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There's Nothing Wrong With Fandom That Getting Rid Of All The People Won't Fix
Every now and then I read about a major wank, or I hear a loud declaration that fandom is all screwed up. That once upon a time fandom was warm and welcoming, filled with love and roses... but no more. Newcomers have changed it.
( Or else, once upon a time we entered into a fandom with open hearts and then had our souls crushed ).
Now we humor our BNFs and many people believe "oh, well this BNF is surrounded by fawning fans that let them get away with appalling behavior."
Well. Not really.
You see, there's a central office located about four blocks north of Queen Street in Toronto, Ontario,* that is dedicated to BNF-management. The moment a BNF has a meltdown they get a call, "Oh, hell. How many WIPs are at risk? And a Fic-A-Thon assignment -- plus an archive? Shit. We'll get right on it."
They then dispatch professional "soothers" whose job it is to ensure the steady flow of fiction. After all, we're not paying the BNF to write. They are producing massive amounts of work for us, for free. The work of the OBNFMT (Ontario BNF Management Team, Ltd.) is a pragmatic side of the gift economy. It's not a job I could do, but I'd like to thank the soothers of OBNFMT from the bottom of my heart.
It's up to the BNF, like any other star, to be honest with themselves and recognize when they're being handled. Not that being handled isn't very nice. The palanquin alone is worth the price of admission.
* What? You're suprised it's a Canadian firm?
Every now and then I read about a major wank, or I hear a loud declaration that fandom is all screwed up. That once upon a time fandom was warm and welcoming, filled with love and roses... but no more. Newcomers have changed it.
( Or else, once upon a time we entered into a fandom with open hearts and then had our souls crushed ).
Now we humor our BNFs and many people believe "oh, well this BNF is surrounded by fawning fans that let them get away with appalling behavior."
Well. Not really.
You see, there's a central office located about four blocks north of Queen Street in Toronto, Ontario,* that is dedicated to BNF-management. The moment a BNF has a meltdown they get a call, "Oh, hell. How many WIPs are at risk? And a Fic-A-Thon assignment -- plus an archive? Shit. We'll get right on it."
They then dispatch professional "soothers" whose job it is to ensure the steady flow of fiction. After all, we're not paying the BNF to write. They are producing massive amounts of work for us, for free. The work of the OBNFMT (Ontario BNF Management Team, Ltd.) is a pragmatic side of the gift economy. It's not a job I could do, but I'd like to thank the soothers of OBNFMT from the bottom of my heart.
It's up to the BNF, like any other star, to be honest with themselves and recognize when they're being handled. Not that being handled isn't very nice. The palanquin alone is worth the price of admission.
* What? You're suprised it's a Canadian firm?
