Bible study inspired fandom ponderings
Jun. 20th, 2009 09:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feliciakwThis entry clearly won't be for everyone. If you find it interesting or if it speaks to you, I'm glad. It is something, however, that struck me as I was doing my Beth Moore Bible study this morning.
Today's lesson was on freedom through obedience. The passages used in today's study (lots of passages from Isaiah) highlight the sovereignty of God, the finiteness of humanity, and the freedom that comes in recognizing God, the creator of the universe, as the center of the universe.
This paragraph struck me immediately as being entirely too descriptive of fandom and the wank and drama that fandom breeds:
If only we could realize that we make life so much more complicated when our approach to life is "all about me." Do you know why? Because the rest of the world never cooperates. No one else appears to have gotten the memo. When we see ourselves as the center of the universe, we live in constant frustration because the rest of creation refuses to revolve around us. (Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life, by Beth Moore, workbook, page 149.)
And for some reason, I thought immediately of the faction of fandom that thrives on conspiracy theories and deluded perceptions of people and friendships. Substitute the word "fandom" in the above statement, and I think you'll see where I'm coming from:
"If only we could realize that we make fandom so much more complicated when our approach to fandom is "all about me." Do you know why? Because the rest of the fandom never cooperates. No one else appears to have gotten the memo. When we see ourselves as the center of the fandom, we live in constant frustration because the rest of fandom refuses to revolve around us."
The last sentence could also read: "When we see ourselves as the center of the fandom, we live in constant frustration because the actors/writers/show refuse to revolve around us."
This is how I see a lot of the wank and gossip and rumormongering and conflict that arises in fandom. Rather than respect the actors for who they are and how they present themselves, or respect the source material for what it is and how it's presented, certain fans wring their hands and accuse everyone around them (including the actors) of perpetrating great lies, frauds, and conspiracies. It becomes all about the fan. Rather than focusing attention on the actors as people, the actors become some sort of . . . object . . . some sort of symbol or thing to be acquired or possessed. A means to some sort of end, an end which will ultimately be unsatisfying and frustrating.
Now, to be clear, I'm not at all suggesting that actors be worshipped or revered in the divine sense--though I've seen many a fan go exactly that far in their hero worship. What I am suggesting is that there might be much less stress in fandom if fans would learn to keep the main thing the main thing. Forget the speculation and innuendo and rumormongering, and respect the actors as people, not objects. As the saying goes, people are to be valued; things are to be used. Not vice versa.
Of course the fact that a lot of fandom, imo, actually enjoys being stressed and freaked and unhappy and overwhelmed with conspiracy theories doesn't really lend itself to the solution.
Now, to bring this back to the point of the study, because after all, this is a Bible study:
Life vastly simplifies and satisfaction greatly amplifies when we begin to realize our awesome roles. God is God. Frankly, it's all about Him. Thank goodness, He is the center of the universe. So how can we live with such a God-centered mentality? Freely! Because with God, it's all about us. We seek to please Him. He seeks to perfect us--and life works. Not without pain, but with purpose. (Same reference as above.)
Today's lesson was on freedom through obedience. The passages used in today's study (lots of passages from Isaiah) highlight the sovereignty of God, the finiteness of humanity, and the freedom that comes in recognizing God, the creator of the universe, as the center of the universe.
This paragraph struck me immediately as being entirely too descriptive of fandom and the wank and drama that fandom breeds:
If only we could realize that we make life so much more complicated when our approach to life is "all about me." Do you know why? Because the rest of the world never cooperates. No one else appears to have gotten the memo. When we see ourselves as the center of the universe, we live in constant frustration because the rest of creation refuses to revolve around us. (Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life, by Beth Moore, workbook, page 149.)
And for some reason, I thought immediately of the faction of fandom that thrives on conspiracy theories and deluded perceptions of people and friendships. Substitute the word "fandom" in the above statement, and I think you'll see where I'm coming from:
"If only we could realize that we make fandom so much more complicated when our approach to fandom is "all about me." Do you know why? Because the rest of the fandom never cooperates. No one else appears to have gotten the memo. When we see ourselves as the center of the fandom, we live in constant frustration because the rest of fandom refuses to revolve around us."
The last sentence could also read: "When we see ourselves as the center of the fandom, we live in constant frustration because the actors/writers/show refuse to revolve around us."
This is how I see a lot of the wank and gossip and rumormongering and conflict that arises in fandom. Rather than respect the actors for who they are and how they present themselves, or respect the source material for what it is and how it's presented, certain fans wring their hands and accuse everyone around them (including the actors) of perpetrating great lies, frauds, and conspiracies. It becomes all about the fan. Rather than focusing attention on the actors as people, the actors become some sort of . . . object . . . some sort of symbol or thing to be acquired or possessed. A means to some sort of end, an end which will ultimately be unsatisfying and frustrating.
Now, to be clear, I'm not at all suggesting that actors be worshipped or revered in the divine sense--though I've seen many a fan go exactly that far in their hero worship. What I am suggesting is that there might be much less stress in fandom if fans would learn to keep the main thing the main thing. Forget the speculation and innuendo and rumormongering, and respect the actors as people, not objects. As the saying goes, people are to be valued; things are to be used. Not vice versa.
Of course the fact that a lot of fandom, imo, actually enjoys being stressed and freaked and unhappy and overwhelmed with conspiracy theories doesn't really lend itself to the solution.
Now, to bring this back to the point of the study, because after all, this is a Bible study:
Life vastly simplifies and satisfaction greatly amplifies when we begin to realize our awesome roles. God is God. Frankly, it's all about Him. Thank goodness, He is the center of the universe. So how can we live with such a God-centered mentality? Freely! Because with God, it's all about us. We seek to please Him. He seeks to perfect us--and life works. Not without pain, but with purpose. (Same reference as above.)
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Date: 2009-06-20 06:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-20 08:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-20 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-21 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-06-21 12:50 am (UTC)And YES YES YES with your connection to fandom. Isn't that just the way? Like it isn't just an imaginary world, with someone else at the helm? We're along for the ride, and it may be fun to speculate or to bicker about who should really end up with who, but it makes me sad how many people forget that it's just a story and that the author's will trumps all.
But pointing that out just makes too much sense... :-)