Fandom Warfare: A Moment of Reflection

On May 21, 2012, many will be tuning into FOX to bid farewell to the most talked about doctor on the planet and no it’s not Dr. Kevorkian. It is indeed Dr. Gregory House, MD. It’s been a rough ride for many….sometimes a bit too rough to the point where fan wars rear their ugly head. (Pay attention George Lucas….Darth Vader has nothing on the House fans.)  

I have seen this House fandom virus start in small communities, then spread into a vicious outbreak on forums and social networking sites. It’s a sad state of affairs when “fans” are calling each other by ridiculous titles such as “true fans,” Hugh Laurie or Lisa Edelstein “haters,” “bitter huddies,” the list is endless and the mockery is ridiculous! What’s even sadder is this fan war even had the professionals involved with such contributors as Executive Producer Greg Yaitanes fueling the fan animosity. Granted, he’s gotten some pretty nasty tweets, but throwing gasoline on the already growing fire does not help the cause. He took the word “Ka-boom” to a whole new extreme.

So, how has this all happened and why is it happening at all? Yes, I do know the answer to that question. It’s the result of storylines that were not well-received,  cast members leaving under mysterious circumstances, rumors about the lives of the people involved with the show….you name it, it’s considered a reason.

Personally, I think the whole thing is foolish. Rather than waste energies on fighting with people we don’t know, maybe we should channel those energies into something more valuable. There is so much hate in the world these days that we lose site of what’s important. People use social networking many times to escape real life issues plaguing them. Those people shouldn’t have to be subjected to stress in the virtual world too.

That being said….if there is anyone to blame for the venom among the fans in this case, I say the anger goes to House creator David Shore, who has recently opened up his account on Twitter. Do I think we should send him hate tweets on Twitter? No. Do I think constructive criticism can be tweeted? Yes, I do. As a creator of a show, I would want to know how fans feel. In that regard, if I’ve made mistakes, then I can think about what to do for the next time. I’d want to know what went wrong and what went right. Personally, it’s about time Shore answered to fans, since his poor staff members on Twitter have been taking the heat for him for so long. I also think he should give them a really nice gift like a portion of his paycheck for taking the abuse for him for so long, when all is finished. (Dear House staff, start making your wish lists and give them to David Shore.)

What I don’t think fans should do is assume things they know nothing about in terms of what may or may not have happened behind the scenes. The reason why I think fans should avoid the rumor mill is that the only people who know the facts are those that are privy to them. The rest is just gossip and innuendo. When fans start engaging in gossip and innuendo, is when things tend to get very ugly. Just stick with the facts and embrace them. If the true stories emerge, then great! If not, then that’s fine too. I’ve got bigger problems in my own life than to worry about things with which I am not involved. Having issues with characters is fine, but bringing personal attacks against actors into the fandom is outright insane. Do you know the actors? Are you their best friend? Do you work with them? Are you related to them? Are you in a relationship with them? Are you their doctor? Are you their dog? You get my point. If you are not close to them, don’t know their personalities or are not the air they breathe, then please stop the personal attacks against them in the fan wars. Because you know what happens when you assume things? If you don’t know what happens, then feel free to ask someone, I’m sure they’ll be happy to tell you.

Another thing that astounds me in these fan wars is when fans are talking among themselves about something they don’t like about the show and someone randomly jumps in to tell them they aren’t a “fan.” Listen, if people have a grievance or grievances regarding the show, I call this normal. Why you wonder? Let me put it to you this way. I’m a Yankee fan. If their manager makes a call I don’t like, I’m going to complain, especially if it costs the team the game. I’m still a fan, but ticked at the moment over the move he made. I talk about the call with friends and someone decides to interrupt telling me that I’m not a fan, because I disagreed with the manager’s call. Aside from the fact that I’m wondering “who invited you to this conversation,” I might acknowledge that I disagreed with the call but I am still a fan. I also would accept that the person disagrees with me and that’s fine. Then, I might suggest that perhaps this conversation might not be for this person or ask why he/she would assume I’m not a fan just because I disagreed with something. I either will get some engaging conversation where we could rationally discuss pros and cons, a verbal argument or a headache. Fact is fans can agree to disagree without name-calling. I swear it’s true.

The same can be said about choosing not to watch an episode. Again here’s a sports example. If I’m watching the Yankees play and they are playing horribly and behind by ten runs, I’m going to change the channel, because I don’t want to watch the rest of the massacre. Does it make me less of a fan? I don’t think so. I’m choosing not to watch a disaster take place before my eyes, which will lower my stress and prevent me from yelling any more expletives at my television. Therefore, if a fan chooses not to watch an episode or two for whatever reason, please leave them alone. It’s their prerogative.

Last example I’m giving involves those who write about the show. I’ve seen people take hits for their reviews of episodes. Some wonder why they continue to watch. Let’s think about it this way. I’m selected to write a review of a musical. I attend the musical only to discover that the lead is a great actor, but can’t sing a note. Now, I have to sit through this because I was asked to do it…no matter how much pain I’m in at the moment. I stick it out and write my review. Well, naturally, I’m going to tell you how badly the lead sang, but I’ll find some good things to say too. Some may agree with my review and others will disagree which is fine. One thing you have to remember is that I didn’t cast the show or write the script for it. It is what I think it is. If I’m getting paid to write a review, then I write it as I see it. If I’m an independent writer, then you have understand what I’m writing is subjective. I’m writing because I like writing and I want to do it. Bloggers and paid writers are doing the same thing. They write because they want to do it. That’s the first thing fans should respect. People are giving their time to write what they feel. For some, it might be an enjoyable distraction. However, that joy is taken away when “fans” start saying those people should just stop writing if they don’t like the show. Then, those writers are called “hypocrites”. I never knew having a differing opinion from someone else’s made someone a hypocrite. In that case, we are ALL hypocrites. (You learn something new everyday, I suppose) The fact is we’re all fans of something. Some of those people have to write about their favorite teams, shows, books…etc. These writers might agree or disagree with something, but they do indeed have the ability to compartmentalize. What they do is a hard job. If you disagree, start a blog of your own or see if you can write for a publication so your voice can be heard as well. Just understand that these individuals have a tough job…to write something that would interest you. If you read it, then you must still be interested in what they have to say. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading it and complaining, right?

Finally, in the all famous fan wars, there is the ever repeated “if you don’t like it, don’t watch it.” Listen, people have various reasons for continuing to watch the show. For instance, I’m not happy with the decisions that were made regarding the show from a story telling perspective. Plus, I’m not afraid to admit that I enjoyed the character of Cuddy and the presence Lisa Edelstein had on the show. I miss those interactions Cuddy had with House in every capacity not just romantically. However, I’m still watching regardless, because I do enjoy Hugh Laurie’s performances and I want to finish the story. I’m an avid reader. And even if I don’t like what’s happening in the book for several chapters, I still want to finish the story because I invested the time in reading it. I may not be getting what I paid for, but I don’t want the money I spent on the book to go to waste either. This may be the case for many people. You don’t know. Therefore, I say let people be. If you’re happy, splendid! If you’re not, that stinks and I understand and feel your pain. If the happy people and the disgruntled people are fighting amongst each other, then what really is being accomplished here? That’s right….nothing. The fire just continues to grow, curses are thrown and more “labels” get added. Frankly, it’s exhausting. I don’t know how you all do it.

The bottom line is that fan wars will always be present no matter what area you’re supporting from television to sports. We’ll never be able to stop them, but I think there is hope to limit the amount of hate that is tossed about. One of the great things about fans for me has been the colorful individuals that I’ve met along the way and with whom I converse on a daily basis. They enlighten my days on a fan level and a personal level and for this I am grateful.

We all may not be untied in our feelings, ideas and opinions. However, we do have the capability to be respectful towards each other and embrace our differences. We must agree to disagree, because this ideal is totally acceptable. What I find unacceptable is the amount of bullying I see everywhere. I think we can all formulate intelligent opinions without having to resort to name-calling. Frankly, I view that as grade school behavior. I deal with that in my real life on a daily basis. I don’t want it to weave its way into my virtual one too, thank you.

In conclusion, not everyone is happy with House right now. Some are mourning its end. Some are mourning the loss of Lisa Edelstein. Many are even mourning the loss of what the character of House used to be to them and are disappointed in what he’s become. These are things we have to realize and accept. We may not understand, but we have to accept the feelings of others. What we have to remember is that the show is fiction. Yes, some people can relate to many of the things the show presents, which could be why we may be so cathartic towards it. But don’t let fiction ruin the joys real life can bring you. Passion is a beautiful thing to have, but I feel we must prioritize that passion and utilize it wisely.

Next time you are tempted to engage in a war of words online, think first then ask yourself why you are going to do it. Maybe the answer just might change your mind. After all, you’re fighting over fiction.

As always, please feel free to sound off in the comments section. How do you feel about the fan wars?

This is Drdiagnostic sounding off.