Answer Me This, Flist

[anogete]

I have a question for you, flist.

I was involved in an LJ discussion in a community yesterday, and the crux of it was finding humor through making fun of badly written or executed books/movies/programs/etc. When was was in high school, I was friends with people who spent all of their time making fun of the world - the people, the school we went to, the classwork, the city, everything. They never wanted to discuss real interests with me, nor did they seem to have a true passion for anything. By the time I was a senior, I had cut ties with all of my friends for this reason. I thought I was better off on my own than with people who were so mean, who spent their time making fun of things to make themselves feel better about their empty lives.

Now, let me say that I don't think that everyone who makes fun of something is doing it in a negative way, nor do I think they are all doing it for self defense purposes. Sometimes it is just simply finding humor in a situation. However...

I have never read a book or fanfiction, watched a movie or television program, or gone to a social function with the sole purpose of gathering information so I could make fun of it, be it in my head or to others in person or on the internet. There are so many wonderful things in this world that will entertain and/or touch me. Why would I spend my valuable time on something that I intend to viciously poke fun at? If it's bad, then I don't read it or watch it. Why would I? Humor can be found in so many other things. It doesn't make sense to spend my time being mean. And making fun of something that you consider to be sub par or not measuring up to your high standards is being mean, especially when that something wasn't intended to be bad in the first place. I know, I know... Some movies, books, fanfics are intended to be bad, and that is another matter entirely. The creator has made that piece of media for people to watch/read and giggle over. It is humor. I think it is fairly evident when I come across situations such as these. The movie/book was made to be lovingly poked fun at by fans.

Let's stick with the book example. Why would someone who dislikes a particular book read that book (and other books associated with it) simply to poke fun? Why not read a book you enjoy? If you're looking for a laugh, why not read a humorous book you enjoy? I don't understand why anyone would read something they consider horrible just for the sake of making fun. It comes across as very childish to me. I want to read something that will become important to me, something I will love and enjoy. I don't want to read something stupid and then act like I'm cool because I'm totally making fun of it. How dumb is that?

So, yeah... I guess that's my question. Do you read/watch things for the sole purpose of poking fun at them when you aren't a fan of the creator or piece of media? And, if so, why do you do it? I'm not trying to attack; I'm just trying to understand. Because, on this, my brain just does not compute.

Comments

[transephera.livejournal.com]

I've never quite been able to figure that out myself. I see a lot of people have used AB as an example, and I guess that's a good one; I stopped reading at OB because Ni-chan told me what the later books turned into and I wanted to leave with a good impression. Some series you finish just because you've put so much time into them, like Wheel of Time. I don't think I've ever set out to deliberately bash something, though. On occasion I've watched something just because I knew how horribly awful it was, like Vampires vs. Zombies, just for the campiness, but it wasn't mean spirited (although I did want to throw my shoe at the tv after).

I don't have a good explanation for you; I don't really understand it myself. Maybe it's just an outlet for all of the negative feelings they've repressed that they can't express in a rational manner. No idea.

[anogete.livejournal.com]

I used to run an ABVH fanfiction website and forum, and several people on my flist are or were users of that site. So, it is something many of us have in common. I, too, stopped reading ABVH several years ago. I lasted until CS (which was the second novel after OB). I loved OB because I'm a huge Edward fan. Unfortunately, the series just went downhill from there. It used to be my absolute favorite, but now I can't bring myself to read any of the new novels. I even sold all of my old ones because of the bitterness I was left with after reading NIC and CS. I wish I had stopped when you stopped.

[transephera.livejournal.com]

On one hand I'm glad I stopped where I did, because everyone seems to agree that it was steep downhill from there, but on the other hand...every once in a while I'm tempted to catch up with the series, just out of morbid curiosity I guess. You know, that little voice that asks, "just how bad could it be?" Luckily, I've managed to restrain myself so far.

Edward is my favorite, and I don't know if it's just the name, but I always picture Edward Norton as playing him. I wonder if they'll ever manage a movie? I kinda want to see it, and kinda don't. It could totally go either way.

[anogete.livejournal.com]

Edward Norton is a great choice for Edward.

After OB, Anita becomes afflicted with something called "the ardeur," which means she becomes a sort of psychic vampire that must feed off sexual energy. Basically, this is a plot device to allow Anita to have loads of sex with nearly every male character in the series and then some. She becomes the female head of a wereleopard pard and becomes romantically involved with the leader of that pard. Meanwhile, she is also dating Jean-Claude and Asher. And she's sleeping with several others, including Jason. Her sleeping with Jason totally killed me. Because he's second only to Edward in my mind, and I disliked that she pretty much used him when he shows such genuine affection for her. I've heard (but not read) that Edward marries Donna and eventually begins to teach Peter (Donna's teenage son) the ropes of creature assassination. I think Edward has been greatly tamed in the later novels.

Oh, and Asher's wiener isn't scarred and is impressively large. Thank god she solved that mystery for us.

I still love the first nine (?) books. I enjoyed NIC, but did have many problems with it. CS is when I stopped enjoying the series, despite running a very active website about it. I continued with the website until after ID came out, then I passed it off to three others who had more enthusiasm than I did. I never read ID or the two (I think) that have come out since then. LKH says she has no intention of stopping, and that she will continue to write Anita books until people stop buying them. Which is good for the current fans, I guess. She's also written the Merry Gentry books. I've read three of those, I think. I don't really remember. Maybe just two. They're very similar to the ABVH books. The premise is that Merry (half fae) is forced to have sex with multiple fae men in an effort to become pregnant. Apparently, it is difficult for fae to conceive.