No Need to Apologize

[rynling]

I’ve been thinking about my compulsion to apologize for listening to the My Favorite Murder podcast and playing Dream Daddy, which was co-produced by Game Grumps. There’s actually nothing wrong or even “problematic” about either of them. Both My Favorite Murder and Game Grumps are creator-owned production companies, and really the only thing that’s problematic about them is that they’re successful enough to have their own fandoms. It’s the fandoms that are the problem.

I get the feeling that, when people say that they hate My Favorite Murder or Game Grumps, what they’re really saying is that they hate the fandom. Or sometimes bullshit will arise in the fandom that the creators then feel the need to respond to, as their user-supported income model is partially based on the illusion of accessibility. Unfortunately, no matter how professionally this communication is handled, it still adds fuel to the fire of the discourse.

And it’s all discourse. These creators aren’t exploiting their fans, who get content for free regardless. They’re not exploiting their employees. They’re not sexually harassing or assaulting their fans or employees. They’re not promoting or apologizing for people who sexually harass or assault their fans or employees. They’re not promoting or apologizing for evil corporate platforms. They’re not promoting bigotry, hate speech, or libertarianism – and this is actually kind of a big deal when so many creator-owned media production companies are successful precisely because they promote bigotry, hate speech, and libertarianism.

I’m not saying that the people behind Game Grumps and My Favorite Murder didn’t record stupid shit when they were just starting out, but I also feel like this stupid shit should be viewed in the context of the good intentions of the creators, who apologize and learn from their mistakes. There are so many creators who are actively trying to hurt people or defend the stupid shit they’ve said that it feels unfair to focus on punishing creators who are willing to acknowledge their mistakes. In fact, I think genuinely evil creators are allowed to thrive unchallenged because the fandoms of relatively good creators are so obsessed with attacking each other.

I know I’m not saying anything new. But as for myself, sometimes I like things that are popular, and I don’t care about the personal lives or social media presence of their creators. Following celebrities is always going to be a game of attrition, as is separating yourself from their work and becoming a fan of their fandom. Idk, if no actual people are being hurt, maybe it’s okay to take a break from social media discourse and just enjoy things.

Comments

[raisedbymoogles]

nothing to add, just general agreement and <3

[rynling]

I took a few days away from social media, and as soon as I came back I heard the news about Lindsay Ellis being bullied off the internet by Extremely Online leftists. I don't follow her or watch her videos, but it's still depressing. This is why we can't have nice things.

[raisedbymoogles]

I do(/did) watch her videos, and I'm suuuuuuper pissed off about the whole thing. This isn't the first time someone who did content I liked has been bullied off the Internet by EOL's, it's just the first time that someone was so high-profile.

[lassarina]

No thoughtful commentary, just a general +1.