Line #58 Main/MisaimedFandom


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11
12	-> ''"The worst tragedy for a poet is to be admired through being misunderstood."''
13	--> -- '''Creator/JeanCocteau'''
14
15	Let's cut to the chase: Fans are an odd group of people.
16
17	There are writers with a vision who have created [[HateSink a character who represents everything they loathe]], and have placed him in [[CrapsackWorld a setting that satirizes everything they hate about modern society]]. Bring on the MoralGuardians and {{Media Watchdog}}s; they're prepared for controversy!
18
19	Only... it [[GoneHorriblyWrong doesn't quite work like that]]. Instead of seeing a loathsome, hateful figure, the audience sees a [[TheWoobie Woobie]] who only is the way he is because of his [[WellDoneSonGuy daddy issues]], and feel sorry for him instead of hating him... or even [[DracoInLeatherPants find him cute]]. (Or they may not even realize he's not meant to be liked.) They take the author's painstaking [[PoesLaw satire at face value]]. The CrapsackWorld the writer has created is somewhere they think is pretty awesome. They have, in the writer's view, missed the point: ignoring the subtext that the writer had thought was obvious in favor of the ''text'' — and they really like the text. The majority of the time, the readers realize what the writer intended, but simply disagree. After all, just because the writer loathes certain traits [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation doesn't mean the reader will do so]].
20
21	Academics call this [[https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095343827 "Aberrant Decoding"]], the result of which being that the work and its creator have acquired a [[TitleDrop Misaimed Fandom]]. It's around this point that the writer learns exactly how different he is from his fans... and, often, [[ArtistDisillusionment actively begins to hate them]].
22
23	There are many paths leading to a Misaimed Fandom, but many of them originate from the 'DeathOfTheAuthor' theory; the idea that the audience can interpret a work however they like, regardless of what the author says. No matter how many times WordOfGod states their case, there's always going to be a large portion of the readers who will have their own very different perspective. And [[ConfirmationBias they're always going to be able]] to [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory find something in the text]] to help [[EpilepticTrees their case]], fully aware (or not) that it's probably not what the author intended.
24
25	Of course, while fans are entitled to their own interpretation, that does not mean they are always right; and while the writer's original intention might not be the only valid interpretation, it probably shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, either; they're the ones actually putting their thoughts down and getting them published, after all. But this doesn't mean that fans have to worship at the writer's feet. Works have to stand by themselves, and there is a limit to what authorial intent can change. Ultimately: when words and images clearly depict A, no WordOfGod can make it B.
26
27	On the same note, though, and most importantly, if words and images [[OpinionMyopia clearly]] depict A and WordOfGod confirms A, the fans who swear up and down it was B make up the misaimed FanDumb.
28
29	Sometimes Misaimed Fandom is a matter of ValuesDissonance or CultureClash: where a writer doesn't recognise (or actively disagrees with) social changes, they may perceive Misaimed Fandom about their work as villains and heroes switch places in the popular mind, or the failure to recognize that people of different cultures, political points of view, or backgrounds will see the story and characters in a different way than the writer intended. Critics may even turn the tables by pointing out UnfortunateImplications that might not necessarily be explicitly addressed in the text itself but that might conceivably follow from extrapolating a logical conclusion.
30
31	In some cases, the reader may genuinely be seeing something that isn't there, or might not be looking hard enough; if the text isn't read correctly, then the interpretation that follows is naturally going to be flawed. The reader might miss some of the more subtle meanings or interpretations. Alternatively, they might read the text too closely, and [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory find symbolism and meaning that the author never intended]] — especially if the symbolism in question is something quite obscure, that the author may not necessarily be aware of. And, of course, they may just be missing the point.
32
33	Often, however, the fans know full well that their interpretation of the text isn't that of the author, and may acknowledge what the author was trying to do, but [[{{Applicability}} choose their own interpretation anyway]]. They may be aware that the author is satirizing them and their views, but they're good sports and can [[InsultBackfire appreciate]] a well-done jab in the ribs, especially if it's [[AffectionateParody not without affection]] or [[ActuallyPrettyFunny they think it's funny]]. Thus, an unlikely fandom is not necessarily Misaimed.
34
35	And sometimes the Misaimed Fandom simply comes from the fact that the author isn't that good a writer. If a message is poorly communicated to begin with, then of course there will be problems when interpreting it. Some authors go for subtlety when they really should have been a bit more obvious, or try to set up a StrawmanPolitical only to make the strawman's arguments [[StrawmanHasAPoint more logical and valid than their hero's]]. In these cases, the fandom is misaimed because the author's botched the sights on the rifle. This is especially common in parody, where an author may simply not be literate enough in the culture or media they're mocking and just produce [[IndecisiveParody a mediocre example of what they're trying to parody]] when they think they're exaggerating it to the point of ridiculousness.
36
37	Other times, the Misaimed Fandom starts out as the target audience, but becomes misaimed when the creators decide to take a series in a different direction. The original fandom often [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks doesn't like this one bit]].
38
39	And oh yeah, the inverse happens too. Sometimes people dislike something for playing clichés and tropes straight, when it's actually ''parodying'' or ''deconstructing'' them. See StealthParody.
40
41	Do not confuse this with AlternativeCharacterInterpretation. A Misaimed Fandom fails to understand the author's intention for a character, no matter how {{Anvilicious}} it may have been; AlternativeCharacterInterpretation understands the intended or default interpretation, but explores alternate possibilities. Another related trope is RootingForTheEmpire, when you root for the villain without [[DracoInLeatherPants misinterpreting them as an intended good guy]].
42
43	This trope comes in many forms, which are listed below (and it's a ''long'' list), as well as tropes that can be compared, connected and contrasted to:
44
45	[[folder:Related Tropes]]
46	* AccentuateTheNegative
47	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: When the target of a TakeThat finds the joke just as humorous (if not more so) than everybody else.
48	* AmericansHateTingle: A work gets a {{hatedom}} in a foreign country.
49	* AudienceAlienatingEra
50	* BileFascination
51	* BlueAndOrangeMorality
52	* BrokenBase
53	* CharacterDerailment (unless it's [[WordOfGod intentional]])
54	* DeathOfTheAuthor: Where a fan is fully aware of the author's interpretation, but choose to ignore them in favor of their own.
55	* DesignatedHero
56	* DesignatedMonkey
57	* DesignatedVillain
58	* DieForOurShip: Basically when fans insist upon a certain pairing, no matter how idiotic or nonsensical it really is, and hate a particular character for "being in the way".
59	* DoNotDoThisCoolThing: Also see EvilIsCool and DracoInLeatherPants.
60	* DontTryThisAtHome
61	* DracoInLeatherPants: A character has obvious moral failings that are handwaved if not outright overlooked by fans. This trope can overlap with EnsembleDarkHorse.
62	* EnemyMine
63	* EnsembleDarkhorse: Also see UnpopularPopularCharacter. Can intersect with DracoInLeatherPants.
64	* EpilepticTrees
65	* EvilIsCool
66	* FairForItsDay
67	* FanDisillusionment
68	* FanDumb: A subtrope of the Misaimed Fandom.
69	* FansPreferTheNewHer: A character's makeover or change in appearance is hated in-universe but fans think it's preferable to how they were before.
70	* FauxSymbolism
71	* FinaglesLaw
72	* FollowTheLeader: A successful work can lead to other creators trying to copy its success, without understanding why the initial work became so popular in the first place.
73	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: A work becomes popular with a foreign audience, that the author had most often not considered.
74	* GreyAndGrayMorality: A work can try to be neutral in the conflict it presents, and acknowledge that BothSidesHaveAPoint. That won't stop fans from simplifying things and acting like one side is pure good while the other is pure evil.
75	* HateDumb
76	* InsultBackfire: When the target of a TakeThat is flat-out ''proud'' of the qualities they're being attacked for.
77	* InternalConsistency: If a setting has explicit rules or cultural norms that fan interpretations ignore, most commonly in [[MediaNotes/MohsScaleOfSciFiHardness Soft Sci-Fi]] and HighFantasy.
78	* IsntItIronic: Compare for more musical examples, anyway.
79	* JerkassDissonance: The reason why the words "badass" and "jerkass" sometimes appear nigh interchangeable, even on this very wiki.
80	* LowestCommonDenominator
81	* MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales: A work perceived as unflattering to a group by the original audience is actually liked by the aforementioned group.
82	* NostalgiaFilter
83	* NoTrueScotsman
84	* OpinionMyopia
85	* PeripheryDemographic
86	* PeripheryHatedom: This trope's polar opposite, where a character or work is intensely hated by people it wasn't supposed to appeal to.
87	* PoesLaw: Parodies are by nature extreme, but when the subject of a parody is itself extreme, it can be hard to tell the difference, leading some to actively agree with the parody.
88	* PraisingShowsYouDontWatch: It's easy for someone to miss the point of a show they've never watched, as they won't know what the point was, and might only like the show for what's on the surface rather than its themes.
89	* RevengeBeforeReason: A lot of revenge stories portray revenge in a negative light. The protagonist might start a CycleOfRevenge, with others now wanting them dead because of their actions. There's also a tendency for innocents who had [[MisplacedRetribution nothing to do with the protagonist's revenge to get caught in the crossfires]]. Despite the problems revenge can cause, it's quite common to see fans root for the revenge seeker. They don't care about who gets caught up in the protagonist's desire for revenge, and see them as cool for their actions.
90	* RonTheDeathEater: The opposite of DracoInLeatherPants. A character isn't evil, but is treated as such by fans. This trope can overlap with TheScrappy.
91	* RootingForTheEmpire
92	* DarthWiki/RuinedFOREVER
93	* TheScrappy: [[HateSink Sometimes justified (when deliberately invoked by the creator)]], but [[SturgeonsLaw most of the time]] it's just because of [[HateDumb Bandwagon Haters]]. Also see CreatorsPet. Can intersect with RonTheDeathEater.
94	* SeriousBusiness
95	* SilentMajority
96	* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids
97	* StealthInsult: When the target of a TakeThat doesn't even realize that they're being mocked.
98	* StrawmanHasAPoint
99	* StealthParody: When the fans don't realize it's a parody/satire.
100	* TheyChangedItNowItSucks
101	* ThreeChordsAndTheTruth
102	* UnfortunateImplications
103	* UnintentionallySympathetic
104	* VocalMinority
105	* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: What the show's creators think is suitable for kids [[ValuesDissonance may not be]]. Happens all the time in the field of {{Anime}}. Not that this or WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids are restricted to animation.
106	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: When the show's creators ''didn't'' intend for the work to be seen by kids, but [[AnimationAgeGhetto the assumptions of the medium/genre claim otherwise]].
107	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical
108	* WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway
109	[[/folder]]
110	[[noreallife]]
111	----
112	!!Examples:
113
114	[[index]]
115	* MisaimedFandom/{{Advertising}}
116	* MisaimedFandom/AnimeAndManga
117	* MisaimedFandom/ComicBooks
118	* MisaimedFandom/ComedianCharacters
119	* [[MisaimedFandom/AnimatedFilms Films — Animation]]
120	* [[MisaimedFandom/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
121	* MisaimedFandom/{{Literature}}
122	* MisaimedFandom/LiveActionTV
123	* MisaimedFandom/{{Music}}
124	* MisaimedFandom/MythAndReligion
125	* MisaimedFandom/NewspaperComics
126	* MisaimedFandom/ProfessionalWrestling
127	* MisaimedFandom/TabletopGames
128	* MisaimedFandom/{{Theatre}}
129	* MisaimedFandom/VideoGames
130	** ''MisaimedFandom/FinalFantasy''
131	** ''MisaimedFandom/FireEmblem''
132	** ''MisaimedFandom/{{Persona}}''
133	** ''MisaimedFandom/TalesSeries''
134	* MisaimedFandom/WebMedia
135	* MisaimedFandom/WesternAnimation
136	* MisaimedFandom/OtherMedia
137	[[/index]]
138

Context Main / MisaimedFandom