And I know you always think I’m trolling but I’m asking a serious question here, nobody around these parts ever says “I enjoyed [insert tv/movie/game] as it is, I only like Alternate universes and undoing the shit that actually happened in this series I Say I love so much”. I was just curious, though I doubt this will see the light of day. Ah well. Keep on truckin’.
I don’t know, not half so weird as the idea that you typed out this ask using vast exaggerations to the point of caricature about “tumblrinas” and somehow expected it to come across as a good faith question.
You know what’s an AU? Sherlock. Inglourious Basterds. The Ultimates comics. Disney movies. Pretty much every single comic book movie. I mean, which version of Batman is the canon one, and which one is the writer’s headcanon- the original Bill Finger/Bob Kane version? The one in comics now? The Dark Knight trilogy version? Bruce Timm’s version? Frank Miller’s version? Why are you getting annoyed over exaggerated claims about people taking “one sliver of a story they identified in a single panel” instead of bros bastardizing Captain America for their “He’s from olden times so he’d be misogynistic and racist, that’s just realism!” bullshit?
When you’ve got money and a corporation backing it, it’s a “reimagining” or a “modern take” of the source. You can rewrite World War II with aliens showing up and getting addicted to ginger as a narcotic and get nominated for awards (not an exaggeration) because it’s alternate history.
But if you’re just a fan, then that same involvement in the work, to want to take something that you enjoy and expand on it in other ways you like, is seen as something to be mocked for. Actually, let’s specify that it’s usually if you’re a female fan- as the “tumblrina” comment implies- because when some dude makes a video about Darth Vader and Batman fighting, you don’t see too many “This is ridiculous, they don’t even exist in the same time period!” comments to it.
When guys do things like that, it’s seen as the proof of their fandom. Their dedication to it. It’s lauded. You’re imaginative, you’re invested in the material you love, you’re expanding on the worlds you enjoy, and you’re showing off your skills. Somehow, that same approval isn’t often given to things like fanfiction.
Entertainment is interactive. It always has been. And everyone takes their own impressions away from it. a lot of people have the desire to expand on it their own way, whether it’s interpreting a line a certain way or taking characters and reimagining them in a different setting. What that takes is some investment and interest in the source. Just because someone thinks it’s interesting to look at familiar characters in a different location doesn’t mean that they don’t care about the original, usually it’s the exact opposite.
Bottom line? Why does it matter to you how they like things? It doesn’t mean you can’t like it your own way. Unless you feel the need to go out of way to judge them for it, in which case you’re the one impinging on your own enjoyment and theirs. So, just leave them alone and live your life. You’ll be happier that way.
Also, the “you’ll never post this” crap is boring. If I want unfounded martyrdom and guilt trips, I can call my mom.
