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Why do people care about other fans so much?

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Spring-Loaded

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If you're the type of person who complains about fandoms regularly, why do you do it? Is it enjoyable enough to be worth looking... unsavory?

Whether it's about all fans of [insert recreational media property], just fans of the books, just fans of the show, or some other subset of the fandom, complaining about fans rather than the thing they like has never made much sense to me. I get that people have varying tastes in media, so there's (seemingly) no point in being emotionally invested in what other people like. I can wrap my head around why people would enjoy engaing in something they like, even complaining about something they don't like since there can be constructive discussion about how it could be improved, but... complaining about others because of something they like just seems pointless.

This topic could be about more than just entertainment, but at least subjects like transportation or medicine are much more important than movies, comic books, fashion, Etc. I could better understand how someone could resent lobbyists who rally for gun laws they disagree with. On the flipside, complaining about Star Wars fans rather than Star Wars itself just seems really pointless — even when considering Star Wars itself to be pointless in the grand scheme of things.

This thread could go on gaming side too, but let's put it here
 
Human psychology. It's not enough for me to win, all others must lose.

It's not enough for me to LIKE THING, all others must be wrong in how they LIKE THING so that I know I am doing it right.
 
terrisus said:
Have you seen what Sonic fandom has done?
Click to expand...

What some sonic fans have actually done is reprehensible and I would understand complaints about that content itself.

but even then... why focus on the fans then? Why not try to learn what it is about Sonic that elicits such a response from people?

jiji said:
Because they can be pretty annoying, depending on the fandom.



I know, fans have way too much of it.
Click to expand...

But what is it about you that makes you want to complain? If they're annoying, why not just ignore them?
 
Spring-Loaded said:
What some sonic fans have actually done is reprehensible and I would understand complaints about that content itself.

but even then... why focus on the fans then? Why not try to learn what it is about Sonic that elicits such a response from people?
Click to expand...

ohsDB8M.png
 
Fandoms can be downright awful in every way. At times their presence is so strong you can't just ignore them. At times it seems like they're actions taint shows or movies or whatever they're associated with. This can sour people on said product or movie/show/game.

So yes, I do hate a lot of fandoms and things, not as much as I used to. I'll never understand 75 percent of gaming side for example.
 
lots of people seem to like to define themselves as people by their media choices/tastes/fandoms, so other people liking it wrong feels like a personal attack.
 
What annoys me about ‘fandoms’ over just fans of something is that they feel the need to constantly one up each other to prove they are the biggest fan; but they keep this veneer of being all inclusive and bonding over shared interests.

And before people bring up the ‘opinions, how do they work? Hur dur’ argument, it’s not the fact that it exists that annoys people, it’s that you can’t avoid it if you spend time on the internet. It’s fine to be a fan of Doctor Who but stop sharing dozens of pictures and shitty memes to people who don’t care. There are whole communities who will appreciate it and 90% of your Facebook friends list doesn’t give a shit.

I loathe programs like Jersey/Geordie shore, The Valleys, Made in Chelsea and The Only Way Is Essex (basically, any program that celebrates stupidity) so I don’t watch them. But I still have to see adverts for them during other shows, or see these cretins elsewhere in media. It's the same with fandoms.

Being a fan of something is like having a penis. It’s fine to have one, and if you do, go nuts and enjoy it. But don’t try to ram it down my throat or I might bite back.
 
A lot of fanbases have antagonism written into the very crux of their culture, so it's easy to be annoyed by fans who have lost all tact because of they are too deep below the strata of sensible fanhood.
 
We exist to desperately assert our superiority over all those around us in any way possible. People can get venomous, even over something as trivial as taste in music.
 
Because some times the fans are the problem and there's nothing wrong with the product.

I don't hate Sonic The Hedgehog, but the fans that draw creepy pregnant pictures of Sonic with Goku's arm around him are fucking weirdos. People can use things that I like or have no opinion of in ways that annoy me.
 
Because you see it. Because it's in your field of vision.

If something disgusting is right there, right there for you to see, how can you not have an opinion on it?
 
I'm sorta a fandom anthropologist.

I enjoy fandoms because they fascinate me. Sure fandoms can get up to some crazy shit, but they as a whole I believe do more good than harm.
 
3 reasons I can think of generally:
  1. Fandoms that view themselves as "competing", where fanboys for one hate fanboys of another for reasons of believing if there weren't fans/resources going into the other fandom, said fans/resources would go to funding/supporting their choice. Ex: Marvel vs DC, Star Wars vs Star Trek, Console fanboys, to a lesser degree sports teams (more so when there are multiple teams for a generally perceived single area)
  2. Fandoms that someone is actually technically a member of, but they're embarrassed by the actions/stigma that being a fan brings due to a majority or at least a very vocal part of the fandom. Tons of examples of this: Anime in general, Sonic, Invader Zim, Video Games in general, etc...
  3. Fandoms that someone is not part of but the WTF-ery of some/most vocal fans spills well outside of the fandom and into the rest of the world/internet. Bronies are a prime example of this, as can be again anime and more recently it seems video games
 
Fandoms are a safe, easy "Other" by which you can compare/contrast yourself favorably, shortcutting your way to a public image as a relatively sane, well-reasoned, intelligent individual, and not one of those irrational groupthinkers prone to questionable decisionmaking.
 
1. Tribalism.

2. Because plenty of people cannot handle the idea that others disagree with them. They have to be right, even when there's no "right" answer and it's all subjective.

3. The actions of some fandoms can also give others a bad name. The negative influence an outside fandom can have on an individual, real or perceived, can lead to hostility.
 
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