Journalist or Fan Who Writes Stuff?
I really donรขโฌโขt know what to say about my latest article that had laid fairly dormant until someone decided to insinuate that I had been รขโฌหreprogrammedรขโฌโข (a direct shot at Alice as I perceived it based on prior attacks) and then a comment that implied that I was a liar. I hadnรขโฌโขt intended to write anything in response to those comments until one of the commenters clarified herself a little and implied that she viewed me as a journalist, something I have never attributed to myself. With that clarification I decided the comment and the commenter deserved a reply from me, so I looked up journalist (wikipedia so it was a very quick look on my part) and while I guess I can be loosely, very loosely, called a journalist based on that description I do not consider myself a critic which is a subset of journalist, (and for the record, I donรขโฌโขt think Iรขโฌโขm a journalist either.)
Journalist or Fan Who Writes Stuff? by Elle2
I really donรขโฌโขt know what to say about my latest article that had laid fairly dormant until someone decided to insinuate that I had been รขโฌหreprogrammedรขโฌโข (a direct shot at Alice as I perceived it based on prior attacks) and then a comment that implied that I was a liar. I hadnรขโฌโขt intended to write anything in response to those comments until one of the commenters clarified herself a little and implied that she viewed me as a journalist, something I have never attributed to myself. With that clarification I decided the comment and the commenter deserved a reply from me, so I looked up journalist (wikipedia so it was a very quick look on my part) and while I guess I can be loosely, very loosely, called a journalist based on that description I do not consider myself a critic which is a subset of journalist, (and for the record, I donรขโฌโขt think Iรขโฌโขm a journalist either.)
Below are the paraphrased descriptions of both:
Journalist: collects information about current events and disseminates that information, the body of work is called journalism which has as its ideal the purpose of informing the citizenry.
Critic: to be one I would have to be publicly accepted in a recognized capacity, such as employment or having graduated from a course of study to give criticism, something I am not so I do not consider myself a รขโฌหcriticรขโฌโข in the true sense of the term.
All I have ever seen myself as being is a fan of Supernatural who writes articles that are posted on The Winchester Family Business. It has been my joy to do that since my very first article was posted, thoughts on On The Head of a Pin. It has been gratifying to learn over the last few weeks that there are people who come to this site and enjoy reading my articles. It has also been somewhat of a burden on my mind to realize that some people who have enjoyed reading my writings in the past have found it increasingly difficult to do as my dissatisfaction with the season has grown. (More on this a little further along)
That being said, I will respond and state categorically that I have not been intimidated by anyone to change my perception or to say that from hence forward, if I canรขโฌโขt write something positive, then I wonรขโฌโขt write anything. While I am sadly aware that there are many sites out there that allow comments and those that wrote them to be bashed about I have never felt that here at The Winchester Family Business. Believe it or not, I know the truth.
The other contributors and Alice are the only ones who have my real name not to mention my email address and while we occasionally send each other emails it has always been to share something fun or to perhaps lend a bit of support when someone is getting some rough treatmentรขโฌยฆyouรขโฌโขll note that no less than three of our siteรขโฌโขs contributors along with Alice immediately chimed in to defend me and this site. We not only do those things publicly but at times we reach out to each other privately to add additional support. That happened here as well. Outside of Alice, no one even has my home address, and Alice only has that because I gave it to her. Also, I have a really big German Shepherd who will take care of anyone who tried to intimidate meรขโฌยฆand donรขโฌโขt even get me started about Munchkin the Mighty who not only dispatches hapless chipmunks with great fervor but will steal my desk chair and only grudgingly give me a couple of inches to perch on if he has the mind; Iรขโฌโขm very safe.
I hope that perhaps I will continue to write about Supernatural, but Iรขโฌโขm not going to do so if all I have to say is negative. Fans that write nothing but negative about the show ARE fans, but they are not the kind of fans I wish to read. I have prior experience with this by being a fan of a show (this is a few years ago). I found the show when it was in its third season, then I found several forums and spent time catching up on the many conversations about the current direction of the show as well as seasons past. Some people wrote positive things and some people wrote negative things, very negative things.
In the end, I was more influenced by the negative than I was the positive and it altered how I enjoyed all the episodes and seasons past as well as the current. Ultimately the show took a turn that completely assassinated the characters and made the team aspect of the show all about a soap opera and I discarded the show while it had almost two seasons left. Itรขโฌโขs only on in syndication but my enjoyment of all the early seasons is so completely shredded by allowing myself access to so much negative that I no longer enjoy anything about the show.
Did I allow myself to be influenced? Yep. I chose to be influenced. Sadly, I also did some influencing. I have also been influencing some here and have caused them to perhaps lose a bit of their enjoyment of Supernatural and that saddens me. A fair critique of an episode or the show overall or a storyline does not bother me. Should I continue writing in the future, Iรขโฌโขll not stop writing critiques when I see them warranted but what I will not do is simply give vent to frustration after frustration. I have taken a step back and decided that I do not want to be the cause of someone losing their enjoyment.
I have had the joy of presenting 90+ articles. I stand by each and every one of my prior articles, other than the ever-present typos and the thoughts that perhaps went a bit too long, there is nothing in them I would change, nothing. Yes, that includes The Disappointing Road So Far, Season 6; as well as Season 6, A Second Look. I stand by each of my episode reviews. I took some time this winter hellatus to reread every one of my reviews and I still hold to what I wrote in them. Where I felt the writers did a disservice to the characters, I still hold to that. Where I felt the writers perhaps did not have a full handle on how to write soulless Sam, I still hold to that. The fact that the first eleven episodes presented a รขโฌหfalse trailรขโฌโข regarding the reconnection of the brothersรขโฌโข relationship and then showed that there was no true connection of the brothersรขโฌโข relationship is a major disappointment.
I didnรขโฌโขt even review AIS because by the time it aired I was so thoroughly disappointed with Season 6 that I had nothing good to say about it, I still donรขโฌโขt. I actually took a side trip to TWOP, since someone commented that my one article could have been lifted from that site, and found a review there of AIS and it was nasty, mean-spirited, negative, unconstructive and beyond bitterรขโฌยฆand this is from someone who was very, very bitter in my Disappointing Road So Far article. I read that and immediately left and said, whew, let me never be that kind of fan. Itรขโฌโขs okay if you are that kind of fan, I just donรขโฌโขt want to be that kind of fan. Thatรขโฌโขs the kind of fan that makes me question, why do you watch?
It can be encouraging to read and talk with people that agree with you, I understand that. But there comes a point when I feel Iรขโฌโขve discussed something as much as I can without simply repeating myself. My point in writing articles isnรขโฌโขt to รขโฌหwin the debateรขโฌโข or รขโฌหwin followers who believe as I doรขโฌโข or even to change peopleรขโฌโขs minds; I write to celebrate the show and to interact in this strange but social environment known as fandom.
Should I write about Supernatural in the future I fully intend to write balanced reviews, at least as balanced as they have been in the past and that others have attributed to them; in other words, I wonรขโฌโขt change how I write. If the writers take a character out of character, Iรขโฌโขll state it. Itรขโฌโขs my opinion. If a plot line seems weak or contrived, Iรขโฌโขll call it out. Am I a critic? Well, not in any true sense of the word. I also have no power (or belief) to influence the direction of the show. I doubt fully that anyone from SPN reads anything I write and then says, hmm, Elle2 pointed out an anomaly, we should correct that. I donรขโฌโขt hold myself in that light.
I enjoy writing about the episodes. It is fun to look for deeper meanings, progressions in the story. It allows me to experience the show in a different manner than simply as viewer and then to share my thoughts with others and reading theirs allows me an even deeper exploration of the show. Itรขโฌโขs fun. When it stops being fun, then I wonรขโฌโขt do it.
So, why did I change my mind and decide to give the back half of Season 6 more of a chance than I had initially thought (which was that Like a Virgin is the end of the road for me)? Based on the many comments received on my Disappointing Road So Far article I took some time to reflect, detach a bit from the show and then decide what was most crucial to my continued enjoyment of the show. Based on those thoughts I wrote my Season 6, A Second Look. I went back to what first drew me to the show and it wasnรขโฌโขt that Sam was chosen or that Dean was the human side of things, it wasnรขโฌโขt that Dean had a mytharc role and that Sam would drink demon blood, it wasnรขโฌโขt any of the things that Season 4 and 5 built up; no, what first drew me to the show was the relationship between Sam and Dean. That is what still draws me to the show and that is what will make or break my enjoyment of the show.
Was I intimidated because of the comments on that article? No. Some were nasty but since they were not only nasty but offered nothing constructive, I simply dismissed them. Some were enthusiastically supportive. Some were supportive while not agreeing with my point of view; many of those also offered alternative points of view that were very constructive. Some were supportive and even expanded upon my frustrations. In short, there was a spectrum of opinions and points of view and many were very constructive.
Am I hand waving at all those things that bothered me that I wrote about previously? No. I still dislike that after Ruby told Sam in Lucifer Rising that he didnรขโฌโขt need the feather to fly (demon blood) that it was then shown in Season 5 that it was the demon blood that Sam need to kill demons and be ready for Lucifer; itรขโฌโขs inconsistent. While I love that Dean refused to say yes to Michael, I dislike greatly that Adam, the half-brother, so easily filled the role. I do not mind that John could รขโฌหhearรขโฌโข Michael in The Song Remains the Same whereas we know Dean could never รขโฌหhearรขโฌโข an angel, because that leaves a tantalizing thread like Croatoan that perhaps could come to light in later seasons. However, to have the half brother so easily fill the role as Michaelรขโฌโขs vessel is very disappointing.
There are plenty of other moments, storylines and events throughout the series that I could (and others have) expand upon and be disappointed in but I do not want to do that. Why? Because Iรขโฌโขm a fan who writes stuff, not a journalist and certainly not a critic. Itรขโฌโขs not my job to report dispassionately on things be it good or bad. Iรขโฌโขm not an investigative journalist trying to right some wrong or perhaps end corruption or make the world a better place. Iรขโฌโขm a fan, nothing more, nothing less. Iรขโฌโขm a fan who chooses to find the positive and expound upon that. Iรขโฌโขll not be sugar coating things but Iรขโฌโขm not going to write endlessly about all the bad, Iรขโฌโขll point it out and then agree to be dissatisfied with it (as I have on the two scenarios Iรขโฌโขve pointed to above) and move on. Discussing it endlessly isnรขโฌโขt going to change things.
In closing I guess all I can say is that I am a bit amazed that people read my things and think they make an impact. I am alternately grateful and a bit caught off guard (as well as horrified to realize that I will have to spend extra time to clean up my grammar and punctuation so that I donรขโฌโขt post all those errors out there.) Perhaps Iรขโฌโขve said all I have to say on Supernatural and have nothing left to say, I donรขโฌโขt know.
But please remember, Iรขโฌโขm simply a fan who chooses to write stuff, I donรขโฌโขt see myself as a journalist, donรขโฌโขt see myself as a critic. I do see myself as a woman of integrity, what I write I believe and no one is going to intimidate me to stop writing. I suppose, if a death threat did arrive at my doorstep, I might rethink things, but thus far you know about all the animosity that has come my way for it has been publicly laid before you in the comments of each and every article; and thankfully there hasnรขโฌโขt been much.
As always, thanks for reading, Elle2
Munchkin the Mighty looks like a real badass cat. I wouldnรขโฌโขt want to mess with him for sure.
But, as you clearly stated รขโฌโ there have been no intimidations, and it moves me that you felt the need to state it in the way you did. Still I think the sole idea that our editor in chief or any of us might have done that is preposterous. We have been nothing but supportive of each other here, itรขโฌโขs a great team of writers and I am proud to be a part of this group of kind, intelligent, honourable people.
Furthermore, I also donรขโฌโขt see a problem in looking for the positive. We have always pointed at what we didnรขโฌโขt like in an episode, but we didnรขโฌโขt have harp about it endlessly. It was enough to point it out. Focusing on the negative is not our style here. I think itรขโฌโขs a problem of our culture in general รขโฌโ looking for the negative and rehashing it. It doesnรขโฌโขt make one feel better, to my experience. Why not look for the light within the darkness, to put it cheesily?
With a show I love in general, I can live with a few minor points that arenรขโฌโขt to my liking (I would still like to hear something about Deanรขโฌโขs bleeding eyes in Bloody Mary or what Ruby exactly meant with Sam not needing the feather to fly, for instance, but I am also aware that a show canรขโฌโขt always tie up all loose ends, and I am cool with it). I tick it off and move on. I donรขโฌโขt want to allow those points to ruin my fun I have watching the show. Because I love it. It has broken the clichรยฉs of the genre from the moment it appeared on our screens. To me it is still the best tv show out there, and it continues to inspire me on many levels. There have been hours of hilarious laughter because of that.
I hope you will continue to give us your thoughts, Elle2, and whatever your opinion may be, my support will be there, even if I might not agree with it. Itรขโฌโขs not necessary to respect and/or like one another.
Love, Jas
(Edited by Alice). This is a violation of our rules. Rule #1 actually. This is a personal attack.
https://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/news-and-announcements/64-rules/14338-we-are-a-happy-site-but-there-are-rules.html
Elle2 – I hope the second half of the season will revive your love for this show. I have enjoyed your articles and reviews in the past, and was so sorry that you were so disappointed in the direction taken this year.
That being said, I too love the show for the relationship and not for arcs or world-ending problems (apocalypse). I much prefer the simpler problems they have like helping a family or a person or simply ridding the world of a dangerous ghostie. I am probably in the minority, but I much more enjoy an episode like “Hell House” than I do the missing God, war in heaven, angels killing angels and so on. And Lucifer vs Michael I could have done without. But I do love those boys now so much that there is no way I could give up on them. I sincerely hope that now Sam’s soul is back, they can recover that bond that made the show a must see for me. All of Cas’s gloom and doom about returning the soul need not happen for if you watch Cas and his predictions, you will find 90% of them never happen. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I love Cas and wouldn’t want to lose him now!
Ruby’s remark about Sam not needing the feather to fly had me hoping the drinking demon blood was over, but it was not to be. They should explain that to us. I never was a fan of Sam’s blood drinking.
But I was never disappointed that Dean wasn’t a meat suit for Michael. Of all the things I was iffy about, I really really didn’t want that to happen. I was so afraid they would go that way, but happily they left Dean as a human being without any “powers” beyond that of an extraordinary human hero.
Even though I will never quit this show as long as Sam and Dean are there, I hope when it returns that what we love about it will be a renewing of that special bond that we both long for. It’s about time! It’s been 2 and a half years already! ๐
I for one hope you do keep writing, but I also understand that to do so you must retain a passion for the show at the same time. To offer an outsider’s perspective, it seems you’re at a crossroads with the show right now, and only time will tell which way you will proceed. There’s nothing wrong with that, and in a lot of ways reading what your problems were with the current season reminded me that yes, I have issues with the ways certain storylines have played out but in reading your comments it reinforced to me the reasons I watch the show in the first place, and I will enter into the second half of the season with a clearer view that what I love about the show still far, far outweighs those issues. That doesn’t mean I’m going to go brain dead or PollyAnna and refuse to acknowledge that the problems are there, just that I’m not going to get hung up on them to the point I cease to enjoy the show. I doubt that was the intent of your “Disappointing Road” article, but that is nonetheless what I took away from it. So I hope you do remain both a fan of the show and a fan who writes about the show, because I do enjoy your perspective and insight greatly, even moreso when it differs from mine. But I also could not fault someone for not wanting to expend the time and energy to write about something they no longer enjoy enough to inspire more positive than negative — it seems that would lead to a cycle of unending frustration, and, well, who wants that?
I also find the idea of someone thinking your decision not to want to write about something you only have negative things to say about as “reprogramming” laughable — when I was growing up it was just considered good manners to not say anything if you couldn’t say something nice. That’s not to say you shouldn’t express honest opinion and criticism — of course you should, it is true in life as it is in writing about a TV show. But there is a way to do that in a positive and polite manner, rather than just pointless bashing, and you seem very aware of the difference. Besides, if we’re going to put your essays in the context of “journalism”, isn’t the first rule of writing to “know your audience”? This has always been a site open to honest expression but with a positive undertone (for the most part) so any good “journalist” would tailor their remarks to conform to that standard, or bow out. That is not “reprogramming”, it’s just good sense.
I do hope you continue to write, and keep on overlooking those out and out negative comments that have nothing useful to offer. Happy watching / writing!
Hey … You write whatever you feel like writing. I might not agree with everything but your thoughts are always worth a read. Don’t let the trolls put you off, it’s the different voices that make this place interesting! ๐
P.S Munchkin looks like a scaled-up version of our Babylon … Cat conspiracy theory, anyone?
I agree with everything almost. But I don’t want to elaborate on my disappointments or enjoyment of the show. But for me Sam and Dean’s relationship is the heart of the series and that’s why I watch. And you know what? It’s just a TV show people, enjoy it while it lasts. I enjoyed reading this and thank you for saying what needed to be said.
Hi Elle!
During this long, long, long break I rewatched some Epi from Season 4 and 5. And I realy loved to read your reviews about the ones I saw. Mainly because you point out (for me) the importent moments.
Iรยดm very, very happy that you (is rethink the right word?)rethink the 6th season and give it a second chance.
Jas, Bevie, Lori, Suze, Leslie92708, Michelle ELaine Mckee, Junkerin,
Thank you for your comments, all.
Jas, Munchkin is pretty bad***. It’s funny that I named him Munchkin since he’s anything but, however, when I named him he was full grown and crouched near my last German Shepherd who weighed in at 80 pounds so at the time he did look pretty tiny. Fast forward a couple of years and RJ had died and enter in little Jobe, eight weeks and 10 pounds…imagine how the name didn’t fit anymore. But now Jobe is 18 months and 90 pounds (and still growing, skinny as a rail with likely another 10 pounds to go) and Munchkin fits again. Whew.
As for finding the positive, you know my thoughts on that…as Tim the Enchanter might start humming…Always Look On THe Bright Side….
Bevie, there is something so comfortable about those episodes from Seasons 1 and 2…and even much of Season 3 when the mytharc wasn’t so big. I also enjoyed the huge mytharc of Seasons 4 and 5 for it showed how daring the show could be. I am intrigued as to where they are going and the whole ‘noir’ aspect does seem very promising for all the other elements of the story.
Lori, your comments was so awesome, you have summed up my ‘crossroads’ position quite well.
It’s posts like yours and others like that that encourage me to keep writing, that and it’s just plain fun.
Suze and Leslie, THANK YOU! (Suze, you’ll have to get me a shot of your Babylon…if you send it to Alice, she’ll forward it on.)
Michelle, thank you for your comments, I agree, the heart and soul of the show is the brothers and as long as there is the brothers as brothers (and I love all the fights they had in the earlier seasons) I’ll be there.
Junkerin, Rethink is exactly what I’ve done, I went back and decided what aspects of the show are important to me and what aspects I can live with and it’s the brothers as brothers that’s important. I’m glad you’ve been reading my earlier reviews, I’ve reread all of them as well and that’s the kind of writing I want to do again going forward. I didn’t mind pointing out ‘issues’ then either and I won’t going forward.
We’re almost there folks, with lots of con reports to come out these next few days this long winter hellatus is going to rapidly come to an end.
Elle2: you had an opinion and explained it well. I enjoyed reading your article and can only say that it got me thinking about fairytale aspects of redemption and the character of Sam. Then I forgot to reply to your article. The only thing that can influence me is your tuxedo cat as I have a fondness for them…okay so I have one… ๐
Elle2 – there are many missed opportunities in the Supernatural arc’s that I wish had not been cut. Unfortunately either time, writer’s strikes, budget, or even fan disapproval cut some (important imho) story lines off prematurely (especially for Dean). That is showbiz it seems.
How did I cope?
I write fan fiction! No slash or wincest mind you I think that’s just gross. Maybe take some of your missing pieces that you wanted to see explained or followed through with and do what we do – re-write the episodes! Hell rewrite a whole season (I’m bored until the show starts back up so that’s what I’m currently doing hahahah) if you feel like it. You write excellent articles and I for one would love to see you put some of that heart and soul in to SPN fiction. A new outlet could revive your interest and feelings in the show.
Either way, you always need to remember to take things with a grain of salt whether it’s writing an article on line about your fav show or just simple things that go awry in the real world but most importantly remember that as far as Supernatural goes it is just a show – it doesn’t have to be perfect – It just needs to be entertaining. If it no longer entertains you then maybe you need to move on. One day SPN will end and the guys will go on to other things and we’ll get to see them broaden themselves and sit back and say “Cool ..” but the real point of SPN is to entertain you sweetie, not stress you and make you unhappy.
*** hugs go out to you ***
And I truly hope you don’t give up on SPN – You never know – Munchkin could be a huge fan and I’d hate to upset that massive cat. I bet hellhounds would be terrified of it … Oooo a ficlet about a hellhound being chased by a massive cat .. now that sounds hilarious! /wink
Hi, Janible, LeoraRufus and DmakDavis,
Thanks for your comments. I have written fanfiction for two other shows, Mag 7 and Without a Trace, and in Without a Trace I basically rewrote the entire season 4 because I was so displeased with what the writers did with the show, that was not only fun but it allowed me to do the very thing you, dmakdavis, suggested.
Don’t know about hellhounds being terrified of Munchkin but he does keep Jobe in line (doesn’t stop Jobe from lying in wait to pound on him but one swipe from that paw does get Jobe to back off…puppies, they don’t learn until they grow older ๐ ) As I write this I’m perched precariously on the edge of my desk chair because said kitty wishes to slumber on the chair and thus grudginly has allowed me a couple of inches…sheesh, softie I am I won’t move him…yet.
Thanks for the comments all, the spoilers leaking forth from the latest con do have me hopeful for the one and only critical aspect of the show that I ‘need’ in order to be happy with the show, Sam and Dean back together again.
I forgot to mention one thing and it was your comment about Sam and the feather. I took his conversation with Ruby to be a comment on free will not just the demon blood. Sam said that Ruby had poisoned him and she replied that it was his choices that brought him to the point of killing Lillith.
“RUBY: No. It wasn’t the blood. It was you… and your choices. I just gave you the options, and you chose the right path every time. You didn’t need the feather to fly, you had it in you the whole time,Dumbo! I know it’s hard to see it now… but this is a miracle. So long coming. Everything Azazel did, and Lilith did. Just to get you here. And you were the only one who
could do it.”
Sam thought it was the blood that brought him to the church to kill Lilith when it had more to do with the choices he made that brought him there. If he had chosen differently he may have never chosen to try to kill Lilith and Lucifer would have stayed in his cage. So, yes the blood was a tool to get the power to kill Lilith, but free will was needed to choose to drink it in the first place.
Yume,
What a unique way of looking at the mytharc aspects of each brother. It’s perspectives like this that continue to cause me to relook at things and instead of focussing on the negatives, rather look for the positives and see the show in a whole new light.
You are right, Sam’s fear for years was being a freak and then it was Lilith in the end who goaded him to killing her and releasing Lucifer by using that exact prod…”You turned yourself into a freak and now you’re not even going to (kill me or whatever the line from Lucifer Rising)” I remember saying something about that in either my review of Lucifer Rising or in the various comment threads.
As for Dean, you’re right, having family, Dad and Sam back in Shadow to Ellen and Jo and Bobby and Cas being central to his life and now Lisa and Ben Dean has always wanted to be with people he considers family people that give him a connection.
It is an excellent way to view the character arcs of both brothers, thank you.