BLOGGER, CARTOONIST, CYCLIST, BEARD OWNER & NORTHMAN

DESCENDED FROM NORSE KINGS & NORMAN INVADERS

Thursday, 11 October 2018

1810.10 HATERS AND GATEKEEPERS


This post is a bit of a rant. Everyone knows that I love sci fi and we've got some good sci fi around at the moment. This isn't about the shows though, it's about the fans - well some of them anyway.

It's nothing new, it's something that's been around for years. The disgusted would write letters to production companies, magazines and newspapers to complain that their beloved show wasn't quite following the path that they expected. Today that rage and disappointment has a bigger audience via social media and the results can be downright disgusting. 

OK, we all have opinions and I respect everyone has the right to express their opinions. This falls down when peoples opinions don't agree and it's at this point my blood boils. If someone doesn't like something then by all means express yourself but don't then take on the role of 'gatekeeper', that is the attitude that you are right, everyone else is wrong and all those with opposing opinions must be 'put right'. 

Star Trek Discovery (c) CBS Television
I love Star Trek. I love the latest incarnation; Star Trek - Discovery. It's brilliant - it is Star Trek. There are people who disagree, they say that it's just 'not canon' (ie: it doesn't fit into the series that have gone before). To those people, watch The Original Series - it's plot holes and inconsistencies are all over the place. Is it Star Trek? Of course it is. The point is, it's entertainment - it's fiction - it's supposed to be enjoyed. 


Doctor Who (c) BBC
I also love Doctor Who. The uproar that went out when the latest incarnation was revealed to be a female was disgusting. They ranted on about being 'PC' for the sake of it. They had an issue that an alien that has the ability to 'regenerate' into a completely new person (and it's been long established that is not constrained by gender) suddenly becomes a woman. Then after the first episode was shown and people realised it was OK for the Doctor to be a woman a number of people took to social media to complain about her Yorkshire accent. I have a Yorkshire accent and I say "Get over yourselves". 

If you are a fan of a TV show or movie franchise you don't automatically become the owner. You are one of many, you are a consumer - a customer and whist I respect your right to have a little moan if it's not quite hit the spot but don't for one minute think you have the right to tell me or anyone else what's good or bad. 

I think I'll leave it at that, rant over. 

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