Fandom rant, let me show you it.

[chippers87]

I love the idea of the House internet fandom. Every week, it is honestly fun to get together and compare notes on what we thought of the new episode. In the past few years in which I've been involved in this fandom, I've met the most amazing people from all over the world. Many of you have become part of my support system, and I know that I couldn't deal with the show and with life nearly as much as I do if I didn't have y'all around.

Except. Except, except, except. Fandom has gotten out of control. I more than understand that this show is not the exact same show as the one that premiered five years ago. Focuses have changed. Characters have become revealed, and new characters have been added. Relationships have emerged. It happens on every show, and that's one of the oddities of a television series versus movies or books or plays; it is constantly in flux. And... there's nothing fans can do about that. Absolutely nothing. Yet somehow, by virtue of this thing called the internet, we think we should have a say. We have become desktop quarterbacks.

Many fans have come to personalize the show. Nicknames like "my baby Wilson," "my Cammy," "my Cuddles," and so forth are common. Many posts to LJ comms and other message boards start with "I want" or "I don't want." And if a show runner or an actor hints that something one may want is possible for the future, and then doesn't follow through in canon, a fan may feel that he or she has been "lied to." Bitterness ensues.

ETA: And it's hard to have a discussion with the "I want" people. Because when you disagree with their views, it's taken personally when it's not meant to be. When someone disagrees with one's view of a ship or a character, it doesn't mean that he or she is being called less of a fan; it's just disagreeing. And so long as someone isn't personally attacking you (and so long as you're not personally attacking anyone else), it's. not. personal.

Shipping dominates this fandom. I'm just as guilty of it as anyone. Generally speaking, it's harmless. It's fun. It's even natural. But, we have factioned ourselves off into groups and generally refuse to interact. Then when we do interact, it's to put down the "competing" character for House's affections and ever so occasionally, those characters' fans. Well, I have news for everyone: HOUSE IS NEVER GOING TO HAVE A LONG-TERM ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP. With anyone. Not Cuddy. Not Wilson. Not Cameron. No one. It doesn't matter how good the fanfiction is written; good fanfiction does not necessarily translate to good "canon." That's not to say House can't have romantic encounters with these characters. He's human, his potential partners are human, and sex is a part of television -- it happens. It's a part of exploring fictional relationships, but sex does not necessarily equal a permanent relationship. It certainly doesn't on House.

What should we expect and demand from the show? Good entertainment. What shouldn't we expect and demand from the show? That entertainment to fit our individual views of what the show should be like. I, personally, wouldn't mind demanding that Hugh Laurie wear those sexy reading glasses all show, every show, and making out with Cuddy AND Wilson during DDX sessions. Luckily for everyone here, I'm not in a position to demand anything that I personally want from "The Powers That Be." And neither are you.

Internet fandom exists for squee and criticism. But too often these days, in every segment of this crazy place, constructive criticism seems to be replaced by borderline if not full on temper tantrums, and squeeing looks more like the bashing of characters, actors, show runners, and fans. No wonder people are leaving.

Comments

[travlncarrie.livejournal.com]

I couldn't even come close to saying it as well as you just did. Hear hear.

And to add a smidge: there are those who break off from the larger groups to form smaller, more focused groups, groups without the animosity, and then they are criticized for dividing the fandom. Let us be clear: it is those people who are so full of bitterness that are dividing the fandom, not those who are trying to escape the bitterness. Individual opinions are great. Derogatory criticism based on someone's opinion because they do not share the same view is pathetic.

[cryptictac.livejournal.com]

If House in season five was exactly the same as it was in season one, we probably wouldn't even HAVE a season five. Because, as epic and fantastic as season one was, if the writers suck rigidly to that exact S1 format, that would mean there'd be no growth on the show. And no growth means people would get bored with it very quickly.

Like people who bitch about the medicine and the POTWs: people SAY they watch it for the medicine - and yeah, that's true to a point. But the ONLY REASON PEOPLE WATCH IT FOR THE MEDICINE is because of the connection to the characters. That emotional connection. With the main characters, the arc characters, the POTWs, how House himself connects to the medicine as a person and emotionally... THAT'S THE ONLY REASON PEOPLE WATCH IT FOR THE MEDICINE, when it boils down to it.

And what people ALSO fail to keep in mind is that the longer this show goes on, the more in-depth into the characters it's going to go. And when you go in-depth, you go into their personal lives, into their relationships, their struggles, their faults and misgivings and the nasty sides to their character. THAT. IS. WHAT. HAPPENS. ON. TV. SHOWS. AND IN MOVES. AND IN BOOKS. IT'S CALLED CREATING EMPATHIC CHARACTERS. IT'S CALLED ENTERTAINMENT AND IT'S CALLED AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT.

In the REAL WORLD? House and Cuddy probably wouldn't touch each other with a ten-foot pole. In the REAL world, House would've been outta the job ages ago and Cuddy would be wearing much more acceptable corporate attire. In the REAL world, there would be a world for each of the people in that hospital OUTSIDE of the hospital.

But this show doesn't represent real life. It represents the world of House, and the world of House is narrowed right down to the hospital and those who work in it. That's the entire universe in House. Therefore, the way the characters connect is going to be so much more concentrated than in reality. They're all right in each other's orbit, so that's going to be the focus, RIGHT DOWN TO RELATIONSHIPS, because how the fuck would we connect as an audience to House getting a girlfriend from some random place if we didn't get to know her? TV just doesn't work like that.

(Edit: Not that I think House will ever be able to sustain a relationship nowadays, but my point being the somewhat-exploration of House having relationships in S5 with Cuddy - if he was exploring that with some character whom the audience hadn't gotten to know, then it wouldn't mean anything or have any impact on the audience. Therefore, in the word of TV, the characters that other characters usually end up orbiting around relationship-wise are those whom are a huge part of the universe the show is created around.)

And UGH. Ahahaha don't even get me started on shipping. You know, I don't even really call myself a shipper anymore. Because the term 'shipper' generally denotes to people being insane about "their" pairing. I put that in quotation marks because, hi, none of the 'pairings' are actually canon. Not House/Wilson, not House/Cuddy, not House/Cameron. Only Chase/Cameron and Foreman/Thirteen are canon (and House/Stacy). All the rest are FANON PAIRINGS. THEY'RE NOT CANON. So, I am not a shipper, I am an enthusiast. I am extremely enthusiastic about House/Cuddy and House/Wilson and every other FANON pairing out there. And if they go canon? Then yay! And if they don't, IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER.

SPEAKING OF FANON, I hate hate HATE the way so many shippers supplant canon with fanon. Those are the people that make fandom really unpleasant a lot of the time, because you cannot argue sense with a person who is convinced their fanon interpretation of canon is canon. They're the exact same people who bitch and whine about how the show SHOULD be and how they'll "cut a bitch" if David Shore doesn't deliver what THEY want (as you pointed out in your rant).

And the subject of sex: Ausiello and the media are largely to blame about all the sex hype. Because sex sells. And the new generation of fans that have swept into the fandom have latched onto that, and now everything is ONLY about sex. Way to cheapen and make shallow very complex characters and relationships.

I could rant forever about all of this, ahahahahahahaaaa.

[deelaundry.livejournal.com]

I agree with all you've said. I got a chuckle out of this: sex does not necessarily equal a permanent relationship.

Remember Season Two? During that season on the show, Sex = Death! LOLOL

Part 1

[shutterbug-12.livejournal.com]

Fandom has gotten out of control.

I feel like a huge snob when I say that I wish there could somehow be a qualifying questionnaire that let's people "in". For the sane and reasonable only, please. Crazy, insane, unreasonable shippers need not apply. Bashers need not apply. People who feel they're entitled to things on the show definitely need not apply.

The part of the audience is to view, observe, interpret, take in, complete the artistic "conversation" that goes on between creator and...receiver. We don't have a "say" and it's my opinion that an audience should never have a "say" in how a television show progresses, ever. (I've had conversations about this with others, and I've come across both agreement and disagreement, but I still hold to it.) I don't believe that writers or creators (of any art form or creative process, really) should consult (directly or indirectly) an audience or a part of an audience for direction. They collaborate with a certain set of people to create this work, and that set should never include the audience. I don't understand how fans in particular don't understand how this creative process works, or how they don't understand their part in it. The audience has every right to disagree, or analyze and uncover inconsistencies etc., and members of an audience can hope or want or wish (hopefully, based on what's previously been shown to them, not on ridiculous fantastical notions of fulfilling some kind of pairing kink or whatever) for things to happen, but they shouldn't believe they're entitled to it in some way. It's just absurd. It's that sense of entitlement that bothers the hell out of me.

[zeppomarx.livejournal.com]

Nicely done.

[lauriestein.livejournal.com]

This is the main thing that sucks about being a relative newbie in the fandom - I only started watching as s4 was ending.

I just wish that sometimes I could discuss episodes in a more general way. I love the focus on House/Cuddy, but although they are my main 'ship, that's never been all that the show is about for me. The major comms result in a bitchfest whenever you say anything more profound than OMG SQUEE and it's disheartening to see 4 pages of comments with people arguing about how they're disappointed by hypothetical sex before it even happens. Meanwhile, the show is being artful and the writing is deepening the complexity of these amazing and difficult relationships, chat about which seems to get lost in the ether.

I've even noticed a discriminatory vibe in the actor/actress fandoms, you have to be either a Hugh fan or a Lisa fan. God forbid you mention Lisa in a post about Hugh or vice versa. Now, I may be in love with Lisa but that doesn't mean I'm not totally bowled over by Hugh as an actor and personality. It's just creeping in everywhere and I'm tired of having to 'pick sides' just to have a conversation. What happened to a plurality of ideas?

Also, I am a snob and a bad person because when I read those 'entitlement' posts about how and when House & Cuddy MUST DO IT OR ELSE, it's always like, the lamest idea ever. Bwahaha.

[boffleb.livejournal.com]

Well said, [b]chippers[/b]. It is indeed frustrating to read posts where people simply repeat their opinions and insist people accept them. It's not debate, it's just assertion. It's also boring and dismissive of other opinions: I am skipping more and more posters where I used to read all. In David Shore's recent Film School interview he makes the cogent point that you should always write so as not to be dismissive of people who disagree with you "because they're not idiots." Respect others' points of view. Even, yes, the showrunners. They created this world for us, so give them some credit. Bitter, nasty snipes and lengthy bashing diatribes are both harmful to the fandom because, well, who wants to read them? They are turnoffs to even going to the boards. If your point is good, it should be possible to present it with courtesy. Of course we're preaching to the choir here. It's really just a few who manage to slip past the rules that are supposed to keep participation in the fandom a pleasurable and fun experience rather than a fight to virtual death. I love House. I enjoy all the journeys they take us on. Some more than others. And I enjoy sharing that with others who mostly enjoy it. If you hate it, for heaven's sake, move on!

[fated-addiction.livejournal.com]

It's like three am and I should be in bed, but I just wanted to stop by - cryptictac pointed me in this direction - this is just really wonderful to read.

So thank you for this.

[fer-ayma.livejournal.com]

Okay, first of all, I have no idea how I got here (& a warning: I'm not native speaker, so may be some of my comments below will have no sense at all)
Second of all, I agree with you, shipping has dominated the fandom. I don't know how some people just watch this amazing show just for their ship, as I love House/Cuddy & House/Wilson interactions, I do appreciate well-writing episodes like the last one with an huge amount of Cameron/Chase.
I cannot understand how people waste, I don't know, one and a half season complaining about the lack of Cameron or Chase, Amber's death, House/Cuddy relationship, 13, Foreman, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh God, they really hate almost everything about the show, why are they still watching it? I don't get it. Well, now I'm being intolerant, people can do whatever they want, but the whining is so much.
(BTW, I'm one of these people who thinks that no matter if the House/Cuddy sex is real: seeing a little bit of House's subconscious once in a while is great.)
As a side note: I love the flailing so badly, I can't help my self, the totally non-sense key smash is wonderful when you have a whole week talking about politics, Machiavelli & stuff.
That's all, & thanks for this.

[edames.livejournal.com]

Hello there! You don't know me, but somehow I've stumbled on this post and I recognize your name from HHOW. I'm registered in HHOW, but I rarely comment there (or on my own LJ account). I just wanted to say a big thank you for your post, especially for this:

Internet fandom exists for squee and criticism. But too often these days, in every segment of this crazy place, constructive criticism seems to be replaced by borderline if not full on temper tantrums, and squeeing looks more like the bashing of characters, actors, show runners, and fans. No wonder people are leaving.

I know that I'm days late from your original day of rant, but I've been trying to find someone, anyone who has been feeling the exact same way regarding this fandom. Lately, I've been feeling disheartened regarding the way people have been reacting to this show, either directly from the episodes or through the spoilers. In HHOW's episode posts, I made a point to read every post, but now it's difficult to do because it's not very enjoyable. I really, really appreciate reading your take on the show and I can name a small few like Boffle. But on the other side, I can also name posters who I HATE to read. I consider myself a House/Cuddy fan, but I'm foremost a fan of the show. The reason I watch this show is because of House and the way he interacts with EVERYONE. So it's really trying to read the negativity that keeps pouring out of the threads and it seems it's mostly based on ships. I think I can say the last few days on the spoiler thread was the same people saying the same thing. And why is there bitterness for things that haven't been shown yet or maybe won't be even shown? If you rile yourself up regarding a spoiler that one fears has to do with a hated ship, then you won't enjoy the show WHILE you are watching it. And it's usually the anti-shippers of any pair who have the sharper eye regarding a certain scene that had nothing to be shippy about in the first place. Please don't think me crazy or rude for butting in your post, but I just wanted to express my happiness that I've found someone who STILL likes this show and can still have a discussion. Thanks again!