I usually stay out of the ridiculous discourse but:
This fandom policing is getting ridiculous.
If you want to salt, you salt. If you want to tinhat, you tinhat. If you want to do both, do both.
Don’t like a character? Love a character? Love-hate a character? FANTASTIC, you do you, Boo.
In the end: WHO CARES. IT LITERALLY HAS NO BEARING ON YOUR REAL LIFE, and if it does, YOU NEED TO STEP AWAY FOR A BIT. If your panties are in a twist about something someone wrote, and you can’t move on, then you need to step away.
SERIOUSLY. In the end, it’s JUST A BLOG. Let people engage in fandom the way they want, let them heal the way they want. Seriously, when you get to be my age, THAT SHIT DOESN’T MATTER other than cause stress for something that isn’t going to matter in the end.
Stress kills, and seriously, a blue hellsite is not worth your heart rate going up nor your mental health to spiral out of control.
YOU ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN A TELEVISION SHOW.
There’s no cookie at the end, no prize for “believing”, no imaginary hell for “not believing”, and there’s no such thing as “true fans”.
It’s just fandom.
Fandom is supposed to be fun. Just, you don’t like something? MOVE ON. This shit is why people hate Johnlockers.
I have no idea what’s happened as I’ve basically completely pulled out of the Sherlock fandom at this stage. And I don’t care to look into it to be honest. But truer words have never been written.
Post S4 I was one of the salty ones, and it killed the joy I had previously found in the show and johnlock for me. So I’ve left the fandom and now just poke my head in from time-to-time to check up on the blogs of the friends I’ve made over the years.
The discourse and random drama that happens within the BBC Sherlock fandom is both the most entertaining, exasperating and toxic I have ever seen.
I’m old hat at this fandom thing just like Steph. And she is right. It doesn’t matter. If a show or a book or a play or a movie or whatever it is brings you joy - fantastic, amazing, keep enjoying it and do what makes you happy.
If it has become a source of anxiety, depression, anger or stress get it out of your life. Block tags, unfollow whoever you need to, delete your blog and make a new one with a fresh start, or leave tumblr completely if that’s what you need to do.
Real life isn’t always sunbeams and rainbows. Be kind to people, like you want others to be kind to you. Ship and let ship as the saying goes. It’s just a show, they’re fictional characters played by paid actors.
I’m sorry Steph, that your friends are being bullied and harassed. It’s not right and they don’t deserve it. No one does. For any reason. Ever.
Let fandom spaces be a place of joy, creativity and happiness for everyone. Regardless of what they ship, when they entered the fandom, what they like and dislike about it.
Everyone deserves a life filled with joy and happiness.
