I am so bloody tired of fans bashing each other.
It seems everywhere I turn, someone in fandom is putting down someone else. “Old Skool Fans are horrible, stuck-up, un-inclusive twits who are policing the fandom.” “Anybody who likes/misses Tennant is an over-sexed teenage girl who wouldn’t know either quality storytelling or good acting if it bit her in the ass.”
Obviously both the complaints above are simultaneously overstated (though not much) and erroneous. Yes, there are things that irritate me about the new breed of “fangirls”—those who only love Ten (especially the hardcore Ten/Rose shippers) or only love Eleven. There are also things that really piss me off about the oh-so-superior long-term fans. But frankly, I’m sick and tired of everyone bitching about how their own brand of fandom is better, and anyone who disagrees with them is an idiot.
Seriously. I am just done with other fans shitting on “Tennant fangirls.” I’m not saying I like fans who only watch the show for Tennant, lobby for his return as the next Doctor, and badmouth anyone else who plays the role. I think they’re missing some wonderful stuff, and only hurting themselves by not bothering even to try anything else.
But that’s the point—that’s my opinion, not theirs.
No one has a right to enforce their own brand of fandom on anyone else, or tell another that their way of doing things is wrong. That’s like saying someone who doesn’t like chocolate is stupid. Or that if you haven’t ever tried a Twinkie, you don’t know what good confections are. (“C’mon, it’s a classic! It’s the most popular snack cake of all time, and you just can’t call yourself a fan of sweets if you’ve never even tried one!”)
The general nastiness I’ve seen by some who feel anyone who enjoys/appreciates the show differently than they do is, in my opinion, obnoxious. While I’ll readily admit it goes both ways, I’ve personally seen more vitriol towards Tennant’s fans than toward anyone else. One of the things that bothers me most about this tendency is that these fans are often being dismissed because they’re “young females.” Just because teen girls like something, doesn’t mean it has no value. The argument is ridiculous. [Feminist rant redacted.]
And then there are those who argue nothing since the show returned in 2005 is worthwhile. I’ve seen claims that the post-Hiatus stories are all shallow compared to the laudable qualities (from writing and message to acting and atmosphere) of everything pre-Hiatus. Oh—unless you count anything from the Sixth or Seventh Doctors.
Here’s where it gets almost amusing. This kind of shit-slinging has been going on for decades. “What do you mean, you like Colin Baker? He’s awful!” “How can you watch that? Sylvester McCoy is the worst Doctor ever!” “Pertwee? Seriously? I can’t even talk to you any more.” No matter which is your favorite Doctor, how long you’ve been watching the show, or how much of its fifty-year span you can recite on command, there’s someone out there who disagrees with you—vehemently. “Wobbly sets and sketchy effects? Bogus.” “Doctor as romantic lead? Eff that.”
That’s really my entire point. There’s stuff I don’t like (you may be able to recite a few, if you’ve read the blog long enough), and there’s stuff I love. It doesn’t give me the right to say that someone who loves the stories I think are a Travesty Against God and Man is wrong to love them, or stupid to hold that opinion, or a “bad fan” for thinking so, any more than they have the right to tell me my favorites are utter schlock and I should be put in a loony bin.
I really wish we could find ways to have civil conversations instead of Internet shouting matches. Can’t we just say, “I don’t agree with you; this is why…” or “I think you might actually enjoy such-and-so if you [try it / look at it in this new way]” or “Well, you have a point, but that’s just not for me”? Do we have to spend all our energy tearing each other down?
I wonder what the Doctor would think of us…
And while you’re dreaming…
Great post, Marcia. As you know, I have strong feelings about the new series, however I would never tell anyone they’re stupid/wrong/insane for watching and enjoying it. Loving Doctor Who is what its about and whether I disagree or agree with someone’s viewpoint hardly matters. That we should be able to discuss things sensibly, like mature and interesting people is more important.
Unfortunately, as we have seen ever since the first Doctor Who club was set up in 1977, it’s not going to happen. If there is one thing DW fans love, it’s sneering at each other and belittling opinions. It’s childish and wrong but there it is. The internet has undoubtedly made it worse. The anonymity of the web makes it a breeding ground for trolls who get their kicks from sitting at home insulting everyone from the comfort of a pseudonym. Now it’s out there, that isn’t going to change. From my perspective it’s easier to make your own little corner of fandom as nice as you can possibly make it – and TimeVault’s listeners debate and discuss on Facebook and Twitter pretty nicely I think – as they do here (with one recent exception).
I moderate the TimeVault blog and the Facebook group comments and a friend of mine recently said that I shouldn’t, as I was censoring free expression. I countered by saying that I only remove comments that are deliberately rude or offensive, designed to upset people. I’m fortunate that 99.9% of the time I haven’t had to moderate anything (apart from one death threat to me, which I almost left in for fun). As far as I am concerned, if a debate has any merit then it can be conducted through strength of argument rather than name-calling.
Here endeth the lesson 🙂
I know…
I realize this is kind of my version of Rodney King's famous "Can We All Just Get Along" speech, and there's not much chance of anyone letting up. I noted myself that it's been going on for decades.
But I just had to speak out because bashing other fans, just like the whole "fake geek girl" debacle, is nonsense. No one gets to tell you how to be a geek. No one gets to tell you how to be a Who fan. If you say you are, you are—end of story.
I just want people to start thinking before they speak (or type). Would you want someone to talk smack about what you love about the show? By all means, disagree—just try to remember what brings us all together (that is, our love for the show), and respect others who may simply appreciate it in a different way.
It's not wrong. It's different.
[End Sermon]
I agree however hypocritically
I am the guy who recorded a two part multi hour long video on why I hate David Tennant’s Doctor and still receive hate comments on it and fan girl bashing was definitely a part of that.
That was a long time ago though and now I’m also the guy thinks Phantom Menace is the best Star Wars film, Crystal Skull the best Indiana Jones film and the first 4 Xmen films painfully bad. Suffice to say I have learned the evils of fan bashing since I am so often at odds with the majority of a franchise’s fans. It is not fun to have so many people attempt to scream, insult and threaten you into agreeing with them and then be called a whiner when for your own sanity you point out the effect of the barrage.
Truly it’s been the new Doctor speculation that’s done me in. There is nothing more annoying than righteous indignation
Hard not to overdo it…
I completely understand the tendency to defend what one loves and bash/belittle what one hates. I sort of do it every time I post a review. :
It’s when we drift into insulting each other instead of making persuasive arguments to support our opinions (bringing up our own reasons for feeling as we do about something, and trying to convince the other side) that things go all wahoonie-shaped.
Oblivious
Wow, I had no idea all this was going on. I must be living in my own little world. 🙂
I do love Tennant’s Doctor; he is my favorite and always will be – however, I am not a teenage girl, thank god, and I do appreciate the other doctors a great deal. I also appreciate the wide variety of opinion in the Doctor Who universe and think that the show would literally die without it. I think that Christopher Eccelston and Matt Smith are excellent Doctors and I love their performances – and the pre-Hiatus Doctors are just as good. I just think everyone tends to have a favorite or favorites, because it’s natural.
It’s great fun to have past Doctors come back, and yes, I am thrilled to see Tennant come back for the special. I do wish, though, that the others were coming back, too. It would be so much cooler! Yet to think that Tennant is going to be the Doctor again, in the future, is ridiculous. He had his run and we all know it’s over – but those guest appearances are so much fun! I, for one, am so excited to see who the new Doctor is going to be!!! That is what’s so great about this show…
I guess I am just not the type of person to be so vicious about others’ opinions. I learned at a young age, in college, through the very mean spirited, rip apart your opponet (or anyone who doesn’t agree with you) climate of political correctness in the 90s – that I didn’t want to treat others that way. I felt that everyone deserved their own opinion as long as they were not advocating violence or hate. Respect and difference of opinion should coexist.
We need more of you 😉
Exactly. I think that’s how we’d all like our fandom to be, though I’ll admit it’s tough to keep an open mind when someone else’s views clash with one’s own.
Glad you’ve not had this experience, though. It’s better that way. 🙂
Thanks
Thank you, Marcia. I’ve probably not had the experience because I don’t get online so much. I’m sure we all give an eye roll at some things, but I always try to think before I post. 🙂 I’m not a saint, either, LOL.
🙂
Well, I think many of us could stand to work on that “think before you post” thing… 😉
Please tell me you’re joking…
How can you hate it? The arguing and backbiting is one of the best things about DW fandom. Not only is it fun, but it serves a useful psychological purpose.
After all, it’s human nature to hate and despise everyone who’s different from us. But sadly, in this bland, sanitised, politically correct era we live in, we’re no longer allowed to do that. We have to continually force ourselves repress our natural desire to hate anyone who’s a different race from us, or a different sexual orientation, a different religion, etc. And when all that repressed hate finally snaps free, the results are horrifying.
It’s far better to let the hatred seep out slowly, safely, a little bit at a time, never letting it build up. And the fact that we’re still freely allowed to hate people with a different opinion of DW from us, gives us a useful outlet.
Absolutely not
I am in no way joking. While I agree that it’s human nature to fear “the other,” I personally believe that the solution is not to go ahead and hate those who are different me, but to learn to understand them so they are no longer “other.”
There are always going to be people with whom I disagree—often vehemently. I don’t think that gives me, or anyone else, the right to be disrespectful, rude, or hurtful because of it.