"Bad Fandom" Article

[Emmie]

Wow this woman is just...


From Cinemablend.com - By Webmaster - 2008-04-16
Bad Fandom : Worn Out By Whedonites


OK, Joss Whedon fans. First of all, let me tell you I don’t hate you. No, really ! Some of my best friends are Joss Whedon fans ! And I don’t hate your beloved overlord either. Seriously. He’s a fellow alum of my fine university, and I was even privileged enough to once see him dancing to "Don’t Stop Believin’" during reunion week. You don’t need me to tell you he can bust a nerdy move.

But you, my beloved Joss Whedon fans, are kind of like that aunt who asks you every Thanksgiving why you aren’t married yet, or the friend who tells you you’d be so pretty if you just knew what to do with your hair. You know, the person in your life who you love, but also, well, hate for being a know-it-all ?

Yes, you’re know-it-alls. You are convinced that if I just watch one more episode of Buffy, or get through that pilot episode of Firefly that is two goddamn hours long, I will finally see the light and see the error of my vampire-shunning ways. But you can’t make me ! I don’t like the shows, I don’t read the comic books, I don’t read Joss’s blog, and according to you guys it’s not because I’m not interested—I’m just wrong.

I get that you see inherent genius in a show about high school vampires. I get that, somehow, a space Western is actually brilliant drama and never deserved to be cancelled. But why, why, why, do I have to believe it too ? Why, after God knows how many times of explaining that I’m not really into Buffy, must you doubt me ? When you explain that you’re baffled by the polar bears on Lost, I leave it alone. When you say Six Feet Under is too depressing, fine. You won’t drink my Kool-Aid, so why do I have to drink yours ?

When you talk about Xander, I don’t really know who you’re talking about. When you swoon over Spike, I still think his hair is disgusting. When you crush on Giles and his British accent, I need only point you to Hugh Laurie, or, hell, David Hyde Pierce, he’ll do in a pinch. There is nothing that Buffy does that has not been done better elsewhere, except for possibly the six-second "I got the mustard out of my shirt !" song in the musical episode, which was admittedly great. But that is one episode in a show that ran for seven seasons, and is now continuing on in comic book form ! Seriously, guys, let it go !

You know why none of the actors have gone on to do anything of merit since Buffy ended ? It’s because they’re bad actors. Yeah, I love Allyson Hannigan on How I Met Your Mother, but she can’t act. And if I really need to tell you that Sarah Michelle Gellar can’t act either, well, you’re obviously Freddie Prinze Jr. using a fake name.

I’m thrilled you guys have found a show that pushes all your geek buttons, and that it inspires you to go to conferences and call Joss Whedon "Jossus" (no, really, why do you do that ?) and stage your own version of the musical episode, except with people who can’t really sing. But stop looking at me like I’m just too dumb to understand the show’s genius. I have a degree in Film Studies ! I get it ! I just want no part of it. Go away.

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I get that this person's trying to make a point, but come on! Most people make fun of Buffy fans and, to be honest, I don't run around advertising it like wearing my UNC shirt because I don't want to be made fun of for loving it. Jeez buddy, I could give a rats ass if you watch Buffy/Angel or appreciate its depths and I'm not gonna waste time convincing you. You basically just slammed the entire fandom and came off as a huge jackass. Good one!

What really shocks me is the claim that SMG can't act.

So guys, which part of this article pisses you off the most?

[Kara]

Spikes hair isn't disgusting.........jeez . That person acts like we want to stick her in a chair and force feed her nonstop buffy stuff till she pukes, On the contrary I think buffy fans are pleasant . Someone needs to explain to me how someone(like the one who wrote the article) Can dislike the buffyverse so much and yet take time out of her life to rip on it makes no sense to me . Oh and I hate the part where he starts saying none of the actors from the show amounted to anything career wise, I mean she had no proof to back it up other than to say they can't "act" but no matter what this woman says for every 1 person who hates the buffyverse there are 100 who love .

[Skytteflickan88]

now i have answered her in te comments. Jessus? seriosuly? lol

is it just americans fans that say that? lol

[Jinxieman]

Ok, she had the right to express her opinion and state that she just doesn't like the show, not because she hasn't watched it but because she just isn't interested, that is fine! But when she claimed that the actors cannot act she lost her right to opinion only because she had already proclaimed that she does not watch the shows...How can she make a judgement on the acting abilities of someone like Nicholas Brendon when she doesn't even know who Xander is?

And since when has Buffy been about High school vampires?

[TC]

Apr 17, 2008 11:37:40 GMT -5 Jinxieman said:

And since when has Buffy been about High school vampires?

Yeah...what the hell? Anyways, I'm "glad" she thinks she understands us. I'm "glad" she thinks we're know-it-alls.

Some of us might be, but making a generalization like that is just like a stereotype, isn't it? Anyway, there is something that I DO know: It's not OUR fault we're smarter than most people.

I was fine with her saying she won't ever like the show, but like Jinxieman said -- how can she say the actors can't act without having seen the show? Sarah and Emma and Aly and all of the lot had some of the best moments on TV IMO.

Although I do think it's kinda funny how she thinks we think she's wrong for not watching Buffy. [insert sigh here]

[Jinxieman]

Yeah, Her stereotyping and generalization about everyone who is a fan of Joss Whedon's work is just...wrong!

As someone said on Whedonesque (and I am grossly paraphrasing because I read it a couple of hours ago) it sounds like the fans she knows are just annoying people, don't judge every fan of Whedon's work because you have annoying, know-it-all friends who happen to be Buffy fans.

[Skytteflickan88]

Apr 17, 2008 11:37:40 GMT -5 Jinxieman said:

But when she claimed that the actors cannot act she lost her right to opinion only because she had already proclaimed that she does not watch the shows...How can she make a judgement on the acting abilities of someone like Nicholas Brendon when she doesn't even know who Xander is?

I read it as if she'd seen several seasons and then decided that she didn't like it (she only liked OMWF)

[themaleslayer]

[Jinxieman]

Apr 17, 2008 13:25:09 GMT -5 Skytteflickan88 said:

Apr 17, 2008 11:37:40 GMT -5 Jinxieman said:

But when she claimed that the actors cannot act she lost her right to opinion only because she had already proclaimed that she does not watch the shows...How can she make a judgement on the acting abilities of someone like Nicholas Brendon when she doesn't even know who Xander is?

I read it as if she'd seen several seasons and then decided that she didn't like it (she only liked OMWF)

Read it again, she makes several statements to the contrary: "When you talk about Xander, I don’t really know who you’re talking about" and "I get that you see inherent genius in a show about high school vampires" If she had seen several seasons she would know who Xander is and that the show is not about high school vampires...even if she did not enjoy the show...heck she should know who Xander is if she has only seen one episode...unless that episode was Conversations with Dead People

All she is saying is that she has no clue as to what Joss Whedon's shows are about and she is judging it all on her friends who are fans of his work.

[henzINNIT]

She's right. We're a bunch of twats.

[Kara]

I agree henz

[themaleslayer]

*agrees with agreeing*

[Kara]

*agrees with agreeing then gets dizzy and sits down*

[themaleslayer]

*splashes kara with cool water*

[Kara]

*thanks tms for the cool water then gets into a splashing fight with him*

[Rachster]

omg im ... in shock im... speachless

[slayersarah]

Spike has sexy hair! and Sarah Michelle Gellar has proved her acting ability numerous times on Buffy (Becoming pt.2, the Body, Who Are You?, Normal Again, & too many others to list) this woman must've just had a few too many people try to convince her how great Buffy is and went insane. if she can't see it herself, she's as blind as Xander's left eye

[Kara]

*high-fives slayersarah for thinking spike's hair is sexy!*

[slayersarah]

*happily receives high-five from Kara*

[themanwithoutfear]

After reading this I guess I was left asking myself a few questions about the author. For one thing, if the article is going to generalize us as followers of everything that Joss has "had his hand in", then why not bring up some of his more mainstream work like Toy Story or his work on Roseanne or even his script for one of the Aliens movies. The author seems to judge us on our reaction to only a few of his works.
Another question that I have is, and othes herer have asked it, how can you judge "Buffy" if you haven't seen enough episodes to know all of the characters (Xander?)? Come on, even I'll try something before I completely dismiss it.