ontd's brand of fandom
Monday, September 28th, 2009 11:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
charmianSo to cut it all short, ONTD had a drunken, blueberry-infused hookup with Eli Roth in the nightclub restroom which is Myspace (or maybe Twitter?), and now F_w is reading the facebook status where ONTD is bragging about it, and going 'omg ONTD is such a slut!!!'?. Admittedly, not all people on f_w have that reaction, but I'm kind of boggling here. Honestly, the sorts of fandoms that f_w draws its members from are full of things that would be considered much, much worse than what went down in ONTD by mainstream society.
Sometimes, on a meta level I find celeb gossip fandom kind of interesting, except it's full of attitudes that I socially disagree with, and focuses on many people who should not IMHO be paid attention to. On the other hand, it in some ways is less escapist than fanfic fandom, and that gives it a kind of robustness (not being anti-escapist here). Fanfic fandom focuses on ideal relationships (shipping), celeb gossip fandom, well, mostly the opposite. The most dysfunctional relationships receive the most attention; people gleefully predict the next divorce or gather all together to watch the embarrassing revelations at the divorce trial. Deaths, also, receive a great deal of attention. Fanfic fandom focuses on characters who are beloved and idealized and identified with; celeb gossip fandom often focuses on people who are NOT the fans, who may be beloved and idealized, but just as often, the focus is on someone who is despised, mocked, pitied, whose flaws and failures are more interesting than their achievements.
Does this reflect that in some ways, gossip and fiction are opposites? Or that what makes a compelling celebrity press persona (as much of it is a collaboration between the paps, the celebs, and the gossip writers) is very different from what makes a compelling fictional character?
Sometimes, on a meta level I find celeb gossip fandom kind of interesting, except it's full of attitudes that I socially disagree with, and focuses on many people who should not IMHO be paid attention to. On the other hand, it in some ways is less escapist than fanfic fandom, and that gives it a kind of robustness (not being anti-escapist here). Fanfic fandom focuses on ideal relationships (shipping), celeb gossip fandom, well, mostly the opposite. The most dysfunctional relationships receive the most attention; people gleefully predict the next divorce or gather all together to watch the embarrassing revelations at the divorce trial. Deaths, also, receive a great deal of attention. Fanfic fandom focuses on characters who are beloved and idealized and identified with; celeb gossip fandom often focuses on people who are NOT the fans, who may be beloved and idealized, but just as often, the focus is on someone who is despised, mocked, pitied, whose flaws and failures are more interesting than their achievements.
Does this reflect that in some ways, gossip and fiction are opposites? Or that what makes a compelling celebrity press persona (as much of it is a collaboration between the paps, the celebs, and the gossip writers) is very different from what makes a compelling fictional character?
no subject
Date: 2009-09-29 10:33 am (UTC)