I recently saw a link to an article by someone in an online Who community of which I’m a member discussing his hopes for the upcoming Series Nine (which I understand began filming last week). Although I like to support other Whovians in their creative outlets, as many have supported me by reading what I write here, I will admit that I didn’t click through. Why not? Well, because right now I don’t have the emotional energy to spend.
I don’t know whether online spaces have become more combative in recent years, or I was just blissfully naïve when I began blogging (though my money’s on the latter), but it has begun to feel like expressing an opinion online is tantamount to taking one’s life in one’s hands. Heaven forfend that a blogger or podcaster say something that the larger community (or even a particular, vocal subset of that community) disagrees with—the torches and pitchforks won’t be far behind.
Now this works both ways on any given opinion, depending on the space in question. For example, you can easily find vehement opposition to either side of the “Moffat’s a misogynist / Moffat writes totally awesome strong women” debate. Similarly any of a gazillion other questions: there should be a female Doctor / the Doctor should never be a woman; Danny Pink was awesome / terrible; Nu-Who is nowhere near as good as the good ol’ days / Classic Who is unwatchable; etc.
What makes me sad is that somewhere along the way, people lost—or maybe we never really had—the ability to disagree civilly. A differing opinion seems to have become conflated with an ignorant, mentally incompetent, or downright evil holder of said opinion. Instead of statements like, “I think I can understand why you would feel that way, but I disagree for these reasons,” I more often see vitriolic statements like, “you’re an ass who doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together.”
It’s ironic that in a show with so many wildly varying stories and storytelling styles—it’s often said that Who has something for everyone, and I really think that’s accurate—the fans can’t allow each other a little variation, too. I’m not saying we all have to agree—there are stories I will never be able to stomach, though I have friends who adore them—but why can’t we celebrate our diversity?
Wouldn’t it be boring if we all liked the same things and kept getting it on screen? Isn’t part of the fun of life in expanding your worldview, looking at things differently than you did before because you were shown a new way of interpreting the world? Stories are one of the best ways for expressing those interpretations, and giving us a chance to try on new ideas. Are they reflections of the “real world” that we’ve simply never seen from our particular corner of it? Or are they visions of how things could be—good or bad—with tiny changes?
Perhaps it’s asking too much of a show to prompt its fans think in the way I suggest. Perhaps it’s too much to ask that fans think seriously about something that is, let’s be honest, primarily intended as entertainment. But as a writer, I tend to think about message and theme more than many. We all tell stories for a reason, whether or not we know when we do what the reason is. And I think everyone’s story is important.
So I don’t know what’s next for Doctor Who. I don’t have a clue where the storylines, characters, villains, back stories, or Companions will take us. I just hope the stories challenge me to think, and that the conversations that follow strengthen the fandom community instead of straining it.
That’s why I like my podcast
That’s why I like my podcast Facebook group. Everyone knows I won’t stand for rudeness and pretty much everyone who comments on there does so in a spirit of friendliness. I’ve abandoned all other forums and limited my exposure on Twitter. Just can’t be doing with the headache of it all any more.
Agreed
Yes, folks are very civil there. 🙂
I try to be choosy about what areas of the Net I frequent, but even so, I can’t always avoid the drama. I also do my best to let said drama just go past without stopping to engage. Not always successful, but it’s a start! 😉
I like the drama.
Sometimes it’s fun to get into a spirited debate. I have strong opinions and I like to express them. I enjoy debating with people who are equally passionate about whatever it is we are discussing.
But I do agree that it is important to find people with a little maturity to discuss it with. Getting into foul language and personal insults spoils the fun. Communities peopled mainly by adults are out there. You just have to look for them.
Try Mania . com This is a website devoted to news and reviews about genre movies, TV, books, comics etc. They have done reviews of Dr Who and report news about it. And discussions about various genre projects have morphed into debates about matters like religion and gay rights and stuff, for the most part conducted like adults without devolving into insults or profanity. And we definitely need more women on the site. LOL
Drama
A spirited debate can be fun, as long as everyone is civil and comes in accepting that they may not change any minds. 🙂
For the most part, I’ve found good online spaces for such things, but even so sometimes folks will slip up and state their opinion as if it’s universal and make things… uncomfortable for me if I disagree (in that I wouldn’t necessarily want to speak up). Again, one just has to have a thick skin, and not expect everyone to look at the world (or Whoniverse) the same way.
Don’t be shy
Go ahead and state your opinion loudly and clearly. I cut my internet debating teeth on the Scifi Channel web site’s discussion boards, long before they became Syfy. I was a founding member of the Farscape fan community and we weathered our share of flame wars, arguements, trolls and debates. It took a little practice but I’ve been enjoying internet debates ever since. I’ve been called plenty of names and threatened and cussed out but mostly it just makes me laugh. If somebody can’t conduct themselves like an adult I can’t take them seriously.
The Mania crew are good people. I’ve been on the less popular side of plenty of debates. I hated the JJ Abrams’ reboot of Star Trek and enjoyed many passionate conversations with that movie’s many fans. Everybody is usually polite and mature no matter how heated the debate. And when somebody slips and gets obnoxious he is called out and usually takes his scolding with good grace.
Not shy
It’s not that I’m too shy to state an opposing opinion; I simply prefer to avoid picking a fight. There’s a whole lot of that kind of thing that’s not worth my mindshare, as far as I’m concerned. 🙂 I’d rather grumble a little to myself and move on. 😉
Mania.Com
Interesting that the person above mentions Mania.Com – I found this blog because of them, they speak very highly of it.
Yay, Mania!
Cool to hear you found the blog through Mania! 😀 One of their regular movie reviewers is a college friend of mine. I’m glad you trusted Mania’s opinion enough to check it out, and that you seem to have found it worth reading once you got here. 🙂