Some thinking on mockery and 4.18 The Monster at the End of This Book

Apr 02, 2009 23:10

This will be spoilerific. I haven't rewatched yet, but I've seen some other people's reactions, and it's made me examine my own discomfort. ( Some thoughts. )

spn, fandom, 418, thinkiness

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Comments 19

withdiamonds April 3 2009, 04:21:01 UTC
I like it that they made us part of the show, part of the story. It felt affectionately inclusive to me.

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glendaglamazon April 3 2009, 14:47:12 UTC
Me too, in the main. I was merrily laughing along, and then it got a little uncomfortable (I think I would have been far less uncomfortable if I hadn't been watching the show with Li'l G, but it still would have twinged), and then I went back to laughing. It makes me feel like part of the family--where sometimes the ribbing is a little too pointed, but sometimes that's because it hits a little too close to the truth.

I loved the episode, and I like that they included us, but I do understand why some people have reacted so negatively.

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mickeym April 3 2009, 04:26:08 UTC
Everything you said...yes. (This is why I don't meta--there are those of you who do it so well :))

Ten years ago, I probably would've been hurt. Or uncomfortable. Tonight, I was amused, and also kind of surprised -- it's one thing to hear actors mention it, or allude to it, but right there? On the show? Whoa.

I guess...when we, as fans, go making the actors' lives a part of ours (writing fanfic, reading it, squeeing over our tinhats, etc.), we have to know that it might come back at us someday. But I definitely agree it was loving mocking :)

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glendaglamazon April 3 2009, 14:49:12 UTC
I think a lot of fandom needs to recognize that Show has as much right to comment on us as we have to write and read dirty, dirty Wincest. Of course, people also have the right to be offended or made uncomfortable about how Show chose to portray us, but I am taking it for pointed ribbing, right alongside the mockery of writers in general and Show's writers in particular.

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proscription April 3 2009, 04:49:17 UTC
I thought it was amazingly funny and I wasn't offended at all, but I can see where people would be. I totally thought of it as a shout out and frankly, if someone came up to me and was like "your worst moments in my life were amazing it was great when xyz happened even though it sucked that you shat chewed hamburgers" I would be freaked out too.

i feel like they werent making fun of us with sam and deans reaction in that scean so much as showing the oddness of two people who the fan thought were fictional who were were really real and they were really freaked.

I dunno, the show makes so much fun of itself that i figure we as fans can take it.

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proscription April 3 2009, 04:50:29 UTC
the chewed hamburger fanfic is the best ever btw

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proscription April 3 2009, 13:28:35 UTC
OH MAN IT JUST HIT ME THAT MAYBE THE WRITERS READ THE COKE PEE CHEWED HAMBURGER SHIT STORY!

ELLLLL OOOOOHHHHHH EEEEELLLLLLLLLL

I know they probably didn't but i cackled at the thought

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glendaglamazon April 3 2009, 14:51:03 UTC
You are OBSESSED, woman! OBSESSED, I TELL YOU!

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ghettogreta April 3 2009, 05:01:56 UTC
See, I didn't get offended at all. I mean, I'm not in the fandom like some people, I hate (loathe, despise, etc) Wincest, I'm right there with Dean and the "ew" factor, and I'll read some J2, but I'm not writing or as invested, I guess, as I've been in popslash. So maybe it's because I'm a step away from it that I wasn't offended by anything. But everyone knows that Kripke takes feedback from the fans, and he listens to what they're saying. I mean, wasn't it fan reaction about how awesome Castiel is that maybe tipped his hand into making him a regular next year? His arc wasn't supposed to be this long, right? So I don't know why people are surprised that Kripke used that knowledge and the insanity in his show. It's common knowledge. And if he had them (the boys) react any differently about the fanfic and the slash, it would have been out of character. And it's not like they were only taking shots at fandom, they took a few at their expense, too (eg: the bad writing with the ghostship). I don't know, I loved this episode, I ( ... )

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glendaglamazon April 3 2009, 14:53:38 UTC
I don't think people should have been offended, I was just trying to explore why some people are--and a great many people are. As I said, I think them mocking us along with themselves and their characters was great. It makes me feel like part of the family. I agree that fandom needs to not take itself so seriously and recognize that we may try to operate under the radar, but when we don't, we are just as vulnerable to commentary on our behavior as Show and its actors/creators are. I think it was an affectionate poke that should serve to make people a little more aware.

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ghettogreta April 4 2009, 00:45:48 UTC
Yeah, no, I totally got what you meant, it was late last night and I was a bit incoherent and probably shouldn't have been allowed to type comments. I didn't mean to imply that you thought they should be offended! Basically, I was agreeing with you and saying that fandom maybe shouldn't have gotten so offended given the nature of what we know about Kripke. So in conclusion, I agree!

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glendaglamazon April 3 2009, 14:55:27 UTC
I like that we're linked! I think it's a symbiotic relationship, and we aren't used to handling Show calling us out, but it seems like turnabout and fair play and all that stuff. Honestly, I think it went right over most people's heads (not, unfortunately, my little sister's, but she was easily distracted back into the awesomeness of Show and didn't press me on the Wincest).

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