How do you deal with the "bad" part of your fandom?

[General Ken8]

I occasionally get lumped in with the kids who listen to popular rap music because I like Eminem, and NO OTHER RAPPERS. I usually can be found listening my System of a Down collection on shuffle, or perhaps The Offspring, but I generally don't like rap.
Yes, I'm looking at you, kid who listens to rap on his iPod at a ridiculous volume with only one earbud in

 

[FolkLikePanda]

I express the fact the fact I am into more music than just Rock and Metal, like Motown.

 

[TeeBs]

Jazz has no really negative stereotype that I know of.
Neon Genesis Fanboys are right when they say its the best animu evar!!!
It seems that people don't stereotype XBL gamers any more.

No complaints

 

[TeeBs]

I occasionally get lumped in with the kids who listen to popular rap music because I like Eminem, and NO OTHER RAPPERS. I usually can be found listening my System of a Down collection on shuffle, or perhaps The Offspring, but I generally don't like rap.
Yes, I'm looking at you, kid who listens to rap on his iPod at a ridiculous volume with only one earbud in

but its the only way I can listen to my music when im at work!!

 

[Not Good]

You don't devote your life to fanaticism so as to eliminate yourself from being grouped with a bunch of close-minded dick suckers.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

However if they drag in two characters who have no business being together.

You mean the ones which drag in two characters who absolutely hate each other (For example, the protagonist and the antagonist), because "It are troo luv"
I don't know why it pisses me off, it just does.

Exactly that.

I'll admit that there are SOME things that I ship, mostly for the lulz. But never two people who absolutely loathe each other.

 

[Serioli]

You could set Longcat on them...

Spoiler: He lives

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11581582

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I try not to associate with other fans. I've grown to despise most forms of fandom, and I try to avoid engaging in the behaviours I hate in the average fan.

 

[Cat Cloud]

They don't bother me until my friends, of all people, turn into the bad part of the fandom or start saying the game/book/whatever is worthless because of the bad part of the fandom, which is mainly due to the other friends who support that side. Sigh.

Recently I've given up caring. It's becoming easier since I've come to the realization I hate the main character in 80-90% of the games/books/movies I enjoy. Now I focus on the side characters or villans, which many people don't care about as much (at least in my fandoms). That and my friends barely know half of the games I play now since my favorite ones are the lesser known ones.

 

[Nechti_Visara]

In my current fandom, I actually can't find any bad people.

I mean, I'm not looking that hard, but it's pretty much an anomaly. Even in the weird creepy sections of the fandom everyone is still hilarious and awesome.

And by not looking that hard I mean I'm just noticing this on the stuff that I've found. I feel a bit lucky, actually.

Past fandoms that have gone retarded, though, I tend to ignore. Lots of people are stupid and giving them attention is just asking for them to continue being so. I pay attention to what I like, and if someone likes it in an obnoxious way, whatever, just keep them away from me.

(My current fandom is pretty small, I think (I can't really tell). Homestuck.)

 

[LadyMint]

I walk on the other side of the street and pretend I don't know them.

Honestly, if someone else is going to lump me in with all the negative aspects of a particular group, that's their ignorance not mine. And in my book it makes them as bad as the people they think I am. I'll only go into clarification of my views/preferences if it's important to the situation.

 

[Ironic Pirate]

I tell them that Rob fucking Halford was gay, so shut your goddamn stupidity spout.

Pretty sure he still is.

Who is still what? Oh, I used was, didn't I?

Shit, hate it when I do that. I was just writing something about Dio, so I was in a "was" mood.

 

[vanthebaron]

As a metalhead, the bad ones call almost every non-metal band "a bunch of faggots!".

I tell them that Rob fucking Halford is gay, so shut your goddamn stupidity spout.

Seriously though, at least half the negative reviews on Encyclopedia Metallum call the band "gay" at one point. It pisses me off. Say you don't like a band. Here's how you insult them, "As a satire of quality music, (band) are excellent. As actual music, I've heard better in elevators. Service elevators." "The singer seems to have been inspired in equal parts by dying cats and tv static. And he's not as good as either of them." You know, that kind of thing.

yes our metal god is gay what pisses me off more then that metal is combined rock, blues, and classical (Bach classical). learn your genera people.

 

[ayuri]

denial is always the best medicine.

 

[Kurokami]

It's an unfortunate truth that when any group gets large enough it gets, well, assholes, in it. Or sometimes there not exactly jerks but, in general people you are embarrassed to be associated with.

So how do you deal with the "bad" part of your fandom?

For example as a fan of games, I have to deal with being lumped in with the XBL trolls. Or for a more specific case, as a fan of old school final fantasy, I get lumped in with the "newer" final fantasy crowd.

It's not just Vidja games either. You tell someone you support "x political party" you then are associated with the more. extreme, members of said party.

Anyone worth their salt should be able to make or at the very least understand the distinction between certain parts of said fandom.

I often insult Xbox for my impression of its memebers, that doesn't mean I'm oblivious or ignorant to the fact that there are many who aren't immature pricks.

 

[jamescorck]

The bad part should be ignored, except when it's a massive majority. The worst thing you can do is pay attention to the bad fans, as that's all they want.

 

[SimuLord]

As a practicing pagan of the classical Mediterranean tradition, I HATE getting lumped in with fluff-bunny Wiccans (not real Druids who practice the rites, I mean...well, you know the type. Flower-girl airheads.) For starters, I don't worship the same gods. Also, I don't care much for nature worship---my focus in the classical pantheon is on Mercury, Iustitia, and Venus---trade, justice, and beauty.

"Pagan? So you're into witchcraft?" NO. I'm NOT. And thank you for your ignorance.

 

[DarthFennec]

I'm a furry, and I can attest that jerks in my fandom are almost nonexistent. However, we do have a small handful of zoophiles, pedophiles, really extreme fans, and other kinds of people that I'd really rather not associate myself with. Not a lot of them really, but just enough to make the news somewhere, every short once in a while. So naturally I get lumped in with the psychos somehow, and people give me a lot of shit about it.

Mostly I don't let it bother me. The only opinions I care about are those of my friends, and anyone else can think what they want about me, because I don't give enough of a damn about it to try to stop them.

 

[Kurt Horsting]

Punching works more then you think.