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    Stigma being a Stargate Fan (or fan of any Scifi really)

    There's a Gateworld podcast involving what it feels like to be a Stargate (and Scifi) fan, #38 from the list, and the most recent podcast briefly discusses this. What I gathered from these is that it'd be great if we could accept differences, and each walk our own way, feeling comfortable with who we are.

    One thing I've noticed posting on this forum, is that if I criticize a show with humor, I can expect a quick challenge, usually on the accuracy of my knowledge of the show (and often the inaccuracy was intentional ). I suspect that we sometimes identify with art, it's like a symbol for us, and any jest at the symbol's expense becomes personal. I also suspect that for many fans, including myself, we've been the target of stigma at some point, so while I might mock relationship threads, for example, that could feel like being the target of stigma in the school yard.

    I suppose that's why fans come together on this site, to find a haven for talking about scifi. However, I'm not really clear how people use humor, in a friendly way, on this forum. For example, if I were to talk about the Goa'uld Anubis being Darth Vader's apprentice, the Emperor-in-training of Cheese, I'm sure I'd get some solid kick-back. I guess I just expected more humor in return, rather than distress. - Grr

    #2
    The thing with humor on a forum is that it can be difficult to interpret what the person is implying or even simply conveying that their statement is intended humorously.

    Also, not everyone shares the same sense of humor. Just check out the season 1-8 vs seasons 9+10 threads of SG-1 where some folks are commenting about the awful (often juvenile) humor used in the later seasons while others really enjoyed that and thought it was great. Some even felt O'Neill's sense of humor wasn't funny at all.

    To me your posts (especially the openings of your threads) often read as boring and somewhat tedious and my eyes are already drooping at the second paragraph, and I definitely don't share the same sense of humor but often don't pick up on your attempts either. No offense. They're just not my thing but since you were asking I figured I'd answer.
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      #3
      Yeah I agree the thing about the intenet is if i say a joke with like sarcasm or irony a few people might get it and have a little chuckle but most will not understand it. And as for your boring opening statement i can't really say anything since i haven't opened a thread since i joined the forum.

      And i don't really understand the stigma you're talking about there are some people i can talk to sci-fi about some people i can talk to about TCG's and all the other stuff.
      Last edited by JosephGracey; 03 May 2012, 08:12 AM.
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        #4
        I agree with fems. Humor is a funny thing (no pun intended) its hard to tell if someone is being funny, or if they are mocking the whole stargate universe in general. I myself am a true fan, and I love everything stargate....Yes even stargate infinity. So when someone starts cracking jokes its hard to tell if they are making fun of forum users who love the show so much, or if its just good humor. If you know you aren't making fun of people make sure to include that in your initial post. Many people may not agree with it, but that's what makes a forum discussion great.

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          #5
          Stargate's well known enough for their to be a stigma? Where I live, science-fiction isn't looked down upon unless you obsess over it.

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            #6
            Thanks to everyone above for your input. Yeah, unless I spend a lot of time in this forum and get to know posters by their comments, then humor can be a little out of place. I usually use just kidding (jk) or try to let people know I'm being sarcastic, but not hurtful. However, this is not always true, as for example when I mocked relationship threads with "Mega-Shark vs Giant Octopus" Relationship Thread.

            To Fems: Anything I can do to help people sleep better, . I'm more formal, and probably much more exciting in my own mind, than for other posters. I think Daniel Jackson had a similar problem before he met Vala. I could probably use some exciting signatures and pictures, too.

            To Snowman: I don't know if I'd obsess over Scifi. I guess people are more familiar with sports (hockey, american football, soccer, etc) than with the episodes of Stargate or Star Trek, so people respond more positively to that "shared" experience. I may be looking for more friends to share scifi with, and my subconscious nudged me towards this forum, .

            The "stigma" I'm talking about is how, at least for me, scifi has been associated with shyness, being anti-social, living in a basement, etc. It can just as easily be associated with intelligence, creativity, high tech, internet startup success, etc.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Dean Grr View Post
              Thanks to everyone above for your input. Yeah, unless I spend a lot of time in this forum and get to know posters by their comments, then humor can be a little out of place. I usually use just kidding (jk) or try to let people know I'm being sarcastic, but not hurtful. However, this is not always true, as for example when I mocked relationship threads with "Mega-Shark vs Giant Octopus" Relationship Thread.

              To Fems: Anything I can do to help people sleep better, . I'm more formal, and probably much more exciting in my own mind, than for other posters. I think Daniel Jackson had a similar problem before he met Vala. I could probably use some exciting signatures and pictures, too.

              To Snowman: I don't know if I'd obsess over Scifi. I guess people are more familiar with sports (hockey, american football, soccer, etc) than with the episodes of Stargate or Star Trek, so people respond more positively to that "shared" experience. I may be looking for more friends to share scifi with, and my subconscious nudged me towards this forum, .

              The "stigma" I'm talking about is how, at least for me, scifi has been associated with shyness, being anti-social, living in a basement, etc. It can just as easily be associated with intelligence, creativity, high tech, internet startup success, etc.
              For me that depends entirely on how you look at it.
              To use a more modern example of what I mean, next time someone calls you a geek or a "basement dweller", consider Tyrion Lanisters speach to Jon Snow about being a "B****rd"
              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ASZsMRzqhs

              Or for an older one, "It's all a question of mind over matter, we don't mind, cause you don't matter"
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                #8
                Well, for me it's more a stigma to be a woman then to be a scifi-fan. But that could be because I come from a family where "normal" people are simply not given. My Dad was a big scifi-fan and I, and also my sister and my brothers, grew up with "Perry Rhodan", "War of the Worlds" and other scifi-classics over here. I even can't remember which my first episode of ST-TOS was, only that I always wanted Spock to be my babysitter (weird I know).

                In RL it's a little difficult to find other female scifi-fans. For a while I was member of a SG-fanclub with mostly female members but ... well, that U-thing happened and the club broke into pieces (anyone wonders why I hate the show? Now you know).

                In my region it is, as said above, it's not usually normal that a woman in my age doesn't have kids, a hubby, blahblahblah. Sometimes, true, I feel like an alien talking to coworkers or neighbors. But, at least, I think the most of them decide that I'm not dangerous, only ... well, not normal. And with that I can live

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Gatefan1976 View Post
                  For me that depends entirely on how you look at it.
                  To use a more modern example of what I mean, next time someone calls you a geek or a "basement dweller", consider Tyrion Lanisters speach to Jon Snow about being a "B****rd"
                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ASZsMRzqhs
                  Thanks, Gatefan. I did watch the video link, and thought it was sad for Tyrion and Jon to react that way, though I have experienced it myself (I'm thinking back years).

                  It's what I think and believe about myself, and as for what others think .... mutual understanding or acceptance isn't easy, or even desired sometimes. If I were to remain on this forum, and post consistently, I'll probably have less trouble with mutual understanding or acceptance. I usually post when something's on my mind, or strikes me as funny, but my frame of reference could just be eccentric, boring or old (i.e. SGU cancellation thread). - Dean

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Dean Grr View Post
                    Thanks, Gatefan. I did watch the video link, and thought it was sad for Tyrion and Jon to react that way, though I have experienced it myself (I'm thinking back years).
                    I'm intriuged, why do you think that is sad?
                    I see that as turning a "percieved weakness" into a strength.

                    It's what I think and believe about myself, and as for what others think .... mutual understanding or acceptance isn't easy, or even desired sometimes. If I were to remain on this forum, and post consistently, I'll probably have less trouble with mutual understanding or acceptance. I usually post when something's on my mind, or strikes me as funny, but my frame of reference could just be eccentric, boring or old (i.e. SGU cancellation thread). - Dean
                    I think you are doing just fine TBH.
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                      #11
                      Originally posted by Hyndara71 View Post
                      In my region it is, as said above, it's not usually normal that a woman in my age doesn't have kids, a hubby, blahblahblah. Sometimes, true, I feel like an alien talking to coworkers or neighbors. But, at least, I think the most of them decide that I'm not dangerous, only ... well, not normal. And with that I can live
                      I guess it's almost universal (only the Sith deal in absolutes ), that people want to be liked, accepted, socialize with ease. Socializing has not been my strong suit, and perhaps I've made the mistake that because I'm on a forum, and can jump into a thread, that posters would be a) tolerant and b) understand where I'm coming from. Perhaps Syfy and SGU are what I want to talk about, but no one's interested.

                      It's funny you use the word alien, because to some extent, scifi and especially Stargate, represent the desire for connection (i.e. via the Stargate) with "alien" peoples or worlds. I think that's where the stigma I talked about affects me, that the need for connection, and the fact I try to do so through the fascinating, multi-universe that scifi is, is not a connection I can make with those directly around me, and isolates and saddens me sometimes. Don't worry, I feel this way about the environment and eco problems in North America, too.

                      I'll just have to get out more, as a certain scifi actor said ... . - Dean

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Gatefan1976 View Post
                        For me that depends entirely on how you look at it.
                        To use a more modern example of what I mean, next time someone calls you a geek or a "basement dweller", consider...
                        That they like to make fun of people or you won't stop talking about science-fiction?

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Gatefan1976 View Post
                          I'm intriuged, why do you think that is sad?
                          I see that as turning a "percieved weakness" into a strength.

                          I think you are doing just fine TBH.
                          I think I'm doing fine, too, but maybe my expectations were raised, and I found it exciting to be part of the Stargate forum, even though forums have been around for nearly 20 years. (Are there Twitter forums, is such a thing possible? I'll probably try Twitter in a few years, but only when it's old ).

                          ...

                          I think Tyrion's suggestion of how others look at you as armor, shows he's still resentful himself, just like Jon is, hacking with his sword. Strength seems to be contentment, being proactive with what you have, not hanging onto resentment (although, what a tempting bottle that is ...). I'm all for turning weakness into strength, but Tyrion seems angry himself ...

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Dean Grr View Post
                            I think Tyrion's suggestion of how others look at you as armor, shows he's still resentful himself, just like Jon is, hacking with his sword. Strength seems to be contentment, being proactive with what you have, not hanging onto resentment (although, what a tempting bottle that is ...). I'm all for turning weakness into strength, but Tyrion seems angry himself ...
                            Who says *you* have to see it like that though?
                            sigpic
                            ALL THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL CREATOR OF THIS SIG GO TO R.I.G.
                            A lie is just a truth that hasn't gone through conversion therapy yet
                            The truth isn't the truth

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by Gatefan1976 View Post
                              Who says *you* have to see it like that though?
                              Gatefan, you're right, there's no one way to look at things. Live and let live. I haven't watched the series, but judging from that one scene, don't you think Tyrion is drowning his sorrows (i.e his "armor" has a few cracks)?

                              In a way, I can read what you're saying as I don't have to "see" things as a stigma at all. My mind is a labyrinth, and I just need to find that ball of thread, right? For example, I was just made aware of the creative artwork and signatures on this forum, something that I took for granted. A rose by any other name, but only if you notice it first.

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