I would say it is not a zero sum culture but rather a negative sum culture, a game of cultural musical chairs where every round there are fewer cultural resources to go around. If you do not actively attack rivals of your favorite thing in force, your favorite thing may soon cease to exist. I think material economic decline due to resource depletion is a major contributor to both this and other negative-sum, eat-or-be-eaten aspects of our present condition. I would not be surprised to see a movement of outright barbarism and anti-art sentiment among the losers of the cultural and economic game of last-man-standing now playing out across the world, escalating to terrorism and vandalism.
This has sadly become so relevant with the online space. One example I thought of immediately was the Mortal Kombat fandom. A lot of the people (especially on Twitter/X) can't admit that recent games in the series have just... well, flopped. Obviously there's good and bad with everything, but it's concerning when people become so blind that they deny obvious issues. Great read!
In Jane Austen circles, you can't voice the obvious fact that the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is superior to the 2005 without getting shouted at "let people enjoy things!" "Stop gatekeeping!" Come up with real arguments and let's have a discussion.
It's also rarely "let people enjoy things."
More like, "let people enjoy my things, but everything else is open for criticism, especially by me."
I would say it is not a zero sum culture but rather a negative sum culture, a game of cultural musical chairs where every round there are fewer cultural resources to go around. If you do not actively attack rivals of your favorite thing in force, your favorite thing may soon cease to exist. I think material economic decline due to resource depletion is a major contributor to both this and other negative-sum, eat-or-be-eaten aspects of our present condition. I would not be surprised to see a movement of outright barbarism and anti-art sentiment among the losers of the cultural and economic game of last-man-standing now playing out across the world, escalating to terrorism and vandalism.
Generational change, I think. The Three Laws of Fandom is extremely Gen-X feeling to me.
This has sadly become so relevant with the online space. One example I thought of immediately was the Mortal Kombat fandom. A lot of the people (especially on Twitter/X) can't admit that recent games in the series have just... well, flopped. Obviously there's good and bad with everything, but it's concerning when people become so blind that they deny obvious issues. Great read!
I am also a non-fan of "don't yuck somebody else's yum" and am grateful not to have heard it in at least a few years.
Preach it 🙌
In Jane Austen circles, you can't voice the obvious fact that the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is superior to the 2005 without getting shouted at "let people enjoy things!" "Stop gatekeeping!" Come up with real arguments and let's have a discussion.