I'm the typical lurker on the fringes of things, and the only reason I've been so relatively active in the last year is because I feel that dw has allowed me to carve out my own little niche, with people who interest and entertain me, but don't scare me.
I think that I am part of fandom. I think that the vast majority of Western media fanfic fans, which is my area of fandom, are lurkers. Those cliquish packs of fangirls terrify me, with all their written and unwritten rules for how to interact with each other, how to indicate in status and out status, how to enforce their social norms - but my friends probably look like a scary clique to everyone else!
I mean, I think the way I talk to people on my reading list and in my comms is "normal", "fun" and "relaxed", but I'm pretty sure it looks wanky, elitist, sarcastic, highfalutin, confusing and intimidating to others, just like their group jargon and rituals look confusing and intimidating to me.
And I think that most fans are lurkers, and most fans don't regularly discuss anything whatsoever in public. Maybe they have no fandom friends, or maybe they have a handful of people they socialize with, or a comm or a board they comment on once in a while.
We see the cliques, the subcultures, the social groups which you know it'd take so much time, energy and dedication to keep up with, and so many social skills to learn how to navigate, and we think "that's fandom, and I'm not really in fandom." But I think we just see the people who make a spectacle of themselves, and that they are a minority.
Most people don't participate in fests. Most people probably think that you, aquaeri, are one of the "real" fans. Here you are, participating in a discussion about fandom culture.
Anyway, that veered from the topic: I agree with you. I wish there would be more low-key fests and challenges, where people like us could add something and be a part of it, but not feel that anxiety causing pressure to conform or buy into anything.
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Date: 2010-01-05 12:01 pm (UTC)I'm the typical lurker on the fringes of things, and the only reason I've been so relatively active in the last year is because I feel that dw has allowed me to carve out my own little niche, with people who interest and entertain me, but don't scare me.
I think that I am part of fandom. I think that the vast majority of Western media fanfic fans, which is my area of fandom, are lurkers. Those cliquish packs of fangirls terrify me, with all their written and unwritten rules for how to interact with each other, how to indicate in status and out status, how to enforce their social norms - but my friends probably look like a scary clique to everyone else!
I mean, I think the way I talk to people on my reading list and in my comms is "normal", "fun" and "relaxed", but I'm pretty sure it looks wanky, elitist, sarcastic, highfalutin, confusing and intimidating to others, just like their group jargon and rituals look confusing and intimidating to me.
And I think that most fans are lurkers, and most fans don't regularly discuss anything whatsoever in public. Maybe they have no fandom friends, or maybe they have a handful of people they socialize with, or a comm or a board they comment on once in a while.
We see the cliques, the subcultures, the social groups which you know it'd take so much time, energy and dedication to keep up with, and so many social skills to learn how to navigate, and we think "that's fandom, and I'm not really in fandom." But I think we just see the people who make a spectacle of themselves, and that they are a minority.
Most people don't participate in fests. Most people probably think that you,
Anyway, that veered from the topic: I agree with you. I wish there would be more low-key fests and challenges, where people like us could add something and be a part of it, but not feel that anxiety causing pressure to conform or buy into anything.