How to Write a Good Fanfic

1.1.0.0 - Forcing One's Definition of Words onto Others

The way words are used can change over time. The manner in which words change is in fact an organic thing. The process is called semantic change. It is also known as the semantic shift. According to Oxford's online dictionary, this is the "change in the meanings of words, especially with the passage of time, the study of which is historical semantics."

Today I am going to discuss the changing of words, but more specifically the fact certain people attempt to force a change of use on other people. One of the defenses of this practices is the fact semantic change does occur, yet one of the major things people forget is the part involving the passage of time; the person pushing the change in definition is either impatient and not wanting to wait for the passage of time and/or they don't want to actually put forth a valid argument for changing the definition of the word, the latter of which involves bullying.

Cultural

One of the ways this shows up in fandom is people insisting on changing the definition of a word from a culture they're not even a part of. The examples I am giving involve words from the Japanese language and a Western fanbase who thinks they know better than the Japanese simply because they are taking a word with a very negative context in Japanese society and taking away the stigma of being said word.

Take, for example, the word otaku. Certain fans of Anime and Manga in Western society utilize the word otaku to mean "fan of Anime and Manga". In reality, the word otaku refers to someone who is obsessed with something.

One of the first issues regarding the Westernized use of the word is the fact an otaku doesn't necessarily need to be a fan of Anime or Manga. In fact, the series Princess Jellyfish covers a group of female otaku who are fans of things other than Anime and Manga. The series Hi School Girl focuses on gaming otaku. The Westernized use of the word leaves out those who would normally fall under the definition, though for some the otaku in Hi School Girl would be included.

The second issue lies with the fact the word otaku isn't in reference to the fact someone is actually a fan of something, but the behavior of being obsessed with something. Such behavior can be positive or negative, yet in Japan there is quite a bit of care regarding how one utilizes the word because of the negative behaviors associated with obsession. Context is important regarding the usage of the word and whether it is being used in a positive or negative manner. In the Westernized use of the word context goes out the window.

A third issue arises from the fact the Western use of the word is often referred to as the American definition of the word, yet the fact the definition is referred to as the American definition of the word screams Americentrism or – as Wikipedia puts it – "the tendency among some Americans to assume the culture of the United States is more important than those of other countries or to judge foreign cultures based on the standards within their own." What makes the American definition of the word more important than the definition used by the original country?

The place I see the American use of word used most often is from newbies to Anime and Manga. These newbies are of course only familiar with the American definition of the word. They utilize the word hoping to claim a label for themselves to which they can belong; understandably many are also quite young. However, these newbies also make newbie mistakes such as thinking shows Avatar: The Last Airbender count as Anime despite the only the Animation being done in a Korean studio.

The second group I often see utilizing the American definition of the word are those who interpret Anime and Manga through a Western lens. By this I mean they judge series from Japan and other Asian countries from the lens of a Westerner despite the fact Eastern cultures differ greatly from Western culture. Sometimes this Western culture is referred to as "white man's culture" due to the fact it is the culture of the privileged white man.