popkin16

What is something that has surprised you about a fandom? Like, you expected the main fandom pairing to be X/Y, but the main pairing in fandom is actually X/Z. Or a pairing you expected to be slashed together isn't very popular?

All the ships I like that aren't popular shocks me ;) No, I'm kidding.

I think the latest trend in purity policing fandom is kind of shocking to me. I hate it.. I've been in fandom for god, 19 years now? I don't remember anything like this, where people try to claim certain ships are "wrong" or "bad". I mean, I knew shipping wars were a thing, and sometimes that plays into the purity policing, but there are people who truly believe that certain ships are wrong, even if they aren't a member of that fandom and have no horse in the race, so to speak. There are multiple reasons for this trend - tumblr has played a big part in it - but it's weird to me that people are so vehemently opposed to something that doesn't impact them personally.

I miss the days when fandom was more underground, or at least an open secret never referenced to TPTB. I know for a fact I've missed a lot of wank, that part of this might be seeing through rose-colored glasses, but fandom to me has always been about shipping what you want and writing what interested in you, no matter how dark it is. No matter how gross other people find it. Fandom was - is? - freedom. Stay in your own lane and let people do what they want. That's what the back button is for. I knew that at age 12 when I joined without being told.

(Luckily I haven't had anybody try to tell me that I'm doing fandom wrong. I'm pretty sure that'll set my temper off)