I feel like a lot of tumblr culture, especially the particularly ineffective brand of Tumblr Social Justice™, has somewhere along the line lost track of the difference between something having the potential to be bad, and being innately bad.
For instance, a white author writing a character of another race absolutely has the heightened potential for problematic portrayal, since that author lacks lived experience as a member of marginalized racial/ethnic group to draw on, and has a heightened chance to misrepresent that group. However, if they do their research, talk with individuals from that racial/ethnic group, consult with sensitivity readers, etc., they may still tell a very honest, sympathetic, good story with good representation. It is not innately bad, simply because of the author’s race; though I’ve seen arguments on tumblr insisting this is the case.
Another example is relationship dynamics; couples who have an age gap or a power imbalance (such as one individual being lower on a professional chain of command from the other) might have an increased potential for an abusive dynamic to form. The couple with the age gap has to be more conscious of differences in lived experience, and the couple with a power differential in the professional side of their relationship needs to overcome more hurdles to equalize things in the context of their personal dynamic. But neither of these things is impossible. These dynamics are not innately abusive; they might make abuse easier, or more common, but they don’t guarantee it. Just as avoiding these dynamics doesn’t guarantee a lack of abusive behavior.
Some situations/dynamics/endeavors have a heightened potential for things to go wrong. And we should be conscious of that potential and keep an eye out for problems – not to destroy the thing, but to encourage course correction (an edit to a manuscript; couples’ therapy; etc.). Many of these things, however, tumblr culture has labelled as innately bad, rejecting any possibility of the thing being done well and thus shutting down that encouraged course correction in favor of flat-out condemnation, without nuance, thought, or consideration. And by drawing clear lines of what is ‘innately bad’ and ‘innately good’ we also avoid giving due criticism of problematic things that have been assigned as ‘innately good.’
This hellsite is allergic to nuance, but damn, do I wish we could all be better at it and recognize that few things are as black & white and simple as we’d like them to be. Shit is messy. Everything is problematic. But not everything that can be bad is, and not everything that’s less likely to be bad is perfect.
Tag Archives: THIS
Oh man, guys, I really like this book I’ve written.
I had to reread that because I have never seen a writer say that ever and as a writer I envy you.
WHAT
There are so many comments on this post to this effect.
Dude! writers, artists, do what you need to do to gain objectivity and feel satisfaction for what you’ve done!
Art as pain and pain as art and the Eternal Dissatisfaction of the Poignant Creator™ is so 19th century.
Creating the art you wish you could see in the world but don’t, and then being fucking PSYCHED when you’ve done it™ is very 2018.
Please, keep looking. Not for a person, but for your passion, your love, your courage, your goals, your dreams, your happiness, yourself. Keep looking. Explore yourself before you explore another. Know your worth, know yourself. Only then will you know what you need over what you want. You need yourself to become your own.
I think it’s really important to talk about how different people have different power fantasies.
For example:
- For some people, the idea of someone redeeming a villain is a power fantasy.
- For other people, the idea of a villain being defeated is a power fantasy.
- And for other people, the idea of a character owning their villainy is a power fantasy.
I would argue a lot of fandom conflicts re: villains come from people being unable to see that their fantasies, which put them in control of a narrative (and all three of these are designed to give the author or reader control of the narrative in different ways) are someone else’s horror stories.
I think this is a really interesting look at power fantasies and I personally have experienced all three, regarding different characters.
I would argue, however, that most of these fandom conflicts actually come from the reverse situation. That is, it’s not people looking at their own fantasies and being unable to see that these fantasies are horrifying for others (though that does, of course, happen).
I see, more often, people looking at other people’s fantasies and declaring them to be horrifying. That they are objectively bad and harmful and representative of whatever it is people find to be dangerous. And that, in fact, their fantasies or empowering at all, but rather symptoms of societal sickness.
So rather than saying a lot of fandom conflicts re: villains come from people being unable to see that their fantasies are someone else’s horror stories, I would say that a lot of fandom conflicts re: villains come from people being unable to see that different people have different fantasies in the first place. That it’s not that they’re thinking of their own fantasies at all. But that they’re seeing only their own horrors in the fantasies of others.
Good meta, but I wanna add:
For some people, the power fantasy is not necessarily “someone redeeming a villain” but “a villain being redeemed”; that is, they identify more with the villain going through the redemption, rather than the hero offering redemption, or the villain who owns their villainy.
Idk if you could really call it a power fantasy exactly, but it serves a similar purpose. It can be really cathartic to see a character who is in the dark and alone be reached out to, to see a hero extend a hand and good faith and help them back into the light. To see someone believe in them, to see them better themselves and heal.
It’s okay to identify with vulnerability instead of (or in addition to) power, is what I’m saying.
It really sucks that you’ve moved into patreon. I’ve been following your work for a long time, and I used to love your Head Burp blog, but now I have to pay to see the same things?? Idk, it’s just kind of the sell-out point for me. It really makes me sad and pushes me and others away from your work and it’s just a disappointment :( why did you have to fall in the same shitty fame pit as everyone else…
Hello! I’m sorry that this has left you disappointed. If you are interested in an explanation (you might not be, which is fine) then here is one:
When I began sharing my work online years ago I was unemployed and couldn’t work due to my illness. Posting drawings and writing on my blog played a huge part in my survival during this time, and I am lucky that I had such a positive response from people like yourself, it was what kept me going and motivated to hold it together. (Side note: The main reason I deleted the Head Burp blog wasn’t about monetising words, but because there was information/writing that I no longer felt comfortable being in the public forum.)
As the years have gone on I am able to manage my illnesses better and now have longer periods of stability that allow me to work. I am trying to support myself as a freelance artist/illustrator/whatever you’d like to call it. Working freelance in a creative profession is not easy or particularly well-paid a lot of the time. It is very hard to earn a consistent income. I have chosen to make this my job, so yes it is on me to try and make it work, but I don’t believe this is a choice that I or anyone else should feel guilty for.
I am on a learning curve with everything at the moment when it comes to being an adult, including work. I might not be getting it all right, but I am doing my best to find a balance. I still love being able to share work on social media; It is important to me that people can continue to see as much of it as possible for free. I also want to be able to support myself financially. Just as other people who get up and do a job each day, I would like to be paid for my time, my energy, and my work.
If you really feel that artists putting monetary value on a skill is selling-out then I can’t argue with that, but I would urge you to consider that we face the same rent/food prices/living costs as everyone else. The reason why so many artists have fallen into what you call this ‘shitty fame pit’ of Patreon is simply because we want to live independently, buy food to eat, have money to pay bills and just exist in the world. As romantic an idea as it is, we can’t live off exposure, reblogs and likes alone.
Personally speaking, setting up a Patreon was actually quite a difficult decision that I put a lot of thought into and have tried to make it a fun and fair addition to what I will continue to post online. I am fully aware that this is not something everyone will be interested in, and I am not forcing anyone to sign up to it, at all. Besides, I haven’t moved all my work behind a paywall or anything, I am still very much here/on instagram etc posting drawings frequently.
Anyway… that’s my bit.
Thank you for supporting my work thus far. I’m not too worried about changing your mind on this one if it’s made up, but I hope this gives you some food for thought when considering the way I and other artists whose work you enjoy operate.
them: why do you have so many gay ships?
me: because the female characters are so poorly and/or problematically written, because there sometimes aren’t any female characters at all, and because while female emotional fluency is seen as an expected norm, society has taught me to romanticize male emotional fluency as exceptional and special and rare. now pls leave me alone so that I can live in my imaginary world where men actually talk about feelings
“Fake news” – fandom edition
In 2k17, a lot of us have pledged to be more cautious about ‘fake news’ posts on Facebook
I propose we extend that concern to fandom
There’s a very low bar on this site (or any site) for people to post whatever tf they want, and a very high incentive to post fake receipts to win arguments
(Or at the least, misleading “receipts” such as “Artist XYZ is a bad person” because they drew a picture of bad things happening to completely fictional characters)
So this year, if you see a callout post:
- Look for signs of bias. I have the sneaking suspicion that “XYZ-is-bad.tumblr.com” is not an objective source.
- Be wary of unsourced accusations. “Person A is a homophobe!” is a statement, not evidence. Look for original sources. Did Person A post “I hate gay people” on their blog? Or did they draw fanart of an unpopular het pairing?
- Look for context. Check out Person A’s blog to see if you have the whole picture. Did Person A pick a fight out of nowhere, or was that viral post made in response to an anon harassing them?
- Ask “what real person was hurt”. Writing a fanfic is not the same as committing a crime in real life. If Person B claims that Person A is a real-life “abuser” because they shipped two (100% fictional!) characters, Person B is out of line.
- Consider ulterior motives. Did Person A recently open a Patreon and receive a slew of hateful messages about ‘selling out’? Did Person B have an argument about characterization with their co-author and then suddenly “reveal” a list of unsourced accusations? Who stands to gain if someone else is driven out of fandom by angry anons?
Long story short, I don’t believe everyone in fandom is evil – nor that every accusation is unfounded. I do believe that unfortunately, in this modern ‘post-truth’ world, we are all going to have to get much better at fact checking and source validity…both in fandom and in real life.
I love this.
One little thing I find helps with this is to remember:
A thing that makes you feel bad, is not necessarily a thing that is bad.
So, you know, people shipping your NOTP, or having headcanons that contradict yours or writing fic on topics that make you frightened or uncomfortable is actually upsetting. And you can totally be upset about it.
But it doesn’t actually follow, necessarily, that the person upsetting you, is actually doing something wrong. They might be. Its possible. But its more likely you need to add some tags to your blacklist and put it from your mind.
Bless this post forever and ever Amen.
kylo-wouldnt-like-those-chips:
kylo-wouldnt-like-those-chips:
My desire to not deal with people I think are unnecessarily negative and inflammatory is not a desire to only deal with people I agree with. My mutuals and I disagree all the fucking time holy hell this place is so annoying.
Also like… who cares if you (general you) only wanna deal w/ people you agree with on fuckin tumblr of all places? Like it’s your life! This is the web! Block whoever you want! Nobody is entitled to your time or consideration goddamn if you don’t wanna deal with someone don’t deal with them you don’t need a reason you’re not committing some moral sin by surrounding yourself w/ people you know you’re not going to be regularly in conflict with. it doesn’t mean you’re incapable of handling conflict or anything it just means maybe you don’t fucking want to in a space where it’s SO easy to avoid
This is a good point. I’m just so tired of people acting like you have to talk with everyone on here to understand their point before you block them. It’s not weak. It’s an act of self care because conflict on here ends up being such a huge waste of time and energy for me.
Some people use this site to debate and that’s fine. That’s not how I use it at all. It’s a hobby for me. it’s a place I go to have fun. It is entirely my prerogative to block anyone who is getting in the way of that for any reason.
Hey, everyone! Today, we’re going to be talking about feeling shame and guilt in fandom.
A few quick points:
- No, actually, you don’t have to hide liking certain ships from your friends. You can if you want, but that feeling of guilt and shame that you feel when someone mocks something you like, or worse, calls it problematic, isn’t something that you have to feel. You don’t have to break things off with your current friends, but please know that you CAN find friends that won’t judge you for liking things they don’t.
- We all ship ships because we read fics/metas/hcs for those ships and see reflections of what we need, want, crave, envy, hate, and fear at that moment in our lives. Celebrate your connection to that ship! Celebrate your connection to others who ship the same things! When you find fellow shippers, you’ve found so many other people who might also be going through a lot of similar things as you in their lives right now. That’s rare, out there in the real world! And it’s actually one of the coolest things about fandom.
- The same goes for kinks. You don’t owe it to anyone to feel bad, guilty, ashamed, mortified, or self-conscious about your kinks. YES, you shouldn’t rub your kinks in the faces of people who are uncomfortable with them bc that’s a matter of mutual respect, but if someone makes you feel like you’re not allowed to post or talk about it in your own space (your blog), that’s not healthy. It’s unfair to you.
- I understand wanting to hide certain things about yourself (liking Sheith, liking noncon, etc.) because you’re afraid of retaliation from antis. Yup. They’re unpredictable and scary little buggers. And controlling your happiness through feelings of fear and shame is every bit a part of their plan. But please remember that antis’ intimidating behavior says everything about the sort of people they are. It doesn’t mean their victims are bad people who deserve vitriol and punishment. If you’ve had scary interactions with them, you’re not a bad person, and I’m sorry you were made to feel that way. If you don’t want to attract their ire, I understand. But that doesn’t mean that the fandom content you like has to become “guilty pleasures” that you’re ashamed for even when you’re indulging in it privately. Resist treating your heart the way an anti would treat your heart.
- Life is short. Indulge in what you like. Avoid what you don’t like. Listen to outside opinions when you want to learn and grow, and close yourself off when those opinions are trying to hurt you. There’s obviously more shades of grey to everything than just that, but you’re not hurting anyone by liking the ships you like, reading the fics you read, and making your blog a space that’s perfectly tailored to your happiness.
I think that’s all I have for now. I hope you’re having a good day. 🙂
anyways why do you support pedophilia and abuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everyone here is so gross
oh god I’m done I’m fucking. I’m done I’m sick and I’m exhausted and I’m done
Nobody here supports real life pedophilia and abuse.
Antis support bullying creators for depicting it in fiction in ways they don’t approve of. They harbor bullies because they would have no power otherwise.
What are you – I assume an anti – missing in your life that you need so badly to feel righteous about the fiction you consume? Why do you need to feel you have power over people? Antis openly admit that they go after smaller creators because they know that smaller creators will “listen” to them – except that what they’re doing is intimidation and bullying, so what they really mean is that smaller creators are afraid of them.
And you know what? It worked. It fucking worked. Small creators are terrified. Multiple artists have been driven into depression and suicide attempts by harassment that came from antis. Creators who never hurt anyone had their careers ruined over false accusations of pedophilia over a cartoon drawing. Someone got fed needles. Three artists that I know of at conventions have had their merch and displays damaged by people calling them pedophiles or abuse apologists or whatthefuckever because of the completely safe for work art they were displaying.
You’re bullies. You’re fucking bullies and you need to feel powerful so you gang up on fandom creators, who are almost all already marginalized young people, so that you can feel like you’re doing something. But you’re not. You’re fucking not. You can tear down all the queer artists you want, it won’t make a single goddamn bit of difference. YOU ARE NOT HELPING ANYONE.
You’re not. Helping. Anyone.
But you did it, I guess. Artists are scared. People are scared. Small, queer creators are more scared to release content now than they were 5 years ago, because their own community will almost certainly tear them apart like wild dogs.
Great job. Do you feel powerful now?
I-want-my-IWTV 