Since taking up a new fannish obsession with Avatar, my exploration of a new (to me) fandom has caused me to consider once again the mysterious (and often perplexing) ways of fen. This has brought to mind two rather old--but still apt--essays on two trends that I often see in internet fandom (though I think they clearly predate the internet). I thought I would share the links with you. They were written by
"A Stubborn Romanticizing and Eroticizing Impulse"
"A Persistent Flattening and Polarizing Impulse"
The comments are also worth reading. (And unlike some of her other memorable entries, they do not number in the hundreds, so it would be reasonable to endeavor to read them all.)
Joie