fandom as a mediaeval society.

[sapphocles]

It really brightens my day to see what people have to say about each other in the fandom. This place has its share of drama, sure, and sometimes it gets out of control (like when it bleeds onto metafilter and fark). But usually we take care of ourselves - a self-regulating society. In many ways, it's not unlike an anarcho-syndicalist commune early

Comments

[xianghua]

Does that make the great vast mass of non-fandom humanity serfs, poor souls uneducated and unappreciative of the vaster universe, introduced to bits and pieces of the glory of god via the priests? :P

[freckles42]

*laughs* Just a separate society from our own - perhaps a rival nation across the seas? :D

[freckles42]

Betas can be from any of the levels... so maybe a secret society that spans the culture? XD

Help help, I'm being repressed!

[ragdoll]

Good essay but I have to say that being the pathetic little socialist I am, I don't buy the BNF as nobility stuff, if only because they're usually appointed by a bunch of sycophants rather than 'The Queen' herself (except in the case of people like Melissa Anelli and Emerson Whatsit and the less said about them the better...) or by popularity which may or may not be deserved rather than on supposed merit.

Sorry the whole concept of BNFs is just something that sticks in my craw a lot since too many of them take their own importance way way too seriously which, I suppose, makes them like some real gentry in the past.

Did you see him? Did you see 'im repressin' me?

[freckles42]

*grins* Yeah, I didn't think the heirarchy was quite right (hence the thoughts about equality and such), but it seemed the closest representation. Especially since none of us pay tariffs or work our land for their benefit - and any of us can move in or out of the various social structures as we desire.

I definitely wanted to avoid the term BNF - it rubs me the wrong way, for some reason. It also implies a lot of social hangers-on who hope that by being close to said persons they can be as well-liked as those persons. It's just like in high school

A lot of them do take themselves too seriously - though it also seems that the fandom has pushed a lot of them to the edges. I think we put up with a lot less bullshit than we used to.

Re: Did you see him? Did you see 'im repressin' me?

[ragdoll]

LOOK AT THE VIOLENCE INHERENT IN THE SYSTEM! :)

It's a good model though, really. I just wonder about the people who are Big In The Fandom (regardless of the fandom) often. It's partially envy and partially bafflement since often I really don't know why person X is considered better than person Y or why their art/fic/knowledge is held in such higher esteem when a lot of the time, it's not any better or, in some cases (and I'm talking about a lifetime in assorted fandoms, not anyone specific) it's inferior.

BNF rubs me the wrong way too. The whole idea of it. Then again, I'm an annoying little socialist who wants everyone/everything to be equal anyway. So what do I know? :)

I'd like to think that we do put up with a lot less bullshit than we used to. There's been so much wank over some of the Big Names that maybe people have realised it's not worth the effort?

[freckles42]

Beats me. It's a whole load of social climbing. Some people seem to go on friending sprees just so they can have some sort of notion of importance. I like to actually have some sort of interaction with people before I friend them.

I think perhaps you're right - and that the people who create a lot are the ones getting recognised now. Good or not, prolificness seems to be rewarded. Hm.

[violetfishy]

Well, this is all original to me! And yeah, what you said makes a lot of sense. I would liek to add the idea of different...counties (cities or states or whatever) in fandom...it seems that people do tend to be friends within a group of people. And there is over lap into other counties and groups, but sometimes when you venture over into another county/city/whatever they an have a very different idea of who is the knights/middleclass/etc.
Does that make any sense?

Ah, I'm just totally loving HP fandom right now anyway. Mainly because there has been a wank EXPLOSION in one of my other fandoms between a lot of people I know and...yeah...I've had to back away before it starts making me angry. Lol!

[freckles42]

Off-topic icon love. Hee.

And I totally get what you're saying about the knights and stuff...

I touched on the fandom towns briefly, but it's easy to get lost in all the other stuff I posted. I've been restructuring all this in my head, though, and I think the various ships or whatever could be viewed as guilds of sorts. Hmm. :D

I think the map of the fandom could definitely apply, too, in this case. *grins*

HP fandom has been full of love recently, and seems to be low on the wank. I definitely appreciate this.

[seaislewitch]

Hi, I'm here through one of the news ljs.

I like your system of fandom. It's really creative and amusing. Now I know where I fall into the fandom. *g* Thanks for sharing.

[freckles42]

*laughs* Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. It seems appropriate and it seems like something with which everyone could identify and understand.