I wasn't sure if this was the right place to post a discussion thread like this, but the last entry on the Gothic Culture lolcow page was a while ago and I don't like to reanimate dead threads. What caught my interest on that forum was the discussion about there being such a thing as 'real goth' and 'fake goth'. I thought I could shed some light on how some people see these ideas of there being a specific way to act if you belong to a certain group. I've been in and out of groups like this, and from experience, those ideas are precisely what drive people away from that culture in the first place.
I don't believe that joining a group means you must act a certain way, lest you be considered a 'fake' version of what you enjoy. Much to the shock of some die-hard people, not everybody who likes a certain group has to act the same. It's essentially the 'No True Scotsman' theory, in which they believe that anyone who does not fit into certain 'hallmarks' or traits belonging to a group is not a real example of that group. Of course, this is a stupid belief- especially from those who say they are excluded from proper society for just that sort of behavior.
Frankly, I don't think it's good to let the culture's traits define the individual. That's precisely the problem with things such here. There are of course, normal people in every fandom who go against these bizarre trends.
A furry friend of mine made a good point a while ago: any community can be divided into two groups. You have the standard groupies, who refuse to make a big deal about their sense of belonging (not letting it interfere with their personal life), and then you have the loud, autistic ones who screech and cry about their fandoms. But, of course, the loud ones are who we immediately go to when we consider the fandom as a whole.
I always find it ironic that the people who first find acceptance and tolerance in their group seek to push people out who, despite liking the same things, refuse to act the way others would like them to.
I wanted to ask all of you: why do you think this problem exists? Is it something to do with a sense of entitlement, or prejudice against those without the same opinion? I'm eager to have a friendly conversation about the idea of there being 'real' and 'fake' fans. After all, who's to decide?
I don't believe that joining a group means you must act a certain way, lest you be considered a 'fake' version of what you enjoy. Much to the shock of some die-hard people, not everybody who likes a certain group has to act the same. It's essentially the 'No True Scotsman' theory, in which they believe that anyone who does not fit into certain 'hallmarks' or traits belonging to a group is not a real example of that group. Of course, this is a stupid belief- especially from those who say they are excluded from proper society for just that sort of behavior.
Frankly, I don't think it's good to let the culture's traits define the individual. That's precisely the problem with things such here. There are of course, normal people in every fandom who go against these bizarre trends.
A furry friend of mine made a good point a while ago: any community can be divided into two groups. You have the standard groupies, who refuse to make a big deal about their sense of belonging (not letting it interfere with their personal life), and then you have the loud, autistic ones who screech and cry about their fandoms. But, of course, the loud ones are who we immediately go to when we consider the fandom as a whole.
I always find it ironic that the people who first find acceptance and tolerance in their group seek to push people out who, despite liking the same things, refuse to act the way others would like them to.
I wanted to ask all of you: why do you think this problem exists? Is it something to do with a sense of entitlement, or prejudice against those without the same opinion? I'm eager to have a friendly conversation about the idea of there being 'real' and 'fake' fans. After all, who's to decide?
