This is Patrick
Excitement at the thought
Of indulging
In that you love dearly
Sharing your knowledge
To all who listen
Proclaiming your hobby
As dear to your heart
Who knew you would turn sour
Another love is shown
By others on the ‘Net
Their big event is looming
Feeding their excitement
The fervor growing
As they share their knowledge
To all who listen
It is a holiday for their fandom
You cannot have this
Their hobby is foolish rot
Which you declare
Stepping into chats
To mock and tease
Enjoying the rage and tears
As you sour their big day
Instead of moving on
What is this?
An event for what you love
Everyone must know
You shout it from the rooftops
And dance with your hobby kin
Until the joy is punctured
By one who mocks and teases
How do you like it?
Legends of Windemere 
Very thought provoking, Charles.
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Thanks
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Yeah, take that.
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👍
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Wow. That’s powerful.
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Thanks. Very true too.
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A friend of mine used to say that “Time wounds all heels.”
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Never heard of that one. Makes sense though.
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Reading this poem came at an interesting time even if it is an older post. I’ve been thinking a lot about fandom shaming like with how much I’ve been made fun of for the things I’ve enjoyed or how I never did that to others. There were times where I would stop liking something just so people could leave me alone and/or to spite whoever was bullying me. With that said, there’s a part of me especially currently that wants to fandom shame people for liking things I hate, tell them what they enjoy is problematic while backing it up with receipts, or calling them out on their hypocrisy.
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I’ve been there. Shaming with receipts is tough though. Much of it can be seen as conjecture or opinion even when others see facts. This is why I try not to shame, but simply say why I don’t like things.
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Good you can relate. Have you ever had to shame others while having receipts when it comes to other people’s fandoms? It is rough if there are facts, but others downplay them as just opinions. Most of the time, I’ll respectfully disagree on different things, but there are some fandoms I do want to shame especially when I remember people I dislike liking those things or bashing some fandoms as an indirect revenge against those who insulted me back then. It’s like if people are “allowed” to make fun of what I like, then I should do the same to others if I have to, but I’ve held back a lot on that.
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I have and it doesn’t do anything. Just frustrate myself and realize that I’m coming off as an ass. If I love something that someone finds problematic and they try to force me to hate it then it’s going to be messy. Even if I end up agreeing, it’ll come with anger and hate towards the messenger. After all, I now have a void and paranoia about getting into anything ever again. This goes beyond making fun of things too. We’re all allowed to make fun of stuff. It gets messy to me when the goal isn’t to mock, but to hurt.
For example, I really think the MCU became blandly written around the time of Ant-Man. I make fun of this and point stuff out, but I never try to get even the rabid fans to walk away from it.
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Hmm…is that so? I do want to show that I know something if I’ve experienced and/or researched something in particular. Hopefully, I never come across that way to you when it comes to certain previous conversations I had where I did mention problematic things. I can relate to that void at times where I fear liking things and this is coming from a guy who also has a film review blog. Weirdly enough, I gained a few interests over the past couple years and been thinking of ways to do verbal pre-emptive self-defense if I feel like I’m going to be insulted. It’s also why I was into obscure music and movies because people can’t make fun of me if they’ve never heard of what I like. Then again, I wasn’t great with making fun of others, so I didn’t do so often.
I haven’t seen Ant-Man, so I can’t tell you anything. However, I do have superhero fatigue and the MCU is so over-exposed with the numerous movies and the TV shows out there. The worst I’ve done is call Thanos a ripoff like the list I sent you, but even then I wasn’t really tempted to insult Marvel fans.
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I think it’s tough to balance showing your knowledge and attempting to convert when it comes to this. The other side gets defensive and this causes a spiral. I try to shrug it off or forget it once the encounter is done. It helps that I have friends who into things that I don’t get into and I’m into things they’re not. My best friend loves baseball, which I never understand. I love anime, which he doesn’t get. Pointing out flaws doesn’t really do anything unless we discuss the positive too.
Been a long time since I was insulted for what I like though.
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No disagreements there. I don’t want to make the knowledge to come off as cultish especially if I shed light on an issue. What you referred to is the backfire effect especially when it comes to something true. Like you, I’m not into baseball or most sports and I also like anime although I’m not well-versed with the newer stuff. I do that with my critiques. If something is too beyond the pale, then it gets tougher for me to mention positives.
Good for you. It’s been a couple of years since I was insulted for what I like. In the meantime, I want to prepare for any counterarguments if anyone does try to insult me for what I like.
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Finding positives is tough, especially with modern pop culture. Used to be that you could ask fans and they’d give details. Now, you’re more likely to hear a vague response that doesn’t hit details.
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Very much so. I guess we’re in such a negative atmosphere especially with the internet. I’ve noticed that people are vague when they try to say something positive or backhanded compliments.
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