When Bad Fanfic Happens to Good Characters, Part IIIA

[mark_asphodel]

 Moving along with the real Part Three: Canon, What Canon?  Also not about Fire Emblem, FYI.

Okey-dokey. Now we roll up the sleeves and take on the big targets. Fire Emblem fandom, for good or ill, has nothing on the 900-pound silverback gorillas elsewhere on the Internets.

Prior to Fire Emblem, my fandom of interest was Harry Potter. I do not think they are really great books with the exception of Prisoner of Azkaban, but that is neither here nor there. I was in the fandom for the fandom, because it was a hell of a lot more fun than re-reading Chamber of Secrets. And by “fun,” I of course mean “batshit crazy.“

Now, part of the crazy fun, up to the release of Deathly Hallows, was anticipating and predicting where things would go next. Whereas the first four books flowed in a logical sequence, the last three in the series introduced shifts in tone, plot twists and devices out of nowhere (wtf Horcruxes? wtf Deathly Hallows? wtf inbred snake-handling sociopaths?) that left fans in a lather of their own wank for months after the release party. Online “theorists” would stew and retool their theories, LJ comms rose and fell, and it made for a merry spectator sport.

But, at last, HP and the Deathly Hallows landed in our midst with an apocalyptic thump, canon officially closed (except for all the author interviews), and it was time to collect on the bets. And the more batshit among us went raving, drooling, fucking insane.

The Harry/Hermione fans (I used to be one) had been consigned to the fandom short bus since Half-Blood Prince, but the Snape fans really went over the edge in book seven. Rather, a subset of Snape fans. A very vocal subset. And so we find, scattered on LJ and elsewhere, these pockets of grieving and resentful fans-- petulant toward Harry Potter, filled with resentment and hatred of Albus Dumbledore, and most of all angry at one Jo Rowling for “tricking” them. I will not name names, but the most innocuous of the lot is the cheerfully deranged character responsible for a collection of “theories” entitled “The Great Grey Spot,” which are maybe 3% canonical evidence and 97% moonshine and fairy dust. The chick is a nut, one who seems to think that “Jo is leading [her] on” and there’s some real, as-yet-unpublished truth Out There somewhere.

And then there are the Snapewives and other sad cases who just don’t seem to have been reading the same books the rest of us picked up. I don’t want to get into the moral or mental deficiencies exhibited by these people, but there’s a hell of a difference between proclaiming the Death of the Author and just Making Shit Up.

And these ladies are Making Shit Up. Canon, what canon? Oh, you mean the books about that little asswipe Harry James Potter, scion of that privileged and bullying twat James Potter, who SO deserved to be murdered at the age of twenty-one, which would have left his red-headed slut of a wife free to be claimed by her true love, Sev--

Excuse me. I need to go retch all over the floor.

Oh, yes, the fanfiction. There is quite a lot of “denial” fanfiction out there, and the meta-theorist Red Hen has a number of the classics archived at her Red Hen Publications site. I’ve read ‘em and enjoyed some of them despite the, er, tenuous connection to canon. But those were the cream of the literary crop; most of the reactionary HP ‘fics are as wacky as you’d expect, the product of minds who don’t understand that they are “loving” their characters-- mostly Snape, Draco, and the other Slytherins-- right into oblivion. They don’t understand that the things they celebrate are either not IN the canon characterizations, or are the things that we, the readers, are not supposed to embrace. Like the, er, bigotry and hatred and stuff.

There are, and always will be, characters whose full potential is not recognized by the author/creator. It happens. But the Snape “reclaimed” from his canonical grave by fanatics isn’t so much a character that Rowling neglected as one that never fucking existed, save in the minds of said fanatics... and in their own fanfiction.

Kind of like the Lord Snape of Snape Manor idea that Half-Blood Prince finally quashed.

Anyone who's hung out with me for a while probably has a sense of what's coming in Part IIIB.  That is, the ne plus ultra of Canon, What Canon?

Comments

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

I remember an essay that decried HBP as "an out of character fanfic" simply because Harry and Hermione didn't get together. That will always make me facepalm.

And I can't take rabid Snapefen seriously anymore thanks to the Snapewives. XD

[xirysa.livejournal.com]

I remember an essay that decried HBP as "an out of character fanfic" simply because Harry and Hermione didn't get together.

I... What? May I see this please?

[sarajayechan.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I don't remember where it is. :(

[xirysa.livejournal.com]

Perhaps this is a good thing?

[wolfraven80.livejournal.com]

I didn't read that particular essay, but I can understand where the feeling came from even if the essay probably went over the top. But at the time, many people felt that way. It wasn't only because the ship didn't happen; it was also because the sixth book had a different tone than many of the past ones, especially the one that preceded it and a lot of people felt alienated by that. Hermione's role in the sixth book was greatly reduced and she seemed more interested in dating problems than plot issues. The whole books seemed frivolous compared to the dark fifth one.

The thing is, when you spend two year between books expecting one sort of story, reading lots of fanfic, and sharing theories, and then the book suddenly arrives and is so completely different (and not in a pleasing way) the discordance between expectation and reality can be jarring.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

It wasn't only because the ship didn't happen; it was also because the sixth book had a different tone than many of the past ones, especially the one that preceded it and a lot of people felt alienated by that. Hermione's role in the sixth book was greatly reduced and she seemed more interested in dating problems than plot issues. The whole books seemed frivolous compared to the dark fifth one.

I am completely in agreement with this.

The saddest side-effect of the craziest fans is that their hyperbolic criticisms make it all the more difficult for genuine good-faith crit of the books to be received. The books do have flaws, inconsistencies, and a lot of wtf-ery toward the end that all the interviews in the world can't smoothe away (if some things were THAT important, then they should've been in the text!).

But point this out, and the response is, "Oh, you're sore about the shipping."

No, sorry. I got off the HMS Harmony a looooong time ago. That still doesn't make it any less bizarre to introduce a concept like the Deathly Hallows in Book Seven of a seven-book-series.

It doesn't make Harry's inability to perform a healing spell (after we see him doing just that in HBP) in DH any less ridiculous.

Etc.

[shimizu-hitomi.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I think this was a common sentiment among various sections of fandom.

HP = hotbed of crazy

[raphiael]

what.
I shouldn't talk, as my little circle of acquaintances in high school went off the deep end, because Snape and Harry never ended up together.
:[

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

...Snape AND Harry?

[raphiael]

Mmmhmmm.
Beautiful imagery, no?

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

I mean, how does that even work?

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

It can't, it didn't, it never will.

Draco/Hermione was popular too, though. I mean, REALLY NOW.

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

That is... what?

[raphiael]

From the pieces I edited for friends (human doormat here), a lot of OOC and "kinky=edgy". Believe me when I say I don't think Rowling meant dungeons the way these acquaintances assumed she did. I mean. Not that kink is bad, but uhh. It was bad.

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

Presumably because of the 'a lot of OOC' part? Haha.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Met up with high-school friends at Christmas. Both were sore that Hermione/Viktor and Harry/Luna weren't blessed by canon.

But that's still more sane than Harry/Snape. A lot more.

[raphiael]

Yeah, see. Those kind of make sense.
"Snarry"? I never got it. Never. I hope to remain that way.

[shimizu-hitomi.livejournal.com]

Hehe. I was on the outskirts of HP fandom for a few years mostly because I found all the theorizing really entertaining (was a huge fan of Red Hen), and I admit to being a Snape fan too, but YEAH. After Deathly Hallows, the fandom kinda exploded and the theories were no longer so much "fun" as just plain insane and deluded. All the resulting anger and resentment was kind of... an eye-opener for me. (I know exactly which theory collection you're talking about o_O -- and it was nuts to the point that it was fun to follow until I realized that she and various others were actually taking it pretty seriously)

Then again, Deathly Hallows also left me uninterested in pretty much everything HP except for Dumbledore/Grindelwald (which I picked up the subtext for looong before the interview reveal and was pretty tickled by) so obviously I wasn't nearly as invested as some of these folks were by their interpretations. XD

there’s a hell of a difference between proclaiming the Death of the Author and just Making Shit Up

That's the most precise way I've ever seen anyone put it. XD Basically, WORD.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

was a huge fan of Red Hen

Me too. Spent hours there. I learned a lot from reading that site, though-- including the danger of building ultra-complex, towering theories out of your own idiosyncratic take on canon! I remember reading her (pre-HP6) essay on Hermione, finishing it, and feeling like I was coming up for air after being held under some very murky water for entirely too long. There was a lot right about that essay, but it went some veeeeery strange places.

Whenever I've noodled on about people going so far into their own interpretation of canon that they've lost any grasp on actual canon, that's the sort of stuff I'm really worried about. And the sort of stuff I've worried about becoming.

I know exactly which theory collection you're talking about o_O

Yeah, I lost a lot of respect for Red Hen once she teamed up with swythyv and professor_mum after HP6. The latter two were both so obviously nutso that it made me question Red Hen's judgment.

(which I picked up the subtext for looong before the interview reveal and was pretty tickled by

Yah, me too! :D

Thanks!

[xirysa.livejournal.com]

HP fandom is one I'm glad I've never been a part of--it would've ruined everything I loved about them for me. (Then again, I did start reading them as an impressionable seven year old, so.) I lurked wayyy on the edges, but most of my fangirling was done with very close RL friends and my siblings.

I do not think they are really great books with the exception of Prisoner of Azkaban

PoA was my favorite book by far--yet everyone I know says that it's their least favorite. (This makes me sad.)

But. Ahem. It's the fans like those that make me keep my love for Severus Snape a secret in general. He's my favorite character, but if there are going to be so many batshit insane fans? I'm not going to let them know that I like Snape so that they can try to recruit me into their crazy-ass theories and conspiracies and whatever.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

yet everyone I know says that it's their least favorite. (This makes me sad.)

Seriously? But it works so well... and is so concise compared with anything that came after it. I think it's easily the best of the lot on any number of levels.

[xirysa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. Like, the only other person I know RL who loves the third book as much as I do is my best friend. Which is sad, because I think it works the best for the exact reasons you listed.

[hooves.livejournal.com]

I will never read the books. I have the movies two feet away waiting to be watched. But I honestly do not care. (YAWN.)

The fandom actually pushed me further away. That and I can't say I care for ongoing series' very much if I can't figure out what's going to happen. I have to always be right.

Too many conspiracy theories in fandoms like that. NO THANKS.

But I kind of assumed there'd be about a billion people writing Snape wrong. JUST LOOK AT HIM. He's OOC bait!

which are maybe 3% canonical evidence and 97% moonshine and fairy dust.

...I laughed. This just. It's so scary and yet. I am not surprised.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

JUST LOOK AT HIM. He's OOC bait!

Yeah.

Well, the movies didn't help. Alan Rickman is awesome and all, but Snape is a young man when the series begins. He's still quite young when he dies. The movies warped a lot of fan-minds.

It's so scary and yet. I am not surprised.

Heh.

Well, crap. I mean... imagine the most jacked-up things you've ever seen about Fire Emblem, throw them in a blender, crank up the crazy by a million percent, and you might be close.

I can't even PARODY some of these ideas. They're just too weird.

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

I will admit, I am a fan of Harry and Hermione still, and I do have some issues with how the Ron/Hermione relationship played out, but eh.

My other pairing in HP is James/Lily, for some reason (I do not typically enjoy pairings where the characters are already dead by background).

But the way certain fans make Snape out to be is quite... incredible. Especially if they wanted him to end up with Lily.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

I will admit, I am a fan of Harry and Hermione still, and I do have some issues with how the Ron/Hermione relationship played out, but eh.

I agree. I mean, I do mentally prefer Harry/Hermione, but I am so exhausted by HP in general that I can't be excited about any of it in a positive way. Got 'fic recs for H/Hr?

My other pairing in HP is James/Lily, for some reason

Eh. I wish we'd seen more of James when he was being the person Lily fell in love with. It would've been nice on its own merits and might have counteracted some of the "OMG James was a horrible person who deserved to die" wank.

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

Lost all my bookmarks from before, but I remember some are good without having to characterise Ron as some terrible puppy-kicking loser.

And agreed. I wish she showed more on James in his seventh year. But that is not too bad, since we do get the implication that he became a better person (saving Snape, for one).

I think, from her interviews and the way she writes some of the relationships in HP, there might be some... fundamental disconnect between the author's view of a good relationship and mine.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

there might be some... fundamental disconnect between the author's view of a good relationship and mine.

I couldn't agree more. Her idea of the ideal marriage and the ideal family is certainly not mine.

[And, to be frank? I LOATHE Harry/Ginny. Not because it "got in the way" of Harry/Hermione. I do not see it as a good, healthy relationship.]

Ooh, now you've got me all stirred up again!

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

You started it by writing about HP and mentioning Harry/Hermione :p

But yeah.

I actually like Ron less in DH, and H/Hr more due to her sticking with him despite the going getting tougher.

[wolfraven80.livejournal.com]

Ah this post brought back memories. When you started talking about how insane the fandom is I had to smile. It was crazed and I've never wank like there was in HP. I don't really know the theories you're talking about as I stopped having anything to do with the fandom years ago, but after some of the incidents I have heard about -- sock puppet accounts, Cassie Claire's plagiarism, etc. -- I'm not sure much would surprise me anymore. ;)

I basically went looking for greener pastures after the debacle that was HPB. I was a Harry/Hermoine shipper in the worst sort of way, and while I might have gotten over the fact that the ship turned out to be nothing but a very pretty pipedream, I couldn't deal with the infamous interview that came out afterwards, the one done by the fellow who ran Mugglenet iirc, the one that had H/H shippers labelled as delusional. The tone of that whole interview was very hurtful to a lot of people I cared about, and to feel scorned by the very author whose work you'd admired was painful. So most of us just sort of went our own ways over the year that followed.

I think what's really fascinating about the books, though, is how these characters inspire this kind of fervency in people. A lot of people who get into fandom do so because something -- or usually someone-- hooks them. For me it was Hermione. I read the books right after grad school so I related to this bookish, brainy girl. I have a friend whose interest in the series lies with Snape, not for shipping purposes, but because she sees him as a sort of model or archetype of redemption. For other people it's something else and most of the time I can't even pretend to understand what that is, but there's something about Rowling's world and cast of characters that allows people to project onto them very powerfully.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure much would surprise me anymore.

All that and Steve Vander Ark. You name it, HP fandom's done it.

The tone of that whole interview was very hurtful to a lot of people I cared about, and to feel scorned by the very author whose work you'd admired was painful.

Indeed. There's being wrong, and being... spat on. Plus I had the feeling of, "If we're so wrong, Jo, why did the movies YOU authorized make such a good argument for H/Hr?"

It's nice to meet other H/Hr fans. :)

I read the books right after grad school so I related to this bookish, brainy girl.

Oh, yes. One of the best, most accurate portrayals of the Brainy Girl I've ever seen... right down to the genuine unpopularity. There's that line in, I think, Book 5 about how the rest of the House has simply "gotten used to her."

I read the first two books when I was in college and frankly hated them. I thought they were lousy Roald Dalh pastiches. Didn't get into them until years later, when a (male) co-worker loaned me Prisoner of Azkaban, and then it all clicked.

but there's something about Rowling's world and cast of characters that allows people to project onto them very powerfully.

Very much so. Though I was always fairly detached, for an HP fan anyway. Hermione cut close to the bone in some ways, and Harry in others, but I at least had enough detachment to enjoy all the weirdness of fandom without being much caught up in it. Until after HP7... it was just too much.

[korsriddare.livejournal.com]

Aha, apparently a few of us FE fans do like H/Hr.

[wolfraven80.livejournal.com]

Aha, apparently a few of us FE fans do like H/Hr.

See I knew I'd joined the right fandom! ;)

[writerawakened.livejournal.com]

Full disclosure: I'm a Harry/Luna 'shipper (yes, you can laugh :P) but nothing in the stories really drew me in like it did with so many others. I enjoyed each of the books on its own merit, but I think the series lost a little bit of its...charm, maybe? By the last two books I think it lost a little...je ne sais quoi. Not to say there weren't irritants in the first few, though (3-5 were my favorites, though I'll admit I don't remember any of them well enough to pick out specifics XD).

I wouldn't touch the HP fandom with a 39 1/2 foot pole. In some respects just how large it is puts me off a little (and of course, there are the crazies, which are common everywhere in fandom but, at least looking from an outsider's perspective, are ubiquitous in, among others, HP fandom.)

Also, I share your dislike of Harry/Ginny. And specifically, the "epilogue" of DH read, to me, like bad fan-serving (maybe self-serving) fanfiction by JKR. It literally made me cringe.

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

Full disclosure: I'm a Harry/Luna 'shipper (yes, you can laugh :P

I actually think it's a lovely relationship; I just didn't expect it to happen, and so can't claim to be upset that it didn't. I think it's a far better relationship than the one he'll have with Ginny... I love that Luna recognized Harry through the Polyjuice Potion in HP7.

3-5 were my favorites

Mine too. 1-2 I actually didn't care for (I have never re-read either of them after the initial read back in '99 or so). 6-7 I read a couple of times apiece but things seemed to be going off the rails by then.

In some respects just how large it is puts me off a little

With a fandom that large, you can find subsets that cater to your interest and basically ignore huge swathes of the other fans. Unfortunately, the subsets are where the crazy tends to incubate-- for that very reason!

And specifically, the "epilogue" of DH read, to me, like bad fan-serving (maybe self-serving) fanfiction by JKR. It literally made me cringe.

I was not pleased by it in the least. But in some circles, criticizing the epilogue is enough to get you tarred and feathered as a crazy.

JKR did some great things in the course of those seven books, but the quality was seriously variable and they simply aren't Holy Writ. If I can admit that Homer had continuity goofs and Shakespeare had some really iffy plays, I can say that the DH epilogue was Not Very Good.

[samuraiter.livejournal.com]

HP fandom is a megalith, but I do admit to having dabbled in it a bit in recent years. *cough* I read only at the Restricted Section, though. (Post-Hallows, adult characters, etc.)

[mark-asphodel.livejournal.com]

There were some good post-Hogwarts Snape/Hermione stories. Sure, they all featured some variant of fanon!Snape and fanon!Hermione, but were good reads nonetheless.

I think DH killed off that branch of fandom, though.

[sailorvfan10.livejournal.com]

One of my best friends was a Harry/Hermione shipper. I was always rooting for Ron/Hermione, along with our other best friend.

We got along just fiiiiine. We laughed at the batshit of Harry Potter fandom, which I was apart of very, very, VERY briefly. It's how I met other best friend, in fact, when I was in seventh grade, and I was at my job at the school and I was writing and she corrected it for me. BFFs over betaing fic, hell yeah.

Those batshit Harry/Hermione fans made all the sane ones look bad. Hell, the batshit fans made the sane ones look bad PERIOD. Geez.

Anyone who's hung out with me for a while probably has a sense of what's coming in Part IIIB. That is, the ne plus ultra of Canon, What Canon?
I think I know but I don't want to say in case I'm wrong, so I will just wait and see if I'm right or not.