Fandom Rant

Sometimes I feel ashamed of the Hetalia fandom.
I'm not the only one, and a quick Google search will show how many others agree with this sentiment. I'm not sure why there's so much hate in this fandom, but it's there, and it gives the rest of the fans a bad name. This is the reason that I've only ever been a lurker on the LJ comm and why I tend to avoid any Hetalia-orientated forums or threads. I love the comic, I love the characters, I love the creator, and I love a great deal of the fans, too. But there's a very vocal minority that absolutely pisses me off, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth every time they get mentioned.

'Hatedom' really shouldn't be such an issue. I figure that, so long as you don't flame others for their opinions and you don't outright denounce another fan for their views, then everything should be fine. Opinions are good. Everyone has them, everyone wants to share them. It just seems that some of the fans can't do so without bashing those with different opinions to them. Variation is good, guys. Stop trying to make everyone think the same way. And no, bashing the views of someone else is not debating. It's bashing. Don't defend yourself by claiming to be starting a good-natured debate.

My biggest issue with the fandom, though? It'd be the useage of the word 'rape'. If someone likes a different 'ship to you, that doesn't give you reason enough to threaten them with rape. Obviously, with the relative anonymity of the internet, it's pretty difficult for you to rape them, but even so, that's not a suitable threat to make. It's totally uncalled for. Don't make threats of a sexual nature. It's just wrong. I do remember at one point, possibly doing the Hetalia Bloodbath updates Himaruya was writing, a fan actually threatened him with rape and murder for not updating fast enough. Why the hell would you threaten the author? If you had any decency, you'd know that Himaruya is human, so he isn't going to update immediately, nor will he bend to your every whim. You'd also realise that things like that would make him less likely to update. I certainly wouldn't be pandering to a fandom who would make such ridiculous and horrid threats to me.

Then again, this is the fandom that once had a group of cosplayers doing the Hitler salute at a Holocaust memorial, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by any of this. Thank God I haven't seen the image myself.

Creating a hategroup is just asking for attention and drama. There's an anti-hetalia page on DevArt, as well as a forum. Get the fuck over it, guys. If you hate the series, then don't pay attention to it. Believe it or not, we're not forcing you to read the comic/watch the anime. And unless you decide to attack us directly, then believe me when I say that none of us are paying attention to your little hateclub. I don't see the point in creating one. I don't see the point in hating something so strongly when you could be putting your time into finding something you do like.

The thing with Hetalia is that there's a lot of love for everyone within the fandom, as well. The 'ship wars aren't very frequent and most members are quick to back up others, regardless of differences between them. The Hetalia Kink Meme, which is where anyone can request anything (not just of R rating, guys. I know it says 'kink', but let's get our minds out of the gutter here...), whether it be fanart or fanfiction, and there's very little judgment for it. There aren't many fandoms where that could happen. But this is usually overshadowed by the more negative things, despite there being more positives.

Yes, the series can be offensive. Yes, the characters are often based off of stereotypes. It's a comedy. South Park is more offensive than this. And if you're easily offended, then maybe you should take a step away from the series and move on.

Truly, most of the arguments against the series are more offensive than the comic has ever been.

(This rant brought to you by a dull afternoon, a Google search on "Hetalia fandom hate" and a read of the Hetalia Wank LJ page, which is not to be confused with the Kink Meme. 'Wank' here is synonymous with 'rant')