I really liked the organization of this post. You pulled in a great deal of examples that are unfortunately well-known to a lot of the more sane fans in this fandom, and also brought to light some things I hadn't even heard about (yet). It's true, there is a great deal of female-character bashing from the outside perspective of those who are not interested in Show. We have become hypocritical stereotypes of ourselves with the actions of few compared to the amount of viewers that Show actually has.
What I find the most unfortunate about this issue, however, is the fact that I don't really feel like the fandom as a whole is as vicious and fanatical as we may appear. I, for one, pick and choose characters I like based on (wait for it) their characterizations. I know I'm not alone in this, but the difference between those of us who judge rationally and those who don't, are the noise they make.
I'm not an avid poster in communities. I don't voice my opinion all that often and tend to glance over the general posting of irritations, bitchings and all around wanking in favor of more interesting things. I'm also guilty of not commenting very often to the fic I read, but that doesn't mean that I don't have strong opinions about what I like and dislike, especially when it comes to the characters. Knowing this, and recognizing that the odds of me being alone in how i feel are slim to none. it allows me to glance over the misogynistic and ludicrous fan spillings, and -not -use them as a base example to my fandom.
My voice does not reach the press, the writers, the directors or the cast because I don't voice it. Even if I did, those kinds of rationales are more than often swallowed. I see no reason to leap into an argument that will get me nowhere, as do many other silent lurkers. On the other hand, because those who are so loudly opinionated usually do have these tendencies to hate and wank and gang up on others publicly, they are the image that presents itself of -us- as a whole.
Some female characters I like, some I don't. The same works with the male ones. I'm guilty of slashing Dean/Cas, but that doesn't mean I didn't sit there and watch Dean/Anna with a great big grin on my face. The actors aren't their characters, they have relationships and marriages and families that have nothing to do with me or Show, so it's none of my business. Doesn't mean I don't blush and stutter like a moron when I get to meet them in person.
I am not the minority of this fandom; the noiseless are, in fact, the majority. If you look at it this way, the misogynists and the haters and the wankers/whiners are only representing the fandom as a whole because they are the only voices that can be heard. The rest of us, well, we are wisely keeping our peace.
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Date: 2009-04-24 04:42 pm (UTC)What I find the most unfortunate about this issue, however, is the fact that I don't really feel like the fandom as a whole is as vicious and fanatical as we may appear. I, for one, pick and choose characters I like based on (wait for it) their characterizations. I know I'm not alone in this, but the difference between those of us who judge rationally and those who don't, are the noise they make.
I'm not an avid poster in communities. I don't voice my opinion all that often and tend to glance over the general posting of irritations, bitchings and all around wanking in favor of more interesting things. I'm also guilty of not commenting very often to the fic I read, but that doesn't mean that I don't have strong opinions about what I like and dislike, especially when it comes to the characters.
Knowing this, and recognizing that the odds of me being alone in how i feel are slim to none. it allows me to glance over the misogynistic and ludicrous fan spillings, and -not -use them as a base example to my fandom.
My voice does not reach the press, the writers, the directors or the cast because I don't voice it. Even if I did, those kinds of rationales are more than often swallowed. I see no reason to leap into an argument that will get me nowhere, as do many other silent lurkers. On the other hand, because those who are so loudly opinionated usually do have these tendencies to hate and wank and gang up on others publicly, they are the image that presents itself of -us- as a whole.
Some female characters I like, some I don't. The same works with the male ones. I'm guilty of slashing Dean/Cas, but that doesn't mean I didn't sit there and watch Dean/Anna with a great big grin on my face. The actors aren't their characters, they have relationships and marriages and families that have nothing to do with me or Show, so it's none of my business. Doesn't mean I don't blush and stutter like a moron when I get to meet them in person.
I am not the minority of this fandom; the noiseless are, in fact, the majority. If you look at it this way, the misogynists and the haters and the wankers/whiners are only representing the fandom as a whole because they are the only voices that can be heard. The rest of us, well, we are wisely keeping our peace.
but that's just my opinion X)