#((This is officially a Velma (2023) free blog.))

[xjinkiesx]

I was going to try to be more active here, but... with all the talk of the new series, the infighting coming with it, and just the general negativity? I think I’m going to just keep things here quiet.

#.ooc #((I'm pretty firm in my stance tbh. I have my opinions. But I'm also going to avoid speaking further on this)) #((This is officially a Velma (2023) free blog.))

[glitchbirds]

the more i think about it the more i think “dont hatewatch anything dont give (x) any attention” is a sentiment thats a bit misguided, though i understand completely where it comes from

because, like, in that ideal world where no one online Does hatewatch anything that looks like trash from the first preview.. should only official film/television critics hired on major publications and already established in the industry have the privilege to watch whatever studio slop is pumped out? or does that privilege extend to people who make, like, informal critical essays and videos online discussing media; but beyond them the average person should not watch these things because its Bad and Morally Wrong to do so, they have to achieve the Special Privilege of having an audience for them to be allowed to watch something for critical purposes? or are they ALL corporate shills and not even critics should be covering shows like velma because its all free publicity? because idk. i feel like the implication here is either “death to all discussion of things i personally think suck (that i havent watched myself yet and never will) we should all just ignore it until it goes away” OR you make allowances for official film critics and the like and we have a roger ebert-type situation where ppl trust the word of certain critics so thoroughly that they never watch media outside their bubble of immediate interest themselves and just parrot the opinions of critics they like. so media can live and die by the force of what the most popular film writers of our time have to say about it, regardless of their actual quality. (frankly, we’re kind of already nearing at that point in certain online circles with some popular video essayists/“video essayists”, but i digress.) also, like, as plenty of ppl have pointed out, hatewatching is Not the main source of engagement for most shows you and all your tumblr mutuals think sucks, because there are plenty of ppl earnestly watching these things because theyve been heavily advertised to/because theyre interested in the IP/because it Actually seems to align with their sense of humor/etc. so in the ideal no-hatewatching-ever society, only ppl who have no real reason to object to the media in question will watch it, making actual debate and critique of the media impossible. because if all you can really say to them in protest is something you read in a polygon article once, you cant pull genuine examples that you understand in full context and it gets increasingly difficult to argue your points with someone who actually Has seen the full thing, even if their conclusions are heavily flawed.

obviously this is all hypotheticals and extremes because its impossible for hatewatching and media critique to just cease. and i absolutely dont think theres like a moral issue with telling ppl to not watch the stupid scooby doo television show, let alone being annoyed at it all over your dash. but im starting to think that the refrain shouldnt be “dont hatewatch EVER” and should be “dont create a fandom out of hatewatching”. because really fandom IS the problem here- you can watch whatever the hell you want on your own time and i honestly have no issues with ppl constructively picking apart shows like velma on their own blogs but its another thing entirely to be making harry potter “fix it” aus in 2023, u know? or making countless posts of just out of context screencaps (of dialogue the creators of the show Knew you were going to make out of context screencaps of), w/ no further critique beyond “what were they thinking?!?”-type captions. idk. just hatewatch and engage critically.

and pirate whatever you’re watching. obviously.

#something to be said also about maybe not hatewatching things IF its going to make you genuinely upset to do so #but id say i usually ‘hatewatch’ more so i can discuss the piece earnestly w/ my own opinions not someone elses that i saw online #and so i can make a coherent argument in opposition #and also because sometimes you DO get surprised and find out something thats been dogpiled on by the internet at large actually doesnt suck #txt