Is anyone else getting tired of having our chains jerked around?
Some people seem to know that those of us into comics and anything related to them “freak out” when certain “news” hits the Internet.
My favorite example happened a while back when Justin Bieber, teen pop star, sent out a photo supposedly showing him taking a picture of a script from the Batman versus Superman film with the hashtag “#robin?” Predictably, the fans went nuts, saying that Warner Bros. had lost its collective mind anywhere they could on the Internet.
Instead of Batfleck, we now had Bieberobin. Anyone else remember this?
IT’S A FAAAAAKE!
When cooler heads prevailed, people in the know pointed out that it wasn’t real by any stretch of the imagination. I could list the reasons why here, but I hate to give Mr. Bieber any more column inches than I absolutely have to.
I’m pretty sure that when certain folks in Bieber’s entourage saw the reaction from the selection of Ben Affleck as Batman, they decided to jump on the bandwagon.
And why not? They got the reaction they wanted, with people screaming their disapproval at even the notion that Bieber might be cast in that iconic role.
FANATICS ARE FANATICS NO MATTER WHAT THEY LIKE!
While criminals are “a cowardly and superstitious lot,” people who don’t enjoy comics don’t “get” the way we fans often react. Let’s face it – we’re passionate about the things we like, so many of us do respond with some vitality when those comics or characters are demeaned.
Honestly, since we’re now in football season, the fans of individual teams make our reactions seem tame in response. Painting your face blue and silver? Attending a game in below-zero weather with your shirt off? Spending hundreds of dollars to go to a single game? Granted, some of us who are cosplayers or big fans of statues can drop that much cash as well. I think footballers don’t grasp why we don’t spend all our money on their sport they way they do, so that makes it “bad.” Some of them feel they need to knock us down a peg or two.
They need to remember that “fan” is short for “fanatic,” and that no matter what resonates with you, that makes you a fan as well.
IT RESTS WITH US TO STOP THIS!
Still, the reason people do these things is to get a reaction! When they post something, they want us to respond with horror and yelling. Personally, I think the best way to stop this is to simply laugh at it, and move on.
I’ve read a lot of things on the Internet over the years that were totally false. Star Trek: Enterprise is going to have a shortened season in its last year! Orlando Bloom is going to be the next Batman! I’m sure you can list some of your own as well!
On the other hand, I’ve laughed at some things that turned out to be true. My favorite was Lorne, a demon who could read people by listening to them sing. I was stunned when that came true. Andy Hallett, who played the character, said that was his response when he first heard about it as well.
Also, most people who comment on the Internet these days as what I refer to as either “gushers” or “bashers.” When message boards first appeared, you could get a pretty good variety of opinion on them. Now, the novelty has worn off, and only the two extremes seem to be around – those who completely love everything a show or star does, or those who completely hate everything a show or star does. They spend their time facing off against each other, sadly. (Before anyone says it, I admit I lean a lot toward the “gushers” because I prefer to promote the “good stuff” than go the other way.
If we don’t want this trick played on us any longer, we need to take the fun out of it for those playing the game. The next time we hear something like One Direction being cast as the Royal Flush Gang, we should smile, shake our heads in disbelief, and move on! It won’t take long before those posts dwindle and fade away.
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