First off, I just want it to lay it out there, for those that both agree and disagree with Alice Marie’s recent interpretations and feelings on Doctor Who on our site:
I honestly can’t say I know another woman who is as devoted, emotionally invested, and really dedicated a fan of the series as AM. I’ve seen her crying over episodes; I’ve been involved in passionate discussions with her about this and other media. She cares about the characters, most especially the female companions. And I can say that for every editor, regular contributor and guest on GQ: everyone really, really cares about the topics discussed, and it all comes from a place of love.
All this to say, what I like the most about being part of fandom blogging and discussion is the fact that people have so many thought out and personal opinions on every aspect of media we love. Nobody is denying that a piece of analysis is simply opinion and interpretation. Some things are more factually based, while others are a lot more intricate. I have to say, I’m just really pleased with the comment section on this post, for instance, because the discussion is civil and even if we have opinions across the board, it’s clear everyone is operating under the same MO: interpreting and, through interpretation, expressing the love of our favorite TV shows.
At the end of the day, there may be instances where we will simply have to agree to disagree, but I like knowing that in this online community – be it Tumblr, our website comment section, or other related sites – we can all talk about our different points of view and challenge each other in thoughtful and interesting ways. Ultimately, someone might even walk away saying, “Hm, I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
Most importantly, with our website and just our love of geek media, the message we continue to want to carry across is that just because we love some sort of media, doesn’t mean we can’t pick it apart or find some flaws, and just because those flaws are pointed out, it doesn’t mean that somehow it diminishes another fan’s experience. We, as viewers, have the power to influence trends and tropes in the media we consume, but we can only do it if we stay open, analytical, and band together to say “We are paying attention and aren’t consuming without giving it much thought, even if we completely disagree with each other.”
(x-posted from our Tumblr)
