Why do people hate BNFs?

[icarus]

I really don't understand this BNF phenomenon. I just don't get it.

I don't see why people go "whee, Icarus!" when they find out their review or whatever is from me. I understand "whee, Stories!" -- or -- "whee, Icarus' Stories!" That makes sense to me, because this is all about the stories, all about the fun of writing. If you've liked something I wrote in the past, there's good chance you'll like the next one. I'm the same way about "whee, Candy!"

But I don't know why the focus shifts from the story to the person. What the hell...?

Comments

[cara-chapel.livejournal.com]

IMNSHO, BNF is as BNF does.

It's interesting how people have come to define BNF these days. Sometimes the label gets applied to anyone who is a good author or who posts a lot to a mailing list, etc. However, I don't fel this is really an appropriate application of the label.

To be a "real" BNF, a person has to be very widely known. I've seen communities, such as the mainstream sci-fi community, that wouldn't call someone a BNF unless they'd been around for decades and done con committee work and won tons of awards and were known by just about everyone across a whole bunch of different fandoms-- and not media, but print fandoms. All of which the BNF has been active in for years. Etc. In slash, we don't apply it that way.

I think each fannish community applies it differently. But the more widely you're known and the longer you've been around, the more of a "real" BNF you are.

Another thing that often happens connected with the BNF syndrome is the BNF cultivating a bad attitude. I have a cynical feeling about "BNF" people; the ones who I tend to call BNFs are the ones who trumpet their own raving good review press, assemble a gang of subservient and/or defensive minions, and then more or less attempt to exert control over their fandoms with an iron fist, demanding praise and passing down the law of what's acceptable or not in writing/behavior/discussion, and exerting automatic "Crush the newbie/nonconformist/threatening new author and whip them into line!" campaigns any time someone causes a ripple.

I think this is where the hate you mentioned comes from; it's easy to hate someone who takes up this attitude and approach to their popularity because if you do or say something they don't like, they and their minions come down on your neck with the Spiked Boot of Doom. I've had this done to me; I didn't care for it. I've left fandoms over it. It eliminates diversity and eventually kills fandoms. The two fandoms where it was done to me as a new author, interestingly enough, are now dead in the water; nobody writes good fic there anymore because new (and often the good ones, who tended to be controversial, by reason of trying new things) authors got run out of town really fast and the old people are bored/complacent. In one of the fandoms I left, the BNF in question later migrated on and found new fandoms to conquer. Bleah! Well, maybe the old fandom will revive eventually.

Anyway. I know whereof I speak, because I flirted with "BNF wannabe" syndrome in my first fandom, eventually realized I was disgusting even myself with my ego, and subsided into lurkerdom. I'm much happier and less in conflict with people now that I don't participate in mailing list cultures-- I just write my little things wherever I want and about whatever I like, enjoy a few close friends on chat, and read people's LJs, dropping the occasional comment. I like more people and I think I am better liked as a lurker. ;-D

[chasehunts.livejournal.com]

Good rundown on the "mainstream" BNF. I think people in LJ land don't get the "personal interaction" aspect of this; RL, that is, offline, the BNF "experience" can be - well, strong, lol. In a good or bad way, depending on the BNF and how 'big' the BNF is.

Sorry about your fandoms. Better luck with HP :)

Chase