A poll cuz I'm curious

[salinea]

Usually when your interest in a fandom turns sour, why is that?

[Poll #1213954]

Drop a comment if you have anything to add!

Comments

[mithrigil.livejournal.com]

I've been in video game fandom for most of my tenure in fandom at all. That probably contributes to the lack of relevancy as far as updated canon goes. A console RPG is player-dependent, to an extent, and also usually finite. So there doesn't have to be new canon or excitement in order to keep my interest, since I can experience the canon at any time and people less often play a game the instant it comes out than as with anime.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

interesting. I though even video games had a "life" after which they stopped being much fun to play.


Although so far lack of new canon appears not to be relevent for most people.

[laurus-nobilis.livejournal.com]

To give examples of the things that annoy me:

Canon has been in suspension for some time - I was a lot less interested in the Harry Potter fandom in between books (once the new-book-OMG excitement wore down, of course) than I am now. I think the thing with a closed canon is that once you know you won't get anything new, there's no fear of being Jossed and no rush to finish projects until the next bit comes out.

New canon contains infuriating material - Tsubasa and LOST, I'm looking at YOU. I tend to give canons a chance and stick around when there's something I don't like, because I might still like other things or they might come up with something new, but... when it becomes obvious that I'm not going to like it again no matter what they do, I'm out.

Eternal wank & flames about the same subject - I've found this in every fandom ever, actually. ;P But it only makes me lose interest in those sectors of fandom; once I've been around long enough, I know were not to look, and focus on the corners of fandom I actually enjoy.

[werthead.livejournal.com]

Well, just a reader's perspective, not a fanficcers:

Here's another one: too much canon. There are some worlds like Jordans or Eriksons or Forgotten Realms or Doctor Who or Star Trek where things are getting to the point where there is just so much stuff to keep straight that you get to the point where you just don't care any more and find yourself crying out for a reboot of the franchise (as Who has done and Trek and FR are about to do).

From the list, lack of new canon as you say definitely doesn't seem to be a problem. It's been what, six years since Firefly was canned and that seems as popular as ever. Something in the same vein is if there hasn't bee new canon for a long time and the fans have had a lot of time to do their own stuff and suddenly something new does come along. StarCraft is a popular PC game universe with a ton of fans who've had nine years to write stories set there and come up with ideas on how things have developed, and next year we're getting the official continuation of the storyline. If the creators mess it up, it may turn a lot fans off the subject altogether.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

When you say loss of interest in "fandom", you mean, just interacting with other people around a show/book/etc., or actually no longer watching the canon material, either?

[elihice.livejournal.com]

On the matter of new canon, I would say it really depends on the fandom. due South ended years ago and the fandom is one the most organized, non-wanky and strong I've seen. Maybe because it ended with hero happy going into the sunset with his partner.

I'm tempted to say that some canons will also never die and that is not necessarily a good thing:

example A: Star wars: yes, there's books and some are awesome and we all love worldbuilding and "Luke, I'm your father" is historic. But. There's also Jar Jar Binks. And the NOOOOOOOOOOOO. Let's not touch the big ball of wank that huge fandoms are for now.

example B: Inuyasha. Yes, it did end like two months ago. It also took years with no much change in the plot. (I hadn't read the canon in four years and yet there was absolutely no surprise in the ending at all)

Some canons take years to end but they do it right (Saiyuki. Now there's plot and character development. You couldn't see this ending from the start. This is good)

If I already love a canon, fandom rarely decides if I cling or let go of a canon. It really makes a difference if the canon ended because fandom changes a lot while you are getting new canon and everyone is insisting OMGNOES I WANTED IT TO GO THAT WAY. Please Doctor Who fandom, don't be like this

[rebbe]

Hmmm... I've never really thought of this before? So I can't answer the poll, 'cause I just don't know at all. Sorry!

[sakanagi.livejournal.com]

Interesting poll.

Now that I've read what people have said in the 'other factors' section, I would add that I agree with what elihice said about neverending plots. They can just sap interest in a fandom. Especially with Inu-Yasha! I used to be a fan of the series but then it just. Wouldn't. End.

[solesakuma]

I actually rather read closed canons and tend to get ideas for fic only after it's closed.

[shiinabambi.livejournal.com]

Bad canon can do this, but sometimes a certain degree of bad is required for me to even want to add anything. (Probably why I stuck in Inuyasha for so long.) I'm one of those poor fools that really really loves where Tsubasa is going, and so I feel reluctant to add anything. Kind of the same with Avatar. My standards are just higher.

I find other fen bashing stuff I like only makes me more interested in a fandom. Wank is still a form of discussion! While I'm arguing about how this character IS SO awesome so STFU, I'm actively thinking about the series. I want to make fanwork of the bashed character or ship to show the world how cool I think they are. When no one cares enough to disagree, that's a bad sign for the fandom.

Sometimes, though, the old fandom didn't do anything wrong, the new one was just particularly shiny.

[busaikko]

As a writer, I *hate hate hate* having to write in a justification for stupid canon into every story (how to get rid of Tonks, raise people back from the dead, etc. etc.). It gets boring. That's one of the joys of the AU, the freedom!