I want to thank the Fandom...

[donnaimmaculata]

I am not a particularly busy member of the fandom - what with work, university and getting-drunk-and-discussing-porn-with-young-men occupying a lot of my RL time - as I can't be bothered to make fandom one of many chores, which I have to regularly attend to. As much as I enjoy the interaction online, I want to have the freedom of disappearing from time to time without worrying about community maintenance or fest deadlines. But there is one thing about the fandom, which attracts me immensely (and hasn't got anything to do with hot steamy boysex) and makes me come back over and over again: Reading fanfiction, writing fanfiction and - especially - discussing canon with all you lovely people is a therapy method which has cured me from a severe trauma inflicted on me during my school years.

In secondary school, I suffered under the ignorance and narrow-mindedness of a couple of teachers (well, two: German literature and English literature), who at that point had taught for many years, making generations of pupils read the same books, which they (the teachers) knew by heart, and never, ever allowing us to draw our own conclusions and interpret the books in a manner that differed from theirs. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about.

I can't emphasise enough how much I hated that approach to teaching. I hated the condescending way those teachers dismissed my ideas as invalid, simply because they differed from their own. Good arguments were shrugged off, because they introduced a new aspect of reading a novel. My English teacher in particular was the most narrow-minded idiot I've ever come across, and I don't think I've ever hated (and I use this word very consciously) a person as much as I hated him. He managed to make me dislike novels such as Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies and Brave New World, simply because I'll always associate them with him.

So - after this therapeutic flashback - I just want to stress how much I love the fact that the fandom is full of intelligent, well-read people with academic and literary background, who read the same books as I do and who read them in a completely different manner. This is a main reason why I love reading character and canon discussion, and why I never feel insulted when other fans dislike my aproach to characters and never try to convince anyone that their interpretation is wrong. (Of course, I know that my interpretation is the only valid one, but that's beside the point.) On the contrary, it is most interesting to read other people's opinions on plot points and characters, especially when they are well thought through and well argued.

This applies not only to my main characters of interest (Remus is Teh Kewlest!!), or the fandom's main characters of interest (The Malfoys are Teh Hawt!). Some months ago, there was a plethora of Hagrid-related essays, which I found exceedingly interesting, because they opened my eyes for a totally different approach to him, which I would never have considered myself. I like Hagrid, and I will always like Hagrid, no matter how well argued an anti-Hagrid essay might be, because no essay makes me change my feelings for a character. It might affect my opinion on what makes the character tick or what made Rowling to write a character the way she did. However, for me liking and disliking characters has nothing to do with logical approach to them but with the initial gut feeling. Logical analysis is only an attempt of an explaination of that gut feeling, and it is always a great pleasure to read other people's analyses, be it in the form of essays or fics.

*offers virtual drinks all around*

Comments

[megstuff.livejournal.com]

Well, I can hardly blame you for choosing to spend your time getting-drunk-and-discussing-porn-with-young-men, but I must say it's awfully nice to see you pop up on the flist again. As for intelligent discussion, you're one of the best. And I'm not just saying that coz you offered drinks. ;)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Why, thanks a lot :-) It's nice to see you, too. I'm doing my best to make my discussions appear intelligent - and it's great to meet so many fabulous people to discuss things with. And hey, I don't mind if you're only here for the drinks ;-)

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

*takes a drink and joins in the fandom toast*

Wow, those are evil teachers. Thankfully I was blessed with English teachers who were quite happy to let us all ramble on and make pillocks of ourselves occasionally, just to let us think for ourselves.

*fills donna's glass*

Now, give me gossip ;-)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Cheers!

I had some really good teachers, too, but that English literature guy still makes me froth at the mouth when I think of him...

*fills Llama's glass in turn*

Alas, no gossip here! Unless you count that one night two weeks ago, when I brought back two (young, drunken) men back home after the party - and then we all fell asleep straightaway. But it was fun fantasising about the what-ifs *g*

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Hee. I've definitely missed out on some fun that way too ;-)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Heh, we do understand each other, don't we? *g*

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Just perfectly, babe. Just perfectly *g* I'd say we were sisters, but there's enough incestuous vibes in this fandom already - although if we find another we'd make a great set of the Black sisters, oh lordy.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Ah, we can always be kissing cousins. Unless that's not kinky enough for you - in which case the Black sisters is just fine with me. I can't be Andromeda, though. I've never got the hang of those householdy spells things, either.

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Kink is always good. Nah, I reckon I'm a dead cert for Andromeda, much as I'd love to be Bellatrix! I've never managed to pull off an icy veneer either, I'm too prone to fits of the giggles, so Narcissa is out.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I guess I get stuck with Narcissa, then. I'm not nearly temperamental and fiery enough for Bellatrix, and I can look coldly disapproving like anything. But being Draco's mum? Oh dear. Hm, sex with Lucius, though, mmh... Even though in fandom he seems to shag about everybody else than his wife.

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Nah, we are AU sisters, and Draco doesn't exist. *poof* See, he's gone?

And if you don't want ole Lucy, send him this way ;-)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

But don't tell the fandom Draco's gone. There will be an outcry of rage.

I'm sure ole Lucy plus Cane will find the time to fit us all into his tight schedule. He comes around, that one. And you're more than welcome to share *eg*

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but I will just laugh :-) And hope that some Draco-love doesn't sneak up on me like the Ron-thing did. It's the hair. Love the boy's new hair. I liked camp and bitchy Draco in POA (the film), but he's so not canon. It's a shame.

And ooh, good plan. Bella can take her time turning up then. More for us. Mmm.

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

I am quite fond of long(ish) hair myself. Good thing that it's become popular with boys these days. On second thought - not such a good thing, maybe, as I really don't want to be attracted to my baby brother's long-haired friends.

More for us. Mmm.

You're giving me ideas here... *takes a drink of cold water*

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Mmm. I've always been a fan of dark hair way over red, though, and my long hair fetish is a source of amusement to many :-)

What else did I mean to bug you about... Accio UK. http://www.accio.org.uk/ Tell me you're going to come over? Or think about it? The slashers party planning is already underway *g*

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

I love red hair, but it's got to be the right shade. Beautiful red beats beautiful black anytime, but there is more beautiful black around. (If only because of the predominance of black in general.) And long, definitely, definitely long *sighs happily*

I didn't know about Accio UK, but I'll definitely think about it! Hm, early bird discount...

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

I didn't know about Accio UK, but I'll definitely think about it! Hm, early bird discount...

Whee, do! And yes, even if you pay using installments, you only have to pay the first one by the end of the month to get the discount :-)

[ptyx.livejournal.com]

*takes a virtual drink and toasts*

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Cheers! To the greatness that is this fandom! *knocks down vodka shot*

[froda-baggins.livejournal.com]

Wow, you poor thing. I had a couple teachers like that though not quite so bad. Plus I had enough really good teachers to counteract any bad influence the bad ones might've had.

But I agree, one of the many myriad reasons I love fandom so much is the possibility of intelligent discussion of differing views without having to get defensive of those views, you know? I mean, it's one thing to back up a view with text, which is fine, but it's something completely different to have your view shot down as invalid simply because it's different from someone else's. The latter is something I very seldom come across in fandom, and it's made me a better writer and a more analytical, open-minded thinker on the whole.

*toasts with you*

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Ah, my school days weren't all bad. I had some really good teachers, too, but the English literature guy was beyond horrible.

The latter is something I very seldom come across in fandom, and it's made me a better writer and a more analytical, open-minded thinker on the whole.

Yes, that's exactly the point. Having my opinion contradicted by someone who gives proper, well thought-out arguments helps me rethink my interpretation, which is a Very Good Thing. I have discovered my love for Snape and Sirius this way: before I came across fanfiction, I didn't care much about either of them (in the terms of love) (which might well be because my obsession with Remus overshadowed everything else...), but fandom made me adore them both.

*toasts back*