When Fandom Explodes or Science for Beginners

[seedee]

It's like a train wreck happening - with the exception that I can't bring myself to feel sorry for the train. That's because the train is a moron.



Now let's start with two guys, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam.

They are doing serious research about subcortical circuits that are involved with romantic attraction, erotic arousal, emotional bonding, and sexual behavior.

Still with me? Wait for it.

The book will be called: "RULE 34: WHAT NETPORN TEACHES US ABOUT THE BRAIN".

I swear I'm not kidding and that's just the start.

They compiled a survey. I advise not to fill it out, as comments in their faq thread suggests that they are collecting ip-addresses. Whether they really do it or not, I don't know - better safe than sorry. I do recommend clicking through it to read some of the questions, though. It's quite entertaining. (A potentially triggering question is flung at you without warning, so please be aware).

More entertaining is this post. It started to explode as soon as the survey was advertised with the help of several communities. It's a thing of beauty. I encourage to read the whole thing.

Everything bolded is a direct and unaltered quote from Dr. Ogi Ogas.:

Dr. Ogi Ogas: So if I understand you correctly, you take issue with the characterization of slashiness as "sexual relationships between two heterosexual males"?
and
Dr. Ogi Ogas: Just to make sure I understand, are you saying slash writers no longer think of male characters as heterosexual in m/m slash?
I want to emphasize this point especially. Slash is a sexual relationship between two heterosexual males. OBVIOUSLY.

Dr. Ogi Ogas: We've tried to adjust the wording of the OTP question to make it clearer. You were the second person to bring this to our attention.
Because, clearly, changing questions in the middle of a survey does NOT make all your already collected data invalid. This is just an example. They actually changed the wording and even possible answers of many of the questions during the last days.

Dr. Ogi Ogas: To be honest, I didn't realize that fanfiction included novels and novellas.
At this point I'm sure they didn't even bother to look at even one archive.

Dr. Ogi Ogas: However, I fear that the majority -- or at least a significant portion -- of fan fic writers may not be aware of total word count, which does seem to my ignorant mind to be more the province of professionals.
Because clearly, fanfiction writers cannot count the words they wrote. That is for professionals. I also would like to point at the passive-aggressive condescending way he mentions his ignorant mind.

Dr. Ogi Ogas: Fan fiction is not the subject of our research; it's a source of data.
That means a) that they don't have to know anything about it, and b) that they can still call it a 'fanfiction survey'. Yup, that makes sense because he says so.

Dr. Ogi Ogas: I guess we intended true love to mean whatever you want it to mean! But you're absolutely right, it's not a scientific term at all.
Erm. Did they even read their survey before sending it out?

Dr. Ogi Ogas: Sometimes we say fandom because "fan fiction community" is a lot of letters to type, and I'm already typing too much right now.
I sometimes say dumb, because disillusioning is a lot of letters to type.

The thread is exploding as we speak.

In a second thread Ogi Ogas (I love typing that name) tries to make sense and fails.

And for dessert, I recommend this here, where the mods of kink_bingo explain why they are not taking part in the survey and make the Drs. look like a bunch of kids trying to play with the grown-ups. You gotta love them.

So let me summarise for those who don't want to look at the questions or read the threads. If you write or read fanfiction, then you are a white, American, straight woman but no older than twenty-five (if you aren't, go away, these questions aren't for you. We're over here in the other corner). You find heterosexual men who have sex erotic; not homosexual men, cause they have cooties. You don't know anything about male anatomy, you want one of those fictional characters to be your 'mate' and you want to live one of the stories you read/write. The characters you like are either dominant or submissive, there are NO equal partners in slash fiction. Also, only people in their 'youth' can be roleplayers. Trufax.

And this is why statistics have such a bad reputation.

On a positive note, look at all those researching writers and readers crawling out of their corners. Damn, but fandom is sexy when it proves how intelligent it is.

Thank you for your time.

/public service announcement.

ETA: The questions are now posted here and open for discussion. Most of them have been heavily altered - even replaced - since I've read them for the first time a couple of days ago. They're still calling this research.

ETA: Survey down, all threads (worth over a thousand of comments) in O_O's journal switched to private. Mocking fandom with a smiley brain icon - check, insulting fandom with a passive-aggressive email - check, announcing that it was all just a social experiment - still waiting for check, but expecting it any minute now.

Comments

[vanseedee.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've read it. The book about netporn is already written. With a publishing date in 2010, it's just too late to start research now - no matter how shoddy the research.

They did the survey so they can point at it and maybe get some juicy comments. I read that a few people already complained to the publisher and at least one person has contacts at Penguin. I don't think the book will be stopped. A story about women reading gay porn on the internet and their hidden desires that are so different from those of men will be too popular on the pseudo-science grab table (that hurt to write). Unless the publisher gets uncomfortable because of the fact that minors have been asked about masturbation habits and rape fantasies, or is indeed afraid of some kind of legal problem, O.O will print his bizarre theories.

[jumpuphigh.livejournal.com]

They really should be afraid of legal problems. However, companies are made of people and people make stupid choices.