Thoughts on Character Bashing

[mimi_sardinia]

I was finally updating my icon collection and got thinking about character bashing.

Now unlike some of the critics on fanficrants I don't mind character bashing - within reason though. It can be funny to read even if the bashed character is horribly OOC. On the other hand I like fics that don't bash those poor saps who bear the brunt of such abuse and even moreso when the author admits to disliking the character but states they are actively trying not to bash.

But when it comes down to it, what is the basic reason behind bashing? I personally blame shipping.

So you like seeing a certain two people put together huh? Well bully for you! Oh wait... what about him/her? You're gonna say they did WHAT? Uhh-huh... *Backs off slowly.*

See what I mean?

So where am I going here? Umm, I don't know. Shipping engenders bashing, that's what I think.

Comments

[arhuaine.livejournal.com]

Odd thing is when I see fics pairing Maedhros with someone other than Fingon I don't mind, actually quite like it. (One of the best Maedhros fics I've ever read paired him with Elros). But when I see fics involving Fingon paired with someone other than Maedhros, that gets to me. (In the "jealous-headmate" sort of sense, I expect).

[mimi-sardinia.livejournal.com]

Thankfully though you (and Russ!) are sensible enough that when you run into Fingon!fics you don't go throwing flames at the authors for doing so.

Or at least I think you're sensible enough not to!

[arhuaine.livejournal.com]

Well yes thats true. Russ might grumble about it but that's as far as it goes.