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severity_softlyHEE. Apparently, I'm nuts. *G* (Also, I apparently don't like The Instincts or Memoriam or the entirety of season 4, in spite of having not said that.) First, let me say that if this happens to be someone on my flist (if they came from LJ, it has to be that, or someone who dropped by my journal randomly), I am not offended. When I said "That's the beauty of fandom . We can completely disagree with each other, and BOTH still be right in whatever we believe," I meant it entirely. I like discussing things like this (even if, in this case, I don't think there's much actual discussion coming from the other side of this conversation). I don't WANT everyone to agree with me. What the fuck fun would that be? Not only that, I know my own opinions are sometimes dissenting opinions. If I have problems with an episode, I even go so far as to poke fun at the entire thing. Because, well, I do this for FUN, people. :) (Not that I wouldn't love to get paid to write or to spew my opinions about something I love, but that's another story.)
I have people with varying opinions on character/ships on my flist. I have people on my flist that I enjoy talking to and like very much whose ships/favorite characters I simply cannot, or will not, even read. I have people on my flist who seem to literally not be able to stand each other over differing opinions on characters/ships/fandom things, which I find sort of odd (so long as opinions are not hurting anyone or incorporated into something that is supposed to be accessible to the entire fandom, why does it matter?) I find the diversity of opinion stimulating. If you don't like x-character/ship that I do (or like one I don't), tell me why! I might debate the point with you, if I'm so inclined, even if I know full well I may not change your opinion, and you're welcome to debate it right back. So long as everyone stays civil and respectful, it's exactly the sort of thing I like.
As Isaac in Sports Night once said (and he may have been quoting someone; I don't know), "A stupid man surrounds himself with smart people. A smart man surrounds himself with smart people who disagree with him." (Man, I wish more politicians would listen to that. Heh.) If everyone tells me I'm awesome (which I love, btw... just saying ^_~), I become insulated in my little cocoon of awesomesauce, and I never grow (of course, it helps me that no matter what you say, I am never satisfied). If you disagree with me and make a good point, I don't mind saying that, or even outright admitting if I'm wrong. If you make a good point and don't change my mind right at that moment, you've at least given me something to think about, and who knows, maybe I might change my mind later.
Whoa, I've gone way off topic. I honestly don't think the comments I linked were worthy of this level of introspection, but I think it spurred something in my head that I've been wanting to say for a few days (maybe longer) now, in a much nicer way that my original intent to say them would have come out. So you get it all in one big chunk of random, and everyone wins. :)
Back to the point: What I think is funny is that I got this comment (and the one above from the same person, who is obviously not reading my words very carefully) on a R&R in which I adored the episode. The ones where I have been, in![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin's words when she proofread for me, "a bit harsh," have either gotten no reply, or mostly replies in agreement. O.o
Recently, the year end stats for the site got emailed out to everyone, and apparently, I had the story with the most comments on it for the entire year. I was very excited and pleased by this, but I'm not saying that to brag. I'm saying that because I'm trying to figure out why. I've had at least one person outright tell me I didn't understand Rossi's character if I believed a certain thing about a given episode (for all intents and purposes, but I think it was a simple case of misunderstanding, as I didn't want to give away the ending) on one review, and I took it with a grain of salt and moved on. Now I have this comment. BOTH disagreeing comments have come on reviews in which I loved the episode. Again, odd. Seriously, do people like it better when I snark about things? *G*
Anyway, I got off subject again. What I'm wondering (what I think will help me grow as a writer, even, to know) is: what it is that compels people to comment to my reviews? I've gotten top comments one month (and because of that month, for the overall year), but I've been a contender most months that I've written for TTC. So, why? Because I'm honest and don't gush about everything? Because I try to have a sense of humor about it? Because I'm snarky and opinionated and I don't care if you disagree with me? *coooouuuugh* These are all actually things I worry about when I write my reviews. I keep thinking one day KP (the head writer) is going to email me and go "you can't say THAT!" To his credit, he never has, but I worry sometimes about where the line is. And now I wonder if I get more comments simply because I toe the line. Or am I completely wrong? I could be; I often read people write about themselves and think, "man, wtf? Is s/he looking at the same person I am?" (And the answer is no. No one sees themselves objectively, and no one sees other people objectively.) Do I not actually push enough/at all? Am I getting comments for a completely different reason? I'd like to think my reviews are at least intelligent, but I don't think I'm unusually insightful. I don't look at things like how CM fits into the grand scheme of the world, and though there have been exceptions, I generally don't think about things like social implications of the choices the show makes (though, in all fairness, I think that's partly because they show is usually doesn't make blunders about those things), etc. etc. I don't think about themes throughout the season, or what I think it means that Reid is wearing a tie pin now. I mostly let other people think about those things, and I nod and listen, and say, "good point" and "aren't you smart! I wish I'd thought of that", but it's not part of my natural view of the world, and therefore the show.
God, I'm rambling. Worse, I'm rambling self-indulgently about my own writing. *sigh* I would like opinions, if you have any, though, and while I would always prefer to have a "face to face" conversation with someone, anon comments are always turned on in this journal.
I have people with varying opinions on character/ships on my flist. I have people on my flist that I enjoy talking to and like very much whose ships/favorite characters I simply cannot, or will not, even read. I have people on my flist who seem to literally not be able to stand each other over differing opinions on characters/ships/fandom things, which I find sort of odd (so long as opinions are not hurting anyone or incorporated into something that is supposed to be accessible to the entire fandom, why does it matter?) I find the diversity of opinion stimulating. If you don't like x-character/ship that I do (or like one I don't), tell me why! I might debate the point with you, if I'm so inclined, even if I know full well I may not change your opinion, and you're welcome to debate it right back. So long as everyone stays civil and respectful, it's exactly the sort of thing I like.
As Isaac in Sports Night once said (and he may have been quoting someone; I don't know), "A stupid man surrounds himself with smart people. A smart man surrounds himself with smart people who disagree with him." (Man, I wish more politicians would listen to that. Heh.) If everyone tells me I'm awesome (which I love, btw... just saying ^_~), I become insulated in my little cocoon of awesomesauce, and I never grow (of course, it helps me that no matter what you say, I am never satisfied). If you disagree with me and make a good point, I don't mind saying that, or even outright admitting if I'm wrong. If you make a good point and don't change my mind right at that moment, you've at least given me something to think about, and who knows, maybe I might change my mind later.
Whoa, I've gone way off topic. I honestly don't think the comments I linked were worthy of this level of introspection, but I think it spurred something in my head that I've been wanting to say for a few days (maybe longer) now, in a much nicer way that my original intent to say them would have come out. So you get it all in one big chunk of random, and everyone wins. :)
Back to the point: What I think is funny is that I got this comment (and the one above from the same person, who is obviously not reading my words very carefully) on a R&R in which I adored the episode. The ones where I have been, in
innerslytherin's words when she proofread for me, "a bit harsh," have either gotten no reply, or mostly replies in agreement. O.o Recently, the year end stats for the site got emailed out to everyone, and apparently, I had the story with the most comments on it for the entire year. I was very excited and pleased by this, but I'm not saying that to brag. I'm saying that because I'm trying to figure out why. I've had at least one person outright tell me I didn't understand Rossi's character if I believed a certain thing about a given episode (for all intents and purposes, but I think it was a simple case of misunderstanding, as I didn't want to give away the ending) on one review, and I took it with a grain of salt and moved on. Now I have this comment. BOTH disagreeing comments have come on reviews in which I loved the episode. Again, odd. Seriously, do people like it better when I snark about things? *G*
Anyway, I got off subject again. What I'm wondering (what I think will help me grow as a writer, even, to know) is: what it is that compels people to comment to my reviews? I've gotten top comments one month (and because of that month, for the overall year), but I've been a contender most months that I've written for TTC. So, why? Because I'm honest and don't gush about everything? Because I try to have a sense of humor about it? Because I'm snarky and opinionated and I don't care if you disagree with me? *coooouuuugh* These are all actually things I worry about when I write my reviews. I keep thinking one day KP (the head writer) is going to email me and go "you can't say THAT!" To his credit, he never has, but I worry sometimes about where the line is. And now I wonder if I get more comments simply because I toe the line. Or am I completely wrong? I could be; I often read people write about themselves and think, "man, wtf? Is s/he looking at the same person I am?" (And the answer is no. No one sees themselves objectively, and no one sees other people objectively.) Do I not actually push enough/at all? Am I getting comments for a completely different reason? I'd like to think my reviews are at least intelligent, but I don't think I'm unusually insightful. I don't look at things like how CM fits into the grand scheme of the world, and though there have been exceptions, I generally don't think about things like social implications of the choices the show makes (though, in all fairness, I think that's partly because they show is usually doesn't make blunders about those things), etc. etc. I don't think about themes throughout the season, or what I think it means that Reid is wearing a tie pin now. I mostly let other people think about those things, and I nod and listen, and say, "good point" and "aren't you smart! I wish I'd thought of that", but it's not part of my natural view of the world, and therefore the show.
God, I'm rambling. Worse, I'm rambling self-indulgently about my own writing. *sigh* I would like opinions, if you have any, though, and while I would always prefer to have a "face to face" conversation with someone, anon comments are always turned on in this journal.
