First fandom lessons
Feb. 26th, 2006 02:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethThis LJ entry asks about what we learned from our first fandoms. Which is an interesting question. So I'll answer it here too.
So, here's my question for the weekend: How do you think your first fandom shapes your approach to canon and to fannish discussion?
My first fandom... actually technically my first fandom was X Files, and from that I learned that all things must pass, and if they don't pass quick enough it gets bad to watch.
What came to mind as my first fandom is Highlander. And from this I learned that canon is not immutable. Because in Highlander there is no way to accept all things on film or television with the name 'Highlander' as being in the same universe. They just don't fit. And some of them have been disowned by the people that made them.
So canon is the bits that fits.
I also learned that sooner or later all characters swim in the river Denial, and it is much more pleasant to join them than to follow canon into... whatever. Death or destruction or delirium or despair. Never saw it never happened.
I also learned that fans fight.
Sometimes in wars.
Loudly.
I still don't understand that, but I at least got a better sense of when to duck.
So yeah - from first fandoms, learned when to duck, when to deny, and when to depart.
From *second* fandoms I learned that sometimes fans win, and it is safe to come back. For the characters climb out of their rivers, sometimes naked, alive and themselves again. And the storyverse becomes a bright and shiny place to play once more.
No need to dump the whole story just because they did a bad thing. Sometimes it gets undone.
So there's a fluid give and take with canon. Wander off into fic worlds while it sucks, come back when it plays nice again.
The main thing I learned from my first fandom is that there *is* fandom, made up of people, many many many of them. Much diversity of fans, for many shows, from many angles. And while there are big arguings, there are also big friendships, and finally finding people who know what you're on about most of the time, and also *care*.
Fandom is pretty cool.
So, here's my question for the weekend: How do you think your first fandom shapes your approach to canon and to fannish discussion?
My first fandom... actually technically my first fandom was X Files, and from that I learned that all things must pass, and if they don't pass quick enough it gets bad to watch.
What came to mind as my first fandom is Highlander. And from this I learned that canon is not immutable. Because in Highlander there is no way to accept all things on film or television with the name 'Highlander' as being in the same universe. They just don't fit. And some of them have been disowned by the people that made them.
So canon is the bits that fits.
I also learned that sooner or later all characters swim in the river Denial, and it is much more pleasant to join them than to follow canon into... whatever. Death or destruction or delirium or despair. Never saw it never happened.
I also learned that fans fight.
Sometimes in wars.
Loudly.
I still don't understand that, but I at least got a better sense of when to duck.
So yeah - from first fandoms, learned when to duck, when to deny, and when to depart.
From *second* fandoms I learned that sometimes fans win, and it is safe to come back. For the characters climb out of their rivers, sometimes naked, alive and themselves again. And the storyverse becomes a bright and shiny place to play once more.
No need to dump the whole story just because they did a bad thing. Sometimes it gets undone.
So there's a fluid give and take with canon. Wander off into fic worlds while it sucks, come back when it plays nice again.
The main thing I learned from my first fandom is that there *is* fandom, made up of people, many many many of them. Much diversity of fans, for many shows, from many angles. And while there are big arguings, there are also big friendships, and finally finding people who know what you're on about most of the time, and also *care*.
Fandom is pretty cool.