Reply To: On the Objectification of Sam, et al. PART II (added per the request of Terry)

[wbloak]

I haven’t been on TW for long, I don’t follow many people, no one follows me intentionally, and I have no real reason to tweet, but I share your concerns about what has been happening with the OL fandom on TW.
When I first read OL and joined TW (this past summer), I knew something was different. I tried desperately to analyze it. I wrote a 5-page outline for an “article” on my various obsessions stemming from my immersion in the OL world – the books, the characters, the show, the actors, and Twitter itself. I never wrote the article, but I’ve seen various parts of it throughout your blog posts here.
I’ve been watching the Outlander universe implode for months. I feel bad for DG and the original book lovers who built it up to be a place where OL fans could find each other. Now it is a random, scary place with hidden and overt insults, whining, catty cliques, and all kinds of stalking. There’s also a bit of judging, mothering, and arm-chair quarterbacking under the guise of being helpful for those who might not know better. I am certainly guilty of the latter, but thankfully not out loud.
I tried to brave it out, looking at it as a sociology experiment and telling myself how “interesting” it all was. Social media is its own beast and I am not sure that we’re supposed to tame it. But, over the weekend, I finally had enough with feeling bad about myself and mortified by others’, so I decided to just stop watching the Outlander fandom. I do want to get off of TW completely, but it still holds a bit of value for me outside of OL.
I’ll climb my peak in March (wherein I’ll reward myself with an Outlander re-read), I’ll watch other TV shows while _patiently_ waiting for April (and season 2 in 2016), I’ll get casting news when Starz is ready to tell me, I’ll read a few blogs that have proven to be respectful and fun (that’s you ConnieBV), and I’ll continue to enjoy catching glimpses of the personalities of the people I follow and the business of creating a TV show.
For those of you with greater fortitude than I have, I appreciate your efforts to understand what is happening, to be good people, and to find ways to continue your love for OL.