Yay naive optimism~!!

[candyland]

Heard this morning, in which S = student and M = me...

S: I'm a risk-taker!
M: Really?
S: Yes! I used to be all quiet and "don't do anything wrong" and stuff, and now I'm on the edge! I live dangerously! I am a risk-taker!
Me: Oh, what did you do?
S: ...well, nothing yet.

XDDDD

Anyway, I got a comment from someone yesterday that got me thinking. We were bouncing comments back and forth over on my story on candyfics. Now, we have two different ships for Professor Layton. sometimesuhurt ships Luke and Layton, whereas I see it as more of a father-son relationship.

And the comment was made that it was cool that we could still be friends, despite being at opposite ends of the shipping spectrum for the game and fandom. And that got me thinking...

Are people in fandom really so close-minded that they won't even be friends with someone who has a different ship?



I mean, I read fandomsecrets. I'm aware that there are a lot of people who are extremely territorial over their pairings. I've observed a couple of ship-wars from the outside, and actually been involved in one--I did not start the fight, but I helped to end it.

Details on that Back in my CCS days, I followed the mainstream pairings--Sakura/Syaoran and Eriol/Tomoyo were my two favorites. I had a few good friends in the E/T 'ship, and was rather enjoying my first non-canon pairing. All was well.

Then I get an irate IM--someone had left a very rude review on an E/T fic over on The Pit, in which they lambasted the author and the pairing, saying that Eriol loved Kaho (which was canon), this was not what CLAMP intended, etc. The E/T fandom was mobilizing, and it sounded like things were going to get ugly. I was asked to join in.

I didn't agree to flame anyone, but I agreed to email the reviewer. And I did--sent a relatively polite email, worded as nicely as possible, explaining that I had been asked to contact her, explaining my position, etc. Within twenty-four hours I'd gotten a reply. The first words in her response? "Thank god! Someone sane!"

We wound up bouncing maybe a dozen emails back and forth over the course of several days. We discussed fandom liberties versus artistic intention--it was a very intelligent conversation, and I enjoyed it. In the end, we parted ways with a thanks for the discussion. She admitted that the review was rude and said she would try to opt for the "Don't like, don't read" school. I promised that I would try to get the flame-wars stopped.

That, to date, is my sole involvement in a fandom ship-war.

I have a lot of friends who do not follow the pairings I follow. I usually tend to get caught in with canon pairings (initially, at least), but I know a lot of people who do not do that. But I can talk fandom with them without any problems. It's simply a matter of setting boundaries.

clover_magic, I'm going to use you as an example. She does not like the Shinichi/Ran ship. I wrote them for 30_kisses. I know why she feels that way, and she knows that it is a pairing I enjoy. So more often than not, it just doesn't come up, and we're both cool with that. Her pairing is Kaito/Shinichi, which is not my favorite pairing by any means...but I don't hate it, and so I'll cheerfully discuss it. No bashing occurs. All is well.

I guess I was raised in the school of "Don't like? Don't read!" If I don't care for a pairing or even a particular character, I'm not going to read ficcage about that pairing or character. No one is forcing me to click the link--I can go on my merry way. Voila! The author gets to enjoy her character/pairing, and I can go about my business without being bothered. Everyone is happy. No problems.

I don't know...maybe I'm naive. But if I only associated with people who liked my pairings, my internet social circle would be a whole lot smaller. And it would be boring, I think.

It just struck me, that's all.



We now return you to your regularly scheduled El-Jay stuff. Will have more ficcage to post later tonight. Ciao for now!

Comments

[cherelle-holmes.livejournal.com]

*scratches head* Öhm well...
I don't mind my frinds lovin' other ships than I do and vice versa!
Dunno why there are people out ther who go "What that pairing? NO MORE FRIENDS WITH YOU!"
Guess I don't have to understand that *shrugs*

PS: And your students are lovely XD