2016′s off to a shaky start in terms of internet fanbases and shit. Some of it is carrying over from discourse and fandom bullshit in 2015.
Then again 2015′s whole flight, from liftoff to landing, was as comfortable as Apollo 13. And unlike moon landing flights, we don’t get to delay when 2016 starts to make sure things happen more smoothly.
However we’ve all ready have had at least two incidents - one involving another SU fan being bullied to nearly kill themselves over shipping Pearl/Dewey… and now a YouTuber has been accused by a dubious source of being a pedophile and child molester and everyone’s gobbling it up.
So we gotta start changing things now. Promoting these ideas for a better online experience for all.
Bring back squick(ed). For the love of god stop oversaturating the word ‘trigger’ more than it has been - the word you want is squick, not trigger. Squicked is when something makes you very uncomfortable, but doesn’t trigger an anxiety/PTSD attack.
Realize that content creators have a right to draw what they want. If something offends you, you don’t have to follow them. If they’re personally mean to you, you don’t have to follow them. You can walk away. That’s the beauty of the internet.
Critique content - people may think me telling you that you can leave means don’t express why. Bollocks. Critique all you want - it’s just…. how you word a critique matters. And critique isn’t bullying. I will explain bullying in a different post. Make your critique with the intent that perhaps the content creator can take something tangible from it and work with it - and change.
Realize you can enjoy stuff without critique.
Artists, writers, creators… and onlookers - realize we can’t change everything for one person, nor can we please everyone. We’re all human, and most of us are trying to improve. However, we can’t change overnight, and nor can we change for everyone’s views. Take a general consensus and try to work from that.
Realize anyone can like any series. I have friends not on the LGBT+ spectrums who like Steven Universe. I’m glad they like it. But it is not my place to gatekeep who can like and not like a show.
Realize people can disagree with your theory, headcanon, your shipping, etc.
Likewise, understand that just because you’re LGBT+, neuro-atypical, not-white or margianalized, doesn’t mean people have to agree with your theories, headcanons, OTPs or whatever.
Not everything is social-politically motivated in nature. I get that the Eds in Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy might face various abuses in their family (we see Ed at the mercy of his kid sister, Edd’s parents make him do meanial chores, and Eddy outright is fearful of his brother) - I can see that. However to say the series is entirely centred on the woes of child abuse - I don’t quite think that’s what they’re going for.
Not everything has to have some grimdark skew to it. Like I love a good Rainbow Factory style grimdark AU too, but that’s not the show - and that’s for the best. These two things are good to theorize about, or make alternative universes/takes on - but not everyone has to agree with it or cater to it.
and here’s some not so positive (in the sense of uplifting) stuff we need to start doing as a whole that isn’t so pleasant. But I feel enough’s enough.
Stop bullying people to the point of suicide. I don’t care if you think they abused your father’s sister’s cousin’s former female roomate. Don’t fucking do it.
When witnessing bullying online we need to come together and document this stuff and report it to the authorities. We need to find out the proper way to do this. Not turn it into a witch hunt like these people do, but eventually someone is going to get killed by the means of bullying to suicide. We need to send a clear message that no matter what you’re accusing the accused of doing, this is wrong.
Once reported to the authorities, we need to let them do their work. Don’t leak this information to the public. Don’t stoop to the levels these bullies do. Don’t dox them, don’t antagonize them further.
That said, as awful as some of these bullies are, not all of them are directly responsible for such heinous acts. Some are just really vicious assholes. However, speak out against their backwards bullshit. People are listening - and we want to know we’re not alone.
Just because you claim you’re doing social justice work doesn’t mean you’re doing good work. Just because you’re gay/trans/black/etc… doesn’t mean get to bully anyone else. In fact, let’s stop focusing solely on labels. Let’s look at the meat itself - the people behind the labels. Most people have a beef with you probably not because you’re [x/y/z] but because you’re a self-centered asshole who harasses people. Just a thought.
We need to start cutting off truly toxic individuals from ourselves. One of the common things I see with my friends is they don’t want to be that person who cuts people out of their lives. However this is something the bullies I mentioned won’t. They won’t walk away from a toxic situation. Tell the person why you’re leaving in a civil, but not sugarcoated way, and hope they learn. Beyond that, it’s not your responsibility.
Finally… can we start just not making fandoms and online communities so hostile people are afraid of making the one mistake that is their undoing? And listen to word of god on such matters? Crewniverse and Toby Fox both spoke out about us not making the fandom garbage… can we try to do that?
