Conventional Wisdom

Years and years of writing Far Out There has revealed that I have a deep, abiding impulse to make all my characters as likable and sympathetic as possible.  That’s fairly limiting in the long run, and I really need to get better at allowing more characters to just be turds who ruin everything.  And what better place to stretch my muscles in that department than writing about anime fans?

But seriously, though, the corners of geek culture I’ve come through over the years have all been waaaaaaaaaay too obsessed with self-aggrandizement and controlling their fandom’s public image and generally putting a positive spin on everything.  Lord know’s I’ve been sucked up in it over the years, just look at Those Three Kids.  I mean yeah, there’s always the toxic drama crowd, but even THEY usually reserve that venom for those outside their particular bubble.  We all want to believe our OWN crew is so lovable and endearing that our VERY occasional slip-ups aren’t even worth thinking about.  I think that’s an incredibly unhealthy attitude, and what’s infinitely worse: it’s mildly annoying.  I think there’s something very constructive in acknowledging that, sometimes, we’re just turds who ruin everything.

…now watch this one character become the biggest fan favorite in Conventional Wisdom history.