I want to briefly address fan entitlement and toxicity.

Okay everyone, for a while I have been thinking about an learning more about some very pronounced problems with fandoms in general. Specifically, toxicity and entitlement.

Now as a gamer I have been hearing, and even have a little first hand experience with these things. On no less than two occasions I have dealt with an elitist gatekeeper that wrongly believed that their way was the only way. In the first such incident I dealt with someone that tried to tell me I wasn't a Mass Effect fan simply because I was finished with the trilogy.

I had played through all three games on P.S.3 start to finish. As a result, I decided I didn't want to buy the Mass Effect Legendary edition on P.S.4 and when I expressed this over the P.S.N. I was subjected to the "Then you're not a real fan" bullshit. I did not tolerate this, and I laid into the person that said it verbally.

There was on more such incident, and then they were dropped from my friends list. I just won't put up with that. It is not for any one individual to try and determine what makes us a fan and what does not.

The second such incident was during a public session of Remnant From the Ashes.

Now, for the sake of context I have been a gamer for almost 34 years at the point in my life. And I have had a main emphasis on role playing games and action RPGs for over 31 years at the point.

The incident happened about two or three years ago, so it was a bit less at that time. That still gave me gave 28 to 29 years of experience with RPGs at that point, because it has to be emphasized, apparently. I say this because I was told that the only valid playstyle, in almost those exact words no less, was a DPS build. To clarify, that means damage per second, and it is a good way to play a game like Remnant, provided the rest of your party balances that out.

I say this because my, albeit accidental, build is a tank/healer hybrid. That means I heal obviously, and draw and hold the aggro from the enemies so my team can do their jobs.

Now this other player saw what I was doing and definitely saw that it was working, and still said it wasn't valid. Somehow. And kept saying it right up until we reached a twin boss that I had freaking soloed with said build a few times before. Now, if you're thinking that he went down pretty much right away, you're right. And rather than wasting the charges in my Dragonheart reviving him, I just soloed the boss, again.

After the fight was over I basically said "Now, do you want to run that buy me again?". To which he rage quit, while trying to hide that it was a rage quit. Even saying "You win" as he did so. I blocked the player so that I didn't have to deal with them ever again. Not even at random.

Both incidents were really annoying, but I just "walked" them off so to speak. No reason to get twisted up really.

Earlier today however, I saw something that I can only describe as disgusting. A member of this fandom who had shown some signs of not being a, I'm going to say, sensible fan, showed a kind of entitlement I hadn't experienced before.

Specifically they tried to use Megan as a a voice box for their honestly misplaced gripe about Megan not having been arbitrarily forced into every MLP show in essence. And if you're reading this feeling confused, I won't blame you.

As much as I love this character, and the first series, I can't possibly grasp that kind of thinking. There is no way it would have worked, and less than no way it would be "appropriate".

I am all for critiquing MLP as no show has ever been "perfect". And even though I would not be here without My Little Pony and Friends, I still have plenty to say about its numerous weaknesses. And I am not shy about that. This however, it pretty bad. Simply insisting that a character should have been present all through out and I.P.'s history is ludicrous.

And personally, I find that confusing to boot.

It's not only ludicrous, but it's actually at least a little toxic, and more than a little entitled.

Again, I am all for criticism, but use your own damn voice! Do not try to make a character from I.P. in question speak for you, or presume that you can speak for them. It does not work that way.

I don't really know what else I could say here.

Comments

[RNBW]

Yeah... I dunno what to say about this.

It's not entitlement the topic I want to bring, but I can't help but roll my eyes whenever a company like Nintendo makes the slightitest, tiniest bit of mistakes, and suddenly everyone is at Nintendo's throat like they're Electronic Arts. I dunno if that ties somewhat in regards to your post.

[Bryan Luna]

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There have been some really big screw ups from Nintendo at points, and they should get called out for those. no one is beyond reproach after all.

That being said, if I had to choose a "lesser of the two evils" between Nintendo and E.A., I'd choose Nintendo. Yeah, they have done some bad stuff, but they are not E.A. Or Activision/Blizzard, and Ubisoft. They are still much worse right now.

None of these platform holders are free of guilt for bad and or predatory practices.