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03/22/2002 Entry: "The Meta-Fic Rant, or Something Not Entirely Unlike An Answer."

You know, reading back over my various rantings about fanfiction, I notice that I seem to subscribe to two radically different schools of thought.

School No.1: Moon-Sturgeon
Ninety percent of everything is crap, except for fanfiction, where the percentage is closer to ninety-nine point five percent. I hate most fanfiction, I hate your fanfiction, and here's why. Beware of italics tags and flying spittle.
(Occurs: when Mooncalf is hypercaffeinated and ranty, writing at four thousand words a minute)
School No.2: Hippy-Dippy Happy-Crappy-Calf
You have the right to write whatever the hell you want and splash it all over the web, and I'm damn proud of you for caring enough about your fandom to do it, no matter how amateurish your attempt! Maybe I don't like your stuff, but why should you care? My opinion shouldn't matter to you!
(Occurs: when Mooncalf is calm and focused, writing slowly but with purpose)

At first glance, they look kind of incompatible, really. But they're not. What you get when you put them both together is vaguely Voltairean in nature:
I may personally hate your fic to pieces and rant about it endlessly, but I will defend to the bitter end your right to write and display your fic however you see fit.

I try -- I don't always succeed, but I try -- never to say that something 'sucks'. What I try to say is that I don't like it. Because (and I've said this before, a million years ago) there is a definite and measureable difference between 'things I hate' and 'things that suck'. I like a whole bunch of really suck-ass things, and I hate a bunch of completely inoffensive things; that is my prerogative as a human being, a fundamentally irrational creature, and a weblogger.

As long as I do not try to use my opinions and my tastes to legislate upon you your rights, then they remain my opinions, and I am entitled to those. We both have rights here, on the web. Rights and wrongs.
They can still hurt you, these opinions. They can hurt your feelings, they can hurt your reputation, they can hurt your bandwidth. It's power, of a sort. All power invites abuse. As long as I use my power to abuse concepts instead of individuals, I may sympathize with the pain I caused you but I will never be sorry.

You know, I think this turned out to be five or six miniature musings instead of one longish coherent statement. Um.

Replies: add your comment: currently 6 comments

Hmmmm...... I feel compelled to answer this, but not sure how. Other than the fact that I agree with you. Indeed everyone has the right to say whatever they want, including you, of course, and if you don't like someone's work, you can say so, if you wish. True, it may hurt the person in some way, but you can still say it.
I would also like to say that insulting or simply discrediting (or whatever other negative words you want to use...) someone else's work also invites the writer to reply to your criticism....which they also have the right to do!
I believe that most of the times, these kinds of "wars" are referred to as "spam". LOL But no, not always.
Certainly we have the right, and I thank God for it, to say whatever we want to here, and others can say what they want to back at you. Beware of that. Indeed it is an easily abused power, and is perhaps sometimes abused a little too often. But perhaps this kind of power is most of the time, an okay power to abuse. Unlike other kinds of power (political power, for example) that is not good to abuse.
So what what you will, and know that others have the right to say what they will also, and stand up for that right. Hail, Mooncalf!!
Feel free to say whatever you want to about me and this comment! You have the right!! ^_'

Posted by Wolf @ 03/22/2002 02:50 PM EST

Awww, Moonie hates my fanfics. :( Wait, I don't think Moonie has ever read my fanfics. And according to this entry, I'm not obligated to care! Hurrah! :D

Seriously, I doubt you're very interested in Megaman fanfics, eh? I have written a squirt of Zelda, and I have a horrible Final Fantasy III 'fic from years ago somewhere around here ...

Posted by Red Draco @ 03/22/2002 08:52 PM EST

I just found it kind of odd because I had never heard of such a thing. And yet, I should not be surprised....

I don't get out much with fanfics, so I'm kind of ignorant. I suppose deep down I know that there's basically something for everything out there. Heh. *_*

Posted by Wolf @ 03/23/2002 12:26 AM EST

Oh, indeed. If it's matter, it has fanfic. From X-Files right down to bus-station toilets.

Some fanfic is good. Others make me wonder, "Why?" For example, I once saw a yaoi fanfic featuring U2 band members. x__x How could someone even bring themselves into a state of mind suitable for writing such a cock-clown piece of work? I mean ... is there a certain gear I'm missing? I'm not angry over the matter ... just bloody BOGGLED!

Posted by Red Draco @ 03/23/2002 02:21 AM EST

I think you just discribed exactially how I feel about fanfiction.

Posted by Celes @ 03/23/2002 09:22 AM EST

Y'know, Moon, I always thought the way those two propositions of yours fit together was fairly obvious. *shrugs* I suppose if you want to clarify, you *can*...

Posted by Nathan @ 03/24/2002 02:38 PM EST