As I already said I ♥ this post, mainly because I've also thought a lot about your “adventure” and all the “wonderful” sensibilities I encountered in international fandom (because I might not contribute much but I read a looooot).
The funny thing is... I'm not offended by things such as the Tree Question™, maybe because I was never asked something like that by a citizen of the US... all those I've met in RL and most of those I've met on the internet were wonderful people... the only time I encountered something like that was actually when my first boyfriend - who lived in Oberhausen - asked me whether we had paved roads in my village. And I wasn't even really offended by that... I think I was too occupied thinking: “WTF!?” *lol*
So... in defence of all those US Americans out there who ever happened to asked such a question: There's other ignorant folk out there (and surely I don't know everything about every country on this planet). ;)
And yet, while that is not the thing that's really bothering me (although I don't know how I'd react if I'd have to answer more and more and more questions like that)... I think... this is so close to what is so dominant in international fandom and what's bothering me, that it has to be included in a post like your's.
So what is actually bothering me so much? I think it's what we're always coming back to: That the majority of the (english speaking) international fandom comes from the US and that therefore it seems to be expected, that everyone contributing to this fandom respects, knows and understands US sensibilities. And while I think that it's important to respect other people's sensibilities I honestly don't think that I will ever be able to actually know and – more importantly – fully understand all of those.
Just because I was raised in Germany.
Since I first encountered the internet 12 years ago (God I feel old...) I probably learned more about other countries – especially the USA – than I think would have ever been possible without the Net. And I love it! I mean... I actually think that's quite a gift we have here... But still... there are things I'll never fully understand. I just can't... I don't have the history or the “collective memory” someone from the USA has. My sensibilities, my memories, my understandings are – and probably will be forever – those of a (West) German. And therefore I'll always have moments in international fandom when I just don't understand what's the d*mn problem. I think this is very sad but it still remains fact. I could learn to recite these things but – I repeat – I don't think I could ever really understand everything by heart.
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As I already said I ♥ this post, mainly because I've also thought a lot about your “adventure” and all the “wonderful” sensibilities I encountered in international fandom (because I might not contribute much but I read a looooot).
The funny thing is... I'm not offended by things such as the Tree Question™, maybe because I was never asked something like that by a citizen of the US... all those I've met in RL and most of those I've met on the internet were wonderful people... the only time I encountered something like that was actually when my first boyfriend - who lived in Oberhausen - asked me whether we had paved roads in my village. And I wasn't even really offended by that... I think I was too occupied thinking: “WTF!?” *lol*
So... in defence of all those US Americans out there who ever happened to asked such a question: There's other ignorant folk out there (and surely I don't know everything about every country on this planet). ;)
And yet, while that is not the thing that's really bothering me (although I don't know how I'd react if I'd have to answer more and more and more questions like that)... I think... this is so close to what is so dominant in international fandom and what's bothering me, that it has to be included in a post like your's.
So what is actually bothering me so much?
I think it's what we're always coming back to: That the majority of the (english speaking) international fandom comes from the US and that therefore it seems to be expected, that everyone contributing to this fandom respects, knows and understands US sensibilities. And while I think that it's important to respect other people's sensibilities I honestly don't think that I will ever be able to actually know and – more importantly – fully understand all of those.
Just because I was raised in Germany.
Since I first encountered the internet 12 years ago (God I feel old...) I probably learned more about other countries – especially the USA – than I think would have ever been possible without the Net. And I love it! I mean... I actually think that's quite a gift we have here...
But still... there are things I'll never fully understand. I just can't... I don't have the history or the “collective memory” someone from the USA has. My sensibilities, my memories, my understandings are – and probably will be forever – those of a (West) German. And therefore I'll always have moments in international fandom when I just don't understand what's the d*mn problem. I think this is very sad but it still remains fact. I could learn to recite these things but – I repeat – I don't think I could ever really understand everything by heart.
[to be continued ;)]