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For Reals - 14 - HD
🕑 Added 2021-11-11 04:01:00 +0000 UTCYeah, They're Fans, I GUESS
Commentary
One of the reasons I wanted to do this storyline was because I hate the whole gatekeeping "real fan" thing, but I've also felt that "THE THING I LIKE IS UNDER ATTACK!" feeling, and that "but that person is so contrary to every moral the show has" feeling.
So I wanted to get into that. The plan was never "maybe gatekeeping jerks have a point", but rather an exploration of all the feelings involved while also showing off an episode of Susan and Elliot's show. Not a typical movie review one, but I've commented on why a typical one would be tricky before.
Also, I hope it's clear from all the "sorta" and "maybes" that this isn't a bold declaration that everyone who whips out the "not a real fan" argument is just feeling reflexively defensive.
We're just allowing room for potentially maybe some of them to be, because I've felt that feeling. With less self-awareness (aka "were I much younger"), I could totally see myself saying something like that for that reason.
Comments
John Trauger
To me First Blood was a critique of how the US treats veterans. If anything it's also a critique of the anti-war movement. The transition from soldier deep behind enemy lines to civilian isn't always easy. Between government and anti-war activists, nobody made it much easier. But a lot of moviegoers loved watching Rambo do what he did best. And that was the basis for the later films. Transitioning to action films from what is arguably more drama tends to bring in lots of spectacle, with a weakness for over the top testosterone scenes. Alien made a similar transition from Alien to Aliens though I think you'd agree that Aliens made the transition better with less spectacle for its own sake and more plot and character.
Daryl Sawyer
Well, the fan of other aspects don't have the power to take away the parts we like, but if they are the fans the creators (or more likely their coproate handlers) notice, then it's possible they will change it... and it will suck. What's really disappointing is when the original creators move on, some unrelated group pays a bunch of money to get ahold of the rights, figure that if they change it they can bring in more fans, change it (now it sucks), and are successful... old fans kind of feel mad at new fans for proving them right. The Broken Base (see TVTropes for details) is perhaps the worst sort of fandom. EGS itself used to have a fanbase like that, back when it made its transition from a darker more actiony comic to a lighter toned ever more LGBT friendly comic. (Of course, my previous point doesn't apply here, and I was a "new fan" when this transition was happening... which isn't to say I wouldn't like to see a return of Cat Elliot, or eventually see resolution of what was put in motion when Lord Tedd was introduced.)
Dan Shive
In such a situation, in spite of what's been said, I think it's more accurately being stated that the author is not a fan of them. We do not get to choose who enthusiastically likes or dislikes us. By what seems to be both dictionary definition, and common usage, of fan, there is no criteria for having the creator's approval.
JohnInCA
Ah, but what about when a creator (book, tv series, comics, whatever) says "if you believe/think/support X, get bent, you're no fan of mine"? Do we go full "death of the author" or allow them some say on who their "real" fans are, and who are the fans that clearly don't understand the work?
Dan Merget
It might not be possible for a subset of fans to remove ewoks from RotJ, but it is possible for similar things to happen in sequels and ongoing series. The first Rambo film was anti-war -- the protagonist was a traumatized broken vet -- but enough people were drawn to the violence that the series devolved into testosterone-laden shoot-em-ups.
John Trauger
Humans are generally communal creatures. What's at threat is the instinctive sense of group belonging. So if someone likes ewoks and I despise them for the thinly veiled toy marketing to children that they were and we could have had wookies, dammit, I can threaten the feeling of group membership for the ewok-fan. Even moreso, if I run around all outraged, screaming "YOU AREN'T A TRUE FAN!" at the fan who likes ewoks. And of course it works in reverse. I can be just as socially threatening if I demand someone like what I like when they don't. I'm just as obnoxious if I run around screaming that you have to like the prequel trilogy or you're not a true fan.
Stephen Gilberg
You know, for an NP series, this sure is low on visual focus. Good thing Susan's so expressive.
Stephen Gilberg
Suppose Fan A of "Return of the Jedi" loves the Ewoks, but Fan B hates them. Fan A knows intellectually that nobody will remove the Ewoks from RotJ but still feels like it could happen.
Windscion
Still not getting Susan's thought process in last panel.
