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syncope at 11:14am on 01/06/2008
syncope at 11:14am on 01/06/2008The Flip, the Flail, and the Flounce This article is quite attractive on a lot of levels. I agree with the sentiments for the most part. I often side w/ the "it's just a tv show" crowd in my heart about things and also am aware of what a hypocrite it makes me. I think the message is we're all over-invested and it's only just a tv show when it's not your obsession du jour. Other people's fandoms are boring by nature.
There is also, I think, the added element when dealing with real people fandoms where there's that weird stalking line. Where is the stalking line? Who's crossed the stalking line? Am I associated with stalkers? Am I a stalker? That's muddied because people are obviously writing fic/making vids about real people and they get, ur, overly invested. This happens in media fandoms, too, which is often totally elided in the rpf is rape!!!! debate. I've seen some pretty hardcore David Hewlett stalking going down on my fl for example, and by people who I don't think write about him having sex w/ his co-workers. Just because you're not writing fic about someone doesn't mean you aren't engaging in dodgey behavior. Hell, lots of people who do crazy things to/for celebrities (term used loosely as I don't think David Hewlett, for example, even is one) are in fandom. That's to say that there is line-crossing, but it's like the supreme court pornography ruling--I can't describe it to you but I know it when I see it. I think we all have internal limits that we impose on other people, and often NOT OURSELVES, which is the part that makes me laugh. Look at those crazy people, I'd never do that (unless it was Frank Iero, ok, bitch, please I know myself)!
That stalking ramble was brought on by the over-investment concept. Recently when I went on one of my psychotic rants about Pete Wentz (I am aware I am unhinged, so we're clear) an old friend showed up in the comments and said "why do you think you know him?" and I had to explain my views on that. This sort of stuck in my head because I do have LOTS of opinions on how FBR uses internet culture to market their product, and a huge part of that is through Pete's persona. It's a give and go between who Pete acts like he is on the internet and how fans buy into that and like this guy Pete claims to be and then Pete sells other bands he's not even in to people through his enthusiasm and cache. This is brilliant. Pete has constructed his own canon for his fanon character. It's the same way everyone reading this has constructed who they are through their journals--how much of it is real? How much of it is wish-fulfillment? The patina of sincerity exists, certainly, but there is no actual way to parse anyone's sincerity on the internet, much less a rock star's. I find it even more fascinating that so many people who HAVE constructed their personas online are so quick to buy into Pete's. You know you lie, stretch the truth, omit important details, get lazy about explaining yourself, so on a so forth, so why not believe Pete does the same? It's a sort of cultural willful delusion that I in no way judge because I find it so intriguing. It's a whole new way of over-investment that fans in other fandoms can't comprehend. The "it's just a tv show" commentary comes as "you know it's all selling you something, right?" The problem is, just like with the "it's just a tv show," this statement is missing the integral element: yes, this dude (and all the others) are, in fact, selling something, but in large measure what they are selling are themselves as a commodity to try to entice you to be interested in their comic book, cds, merch, silly kid's book, MTV show, and so on. The products are sold through the vehicle of branding a human being rather than through the lure of the music. This is genius. Pete Wentz is the product he sells, FOB and their music is just one (maybe in the end not even very important) part of his catalogue of value-added materials he's also offering people. When fans get involved with him and his very ridiculous life, it is through enticement, just the same way I fucked up a diet this spring because of those fucking endless Wendy's ads for their new fish sandwich. I drove to Wendy's in a haze and though "what is WRONG with me??" in the same way I did when clicked "purchase" on the Clandestine store website.
That doesn't even touch on the cross promotional aspect of Pete selling branded personas of his band and labelmates while he's at it. Pete's biggest product is Patrick Stump, and he sells it at every opportunity. Personally, this is the one that drew me in and dragged me under like when I go to Target for a card and walk out with three new dresses, a pair of flip-flops, a pair of sunglasses, and three packs of new underwear. I came in for a two dollar purchase and walk out with a $130 dollar one. When you glanced at Pete's blog, you probably didn't expect to wind up with The Cab, Panic, and GCH on your iPod. Your entry point might have been one of the other products, like Ryan Ross. It's all very interchangeable. MCR analysis for another day, I can only get so many flames at once.
Next up: my thoughts on "selling out," I guess. I used to ramble every Sunday before I worked too much.
There is also, I think, the added element when dealing with real people fandoms where there's that weird stalking line. Where is the stalking line? Who's crossed the stalking line? Am I associated with stalkers? Am I a stalker? That's muddied because people are obviously writing fic/making vids about real people and they get, ur, overly invested. This happens in media fandoms, too, which is often totally elided in the rpf is rape!!!! debate. I've seen some pretty hardcore David Hewlett stalking going down on my fl for example, and by people who I don't think write about him having sex w/ his co-workers. Just because you're not writing fic about someone doesn't mean you aren't engaging in dodgey behavior. Hell, lots of people who do crazy things to/for celebrities (term used loosely as I don't think David Hewlett, for example, even is one) are in fandom. That's to say that there is line-crossing, but it's like the supreme court pornography ruling--I can't describe it to you but I know it when I see it. I think we all have internal limits that we impose on other people, and often NOT OURSELVES, which is the part that makes me laugh. Look at those crazy people, I'd never do that (unless it was Frank Iero, ok, bitch, please I know myself)!
That stalking ramble was brought on by the over-investment concept. Recently when I went on one of my psychotic rants about Pete Wentz (I am aware I am unhinged, so we're clear) an old friend showed up in the comments and said "why do you think you know him?" and I had to explain my views on that. This sort of stuck in my head because I do have LOTS of opinions on how FBR uses internet culture to market their product, and a huge part of that is through Pete's persona. It's a give and go between who Pete acts like he is on the internet and how fans buy into that and like this guy Pete claims to be and then Pete sells other bands he's not even in to people through his enthusiasm and cache. This is brilliant. Pete has constructed his own canon for his fanon character. It's the same way everyone reading this has constructed who they are through their journals--how much of it is real? How much of it is wish-fulfillment? The patina of sincerity exists, certainly, but there is no actual way to parse anyone's sincerity on the internet, much less a rock star's. I find it even more fascinating that so many people who HAVE constructed their personas online are so quick to buy into Pete's. You know you lie, stretch the truth, omit important details, get lazy about explaining yourself, so on a so forth, so why not believe Pete does the same? It's a sort of cultural willful delusion that I in no way judge because I find it so intriguing. It's a whole new way of over-investment that fans in other fandoms can't comprehend. The "it's just a tv show" commentary comes as "you know it's all selling you something, right?" The problem is, just like with the "it's just a tv show," this statement is missing the integral element: yes, this dude (and all the others) are, in fact, selling something, but in large measure what they are selling are themselves as a commodity to try to entice you to be interested in their comic book, cds, merch, silly kid's book, MTV show, and so on. The products are sold through the vehicle of branding a human being rather than through the lure of the music. This is genius. Pete Wentz is the product he sells, FOB and their music is just one (maybe in the end not even very important) part of his catalogue of value-added materials he's also offering people. When fans get involved with him and his very ridiculous life, it is through enticement, just the same way I fucked up a diet this spring because of those fucking endless Wendy's ads for their new fish sandwich. I drove to Wendy's in a haze and though "what is WRONG with me??" in the same way I did when clicked "purchase" on the Clandestine store website.
That doesn't even touch on the cross promotional aspect of Pete selling branded personas of his band and labelmates while he's at it. Pete's biggest product is Patrick Stump, and he sells it at every opportunity. Personally, this is the one that drew me in and dragged me under like when I go to Target for a card and walk out with three new dresses, a pair of flip-flops, a pair of sunglasses, and three packs of new underwear. I came in for a two dollar purchase and walk out with a $130 dollar one. When you glanced at Pete's blog, you probably didn't expect to wind up with The Cab, Panic, and GCH on your iPod. Your entry point might have been one of the other products, like Ryan Ross. It's all very interchangeable. MCR analysis for another day, I can only get so many flames at once.
Next up: my thoughts on "selling out," I guess. I used to ramble every Sunday before I worked too much.
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