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cimoreneI knew a feral fan who grew up fanatic about Star Wars and had absorbed the idea from pop culture that Star Wars and Star Trek were diametrically opposed factions locked in bitter ideological feud (not knowing anything about Star Trek). She wasn't even aware of fandom; her fannish model was just consuming canon repeatedly and discussing it opportunistically, not seeking out other fans or anything.
So as a result of this, she got very upset when I talked about being a lifelong fan of Star Trek, and then failed to absorb my statements that I liked Star Wars and had dabbled in Star Wars fandom, instead assuming that as a member of Team Star Trek I was her Enemy (at least on this subject). So for some time, any time I attempted to say anything about Star Wars in her presence, she would freak out and be like "Shh! Silence, foul deceiver! I don't want to hear your enemy propaganda!"
The first few times I sort of assumed she was joking; a bit later I tended to eyeroll and change the subject or move on (easy to do in a working environment); eventually I realized the mistaken belief and managed to interrogate it out of her (although she didn't seem to know why she thought that when I asked. Could it be Big Bang Theory? She said she hated it, but she betrayed more familiarity with it than can be healthy). I blew her mind once by explaining my history with Star Wars fannishness and then blew it again by explaining that this is far from unusual and that I'd never encountered the serious blood feud mentality she believed in during my childhood at science fiction conventions or in media fandom.
(Of course, I know the idea of this feud is out there, but I've only encountered it in a joking tone, and I've known many fans of both and can't recall a single example in my personal experience of someone avowing dislike of the other. I don't doubt that people with this view exist, probably wherever the racist and misogynist harrassers came from after The Last Jedi. Maybe you could track them down at Star Trek-only conventions, which I've never been to. But regardless, they are definitely not a significant, let alone dominant, demographic in general fannish or 'geek culture' space.)
I'm going somewhere with this.
Wouldn't it be great to have a newly-turned vampire or werewolf with this idea who discovers their friend is the other sort of Creature of the Night and has the same reaction with the misconception being drawn out for humor before they eventually find out that vampires and werewolves mostly coexist peacefully in these parts, with the exception of a lot of jokes at the others' expense, and that, like, vampire-werewolf nightclubs and biker gangs are de rigeur? I'm picturing somebody saying, "Some of my best friends are werewolves!"
So as a result of this, she got very upset when I talked about being a lifelong fan of Star Trek, and then failed to absorb my statements that I liked Star Wars and had dabbled in Star Wars fandom, instead assuming that as a member of Team Star Trek I was her Enemy (at least on this subject). So for some time, any time I attempted to say anything about Star Wars in her presence, she would freak out and be like "Shh! Silence, foul deceiver! I don't want to hear your enemy propaganda!"
The first few times I sort of assumed she was joking; a bit later I tended to eyeroll and change the subject or move on (easy to do in a working environment); eventually I realized the mistaken belief and managed to interrogate it out of her (although she didn't seem to know why she thought that when I asked. Could it be Big Bang Theory? She said she hated it, but she betrayed more familiarity with it than can be healthy). I blew her mind once by explaining my history with Star Wars fannishness and then blew it again by explaining that this is far from unusual and that I'd never encountered the serious blood feud mentality she believed in during my childhood at science fiction conventions or in media fandom.
(Of course, I know the idea of this feud is out there, but I've only encountered it in a joking tone, and I've known many fans of both and can't recall a single example in my personal experience of someone avowing dislike of the other. I don't doubt that people with this view exist, probably wherever the racist and misogynist harrassers came from after The Last Jedi. Maybe you could track them down at Star Trek-only conventions, which I've never been to. But regardless, they are definitely not a significant, let alone dominant, demographic in general fannish or 'geek culture' space.)
I'm going somewhere with this.
Wouldn't it be great to have a newly-turned vampire or werewolf with this idea who discovers their friend is the other sort of Creature of the Night and has the same reaction with the misconception being drawn out for humor before they eventually find out that vampires and werewolves mostly coexist peacefully in these parts, with the exception of a lot of jokes at the others' expense, and that, like, vampire-werewolf nightclubs and biker gangs are de rigeur? I'm picturing somebody saying, "Some of my best friends are werewolves!"
(no subject)
Date: 14 May 2019 10:14 am (UTC)