Fanfictions, Fandoms and GamerGate Oh My
By: Emily Lockatell
Of the materials we encountered this past week Diana Floegel’s lecture regarding fandoms and the history of fanfiction has been the most eye-opening to me because I did not really consider how much of an impact these communities really have in society and in turn the way we understand and utilize technology. I always knew about Tumblr and its massive association with fanfiction but I didn’t realize how it as a platform has been shaped and defined by “disruption” as Floegel puts it. The fact that Tumblr, in its lifetime, has been sold three times shows that it is highly popular among these communities but the constant shift of ownership disrupts this form of community engagement and takes the power away from the users/fans. I also assumed for the longest time that these communities were always super accepting and unbiased, I had the impression that these individuals only shared and created content that promotes positive feelings about the fandom they belong to but it is unrealistic to assume this. As Floegel discusses, these communities are all shaped by structural normativity (like any group/community) and this can create rifts between members who joined these groups in order to connect with people who share a common interest. I also learned that fans can have more of a voice than they may realize, after reading Rosalind Hanmer’s article “Xenasubtexttalk,” and how a band of lesbian fans were able to confront the production studio of the Xena: Warrior Princess for trying to censor an episode by withdrawing it. I definitely have a newfound respect for fandoms and the influence they can have to the public and social norms. The articles this week were especially insightful because I don’t personally consider myself to be a part of any specific fandom but I am a fan of various shows, games, movies and other forms of content and I always brush off the amount of say I have in the creation of these forms of content. But after looking at the different ways some people use the digital spheres to reach this producers I feel as though I can help shape the content I engage with and the messages they present.
In relation to internet trolling and abuse online I personally have not been exposed to the degree of harassment that many female video gamers experience on a regular basis but I do know a lot about the overall culture behind sexual harassment in the gaming community. I am the youngest of three with two older brothers who practically taught me everything I know. My brothers really enjoyed playing video games and learning about computers and I followed them around like a shadow so anything they liked I also wanted to try. As one would expect I became very invested in video games and found a lot of comfort in playing them because they acted like an escape for me and the problems of everyday life. Fortunately enough, I was raised in an environment that values respect and acceptance so I came to appreciate these values myself and through my own interactions with other people. I have been lucky enough to be spared the horrific things that people commonly say to girl gamers but it still pains me to know that this behavior is still happening and with startling regularity. Just because I have not experienced it firsthand it is still disturbing to know that women are targeted simply because they are women trying to find a place in a community that is male dominated. There are plenty of videos documenting this kind of abuse online that I have had the displeasure of watching and hearing, I also have had guy friends who spoke similarly to the individuals in the documentary “Get the Fuck Out: Women in Gaming,” where they would encourage these women to “go back to the kitchen where they belong”. It is concerning to see this behavior as being commonplace for gaming communities but it is not limited to these environments as stated in the documentary: this behavior is simply perpetuated by the ability to remain anonymous, these individuals are only confident enough to say it online because they will not face real consequences due to a lack of regulation/self-policing online. I agree that this behavior is a response to the conceived loss of territory that these men are experiencing and it is sustained by deep-rooted cultural norms that convince people that this is just how it is and nothing can change that. Toxic masculinity is not limited to the gaming world, it is a part of culture that has been historically normalized as how things should be.
Despite a technology or forum’s intention for connectivity and positivity there are always going to be people who find ways to take advantage of its freedom in order to spread negativity. I plan to address this concept in my case study in self tracking technology specifically how it is primarily used for improving one’s wellness through tracking an individual’s health and fitness but despite its genuine intentions people will always look for ways to criticize and downplay a person’s achievements. This theme is evident in Lindy West’s article “What Happened When I Confronted My Cruelest Troll,” and how her career as a writer trying to address feminist concerns online made her a target for intense internet harrassment that went as far as involving a fake Twitter account with her dead father’s image. Despite the internet’s achievements in becoming a public tool for information and connectivity it is still used for malicious acts of hate and even threatening violence. The internet provides people the ability to share and comment on any issue that they may feel passionate about with the touch of a button, just like how wearable technology allows people the chance to track their fitness and set personal goals. However these technologies are easily manipulated in order to hurt people, in regards to my case study the Apple Watch collects this quantifiable information for people to use to their advantage but many people will take a quick look at numerical data and invalidate any perceived progress someone may have.
