#ob positivity

[trylonandperisphere]

 So, recently it has come to my attention over here in my rocking chair that there has been a bit of a fracas - a kerfuffle, if you will - in an area of the Orphan Black fandom.   It brought to mind when I first learned what a “ship war” was a couple years ago, and I stumbled across the post I’m attaching below this one, which I wrote around that time.

Then, as now, people were arguing in Clone Club, which is people’s right to do, but it still strikes me how unfortunate it is when things devolve into nastiness and it affects folk’s enjoyment of a show or fandom.  These things happen, whether it’s because people disagree on which ship should be canon,or the elements of character writing or interpretation, or feelings about story lines, &c.  Sometimes it even bleeds over into what people think about certain actors, showruners or crew.  But, and I think this is important to note, sometimes it happens because of misunderstandings, particularly online, which we all know is a place where things we maybe wouldn’t say in person are easier to put out as semi-anonymous text, and the lack of signals such as body language and intonation can make messages easy to misinterpret.  I know I’ve been on both ends of a misunderstanding, and sometimes gotten maybe a little too salty (or spicy) because of it.  Maybe I made people my “enemies” who weren’t really being adversarial, or I let someone who was actually trolling get under my skin and responded with invective which didn’t make me feel any better, anyway, all things told.

So, I’d like to ask the folks keyboard-scuffling in Clone Club to take a breath and consider if maybe they misjudged or got carried away, and whether it’s worth annoying or distressing other people in the fandom, or even themselves, for that matter.  Nobody has to agree with me (or anyone else, for that matter,) and if you are getting some satisfaction out of it, that’s your call.  Certainly I know there can be fun and bonding elements over complaining, and I do my share, although it is rarely with ill intent (unless we get to actual politics, but that’s a different animal altogether.)  But honestly, when there is so much that’s great about the show (which we still allowed to criticize and have opinions on) and the fandom (which we likewise can surely have opinions and criticisms about, keeping in mind that being snarky about actual people comes across differently from snarking about a show, or even the public figures who create it,) and so much else in the world we could be getting ticked off about, is this really the most appealing use of your time?

Anyhow, I hope people will let stuff go and get ready to enjoy - or not enjoy, if that’s how it turns out for them, we’ll see - the last season of the show.  In the spirit of appreciating the show and the fandom, I’m reblogging the below post I made about #obpositivity.  If anyone is still reading this ramble, I’d like to thank you for being part of a fandom that has been important to and a lot of fun for me.  

trylonandperisphere

#OBpositivity

15 May 2015

It’s long past when I should be asleep, but, besides writing fic late again, I wanted to take the opportunity to post something for Orphan Black positivity day (great idea, cosima-geekmonkey-niehaus!)

I’ve never really been an engaged member of a fandom before (unless you count playing with Star Wars toys as a kid,) so Clone Club has been quite an experience for me.  I never expected to get drawn into a show and have it become one of my all-time favourites so quickly.  The talent of the cast and crew is phenomenal, especially our lord and saviour, TMas.  It’s a great triumph for a show to both emphasize complex female protagonists and characters and showcase an actor doing such amazing work.  The basis of a secret clone experiment is fascinating, and can be used to address all sorts of issues.  However, I think it was the fandom that really pulled me in to being a dedicated fan.

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[technicallyblakebelladonna]

Hi, I love this idea. Question - For this clone relationship appreciation can it be brotp clone ships too? Or are you shooting for romantic ships only? Like I brotp hard and occasionally dip my toe in to the cl/cl head canon waters but I can't commit fully to one or the other. Feel me? In other words: will I upset anyone by joining in and tagging some as my brotp?

nope! you wont upset anyone at all! #clone relationships week is for all relationships between the clones! there’s no limitations :) if you are just here for platonic, familial relationships between our girls, you go right ahead and participate! one goal of this appreciation week is to spread positivity first and foremost! :) so if you’re positive and respectful, you’re so very welcome to join in on this appreciation week! :) thanks for the ask friend :D

[lil-sestra]

i would like to thank u all ob positive people on my dash

[thewildertype]

ALL THE OB FINALE POSITIVITY

I just rewatched the finale without the pressure to also talk on social media about it or text about it or watch with people.  Just me, chilling, with like my cats, after coaching xfit.  This is wicked long and super ramble-y but whatever!

I love the finale even more on the second viewing, and the things I was less okay with, like Susan Duncan not staying dead or like the worm thing, I have come to terms with!  Like, I know I hated eps 2-4, a lot a lot a lot, but Castor is mostly dead, minus the one with a soul & Coady who I find compelling, and the back half of the season, even having killed my beloved Paul, made up for it in huge ways.  I do still hope Susan Duncan is a faaaake, but if not, whatever. 

Really, though.  Back to the finale. I got Sarah/Siobhan/Kira back together, with the addition of Kendall, who I adore.  The only thing that would have made that better would have been Cal, but I know Michel was busy.  Then, Alison and Helena are buddies AND Alison recognized Donnie’s contributions in a way that totally worked and was in character for both of them and that relationship.  It doesn’t look like Sarah has totally forgiven Helena for that whole thing in Mexico, although she is trying to move past it (which is in character and I love it), Fe got to be a bad ass while also being completely not a bad ass, Scott is still the most adorable geek prince in the place and Art got looped back in.  Then Shay finally wasn’t just okay with something and was pissed!  That made me happy, because Delphine really went too far with that, so if Shay was totally chill, I would have been kind of annoyed.

And then RACHEL!  Rachel is totally going to get to be a player again but over everything even as she realizes a whole lot of hard truths about herself.  Like -- aww shit.  My dear, dear Rachel--and she is not happy at all with her current situation or her “white eye”.  And Ferdinand came back and was awesome and like god I totally want him around next season and I sort of love the way that he is having all this creepy inappropriate chemistry with everyone (Delphine, Sarah, Siobhan, Felix) because foe!yay is my actual favorite.

Not to mention, RUDY IS DEAD and Helena got to silence the people comparing the two of them once and for all on screen by not giving Rudy redemption!  She flat out calls him a RAPIST like I have been saying to everyone who will listen.  Helena, here’s to you with your truth bomb.  I’m sorry I thought you were dying.

I mean, what is going to happen to DYAD now?  Like--if Delphine is actually dead, who is taking over?  Coady? Ferdinand?  Scott? Cosima?  Or is DYAD just going to hell in a hand basket?  Like the corporate angle and that whole thing is my favorite mystery, so I’m super pumped that is the focus again instead of the prolethians or castor or whatever.

And Neolution is back and relevant and that gives me hope that the patent thing is coming back, as that was my favorite dropped storyline.  I REALLY WANT THE PATENT TO COME BACK.  AND I WANT NEOLUTION TO BE AS FUCKED AS I DREAM IT IS.  And maybe Delphine isn’t dead but was forced to work with them, but only after they shot her and made her appear dead? That would be interesting.  But again, if not, that’s cool.

So yeah, I loved it.  ALL OF IT.  And I can’t wait for 2016.

[deadbeth-blog]

positive things about the OB finale!!!

• cosima's beanie • helena and jesse • alison won the election!!!! • rachel's kickass new eye • charlotte is back • mrs s and her mom got to speaking terms • clone club dinner party • sarah and kira??!! • ferdinand taking a ferdistand • krystal is a-okay

[lifeorbeth]

So no matter what happens tonight, let's remember that Orphan Black is still our show. And we fell in love with it for a reason. Be gentle, Clone Club. Be reasonable.

[lifeorbeth]

I'm pretty sure that if S3 solely consisted of Cophine tossing each other off, the fandom would cry tears about how beautiful it is.

I dunno about that. There are a lot of critical consumers in our fandom. A lot of people who have genuinely based criticisms that are well-articulated and have great backing in the source material. Even the Cophine fans would have a hard time stomaching that because, well, how far out of character would that be? And where’s the plot? And what’s the purpose?

Right now, we’re just all out of balance. Once people start binge-watching S3, it’ll all be over. We’ll be, as the wise Taylor Swift once said, out of the woods.

[lifeorbeth]

honestly, most of the negativity stems from the fandom not getting what they want in terms of storylines, and then acting like pissy crybabies about it. like, they want the show to go a certain way, which is a reasonable desire, but then hating on what we're actually getting just because it hasn't happened the way they want it to is ridiculous. I hope this kind of makes sense (I'm not entirely sure how to explain it)

It absolutely makes sense, dear anon, though I dunno about the “pissy crybaby” part. And I think a good portion of that stems from the sheer number of us (myself included) who became fans during the hiatus. Watching week-by-week is really hard. You start to ruminate on the little snippets of material you get. I know. I do it, too. I may be an OB Positivity Crusader, but I’m also a critical consumer. I see all of these things that the people are complaining about. Many of them are indeed based on problematic aspects of the show. But the show has never been perfect. You are so much more likely to accept a dropped plot point or a bit of flubbed character development when you can watch all of the episodes one after another. When 44 minutes is all you get for an entire week, and those 44 minutes are interrupted by no less than three commercials? It makes complete sense that you’re thinking about it a little harder.

The other thing is that our fandom is spoiled by the presence of really fantastic fic writers, who have been catering to fans’ every whim for MONTHS while the show’s been off the air. Gives you the slightest sense of entitlement. But, hey, the other thing is that these fic writers can (and often do) write alternate storylines to the actual canon-verse, where characters make different choices or plots are further explored. Gives us something to do.