June Something day 5
Jun. 5th, 2021 04:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
turpsDay 5: Compare and/or contrast your very first fandom obsession and your very latest fandom obsession.
If you're talking about actual fannish interaction, it would be with the Trek fandom, specifically Voyager. At the time all content for me was via E groups, and I was very much a bb fan finding my way in this crazy new thing called the internet. I remember joining a Voyager group and earnestly sending LoC's ( letter of comments ) to all new posted story parts and as I hadn't discovered slash then, was an avid Paris/Torres shipper.
When I did discover slash I had that moment of 'I've found my people' that so many others seem to relate to, and I fell even harder and faster into fannish obsessions. I quickly discovered that h/c was my main fic love -- not that it was a surprise as I knew that from fixating on the h/c moments in The Hardy Boys series when I really was a bb!Terri. Loved angst and woe but also realised that there was little I wouldn't read as long as Tom was front and centre.
I was never known in the Voyager fandom, but I had a lot of fun, including meeting one of my favourite writers at a Trek con I went to. Honestly, I was so nervous going up to her and saying I loved her stories, almost as nervous as I was seeing the official con guests.
Now, I guess if you say the latest obsession I would have to say The Musketeers which has been constant for a while now, and my first port of call when I check for new fic. In many ways, it's totally different to that first obsession. We have A03 and if I want to look at photos etc I can check out Tumblr and Pinterest, neither of which existed back in the day. I can check out fanvids on YouTube and even some episodes and can read through old comms on DW and LJ, as sadly I got invested when most other people moved on.
This means that actual interaction in terms of talking about the show and the characters is lacking. It's like I've gone from having much more access to the source material and fannish works, but to counter that, have lost the ability to discuss those things, which is a shame.
It's funny because middle and end are similar in some ways, where I've got my OTC, and have commented and enjoyed being in the fandoms, the one difference being I've written some fic for Musketeers, but my main juggernaut fandoms, popslash and bandom, are totally different. In those, I was prolific, hosted challenges, joined challenges, ran comms etc and was so much more involved. I don't know if things like that will happen again, maybe not the way fandom is changing, but I'll forever love those days when fandom really was an obsession.
We needed cat food today so while we were out went for breakfast at Re.F.use. Scrambled eggs and toast was a good choice, and so was the iced coffee I had with it.
I'm looking forward to the finale of The Masked Dancer tonight. On another forum I lurk on they were insulting the show and the intelligence of anyone who watches, saying it's the Butlins of TV. Well, I loved going to Butlins too and would happily go back again, so I guess I'm doomed in their eyes.
So I say, bring on the madness and masks!
If you're talking about actual fannish interaction, it would be with the Trek fandom, specifically Voyager. At the time all content for me was via E groups, and I was very much a bb fan finding my way in this crazy new thing called the internet. I remember joining a Voyager group and earnestly sending LoC's ( letter of comments ) to all new posted story parts and as I hadn't discovered slash then, was an avid Paris/Torres shipper.
When I did discover slash I had that moment of 'I've found my people' that so many others seem to relate to, and I fell even harder and faster into fannish obsessions. I quickly discovered that h/c was my main fic love -- not that it was a surprise as I knew that from fixating on the h/c moments in The Hardy Boys series when I really was a bb!Terri. Loved angst and woe but also realised that there was little I wouldn't read as long as Tom was front and centre.
I was never known in the Voyager fandom, but I had a lot of fun, including meeting one of my favourite writers at a Trek con I went to. Honestly, I was so nervous going up to her and saying I loved her stories, almost as nervous as I was seeing the official con guests.
Now, I guess if you say the latest obsession I would have to say The Musketeers which has been constant for a while now, and my first port of call when I check for new fic. In many ways, it's totally different to that first obsession. We have A03 and if I want to look at photos etc I can check out Tumblr and Pinterest, neither of which existed back in the day. I can check out fanvids on YouTube and even some episodes and can read through old comms on DW and LJ, as sadly I got invested when most other people moved on.
This means that actual interaction in terms of talking about the show and the characters is lacking. It's like I've gone from having much more access to the source material and fannish works, but to counter that, have lost the ability to discuss those things, which is a shame.
It's funny because middle and end are similar in some ways, where I've got my OTC, and have commented and enjoyed being in the fandoms, the one difference being I've written some fic for Musketeers, but my main juggernaut fandoms, popslash and bandom, are totally different. In those, I was prolific, hosted challenges, joined challenges, ran comms etc and was so much more involved. I don't know if things like that will happen again, maybe not the way fandom is changing, but I'll forever love those days when fandom really was an obsession.
We needed cat food today so while we were out went for breakfast at Re.F.use. Scrambled eggs and toast was a good choice, and so was the iced coffee I had with it.
I'm looking forward to the finale of The Masked Dancer tonight. On another forum I lurk on they were insulting the show and the intelligence of anyone who watches, saying it's the Butlins of TV. Well, I loved going to Butlins too and would happily go back again, so I guess I'm doomed in their eyes.
So I say, bring on the madness and masks!
no subject
Date: 2021-06-05 10:37 pm (UTC)I'm having the same experience in my fandoms too. And where I do have connections with fellow fans, they're fans of the source but not fic writers/readers, so the discussions are limited to non-fic aspects - which is still fun, but not the same experience of fandom as I had with popslash or bandom.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-06 04:43 pm (UTC)I have such a fantastic time in popslash and bandom, it's hard for anything else to measure up.
I guess all we can do is keep trying.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-06 12:08 pm (UTC)I do remember watching The Musketeers when it was on and enjoying it, though I never saw the last season cause the time changed.
Yeah I have to agree with you there. In some ways we have a lot of content to enjoy, but in other ways we’ve lost that sense of connection. A03 is great as a fic archive but there’s not really the sense of community that comms on lj used to have and that’s a shame
It’s so strange that people feel the need to insult such things. Sometimes you just need to watch something that’s fun and entertaining
no subject
Date: 2021-06-06 04:38 pm (UTC)Few people seem to like Voyager, but it'll forever be my favourite.
Honestly, season three of The Musketeers is so different to the others it's probably best you didn't see it. I tend to ignore it when I'm thinking about them or reading fic.
Yeah, that sense of community is lacking. I used to have mega comment conversations on my journal and that never happens now which is sad. I'm just glad some of stuck around, like you.
I know, there's no need to insult at all. I'm aware the Masked Dancer isn't highbrow and kind of silly, but it is entertaining, fun and light hearted, and sometimes that's exactly what people need to watch.
no subject
Date: 2021-06-06 06:33 pm (UTC)That puzzles me, I always loved it. But then people are strange
Aww really?
That really is sad, I loved those convos too. I think it’s so sad we’ve lost that sense of community
Yeah! Not everything has to be highbrow, sometimes something silly is what you need especially how everything is
no subject
Date: 2021-06-07 05:38 pm (UTC)This means that actual interaction in terms of talking about the show and the characters is lacking. It's like I've gone from having much more access to the source material and fannish works, but to counter that, have lost the ability to discuss those things, which is a shame.
This is such a spot-on description of how fandom has changed over the last decades! And probably also explains why my fannish interest has vaned almost completely :-/
no subject
Date: 2021-06-26 04:17 pm (UTC)I was. I've always had that one person I enjoy the most. And in fact, I need that one person to be fannish about something. It's why I watch and enjoy a load of tv shows but don't become fannish about them. As I need that focal character.
This is such a spot-on description of how fandom has changed over the last decades! And probably also explains why my fannish interest has vaned almost completely :-/
Yeah, the lack of discussions is hard. I miss the times when comment conversations about fannish stuff happened all the time. I doubt I'll ever get a multiple page comment count again.
I hope you do find your next big thing at some point.