Circling the Drain
Alright, bear with me.
The yearslong assault on journalism and criticism, especially in gaming, makes sense to me when constellated among a few other trends. Others have likely tied these all together more completely or succinctly but you're reading me instead.
Media choice has increasingly become a stand-in for identity online (and only online). Rather than fandom being a facet of a fully fleshed out person, there's a growing temptation to define yourself by your media consumption. Late stage capitalism has reduced us to consumers.
Increasingly insular communities that get more and more tribal, more and more insular, and more and more hostile encourage simplistic us vs them conversations. Rather than introspection or analysis, forum level conversation often stop at “do you like this thing?” with little attempt to place a work or series in any larger context
What you consume and enjoy has increasingly become a stand-in for morality online (and only online). Once we define ourselves by our media consumption, it only makes sense to wanna overlay the same good/evil or moral/immoral axes onto media consumption the same way we would personal beliefs or actions.
Economic conditions and developments mean journalists have less money, time, support, and resources than ever. The push for metrics and traffic and engagement above all else also incentives outrage over nuanced critique.
Negative reviews of media you enjoy feel bad. Full stop. There is an easy (and historical) kneejerk reaction of “what does that stupid critic know anyways? They don't even like this thing/genre/property to begin with.” But if you have no distance between your identity, media choices, and morality, then a negative review becomes an attack on your entire being. An existential crisis.
Now you have an enemy to attack. This is exacerbated by the same easy flimsy logic perpetuated by right wing populism that has grown online. Conflating increasingly hostile capitalism with modest and often only topical social advancements. “You had more money at the same time you didn't see all this race and LGBT focus so if you surpress them you'll go back to having money.” It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't have to. It's easy and comfy.
Shit is fucked up all over. I don't have clear solutions. I'm just trying to put pieces together and connect dots and maybe trace out the larger contours of this nightmare we're all enduring.
But you are more than your hyperfixations. You are more than your MyAnimeList or your Steam library or your GoodReads. Media is not (necessarily) morality.
Find shorter thoughts at https://c.im/@NaClKnight