The June (July?) Something - 11 and 12

[acequeenking]

Day 11: What would make you leave a fandom, or prevent you from getting into it in the first place?

It depends on if you define leaving a fandom as "stop having interest in a canon" or "stop writing about it." 

For the former, it's generally when a canon or a fandom moves in a way I don't like enough to continue. Star Wars probably being the most egregious example but that's best saved for Day 14. Generally its just either it doesn't seem worth the effort anymore (shout-out to a hundred anime series that got so long in the tooth that I got too intimidated to finish them) or it doesn't seem likely that I'll enjoy because I've just moved past it in some way (I used to love Carmen Sandiego, especially the old games, quiz show and cartoon from the 90s, but I have little desire to check out the new teenage-Carmen Netflix adaptation; it's not for me anymore, and that's okay!). Once it starts feeling more like a chore to enjoy new parts of a fandom rather than something I can't wait to do, I'm more and more likely to check out, or, less consciously, put it on my "To Be Read/To be Watched/to be Played" list and never somehow surface to the top of it. 

Fandom for the most part doesn't interfere with my desire to check new things out but if I hear a fandom is particularly wanky, and everything I hear about it is negative, I am less likely to check it out. (Though, oddly, this seems to come up more with children's fandoms for some reason? Which TBH tend to be less my thing anyway because I really like older characters and for obvious reasons, they tend to appear less in media targeted toward younger age groups)  But yeah, as far as preventing me from getting into it in the first place,  if I hear mostly positive things I'm more likely to check it out sooner and if I hear mostly negative things it gives me more of a keep-away vibe. 

As far as stopping writing about it, it's generally just I run out of ideas that I want to write for a fandom! Right now I'm sort of at the "no thoughts, head empty" feeling for Mass Effect and for Dragon Age, but I still feel warmly about the fandoms and if I do have another idea, I'll probably jump back in. I don't have a lot of desire to play the Legendary Edition because there isn't really anything new in it, but I'd gladly play a new game in the same universe, or Dragon Age IV when it inevitably comes out. 

 

Day 12: Who is someone that you share the most fandoms with?

 

In terms of tastemakers who, if they like something, I will IMMEDIATELY check it out, it is probably Spooky or French or C. C is sort of my taste-maker of fighting games and ho-yay vibes, and messed up relationship dynamics, and I love her taste. I don't think she's ever recommended something that's been on my radar before she offers it but every time she does it inevitably becomes something exactly to my taste. Spooky is queen of sci-fi and fantasy, and there's very little she loves that I've bounced off of; if she recommends a book, I add it to the TBR because there's no way she's steered me wrong. Her attitude is always an inspiration. French is probably the person who I've found has passed through a lot of the same fandoms and has the same taste and I think she can point out every rumbly voiced man in every fandom, which makes me profoundly grateful. It's rare to find someone who I can nerd out about star trek and greek mythology and Charles/Erik with, but somehow she's out there and somehow we found one another! I am glad always that all three are my friends. I don't think I'd have developed nearly so many fun interests without all three of them, and I'm glad I have. <3