Kerfuffles killed the radio star ...

Jul. 28th, 2003 at 8:36 PM

After reading a post by

eliade just now, I realized why it is that I've become so little involved in Buffy fandom since getting involved on LiveJournal.

Before LiveJournal, I maintained a BTVS fan website, wrote fanfic, enthusiastically corresponded with other fans, etc. I initially came to LiveJournal in a bid to become even more involved in the Buffy fandom ... which I did. I came to know many more fans.

But I don't deal well with the phenomenon many call "the kerfuffle". Everyone gets all in a tizzy about something that really doesn't matter, and they start calling each other names and turning it all personal ... and every time this happens, I take a few steps further back.

By now, several months after I came to LiveJournal, I've taken so many steps back that I'm no longer easily identifiable as a member of Buffy fandom at all. I still have fannish friends, and I enjoy their fanfic and their posts about Buffy issues, but I mostly don't think or talk about the fandom independently anymore.

LiveJournal killed my interest in the fandom. Kerfuffles drove me away. Interesting.

Current Mood: curious

Comments

( 6 comments — Leave a comment )

hazel75

Jul. 28th, 2003 10:33 pm (UTC)

Hmph. You don't know me but you're describing my feelings here lately. Especially when I see people like

wisteria_ who I think is one of the most positive persons in the community on the defensive it really makes me wonder.

This is not fun and relaxing to me. Bleh.

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kimberly_a

Jul. 28th, 2003 10:59 pm (UTC)

I don't know you, but you're perfectly welcome to comment. So, hello!

It's really sad, to me, when people come together out of a shared appreciation for something ... and then somehow turn that shared good feeling into fuel for antagonism.

And I agree with you that

wisteria_, in particular, gives so much to the fandom and has such a great, positive attitude that it's very frustrating to see some of that antagonism aimed in her direction.

To be honest, it causes me to pull back even a bit further. Not away from individuals (such as

wisteria_ and

eliade), but away from the fandom as a whole.

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selenak

Jul. 29th, 2003 02:30 am (UTC)

Fandom can be trying, I agree.

Which sometimes puts me in my cynical "I'd love fandom, were it not for the fans" mode, but then I think of the incredible creativity and generosity I've been privileged to witness in addition to the petty whining and bitching, and you know, the former is thankfully more important.
Antagonism aimed at

wisteria_? Who dared?

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kimberly_a

Jul. 29th, 2003 08:10 am (UTC)

Re: Fandom can be trying, I agree.

"I'd love fandom, were it not for the fans"

Ironically, I have the exact opposite feeling. I love all of the fans I've encountered (but, then, I'm very selective about how I find new friends in the fandom), but I don't love the whirlwinds of argument that fandom seems to inspire. Each individual person seems very very cool, but the mob mentality seems to result in a lot of rudeness.

It ends up making me back away from the fandom, and just watch from afar, reading fics, maintaining friendships with individual people, but not really being involved in the fandom anymore. I didn't really do it purposely, either ... I only recently realized that was almost certainly why I'd been backing away.

Antagonism aimed at wisteria_? Who dared?

I'm not sure. She was writing very benignly and understandably about trimming her huge friends list, and some people seemed to take great offense at this. Sigh.

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thefirethorn

Jul. 29th, 2003 09:40 am (UTC)

What's a Kerfuffle?

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kimberly_a

Jul. 29th, 2003 10:08 am (UTC)

One of those times when everyone is in an uproar about some tiny issue or other. There was the "Spike on Angel" kerfuffle, for example, when some people were all ticked that Spike was getting so much attention, and other people were thumbing their noses and saying "Ha ha Angel sucks" and suchlike.

As I understand it, a "kerfuffle" is just when folks in the fandom get all stirred up about something minor.

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( 6 comments — Leave a comment )

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