Ben's Diary and Reading Notes

My Top Three FanFic Stories (all taken from FanFiction.net)

The first fanfic story I read was based on Seinfeld, the TV show. Entitled “The Schizophrenic,” it’s story was one of Jerry’s holiday stress and Elaine’s two-faced boyfriend. I would have to say that Seinfeld is my favorite TV show, and I was very surprised at how closely the story resembled an actual Seinfeld episode (in reading other stories, I quickly found that this is not a typical characteristic). There were scene breaks at appropriate moments, and even though the author was not very funny, his/her comedy and jokes seemed to be in sync with the scene changes as it is in actual Seinfeld episodes. All in all, as a fellow Seinfeld enthusiast I was impressed: the author had done a pretty good job at making their idea for Seinfeld a reality.

The next story I read was “Spin the Bottle,” a slash fiction episode of South Park. It caught my eye because it was written in the character Stan’s point of view (POV). South Park episodes are not written through any one character’s POV, so this approach was very different for me: I could not visualize the story as I could with the Seinfeld story. Also, it was very short (only a few paragraphs long), which means it was written for the sole purpose of creating a homoerotic situation with South Park characters. I thought this was funny because for some reason I had thought that slash fiction writers wrote about characters they found attractive, and this is not the case; some authors just write for entertainment.

The third fanfic story I found most fascinating was “Deed to the House,” one based on Family Guy. This was without doubt the most impressive fanfic creation I came upon: every detail, even the introduction, was written out for the reader and followed perfectly with an actual episode. It was the proper length and had the characteristic comical scene changes that makes Family Guy so great. It was funny, too. I liked this because being able to reenact TV shows made with other people’s ideas in my mind is most enjoyable; when I am able to visualize the ideas the writer has, and (more importantly) when those ideas flow well, I have the most fun.

I believe you will find these stories particularly noteworthy because they represent three different types of fanfic that are commonly created. “The Schizophrenic” was structured as an official Seinfeld episode would be, but some liberties (albeit minor ones) were taken not only with the characters, but also with the time frame (it was pretty lengthy). “Spin the Bottle” was totally unlike an original South Park episode: it had a different POV and characters acted in very uncharacteristic ways. It was much more personal in that it was written by the writer probably more for her (or his?) own enjoyment than anything else. Finally, “Deed to the House” represents the kind of fanfic that stays true to the original (and in my opinion reveals some serious talent on the part of the writer). It is not difficult to visualize the text as an actual episode, making it both very enjoyable and extraordinary.

This range of fanfic gives one a small taste of everything fanfic has to offer. Some authors take more liberties than others, but all stories are equally valid or acceptable. There are no strict rules that specify exactly what is fan fiction, and this is definitely what makes it so appealing to so many people. If one has an idea about a story, they can create it and have a place to go to share it with others. When I first began reading fanfic, I was for some reason stuck on the idea that the only good fanfic stories were ones like “Deed to the House,” where the storyline is exactly copied and one can easily visualize what is taking place. As I read more, I realized that all types of stories are equally valid, and that all types of fanfic each have their own special qualities. The three aforementioned episodes are noteworthy to me because they helped me see not only the broad range of types of stories within the fanfic genre, but also what each type of story has to offer.


My FanFic

If I were to create my own fanfic, I would do a either a continuation of the movie Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, or a prequel to Pulp Fiction, a story of the adventures of Vincent Vega. Both of those movies are in my top 10 all-time favorite movies, and I think I could have some good fun working with either of those stories.


Democratic Speech and Democratic Culture

The most interesting point brought up by Balkin was that when the scope of free speech is inhibited or narrowed, our ability to participate in the construction of culture and, therefore, the construction of ourselves is compromised. I thought he provided an excellent argument as to why freedom of speech is so important for a democratic society and how crucial a role it plays in a democratic culture.

In response to Allie’s question (“Should these people be able to do all this online whenever they want?”), I would answer that yes, for the reasons Balkin points out. We all have the right, as members of a democratic society and culture, to not only have the right to hear what others have to say (no one should be silenced), but also to say whatever we want, to contribute to the creation of the culture we are part of.


Creators

For me, the most important question Lessig raised in his article was if all creativity stems from borrowing and what Balkin calls “glomming on.” The experiences Lessig speaks of with the Japanese manga industry, I believe, answers this question in the affirmative. Everyone is influenced by culture: they take what they want and fashion their own identities, some changing what they take more than others. I believe very strongly that all members of a society should have the right to recreate what they see and put their own spin on it (just like the Japanese Doujinshi artists).


Pirates

The amount of hypocrisy in the world today is really astonishing. When I read this article, I was amazed at how two-faced big businesses are, how ruthless they become when trying to maximize profit. Lessig’s statement in the beginning of the chapter is the basis for my feelings: at one point, all mass media industries were pirates at one point. I agree with many of the points brought up by Jackie--especially that industries "were at some point doing the same action they argue against"--and am a firm believer that some weight should be given to the view that all this illegal downloading does show that people are interested in music and the artist. I believe the arts should be emphasized more in culture, especially American culture, and while I do understand that not all bands are U2s and can afford to lose out on some record sales, I believe we all should be less critical of piracy and focus on what good can come from it.