I feel most fandoms especially nowadays donāt take well to and refuse any and all criticisms either good or bad, on top of not allowing different opinions unless itās praising and being a yes man or a hive-mind mentality.ļæ¼
People have grown a parasocial and unhealthy relationship to the point they see the slightest bit of criticism or someone not liking the same character as them as personal attacks on themselves and will get extremely defensive and harass you, acting as if the characters are real people.ļæ¼
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This is a huge issue in a lot of fandoms, yes. Itās really dangerous not just to the people in the fans base but to the creators themselves.
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Even tho the show ain't out yet, I can already see and hear the DAWM fandom complaining how NSFW artists always ruining the fandom, people shouldn't be allowed to lewd the characters because they're too wholesome/from a childrenās tv show (despite all the characters being adults with jobs and Homes), and wanting a 100% wholesome fandom free of anything remotely sexual or suggestive.
(A repeat of how the WH fandom freaked out and attacked those who made NSFW/suggestive works either via harassment, straight-up wishing death upon, or calling NSFW artists mentally ill)
I already know that will happen and itās honestly so tiring. I promise the nsfw artists arenāt the ones ruining fandom or making them toxic. These people really need to look in the mirror if they want to find the real source of 90% of fandom toxicity and why fandoms die.
Adults in fandom will make adult content. Whatās important is that we keep content in their respective spaces via tags.
These people really give āthis is my first fandomā because none of them understand fandom etiquette like at all. Welcome home is a clear example of that toxicity, but Clownās actions are a great example of what you SHOULD do in fandom.
- Pierrot
Iām an nsfw artist. I love drawing nsfw and being apart of this fandom seems like it would be hell for someone like me who finds value in art like that. I genuinely hate the idea that nsfw art ruins fandom when itās literally the backbone of fandom. Itās like the fujoshis are the backbone of fandom also. They keep fandom alive. To exclude a group because it personally makes you uncomfortable that people have sex is dumb. You canāt keep adults out of fandom, no matter what it is. But you know what you can do? Moderate!! Make a space for the adults and gooners. Make a space so that you go in only if you want to see that. Make sure people use proper tags, yknowā¦ fandom etiquetteā¦ the creator doesnāt even need to know about whatās in those tags and it would keep fandom safe and fun for everyone.
Just popping in with a few more ship names I made! This is so fun!
(Wally x Roy ship) = Apple of My Eye, or All Eyes on Me. (they both have eye motifs and Wallyās associated with Apples)
(Roy x Bertie) = Camera Shy.
(Muffin x Roy) = Lunch Break or Cooking Show,
(Sally Starlight x Roy) = Guest Star, Soap Opera, and Lights, Camera, Spotlight!
(Sally Starlight x Teddy) = Show stealers, Dramatic Dio, Theater Drama, or Spotlight theft. (Both love being the center of attention and no doubt try to one-up the other on sage)
(Sally x Archie) = Wishing Star, Shooting Star, Big Breams, and Rising Star, or Superstar.
Ooooh I like Camera shy š and Apple of my eye is so clever AGH
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With Archie confirmed as trans (Mage posted about him for trans visibility day not long ago on twitter), Iām worried a good portion of the fandomās going to fetishize or be transphobic in some way towards him. The amount of times iāve seen trans man treated poorly by fans either completely erasing/ignoring them being trans or fetishizing them as the soft, small, defenseless submissive feminine-looking male in mlm relationships is gross to me.
While I understand generally where youāre coming from, I would like to note that it is not āfetishisticā in itself to depict a trans man as āfeminineā or the submissive in an MLM relationship. I say this as trans masc myself (and Jester is also a trans man that aligns with this). Just be mindful not to make broad statements that might invalidate trans men/trans mascs that do align with that presentation and expression, because many do align with being more feminine or being submissive. Some do prefer to present as a feminine man, no different from how many cis men are femboys or prefer to present more feminine or submissive while still being a man. Many get erased and shamed for it as ābeing a fake trans manā (which is both transphobic and misogynistic as you are implying a woman is only capable of being those things as well as if a trans man does it then they may as well just be a womanā¦yuck.) or that they are āmaking trans men look badā which is also problematic and is transphobic. Iām not saying you are doing any of that, Iām only mentioning this perspective so you could be mindful of it when it comes to the topic or what people are quick to call āfetishisticā. (Rule of thumb, if a cis man is allowed to do it and their identity is not questioned nor are they referred to as fetishistic, why canāt a trans man?).
I do agree on the erasure, and how people will at times make them cis anyways, and such. However, we do have to understand that we cannot control everyone in a fandom. I may not agree with it, but you canāt force people to always adhere to canon in their fan works or interpretations. Thatās where we get people who take it a step too far and start policing others. Itās one thing to inform someone who may not know the identity or the sexuality of a character, itās another to start berating them about it. When it comes to identities like these and sexuality (again in speaking as a trans masc pansexual person myself), as long as the person is aware of whatās canon, I donāt really care what they end up doing in their fanworks. As long as theyāre not posting straight-up hate speech about the canon, I really donāt care. People will ship characters despite canon relationships and specialities, people will envision and draw characters despite canon appearances and identities, people will draw nsfw, will draw them genderbent, will draw them damn near unrecognizable. Thatās what fandom does. it doesnāt affect the canon and like I said, as long as theyāre person is informed about whatās canon and is not doing it out of spite against that canon or something (just look at the way some grown adults reacted to a queer pony couple in MLP being confirmed in the last episode) then what you do in your fanworks or personal interpretations really doesnāt matter much to me. Thereās also the point of how many people will project themselves onto characters like Archie, particularly trans folks who, as mentioned previously, do align with being more feminine and being āsubmissiveā that might see themselves in Archie and thus may portray him closer to how they present themselves, not with the intent of fetishizing. Besides, if I donāt like it or donāt agree with it? Iāll just block them.
- Pierrot
I understand where you may be coming from but donāt call a personal discomfort fetishizing. I am a trans man who identifies with more feminine leaning identity. I also draw nsfw of that. Just because you donāt find personal comfort in feminine, submissive trans men doesnāt mean others donāt. I personally love it because I identify with it and find comfort in it. It doesnāt invalidate you (you general) or anyone else who isnāt that. There isnāt enough of it like people act like there is. There is real life cases of infantalization of trans masc (that we are just women and donāt want to be oppressed or that itās hard living as a woman so we transition). A drawing of a trans masc being soft or submissive or feminine is not the issue but real life people oppressing trans masc. We are incredibly invisible to everyone and your worry is some art that doesnāt align with your identity? Your main concern should be whether or not a person actually believes trans masc people, regardless of how masculine or feminine they are, have a right to exist. Not whether or not they draw a trans man having sex in a way you donāt like, or being depicted in a way that doesnāt align with you. This is something extremely important to me because I am personally tired of being invalidated by this notion that trans men cannot be portrayed as soft or submissive or feminine. A cis man can be but the second a trans man is, suddenly itās the worst thing ever and itās bad for trans men. So what about people like me? Who have long hair and love my curves and is rather feminine? I honestly couldnāt care less if someone depicts their trans masc character as defenseless, they do it all the time to cis feminine men. Why is it suddenly an issue when theyāre trans?
On the topic of them portraying characters as cis, in this case Archie, if it bothers you, block them. I only care if they try to invalidate his gender in the canon. But aus exist and sometimes people just want to draw different, canon divergent ideas. As long as theyāre respectful to trans identities and his identity, what does it matter? Are you going to get mad at people drawing him having sex? Are you going to get mad if people draw him in ways that arenāt canon? Where does the line start and end when we have arbitrary rules of what people are and arenāt allowed to draw because a few people find discomfort? Donāt like it if someone draws Archie as a submissive bottom? Block them and find someone who draws him the way you like. Like i said, your personal discomfort isnāt a good enough reason to act like a depiction is wrong. Trans mascs can be submissive. Trans masc can like the fantasy of being defenseless. I for one am tired of constantly having to be on the defensive. Sometimes I just want to be taken care of. You saw a stereotype and decided you hated it. I think itās gross of you to say that feminine looking masc characters is fetishizing. Just because you want to look like a cis (assuming) man, doesnāt mean others do. Some of us identify with masculinity differently to others. What you see as manly is different for someone else. Stop looking at peopleās personal work as representation of your specific identity. A lot of art is meant to be indulgent. I draw art that makes me happy, not you. I draw trans men being feminine and pretty and submissive because it makes me happy. I love it. It represents me. And Iām always happy to find others who do draw it, regardless of their identity. I just want to consume more of it because it makes me feel validated as a trans man. Anyone can draw any art, as long as it isnāt lgbtphobic, racist or hate speech. But you canāt tell if someoneās transphobic because they drew trans mascs in a way you personally donāt align with. The idea that a masc character is depicted as submissive and defenseless is also typically misunderstood because people refuse to actually interact with the media besides a surface level look at it. The character thatās seen as defenseless always has more depth than that and if they donāt, maybe someone just wanted to make art without much thought? Sometimes people make stuff just for fun. Itās not their fault you didnāt engage deeper with the content besides one look.
It would've been nice if Teddy was an asshole for the sake of being an asshole, esp since most jerk characters nowadays are written as sympathetic or putting on a mask to excuse their behaviorā¦. Turns out Teddyās actually a very, very lonely sad boi hated by most, who's pretending to be an ass to keep others away! (You should check out the DAWM wiki, thereās so many spoilers and key point points revealed on there, you basically know most of and/or figured out the mystery from reading it alone š)
Heās going to get woobify to hell because of this and I already hate it.
It would be cool to have an unapologetically morally gray character or a character that really is just an asshole. It would genuinely be really cool to have a truly complex character where you may not necessarily agree with the things they do or say, but theyāre written so well you canāt help but want to understand them or learn more about them or maybe you just enjoy the way theyāre written.
But sadly thereās been a track record of people in fandom being incapable of handling complex characters (*cough*Jax*cough*Angel Dust*cough*Valentino*).
You give them a complex character that maybe doesnāt do things that are morally okay or isnāt meant to be likeable, and they go ballistic on how āabusiveā they are and anyone who likes them is bad and the spawn of Satan. Yknow, basic lack of media literacy type mentality. They ask for complex characters but cannot dissect said character beyond surface level knee jerk āIām a good person I swearā reactions.
But man I wish Teddy was a big ol jerk that would beat me up verballyā¦(jk)
Idk if you guys know this but Synth has stepped down from his role in DAWM. He announced it on his server and stated that he has no Ill will towards the project it's just personal reasons why he left. Just wanted to let you guys know if you have not heard already.
Really?? Thatās strange, I hope they make an actual public statement on that considering they had publicly announced his role. So if this is true they do need to be transparent about it for everyone else.
Do you have any kind of proof of this? We arenāt on his server so if you could provide any sort of proof that would be good!
