![\"30](\"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/30-Acting-13-The-Excesses-of-Fan-Lingo-in-Adultho.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The cast of The Originals.<\/p>\n
The rise of online message boards in recent years has been significant and, in many ways, wonderful. They allow people with the same interests to connect, making it easier to find others who share your enthusiasm for a particular TV show, movie, or book. Think of that awkward moment when you’ve gone on about your favorite series too long, only to get a bemused stare in return. Online, you don’t have to deal with that; you can find like-minded individuals who get why you’re passionate.<\/p>\n
However, this world of online discussion isn’t without its downsides. A troubling trend of bullying and immature behavior has emerged, especially on platforms like Twitter, where groups gang up to target other fans, writers, and even actors. What should be a space for intelligent discussion has instead become a breeding ground for belittling and negativity. The anonymity provided by the internet lets people say things they would never dare to say in person.<\/p>\n
What happened to civil discourse? Often, when I turn to message boards to discuss a recent book, film, or TV show, I find less intelligent conversation and more people ready to attack any differing opinion. It’s like they’re just waiting for someone to disagree so they can pounce. Why? Just because someone holds a different perspective.<\/p>\n
Here are some fan behaviors that I find particularly irritating or juvenile, from mildly annoying to downright over the top:<\/p>\n
1. “If you didn’t like [episode], you’re not a true fan.”
\nThis is frustrating. Since when does being a “true” fan mean you have to love everything about a series? Everyone has the right to their own opinions and to like or dislike aspects of any art form. Just because someone criticizes one episode doesn’t mean they’re not a fan.<\/p>\n
2. “If you don’t like [episode], you should stop watching.”
\nIf someone truly hates a show, they probably will stop watching. However, sometimes people continue to watch out of loyalty or hope that it will improve. Telling someone to stop watching is unnecessary.<\/p>\n
3. Cinema Elitism: “If you don\u2019t like this film, then you don\u2019t understand great cinema.”
\nThis elitist attitude is condescending. Differences in opinion don\u2019t equate to a lack of understanding or intelligence.<\/p>\n
4. Calling a female character you don\u2019t like a “Mary Sue.”
\nThe term “Mary Sue” is overused and often misapplied. It\u2019s become a catch-all insult for any female character someone dislikes, whether she fits the definition or not. This criticism frequently borders on sexism.<\/p>\n
5. Overuse of “deus ex machina.”
\nThis term is thrown around too often, often by people who don\u2019t fully understand it. Just because the resolution of a plot is surprising or unconventional doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s a deus ex machina.<\/p>\n
6. Calling writers lazy.
\nMost writers are far from lazy. Just because you don\u2019t agree with a creative direction doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the result of laziness. Criticism should be fair and constructive.<\/p>\n
7. Over-the-top shipper speak.
\nWhile enthusiasm for character relationships is fine, excessive use of acronyms and excited reactions can make discussions hard to follow and less meaningful.<\/p>\n
8. Shipper wars.
\nEveryone is entitled to their own preferences. Fighting over which couple is better is unnecessary and detracts from enjoying the show.<\/p>\n
9. “But they\u2019re like brother and sister.”
\nThis phrase is often used to downplay a relationship that someone doesn\u2019t support, and it\u2019s usually not accurate. Characters with romantic tension are not “like brother and sister.”<\/p>\n
10. Reacting only from a shipper\u2019s perspective.
\nWhile it\u2019s fine to root for relationships, getting overly aggressive when things don\u2019t go your way isn\u2019t productive and can negatively affect the show\u2019s creative decisions.<\/p>\n
11. Trying to force fanon into canon.
\nEveryone likes to imagine their own outcomes for shows and characters, but trying to force creators to adopt fans’ interpretations can be disruptive and counterproductive.<\/p>\n
12. Personal attacks.
\nWhen discussions devolve into personal insults, it\u2019s both hurtful and unproductive. Everyone should be able to express their opinions without being attacked.<\/p>\n
13. Attacking the actors, writers, directors, etc.
\nCriticizing characters is one thing, but attacking the people behind them crosses a line. This kind of behavior is mean-spirited and unnecessary.<\/p>\n
14. Boycotting film adaptations based on casting choices.
\nRefusing to see a film because it didn\u2019t cast your preferred actor hurts the movie\u2019s success and the future of similar adaptations.<\/p>\n
15. Rooting for movies, shows, or books to fail.
\nThis negativity serves no purpose. If you don\u2019t like something, it\u2019s best to just not watch or read it rather than hope for its failure.<\/p>\n
16. Belittling other fandoms.
\nEveryone is passionate about different things, and belittling someone else\u2019s interests is unfair and mean.<\/p>\n
To sum up, this blog isn\u2019t meant to attack anyone but rather to shine a light on some negative behaviors within fan communities. We\u2019re all guilty of some things on this list at times, and that\u2019s okay. But let\u2019s strive for more friendly, intellectual discussions and leave the mean-spirited actions behind. What behaviors or expressions in fandom do you wish would go away? Let me know in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The cast of The Originals. The rise of online message boards in recent years has been significant and, in many ways, wonderful. They allow people with the same interests to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1026,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1027"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1028,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1027\/revisions\/1028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesilverpetticoatreview.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}