#self-righteous

[quotelr]

Your religion is not what you do on Sunday. It is how you live Monday through Saturday.

Shannon L. Alder

[tirsynni]

Years ago (crazy to think about how many years, honestly), I started Sands of Time as writing practice to see if I could get into the practice of writing on a regular schedule (it failed). I had a bunny inspired by thinking too much about Ganondorf and his role in OoT and WW, decided it was as good as an excuse as any to work on writing regularly (failed so hard), and it ended up becoming a love letter to a game series which I've loved almost my entire life.

That fic kept going and going and taught me so much about writing, both in general and fanfic-specific. It ended up being far longer than planned, more detailed than planned, and even when I was distracted and tired and side-eyeing this massive WIP, it reminded me of how much I loved the Zelda games and the many details, overt and subtle, in them. Writing was more than just putting words on paper: it was translating the things I was passionate about. Even if there are some definite issues in the fic due to the many distractions occurring during its creation and how sometimes I wrote less because I was passionate to write and more because I was just stubborn about seeing the fic through, it's still a fic I'm very proud of. It is also, without a shadow of a doubt, my most popular fic. It is a fic that someone refused to rec because they wanted to hit lesser known Zelda fics, and holy shit, I preened when I read that.

I have been struggling with fic and fandom in the last year for many reasons, including some serious RL stressors. The other big reasons have to do with the evolution of fandom itself. I'm not talking about the rise and fall of the popularity of certain things. For example, while I'm not a fan of "reader" fic, I feel like it's a fantastic example of the things that can be done with the fanfiction medium and also a way to explore how tropes/genres/random things in fanfiction reflect different cultural changes in the same way horror movies do. What I hate, though, is the rise of negative feelings and negative takes in fandom, transforming it from a fun, collaborative atmosphere into an arena full of witch hunts, deliberately bad takes, and people terrified to write because they are afraid of being attacked for their content, pairing, writing styles, grammar, etc. I love fandom as a love letter to canon, an exploration of canon, an exploration of self and writing styles, among other things. Now it feels like it's no longer that.

Back in the Old Days, people put disclaimers on fics because they didn't want to be sued. Now people put disclaimers on things assuring readers that of course they don't advocate these things, these things are bad, they know it, they aren't a criminal, they aren't a pedophile, they aren't a Bad Person. Now I see people skip summaries just to tell people to stop attacking them for their pairing and to just let them write what they like.

I see people indulging in deliberate bad takes of the original content, of the original creators, of other writers in fandom, of different tropes, of game mechanics... fucking everything. Sometimes it's just a nasty circle. Sometimes it's done to elevate something else, because we all know the only way to elevate something is to put something else down. I understand vent sessions. I understand going to a friend and going "Holy shit, did you see that summary??? Wow!" It should stop life as a quick vent. It shouldn't make up the person's entire personality. It shouldn't require a full online presence. Hate should never be detailed in the comments. Call-out posts should be left to actual nazis, terfs, etc., not to someone who wrote a "gross" or "unhealthy" or whatever pairing. Seriously. If you waste so much time on that, you need to look into some self-exploration and therapy. In all sincerity.

Fanfiction is not a published work. It should be fun. It is put online to be shared with fellow fans. It is something where someone gets excited about something or has an idea about something or wants to explore something or just wants to write some kinky porn and then share it with fellow fans. That's why writers post work and then sit eagerly .02 seconds later waiting for people to comment on it because they want to share their thoughts and love and happiness and excitement and sadness and grief and their general emotions with others and they want those others to respond and share their thoughts and reactions, too!

I just saw a post tearing into Moffat's Sherlock series because it lacked sincerity for the audience and source material and instead indulged in its arrogance, contempt, and self-righteousness. My immediate thoughts turned to the Lord of the Rings movies. If Sherlock is remembered, it will be purely in the critical sense, an example as to how a popular series was forgotten and dismissed. LotR remains loved. It is a classic. It is something people repeatedly marathon despite the lengthy watch time. LotR was a love letter to its source material. It wasn't just the writers and directors: everyone involved was sincerely, fiercely passionate about it, and it shows. It drags the watchers in, prompted people who had never read the original to pick up the books, inspired so much fanfiction. It was sincere and passionate and loving and, in turn, its fans are sincere and passionate and loving.

The LotR movies explored and loved the genre, the characters, the message. Even when characters faltered, it didn't make them terrible people. It made watchers hold their breath, it made watchers cheer them on, it made watchers hope. Check out people who do bad takes of Frodo and his struggle with the Ring and watch how many people come out of the woodwork to defend Frodo. There was no tongue-in-cheek humor mocking the source material. There was no critical analysis of "Well, you see, this is how the hero was actually stupid." No. It was sincere. It was loving. It still makes people cry and cheer and happy even when they're wiping away a sad tear or two.

I've read fanfics where the writers insist on the worst takes for the characters. It isn't done out of humor or a teasing love or an exploration into the characters/writing styles/etc. The writers want to drag the characters down, put themselves on a pedestal, and do it not through sincere analysis but by doing the worst possible takes on the situation. This usually relies on going into the source material with a negative mindset and desiring negativity in return, feeding primarily on the negative takes of others rather than looking into the source material or looking for positive takes, or just having a "bad faith" mindset. They go into it with an axe to grind and want to drag everyone else down with them. It isn't one or two fics: it's a growing, poisonous movement which is one of the things driving people out of fandom. It isn't a love letter to the source material. It is hate and disgust and contempt and Moffat writing Sherlock, patting himself on the back all the while and surrounding himself with people doing the same exact thing.

I'm a strong believer in people writing whatever they want to write. You want to write this character being evil? Sure! You hate this character and want to make them OOC to bash them even more? Go for it! I've written so many things testing how far I could go or feeling angsty and wanting others to feel angsty or even feeling happy and grinning like a feral gremlin as people wrote comments talking about how the angst in the story made them bawl. Want to write vore? Want to write character death? Whatever! It is fucking fiction, and it should be something you can enjoy doing. Hell, an asexual person can write two people fucking without wanting to get fucked. A lesbian can write two men fucking. A pacifist can write a murder mystery. It is fiction. Write whatever you want, and I hope that you feel better after doing so, even if it is only in the catharsis way of having a bad day and getting it out by making characters bleed.

Already, I can fucking hear people insisting that all of this makes you a bad person. No. No. If you truly believe that, it means you don't understand writing. You don't understand art. OR it's not a misunderstanding but a deliberate Bad Take, an extension of the poison I described above, because you want to attack someone and you want any opening. See: Republicans going after Drag Queens now, probably not actually believing that Drag Queens are harmful but recognizing vulnerability and knowing they can manipulate others through hatred. If you truly believed that, you would be wondering about Stephen King and other writers, but instead, you use conservative attacks and uncritically promote purity culture and are oblivious to the day when the leopard turns around to eat your face.

It's exhausting. It's a growing trend that is poisoning the water that is fandom and is not only playing a part in driving people out, but is keeping people from ever trying their hand in the first place. It is keeping people from enjoying what should be a fun thing. It is fucking poisoning minds, because this is a damned slippery slope. Hammer/nail and all that. It is seeing one thing as "problematic" and knocking over one tile and then seeing a full domino effect because they never bothered to analyze what "problematic" meant or why they found that "problematic." It is people grabbing a torch with the hope they won't find themselves on the stake.

Let people enjoy fandom. Try having positive takes. Let fanfiction and fanart and fanworks in general be something enjoyable again. Maybe some people use it as a way to vent current political issues. Maybe some people want to explore certain sexual kinks and writing these two (or three or five or seven) characters going at it is a great way to do it. Maybe they had a funny thought and want to share it via fanfiction. Whatever. We can't go online and bash people like Moffat and then casually do the same exact thing. We can't bitch about conservative politicians attacking people and then use the same exact thought processes and methods to attack others.

Let people be sincere in their enjoyment. If you don't like it, find something you do like. Maybe take some time with some tools and explore things which make you happy instead of indulging in deliberate bad takes to tear others down and use those takes to bind yourself to others and their bad takes like barbwire. Remember why things like LotR lives on and makes people so happy and why Moffat's works are going to be used in classes in the future as to what not to do.

[esther-pentecostal]

[irreplaceable-spark]

The “Woke” Mob

Self-righteous, accusatory, virtue signaling people and media are a contemporary version of Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

Like Frollo who hides his sins in the name of God, many of these “woke” people hide behind the “common good” or take religion in vain. By masking their true reasons, they think it absolves them of their guilt or it somehow proves their point. In reality, it comes off as sanctimonious and dishonest, especially since they don’t actually believe in the common good or God. 

Additionally, entitlement, lack of self-awareness, and pride obscure their reasoning. This results in a mentality where the end goal justifies the means, no matter the cost. "Woke” people often claim to be part of a virtuous movement or group but they abuse this affiliation or power purely for self-interests, similar to Frollo who was part of the church. And whatever they claim to be against, whether racism or inequality, they often use to carry out their preconceived prejudices for their own goals, becoming hypocrites.

Lastly, the destruction aspect - nearly all “woke” people will destroy lives and property if they don’t get their way just as Frollo torched houses and part of Paris. Some on-line methods include doxxing, trolling, and harassment in order to validate their point. In-person methods include rioting, arson, vandalism, and murder. By committing these acts of violence, they invalidate their point completely and lessen the strength of their supposed cause. 

Hellfire (Modernized):

Beata Politic You know I am a righteous one Of my group think I am justly proud

Beata Politic You know I'm more committed than The common, vulgar, weak, intolerants

Then tell me, Politic Why I see their reasons there Why their smold'ring thoughts still scorch my soul

I feel them, I see them The sun shines on their own free will Is blazing in me out of all control

Like fire Hellfire This envy in my skin This burning Desire Is turning me to sin

It's all their fault I'm not to blame It is the free thinkers My foes who sent this flame It's not my fault If in God's plan He made rationale much Stronger than placemen

Protect me, Politic Don't let liberty cast her spell Don't let her ideas sear my flesh and bone Destroy Individuals And let them taste the fires of Hell! Or else let it be mine and mine alone

Hellfire Dark fire Now people it's your turn Choose mobs or Your pyre Be woke or you will burn!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The self-sufficient does not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life.

Leonard Ravenhill

[aunti-christ-ine]

Folks, please stop using the word “christian” as a synonym for “good person.” 

[claritywithachanceofnuance]

We Are So Fucked

I’m going to try to articulate some ideas here and nobody is going to read them, which is central to what I want to say. Our society is splintered in dozens of ways, nearly all of which are reparable. Most people I know consider themselves virulently anti-Trump. Most Trump supporters I know consider themselves battle-scarred free-thinkers who had to shrug off a gauntlet of corporate media propaganda to arrive at their views. Meanwhile, the anti-Trump camp considers Trump supporters overweight, underdressed knuckle-draggers. But if Trump’s base seems less educated, less wealthy, less sophisticated, is that a reason to scoff? Why are so many Americans susceptible to what Trump is selling? Racism is too facile an answer. But whether Trump’s base is willing to tolerate intemperate language if it leads to greater economic opportunity, or they prefer white supremacy to diversity, why hasn’t the intellectual firepower of American liberals brought enlightenment to rural Michigan? What do urban anti-gun activists know about varmints? What do outspoken advocates for racial and economic justice know about the vacuum of capital where heavy machinery manufacturing used to thrive? 

Meanwhile, after staying couped up for months, we took to the streets to proclaim neither passive nor homicidal racism would be tolerated any longer. We all know the names George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. But going back to what we do and don’t know based on what’s beamed onto our screens, note the kinship we feel with unarmed black victims of police violence and the contempt we feel for the trailer park. Injustices are occurring all over the place. Some we have to research to understand or even realize exist, some are bombarded at us by the media and some we’ll never know about. How does it get determined which stories get headline treatment, which get buried on back pages and which get ignored? And who is involved in those decisions? 95% of the people I know with advanced degrees believe whatever the New York Times tells them to. And more than 50% of the people I know without a bachelor’s degree recognize that major media outlets, be they Fox, Comcast, Disney, Viacom, Facebook, Google or Amazon all apply manipulative criteria to which stories get amplified and which get muffled. 

It feels exhilirating to see beyond face value, to be contrarian and even iconoclastic and have your rebellious impulses validated by the most powerful man in the world. What sort of comparable thrill is the woke crowd offering? Lockstep agreement on language to use around current reckoning with historical atrocities? Will that work? Has it thus far?

None of this is to take Trump’s side and pooh pooh his opposition. It’s to get the opposition to take a break from mocking the rubes who voted for him in order to recognize manipulative forces at work on Blue America. And it’s to call attention to how readily we disdain. We all carry pain, we all process it differently. There is a very great fear out there that acknowledging pain is a form of weakness that could lead to societal collapse. The rise of the beta male. I’m not ready to invalidate that fear. Maybe that’s me. But one person’s hurdle is another person’s doormat. An obstacle to you might be an on-ramp to me. Or vice versa. So I’m slower to condemn just about everybody. Is anybody deliberately trying to be awful? Offensive, maybe. But awful? No. So when somebody presents objectionable views and employs risible logic to defend those views, that doesn’t mean that that person’s terrible. It means that person is doing the best they can and might make a good friend if given the chance. Views can be discussed. Disagreements can be managed. Being right or wrong on a given issue is not a definitive stamp on the quality of a person’s soul. Why do we act like it is? 

If you ask me, it’s spiritual poverty. We’re so busy and so worried about so many things, most of which are balmed with terrible tv and even worse music that getting right with ourselves without being SELF-righteous feels like a luxury beyond our means. But stopping to consider this might cost you that promotion. That’s an obtuse example. But even attuning our personalities to thrive in professional environments can make us less available to our families. How many successful people do we know with miserable home lives? How many unsuccessful people do we know with miserable home lives? Success isn’t an arbiter of happiness, but it’s worth recognizing just how difficult cum elusive a happy home life is. Will it get happier when you get that pool? Again. Obtuse. But the point is that we’re harried and bent out of shape. And that’s how you get politics as dysfunctional as ours. All that fundraising. All that apathy. All that ignorance. All that bullshit criteria. 

I dunno. More later, I guess.