Why *is* it that Life on Mars fandom produces about ten times the crack as, say, Farscape and Highlander fandom combined? (And so much less angst than you'd think, considering the hyper-angsty premise?)
When you talk about trends. It might be phrasing, but it often does come across as, "oh, those crazy LoM fen, look at them now." A type of anthropological study. In some ways, it does seem like you're divorcing yourself from the fandom and looking from the outside in, which I don't think is right. You're one of us.
How? (Possibly I'm being horribly dense here...)
Well, you often say you're highly uncomfortable about the fact many LoMfans wax lyrical about the ending, but, let's face it, many more hardcore fans have a level of criticism about it --- and like I said way back when, the people who love it often love their own interpretation that doesn't fit with Matt's, or yours, or mine. (That green versus blue sky thing... the people who see it one way really are wearing tinted glasses, and I do not blame them one bit.)
I can't say anything about Prozzie!Sam, but I can safely say that SerialKiller!Sam was all about taking three specific elements of Sam's character, focussing on them, and rearranging them (his madness, his attention to detail, his dedication.)
I'm not saying that this is Sam, I'm saying, "what if?" So it's a different headspace, definitely. And,... uh, crack is all about the "what if?" of fiction. "What if Sam imagined him and Gene as Camberwick Green puppets?", "What if Sam was plagued by the Test Card Girl?."
It doesn't have to interest you, I don't mind that at all. However, I do think you notice the crack more because it's not your style --- kind of like I notice the lovey dovey fluff (when I'm not writing it), because it's (usually) not mine.
>When you talk about trends. It might be phrasing, but it often does come across as, "oh, those crazy LoM fen, look at them now." A type of anthropological study. In some ways, it does seem like you're divorcing yourself from the fandom and looking from the outside in, which I don't think is right. You're one of us.
Well, I *am* an anthropologist, too. So, there. *g*
(No, seriously. Okay, I stopped studying it after a while, but even so, I'm still doing a lot of cultural studies stuff in American studies - essentially modern anthropology - and I'm an archaeologist, which is the anthropology of the past, sort of. So, yeah, I do have some of that mindset, naturally. Mind you, I always had. Comes with being an outsider while growing up. You never really lose the outside perspective thing.)
But also:
Of course I'm a fan (and a LoM fan, too). I'm also... female, German, a European, a goldsmith, an archaeologist, a human being, a thirtysomething... Does that mean it's impossible/wrong for me to make general statements about thirtysomethings, humans, archaeologists, goldsmiths, Europeans, Germans, or women? Is it impossible to observe something about a group you're a part of?
>Well, you often say you're highly uncomfortable about the fact many LoMfans wax lyrical about the ending, but, let's face it, many more hardcore fans have a level of criticism about it
Do you remember the immediate reactions, back in April/May? That was some truly widespread blissful squeeing I observed there. Now, maybe all or most or at least many of the people who were so happy back then have backtracked a bit now... maybe. Or maybe critical viewpoints have become more visible now because we, the critics, are the only people who just won't shut up about it. From what I see in discussions, the latter seems the most likely option to me.
But if you can point me to some people whose squee is mixed with criticism, please do so - I'd love to be proved wrong on this, as, yes, it still does make me uncomfortable.
As for interpretations... I've read a lot of interpretations of 2.08 by people who like it and who see something quite different in it from what was there/what we saw/what MG says etc. Very few of them I found undisturbing. I *know* that most of the people who cheer do not see it as a suicide (etc.) - but that is exactly what I find so disturbing. Or, well, it's one part of what I find disturbing - it's a humungous, complex mass of disturbingness, which can't be reduced to just one factor.
>I do think you notice the crack more because it's not your style
Hm. But by that rule I would have to notice it in other fandoms, too.
(And, just to emphasise that once more: I do not *mind* that there is loads of crack in LoM fandom. In fact, I kind of like that; it's an outgrowth of the kind of AU 'headspace' (as you so nicely put it) that I *adore* about fandom and that I think fandom is all about. And some of it even works for me. I was merely making an observation about relative amounts, not a value judgment.)
I thought you were. You read like an anthropologist. :D
And of course I remember the immediate reactions, I was one of those disturbingly happy people! Not for very long. 5 hours? 6? Even then I thought it was flawed.
But if you can point me to some people whose squee is mixed with criticism, please do so - I'd love to be proved wrong on this, as, yes, it still does make me uncomfortable.
That's me, isn't it?
As to your parenthetical thought; it sort of did read as a value judgement, which is why I was a bit taken aback. And I am not a great perpetrator of crack by any means, but I do get defensive on behalf of others. ;)
Having said that, I still don't think there's a disproportionate amount of crack, but then, my first major LJ fandom was due South fandom, where... if you thought LoM fan fic was cracky, give dS a whirl. (Once again, the show was quite cracktastic itself.)
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Re: I wasn't actually generalising.
When you talk about trends. It might be phrasing, but it often does come across as, "oh, those crazy LoM fen, look at them now." A type of anthropological study. In some ways, it does seem like you're divorcing yourself from the fandom and looking from the outside in, which I don't think is right. You're one of us.
How? (Possibly I'm being horribly dense here...)
Well, you often say you're highly uncomfortable about the fact many LoMfans wax lyrical about the ending, but, let's face it, many more hardcore fans have a level of criticism about it --- and like I said way back when, the people who love it often love their own interpretation that doesn't fit with Matt's, or yours, or mine. (That green versus blue sky thing... the people who see it one way really are wearing tinted glasses, and I do not blame them one bit.)
I can't say anything about Prozzie!Sam, but I can safely say that SerialKiller!Sam was all about taking three specific elements of Sam's character, focussing on them, and rearranging them (his madness, his attention to detail, his dedication.)
I'm not saying that this is Sam, I'm saying, "what if?" So it's a different headspace, definitely. And,... uh, crack is all about the "what if?" of fiction. "What if Sam imagined him and Gene as Camberwick Green puppets?", "What if Sam was plagued by the Test Card Girl?."
It doesn't have to interest you, I don't mind that at all. However, I do think you notice the crack more because it's not your style --- kind of like I notice the lovey dovey fluff (when I'm not writing it), because it's (usually) not mine.
Re: I wasn't actually generalising.
Well, I *am* an anthropologist, too. So, there. *g*
(No, seriously. Okay, I stopped studying it after a while, but even so, I'm still doing a lot of cultural studies stuff in American studies - essentially modern anthropology - and I'm an archaeologist, which is the anthropology of the past, sort of. So, yeah, I do have some of that mindset, naturally. Mind you, I always had. Comes with being an outsider while growing up. You never really lose the outside perspective thing.)
But also:
Of course I'm a fan (and a LoM fan, too). I'm also... female, German, a European, a goldsmith, an archaeologist, a human being, a thirtysomething... Does that mean it's impossible/wrong for me to make general statements about thirtysomethings, humans, archaeologists, goldsmiths, Europeans, Germans, or women? Is it impossible to observe something about a group you're a part of?
>Well, you often say you're highly uncomfortable about the fact many LoMfans wax lyrical about the ending, but, let's face it, many more hardcore fans have a level of criticism about it
Do you remember the immediate reactions, back in April/May? That was some truly widespread blissful squeeing I observed there. Now, maybe all or most or at least many of the people who were so happy back then have backtracked a bit now... maybe. Or maybe critical viewpoints have become more visible now because we, the critics, are the only people who just won't shut up about it. From what I see in discussions, the latter seems the most likely option to me.
But if you can point me to some people whose squee is mixed with criticism, please do so - I'd love to be proved wrong on this, as, yes, it still does make me uncomfortable.
As for interpretations... I've read a lot of interpretations of 2.08 by people who like it and who see something quite different in it from what was there/what we saw/what MG says etc. Very few of them I found undisturbing. I *know* that most of the people who cheer do not see it as a suicide (etc.) - but that is exactly what I find so disturbing. Or, well, it's one part of what I find disturbing - it's a humungous, complex mass of disturbingness, which can't be reduced to just one factor.
>I do think you notice the crack more because it's not your style
Hm. But by that rule I would have to notice it in other fandoms, too.
(And, just to emphasise that once more: I do not *mind* that there is loads of crack in LoM fandom. In fact, I kind of like that; it's an outgrowth of the kind of AU 'headspace' (as you so nicely put it) that I *adore* about fandom and that I think fandom is all about. And some of it even works for me. I was merely making an observation about relative amounts, not a value judgment.)
I feel like everything is clearer now...
And of course I remember the immediate reactions, I was one of those disturbingly happy people! Not for very long. 5 hours? 6? Even then I thought it was flawed.
But if you can point me to some people whose squee is mixed with criticism, please do so - I'd love to be proved wrong on this, as, yes, it still does make me uncomfortable.
That's me, isn't it?
As to your parenthetical thought; it sort of did read as a value judgement, which is why I was a bit taken aback. And I am not a great perpetrator of crack by any means, but I do get defensive on behalf of others. ;)
Having said that, I still don't think there's a disproportionate amount of crack, but then, my first major LJ fandom was due South fandom, where... if you thought LoM fan fic was cracky, give dS a whirl. (Once again, the show was quite cracktastic itself.)
Not intended to sound confrontational, btw.
Re: I wasn't actually generalising.
*G* I studied anthropology as an undergraduate.
Do you think "Jumping Off" might be a haven for those who studied in the more analytical disciplines?