Before you jump down my throat about the subtitle, this post is about fads and their adherents and detractors. We'll get to the subtitle later.
Fads are notable for the number of adherents (fans) and the enthusiasm of said adherents (fanaticism). Fads are also notable for being temporary. Something that anti-fadists would do well to remember.
When some mania sweeps across our culture, two things happen: a bunch of people jump on the fad bandwagon and a bunch of people jump on the fad-hating bandwagon. The second bandwagon is generally filled with people who believe their taste is superior to those who buy into the fad.
REASON #1 why anti-fadists irk me: Let's face it, most of us (in certain age brackets) would have never heard of Rebecca Black if it hadn't been for the people complaining about her. As the saying goes, all press is good press. If the detractors would ignore what they didn't like, there is at the very least a certain portion of the internet that would never hear about a given fad. This is the practical reason. It goes hand-in-hand with the concept that you have to buy books in order to burn them.
REASON #1.5: Fads are short-lived and you are wasting a lot of energy complaining about very unimportant things.
REASON #2: There are plenty of things I'm not into. Whole lists of things. Popular things, cult-following things, little known things that I've heard about but don't have the inclination to follow... I hesitate to mention them although this post describes such an aversion and the reasons for it. (Incidentally, I have started watching Castle, but my original argument still stands.)
All that to say, I have discriminating tastes. When it comes to cartoons, I'm positively picky. But if you were to ask me what draws me to a particular cartoon but not another (aside from childhood nostalgia) I couldn't really say. That is, there are definitely some things I like more than others; it isn't simply fickleness. However, I have a hard time entering into any kind of discourse with my cartoon-maven friends, because they immediately get defensive that I prefer Cartoon:TOS to Cartoon:TNG (this is a metaphor, I am unaware of Trek cartoons). And with the conversation effectively shut down, I never get to explore why certain things appeal to me when others don't with those who are immersed in the culture and more familiar with the language. This tactic applies to both fadists and anti-fadists; both are guilty. Just like IRL (see also: religion, politics), open discourse is how we learn about the other side in order to find common ground. Common ground allows us to learn about 'the enemy' and lead them gradually towards Doctor Who and away from Jersey Shore.
REASON #2.5: If you know why [Bad fad] appeals to [sheeple], you have the ammunition to redirect their energy towards [less obnoxious fandom]. Basically, send the Twilight fans over to the Buffyverse (assuming we're not dealing with the older fans who migrated the opposite direction) and get them hooked on Whedon. Get the Castle fans to watch Firefly, or Waitress, or Dr. Horrible.... This isn't about which fandoms are better but about expanding horizons and breaking out of a monomania.
REASON #3: Meanness isn't helping your image. 'They' may have questionable taste in media/fashion/activities, but you are a bully for declaring that the only cool way is your way. Good taste is not cultivated by bullying, so the only thing you are accomplishing is making others feel bad in an attempt to make yourself feel superior.
There are people we respect, people who deserve respect, people we look up to, and people we don't. Treating people respectfully does not mean you agree with them. It means you are being a decent human being. Regardless of whether someone is Team Edward or Team Goodtaste.
Fads are notable for the number of adherents (fans) and the enthusiasm of said adherents (fanaticism). Fads are also notable for being temporary. Something that anti-fadists would do well to remember.
When some mania sweeps across our culture, two things happen: a bunch of people jump on the fad bandwagon and a bunch of people jump on the fad-hating bandwagon. The second bandwagon is generally filled with people who believe their taste is superior to those who buy into the fad.
REASON #1 why anti-fadists irk me: Let's face it, most of us (in certain age brackets) would have never heard of Rebecca Black if it hadn't been for the people complaining about her. As the saying goes, all press is good press. If the detractors would ignore what they didn't like, there is at the very least a certain portion of the internet that would never hear about a given fad. This is the practical reason. It goes hand-in-hand with the concept that you have to buy books in order to burn them.
REASON #1.5: Fads are short-lived and you are wasting a lot of energy complaining about very unimportant things.
REASON #2: There are plenty of things I'm not into. Whole lists of things. Popular things, cult-following things, little known things that I've heard about but don't have the inclination to follow... I hesitate to mention them although this post describes such an aversion and the reasons for it. (Incidentally, I have started watching Castle, but my original argument still stands.)
All that to say, I have discriminating tastes. When it comes to cartoons, I'm positively picky. But if you were to ask me what draws me to a particular cartoon but not another (aside from childhood nostalgia) I couldn't really say. That is, there are definitely some things I like more than others; it isn't simply fickleness. However, I have a hard time entering into any kind of discourse with my cartoon-maven friends, because they immediately get defensive that I prefer Cartoon:TOS to Cartoon:TNG (this is a metaphor, I am unaware of Trek cartoons). And with the conversation effectively shut down, I never get to explore why certain things appeal to me when others don't with those who are immersed in the culture and more familiar with the language. This tactic applies to both fadists and anti-fadists; both are guilty. Just like IRL (see also: religion, politics), open discourse is how we learn about the other side in order to find common ground. Common ground allows us to learn about 'the enemy' and lead them gradually towards Doctor Who and away from Jersey Shore.
REASON #2.5: If you know why [Bad fad] appeals to [sheeple], you have the ammunition to redirect their energy towards [less obnoxious fandom]. Basically, send the Twilight fans over to the Buffyverse (assuming we're not dealing with the older fans who migrated the opposite direction) and get them hooked on Whedon. Get the Castle fans to watch Firefly, or Waitress, or Dr. Horrible.... This isn't about which fandoms are better but about expanding horizons and breaking out of a monomania.
REASON #3: Meanness isn't helping your image. 'They' may have questionable taste in media/fashion/activities, but you are a bully for declaring that the only cool way is your way. Good taste is not cultivated by bullying, so the only thing you are accomplishing is making others feel bad in an attempt to make yourself feel superior.
There are people we respect, people who deserve respect, people we look up to, and people we don't. Treating people respectfully does not mean you agree with them. It means you are being a decent human being. Regardless of whether someone is Team Edward or Team Goodtaste.
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