So I just finished listening to a podcast* where the subject was 'fandom' and I wanted to write down some thoughts I had. Sorry if they are a little disorganized; I think this is a very universal subject, and it deserves all of the intelligent discussion it can get.

Something that gets a lot of focus is why someone doesn't want to identify with a particular fandom label; the example that comes up in the podcast is bronies, but (like many issues involving bronies) this is also very prevalent with the furry fandom. The main reason for not wanting the label is usually because of the negative connotations associated with the fandom. This seems to be a fairly universal human idea (avoiding a label so people don't make assumptions) that is becoming a very big conversation amoungst people who use the internet. Especially as we see the cycle of: new fandom, people start using the label, jerks become visible, now no one wants to use the label anymore.

I think that any conversation about this sort of meta-social concept (I made that up, you like it?) needs to keep in mind why that concept exists in the first place. The whole reason fandom labels exist is because it simplifies things like introductions and conversation between strangers. Similar to the assumptions we make about people based on appearance, labels are supposed to give us a quick grounding with which to interact with a stranger. If you say you're a 'hockey fan' for instance, there are assumptions that you know all of the team names, have a good understanding of how the game works, probably have a favorite team, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to talk to you about the latest game or the current league standings.

I read an [adjective][species] article that talked about something similar; it discussed whether there is an accepted furry 'canon'; having a canon is an essential part of why we have labels for fandom. If someone identifies with a fandom you can assume they have an interest in that fandom's cannon, giving you a place to start interacting with that person.

I know it's a big job to propose fixes to deep societal problems; the biggest challenge tends to be determining who needs to change. But here's my two-cents: when someone says that they identify with a fandom, it could go unsaid that they aren't one of "those people" (you know what I mean) . Then, if it comes out that they do some of those things that you don't like, they hopefully trust you enough to listen when you confront them.

I'm going to have to stop there, I could probably keep going but this is already pretty long. Hope you all have a good summer, and if you want some interesting conversation check out The Derp Show at blog.eximworks.org

*For those interested: I'm talking about the last episode of The Derp Show; a Podcast with Alex Steacy of LRR fame, and Kroze of Kroze fame.