PoetsAndThinkers
Why is it that the bad people in a fandom always stay in it for ages?
rustypetals
@PoetsAndThinkers @Knoed263 Both of you pretty much summed up what I had to say, but I would like to add the fact that 'bad' things are generally appealing. In high school movies, the students that smoke, drink, and do drugs are often 'admired' and considered to be cool. When I was younger, I always had this 'urge' to disobey my parents' rules. The 'bad' things, like playing in the mud and going out in the rain without a jacket were very appealing to me. There is a certain thrill that comes with breaking the rules. I think the same applies to the less-than-positive content creators. Young people are drawn in to dark topics (even though they are often romanticized) and sexual content. Consuming it provides them with a satisfaction that they cannot otherwise attain. And hence, the content creators are given validation for their actions. In Countryhumans specifically, it is much easier to enjoy a smut fic than an elaborate historical oneshot. The latter requires prior knowledge and an alert mind. In conclusion, bad content creators exploit human nature to gain attention and validation.
PoetsAndThinkers
@Knoed263 Wow what a long response :o I definitely agree with 1. A lot of young kids get the idea that because they're online, they can do anything they want without having to face any consequences for their actions. Which we both know is far from true. They see their platforms as a place where they can say and write whatever they want. And while lots of people might give them positive attention now, the tables might turn in a few years when they have to get a job and/or enter the real world. 2. Is also very true. Attention is the reason social media platforms are so popular. People turn to them because they seek attention and validation that they might not be able to get in the "real world". When I first joined CH I stumbled across smut fics first, not content such as your own and Mango's. For a few weeks I didn't even know that non-ship content existed. Anyway, the attention that "bad" content creators receive pushes them to keep going.
Knoed263
@PoetsAndThinkers You could theorize a lot about that. Personally, I would have two guesses: 1. Defending one's own views and values at all costs How many people say so often: "Stay the way you are and don't be told anything else?" Often it may be meant nobly, but especially with young people, who can be damn idealistic in their thinking and their values, get caught in the things just mentioned. What I want to say: There is hardly any reflection on one's own values. "After all, if I am to stay the way I am, then my feeling must be right!" Sure you do stupid things, especially at a young age, I know, but people don't think about it much anymore. That is why the "old way of thinking" often remains for a very long time before it is perhaps replaced. 2. Attention, attention, attention What do you hear the most about first when it comes to a fandom? Right: From strange, lustful figures who always have a book full of insults lying next to them in case they feel hurt. And it is precisely those who get the most attention, precisely because so much is whispered about them. And many like that, regardless of whether the attention is positive or negative, it is simply attention that is directed towards oneself. And people get curious and want to know: Is that all true? Shouldn't I see it for myself? And bang! Even more attention. That is of course worthwhile, which is why many stay long. I hope I was able to express my thoughts clearly and I hope my comment has not become too long :)
