things at the end, but Dean took the shot at Madison before that. Heart is a favorite episode, and so gently and beautifully handled by Kim Manners, the comment raised my hackles. I couldn’t un-write what the show had done, but I could maybe fix it. I had actually written a Sam POV the exact same scene, but I decided that the first could stand on its own merits. So I decided to stick with the one chapter—and I have never backed down or apologized for my writing, not as a columnist and not here, so I posted, and I knew the response would be varied. Some people would agree and some not. It’s the way it is in any fandom.
That said, what concerns me, and really makes me weep for our once loving and supportive fandom, is the very ugly responses I’ve gotten. Not just in terms of reviews—some of which are personal attacks, but in PMs. I have received PMs from people demanding answers for my logic and telling me I will be pulls from Favorites list. Those are the mild ones. Also among the mild ones are this, and I am quoting: “you are the most hateful blood spitting narrow minded horrible Dean hating Samgirl ever.” Now part of me chuckles at that, I am usually thought of as a Dean girl! But again that was fairly mild. I have also received “If I knew where you lived I would kill you.” “I hope the hellhounds find you, tear you apart and hand you over to Alastair” and a personal favorite “Die B**ch Die.”
When, dear friends, did this fandom come to this ugly place? When did a disagreement on POV lead to this ugly hatefulness? And how can we reclaim what we once had? Some of the things directed at me are more hateful than Sam and Dean exchanged. That this spewing of personal attacks and hatred seem to be viewed as acceptable makes me weep. People have threatened me with death and wished me to the tortures of hell. Over a story. I weep, I truly do! For our show and our fandom. This division is destroying the fandom that has supported me and in many ways saved my life. And I have no words to express how much this breaks my heart.
To all of you who have send little notes of support, through reviews or PMs THANK YOU HUGEST OF ALL HUGS I LOVE YOU ALL!
I recently posted a story on fanfiction.net, Words Spoken in Anger. I knew there would be controversy, but frankly I am stunned by some of the response. I chose this single moment for a reason, I know, within the terms of the episode, other things were said by both brothers, but I wanted to deal with this one moment. Now most of you know I am pretty much bi (I heard that snigger, Dean Winchester) when it comes to the boys—I love both brother’s but my leanings are and always have been a little more Dean than Sam. They always have been, but I try to be fair and balanced.I identify with Dean for a number of reasons and tend to want to see things through his eyes. I write both Sam centered and Dean centered stories. You cannot have Supernatural without both. I LOVE BOTH BROTHERS! I have always felt that way, and frankly the growing division in the show between the brothers (and our fandom) kills me. That’s what prompted this tag. Yes, they both said hurtful things at the end, but Dean took the shot at Madison before that. Heart is a favorite episode, and so gently and beautifully handled by Kim Manners, the comment raised my hackles. I couldn’t un-write what the show had done, but I could maybe fix it. I had actually written a Sam POV the exact same scene, but I decided that the first could stand on its own merits. So I decided to stick with the one chapter—and I have never backed down or apologized for my writing, not as a columnist and not here, so I posted, and I knew the response would be varied. Some people would agree and some not. It’s the way it is in any fandom.
That said, what concerns me, and really makes me weep for our once loving and supportive fandom, is the very ugly responses I’ve gotten. Not just in terms of reviews—some of which are personal attacks, but in PMs. I have received PMs from people demanding answers for my logic and telling me I will be pulls from Favorites list. Those are the mild ones. Also among the mild ones are this, and I am quoting: “you are the most hateful blood spitting narrow minded horrible Dean hating Samgirl ever.” Now part of me chuckles at that, I am usually thought of as a Dean girl! But again that was fairly mild. I have also received “If I knew where you lived I would kill you.” “I hope the hellhounds find you, tear you apart and hand you over to Alastair” and a personal favorite “Die B**ch Die.”
When, dear friends, did this fandom come to this ugly place? When did a disagreement on POV lead to this ugly hatefulness? And how can we reclaim what we once had? Some of the things directed at me are more hateful than Sam and Dean exchanged. That this spewing of personal attacks and hatred seem to be viewed as acceptable makes me weep. People have threatened me with death and wished me to the tortures of hell. Over a story. I weep, I truly do! For our show and our fandom. This division is destroying the fandom that has supported me and in many ways saved my life. And I have no words to express how much this breaks my heart.
To all of you who have send little notes of support, through reviews or PMs THANK YOU HUGEST OF ALL HUGS I LOVE YOU ALL!
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