History Main / MoffSlaw

->If you have posted such a comment, or if you are about to post such a comment, here or anywhere else, let me just advise you: Shut up. [...] SHUT. UP.

When pop culture and fans intersect, there are sure to be discussions on a work's merit and message. These discussions take place on blogs, message boards and even on [[Wiki/TVTropes this wiki.]] Sometimes certain subjects (such as race, gender, etc) will come up and serious analysis will take place. At some point, someone will say a variation of this question: ''"Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?"'' This statement is usually meant to derail discussion and protect [[FanDumb their]] favorite work from criticism (although [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools it may also be done]] in order to prevent SeriousBusiness from escalating into a FlameWar when the topic in question is known to be highly volatile).

Moff's law tells us not to do this. The name "Moff's Law" was introduced in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130824034034/http://www.racialicious.com/2009/12/21/and-we-shall-call-this-moffs-law/ a blog post in race-meets-pop-culture blog Racialicious]]; it refers to a then-recent comment by Moff (known in RealLife as io9 contributor Josh Wimmer[[note]]So this is not to be confused with a completely different and unrelated non-tropish "Moff's Law" term used within ''Series/DoctorWho'' fandom and named for its showrunner Creator/StevenMoffat[[/note]]) on Annalee Newitz's io9 article [[http://io9.com/5422666/when-will-white-people-stop-making-movies-like-avatar When Will White People Stop Making Movies Like "Avatar"?]]. Here is an abridged version of this comment, minus some vitriol:

Contrast BellisariosMaxim and MeasuringTheMarigolds. Not to be confused with the other [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Moff's Law]][[note]]"You may fire when ready."[[/note]], the [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tarkin_Doctrine Tarkin Doctrine]], the ''other'' other [[Creator/StevenMoffat Moff's Law]] [[note]]"It is the proper duty of every British subject to come to the aid of [[Series/DoctorWho the TARDIS"]][[/note]], or the ''[[RuleOfThree other]]'' [[OverlyLongGag other]] other Moff's Law [[note]]"Rule 0: Moffat Lies."[[/note]]. Compare ItsNotSupposedToWinOscars, a similar defense used to derail criticism.

When pop culture and fans intersect, there are sure to be discussions on a work's merit and message. These discussions take place on blogs, message boards and even on [[TVTropes this wiki.]] Sometimes certain subjects (such as race, gender, etc) will come up and serious analysis will take place. At some point, someone will say a variation of this question: ''"Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?"'' This statement is usually meant to derail discussion and protect [[FanDumb their]] favorite work from criticism (although [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools it may also be done]] in order to prevent SeriousBusiness from escalating into a FlameWar when the topic in question is known to be highly volatile).

'''Moff's Law:''' Never try to dismiss critical analysis by asking, [[MST3KMantra "Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?"]]

When pop culture and fans intersect, there are sure to be discussions on a work's merit and message. These discussions take place on blogs, message boards and even on [[HomePage this wiki.]] Sometimes certain subjects (such as race, gender, etc) will come up and serious analysis will take place. At some point, someone will say a variation of this question: ''"Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?"'' This statement is usually meant to derail discussion and protect [[FanDumb their]] favorite work from criticism (although [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools it may also be done]] in order to prevent SeriousBusiness from escalating into a FlameWar when the topic in question is known to be highly volatile).

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When pop culture and fans intersect, there are sure to be discussions on a work's merit and message. These discussions take place on blogs, message boards and even on [[HomePage this wiki.]] Sometimes certain subjects (such as race, gender, etc) will come up and serious analysis will take place. At some point, someone will say a variation of this question: ''"Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?"'' This statement is usually meant to derail discussion and protect [[FanDumb their]] favorite work from criticism (although [[TropesAreTools it may also be done]] in order to prevent SeriousBusiness from escalating into a FlameWar when the topic in question is known to be highly volatile).

->First of all, when we analyze art, when we look for deeper meaning in it, ''we '''are''' enjoying it for what it is.'' Because that is one of the things about art, be it highbrow, lowbrow, mainstream, or avant-garde: Some sort of thought went into its making -- even if the thought was, "I'm going to do this as thoughtlessly as possible!" -- and as a result, some sort of thought can be gotten from its reception. That is why, among other things, artists (including, for instance, Creator/JamesCameron) Commando really like to talk about their work.

When pop culture and fans intersect, there are sure to be discussions on a work's merit and message. These discussions take place on blogs, message boards and even on [[HomePage this wiki.]] Sometimes certain subjects (such as race, gender, etc) will come up and serious analysis will take place. At some point, someone will say a variation of this question: ''"Why can't you just enjoy it for what it is?"'' This statement is usually meant to derail discussion and protect [[FanDumb their]] favorite work from criticism (although [[TropesAreTools it may also be done]] in order to prevent SeriousBusiness from escalating into a FlameWar, especially if the topic at hand is known to be a FandomBerserkButton).