julieandrews (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
julieandrews) wrote2009-07-11 11:09 pm
julieandrews) wrote2009-07-11 11:09 pm
Aging Fandom
I was surprised to hear people talking about the aging fandom and the death of Worldcon, etc. Aren't we past that? Haven't the arguments been made and heard? Isn't it jolly well obvious that people my age and people half my age are engaging with science fiction and fantasy? They're watching it, they're playing it, they're writing it, they're remixing it. But yes, they're reading it too. Really they are! Or did you think Rowling and Meyer got where they are solely based on 50+ white male readership?
Maybe they're not at your cons. Maybe because they're your cons. And maybe you're completely failing to see the ones that are at your cons, because they're not part of your clique, or they're not attending the panels you're attending, or they're not established enough to be invited onto panels, or they're not, like, old enough to hang out in the bar!
Do you want another generation to take up the mantle of the institutions you've built up? Well, then, you'd better be ready, willing, and able to accept change. You can't dismiss Buffy. Or paranormal romance. Or anime. Or video games. You have to be able to say 'that's not for me' without saying 'that's for kids' or 'that's for girls' or 'that's for _____'.
'That's not for me, but I will give it a place at my con, because I see lots of people are interested in talking about it.' And then be prepared to give it a respected space. I've seen some of those WorldCon descriptions. There's not full respect there.
So, yea, guys, fandom isn't aging. It's just a slightly different fandom than you grew up with.
Maybe they're not at your cons. Maybe because they're your cons. And maybe you're completely failing to see the ones that are at your cons, because they're not part of your clique, or they're not attending the panels you're attending, or they're not established enough to be invited onto panels, or they're not, like, old enough to hang out in the bar!
Do you want another generation to take up the mantle of the institutions you've built up? Well, then, you'd better be ready, willing, and able to accept change. You can't dismiss Buffy. Or paranormal romance. Or anime. Or video games. You have to be able to say 'that's not for me' without saying 'that's for kids' or 'that's for girls' or 'that's for _____'.
'That's not for me, but I will give it a place at my con, because I see lots of people are interested in talking about it.' And then be prepared to give it a respected space. I've seen some of those WorldCon descriptions. There's not full respect there.
So, yea, guys, fandom isn't aging. It's just a slightly different fandom than you grew up with.
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I started to say that it wasn't a lack of respect, but ignorance -- but of course, that's part of disrespect, dismissing a particular topic as too unimportant to learn more about. So, yeah. What you said.
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But I've never been to a WorldCon, other than on the periphery of one when it was in Boston. Maybe it's more evident at Worldcons?
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Speaking of aniem fandom.. back in my day, you had to send away for fansubs on VHS, and without even Paypal to pay for them! You guys don't know how easy you've got it these days! Manga in every bookstore and library, fansubs downloadable in two clicks. Man..
And I only started watching anime in the 90's. Hard to imagine what the fandom was like before that, though I know there was a fandom.
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No, fandom is not dying, but some people would rather pretend that it is than admit that being a fan no longer makes you a member of a small, persecuted minority.
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