Fandom Snowflake 2018 #2: The Temporary Autonomous Zone

[silveradept]

In your own space, share a favorite memory about fandom: the first time you got into fandom, the last time a fanwork touched your heart, crazy times with fellow fans (whether on-line or off-line), a lovely comment you’ve received or have left for someone.

When you live in a remote sort of place, it can be disheartening to be a fan. While the World Wide Web has mostly mitigated the problem of making contact with fellow fans, assuming you have a stable enough connection, the physicality of being in the same place as other fans and interacting with them can be profoundly energizing. (Or draining, depending. Introverts get to be fans, too.) There might be a thing in the brain that clicks when seeing all those people here for the same thing that gives legitimacy and weight to what might have seemed less real or less important when the brainweasels were playing with it.

Sometimes the best thing to do when you think you're the only one, or that your group is the only group, for miles around, is to go to convention. Whether it's a library convention, a small regional one in your area, or one of the truly massive conventions that happen at major metropolitan areas throughout the year, going to the space where you can be unabashedly fannish and the people around you will celebrate and encourage it is a profound experience.

Hakim Bey wrote about the Temporary Autonomous Zone, a place that existed outside formal governance for a while and where creativity was uniquely possible by stepping outside the bounds. While convention doesn't fit the formal definition, if it is run well, it will seem like it. Panels of fans having discussions on their own terms and sometimes getting to interact with creators on those terms as well. The ability to choose who you want to hang out with, where you want to spend your time, and so on. So long as you stay within the code of conduct, and you don't try to sneak into a panel that you're not old enough for, the amount of freedom is pretty awesome.

That said, a formative memory for me in fandom is on one of those later-night programs that are supposed to happen when the kids have been put to bed. Things like Tokusatsu After Dark are rather fun to attend, because you know that Akibaranger can't be the only take on the Super Sentai universe that's meant to grow it up some. The best thing I witnessed, and would make pilgrimage for, even though it was mostly the same material the years I attended, were the block of Anime Hell and the gag fandubs that would accompany it.

Anime Hell is slightly misnamed - there's a lot of interesting cartoons (Don Hertzfelt's Rejected) and live action material (Forklift Driver Klaus) there that's funny, if you find the idea of gallons of red deployed comedically to be funny. (Also previews for movies like Dig Dug.) Lots of parody material to work from, and that's before you get into the fandubs, which are mostly like the Abridged Series of various shows, except the dubs seem a lot funnier. There's a certain glee in going with a premise like Evangelion's Second Impact was caused by trying to play Prince's "1999" past 1999. Or in trying to make Fist of the North Star into as camp gay a production as possible. I'm not sure either of those would stand up well to current times and our better awareness. Maybe they could use a redub. The material that used Cowboy Bebop as fans going to a convention might do okay and need only a few patches. Anyway, laughing along while you try to stay awake and not freeze in a ballroom with the air conditioning still on is a bonding experience. And so, one of my very best memories of fandom is being exposed to the variety of ways that people do fandom, including gag dubs and parodies. I still like whimsical works over grimdark ones.

Get you to a convention, if your batteries need a recharge and you can afford the trip. If not, there's always the communities and places one the Snowflake.

Comments

[sunlit_stone]

That's really cool! It hadn't occurred to me that conventions could reveal so much, like that. But I guess one of the best parts of communities is learning how other people do things, even--especially--things you never thought of doing differently.

[silveradept]

It really is fascinating to see what comes out at a convention, because you learn so much about all of it. Sometimes the parts you don't want to encourage, too.

[sunlit_stone]

>"Sometimes the parts you don't want to encourage, too."

I'm sorry, I'm not sure I follow (probably thereby making it obvious I'm not really a convention-goer...) Do you mean harassment, or, like, really obnoxious headcanons, or...?

[silveradept]

Harassment, bad behavior, and other creepy behaviors that now can be addressed much more swiftly by the code of conduct and the taking less shit attitude of many fans who used to be shamed into not speaking up.

[sunlit_stone]

Ah, gotcha, thank you for explaining. Well--the world can seem pretty terrible lately; I'm glad to remember that there's been progress, too.

[spikedluv]

As someone who also lives in the boonies and doesn't have access to a lot of other fans, conventions are so much fun!

[wendelah1]

Hi. Your day 3 mod speaking. Is this supposed to be the revised link to the day 3 response?

[silveradept]

Nope! As it turns out, the right one and this one are only off by a transposition of digits, and autocucumber was being cute. It should be fixed now.

[vonapplesauce]

here via snowflake, and i really like the framing of conventions as Temporary Autonomous Zone! I spent a lot of time (and money!) at cons when I was younger and definitely one of the attractions for me back then was that freedom and choice you talk about.

[silveradept]

I enjoy being able to spend time (and some money) at conventions even now, although it's a lot more saving at this point.

The freedom part is what is still a big draw - then at convention, there are so many more things you can do and get cheers instead of strange looks for.