Comments | magdalyna: On Teenies and Change

magdalyna

On Teenies and Change

Mar 02, 2009 00:26

So this is response to a post I read that I rather enjoyed, and I figured I'd get my comments together in one spot. I reccomend reading the original post before this, for the sake of clarity. Plus, there are some neat comments besides mine going on.

I'll wait.

( Or, a treatise on 'The motts' )

meta, the motts, mcr shenanigans, pete wentz is weird

Comments 6

escherzo March 3 2009, 02:34:38 UTC

I think the thing that bothers me--surprise surprise--is that a lot of the people who do these things aren't young. There's plenty of talk about the teenage fan, who will 'grow out of it.' As you said, not all of them do that, but I've seen so many people written off simply because they happen to be young. Even people who do cross the boundaries do that, and say they're not teenies because they're not young. Honestly, the whole term puts me off. If someone prints out fic and gives it to a person who it's about, they're doing something shitty. It doesn't matter what age you are, and it isn't even so much about growing up age-wise so much as just maturity.

magdalyna March 3 2009, 05:34:49 UTC

Yes. This.

There's this image in place that only the youngins are creepy/don't know any better/will grow out of it, that doesn't acknowledge its an age-blind thing.

That idea is very damaging, because it leaves room for the adult tinhats(for lack of better phrasing) to run rampant.

(The comment has been removed)

magdalyna March 6 2009, 07:24:16 UTC

Hello, fellow sane young'un! I turned 18 in October. I've actually been told by my flisters that until I talked about school things, they thought I was much older.

I'm fairly sure that I didn't directly state that all underaged fans are transgressors of the approved fannish boundaries:

These are the transgressors, and the perception is that they are the younger, less mature fans. Usually teenagers/people too young to drink legally in the US. Usually teenage girls.

Perceptions can be true, or they can be totally false.

The thing that most of us forget, is that teenies grow up. The screaming, sign holding, arm waving, hysterical 'little girl' is not a fixed state. They can get better, for values of 'not being creepy to the fannish subjects' or they can get worse. Like, having the financial resources to really seriously stalk Subject of Fannishness. But they aren't static.By that I mean, having a steady job and being over 20. Therefore, no longer considered to be a 'teenie'. This group is actually far more common than anyone likes ( ... )

(The comment has been removed)

magdalyna March 7 2009, 05:52:36 UTC

Tone and meaning can be a little off in strictly text based situations, so I did that to make sure my menaing was clear.

The perception bit irritates me as well, because I'm not invasive, and lots of other underaged fans like yourself aren't either. Its damaging for us to have this label that only a fraction of us deserve, but what can you(general you) do?, since outbreaks of bad behavior still happen.

Yes. The idea of lawsuits kinda worries me, because coming from a media/lit based place, the terrain is different. Copy right infringement isn't the same as say, stalking/assult(which being shoved shipper signs at might, might qualify as) would be. Fanfic is one thing. Bad rl interactions are another.

3wishesfreehugs March 17 2009, 21:05:42 UTC

I'm 15, and I'm really into bandom. It is my first fandom that I refuse to be actively involved in, because I'm scared of being seen as a "teenie". I go to the shows, and I feel judged by the older, supposedly more mature fans there, even if they're the ones with signs, or shouting things, or whatever. The whole perception of "teenie" makes me feel like my enjoyment, and indeed love, of bandom as a whole is somehow less real, not as important, less significant to me, than another fan's, just because I'm fifteen and they're 23. I would love to write in bandom, or make mixes, or draw fanart, or amything; it's not new to me, I have been a serious, reasonably known fan in other fandoms. Bandom is terrifying, because people judge you just as much for how old you are on the internet as they do in real life for what clothes you wear, or what parties you go to ( ... )

magdalyna March 18 2009, 09:49:52 UTC

I'm saddend to hear that your participation and enjoyment has been diminished because of this whole mess.

Have you thought that you might be able to build your bandom reputation by doing exactly these things, writing, drawing, creating mixes, and through actual online interaction show that you are a reasonable fan who can understand the difference bewteen fantasy and reality?

If you're around and aren't wacky for a consistent amount of time, people notice.