Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The Bullies of the Outlander Fandom


            Some things never change. They just escalate.

Take for example the bullying that the SSers (super shippers) continue to heap on anyone in the Outlander fandom who disagree or disprove the Ship. The hubris of these women! I know they like to think they are the center of the Outlander fandom universe and make up the majority of it, but  they are far from it. They have gone after countless fans, many reporters, Meril, Matt, Terry, Ron, Diana, Graham, Steven, Paul Camuso, Grant, even Sam and Cait themselves, and anyone that Sam or Cait has been photographed with of the opposite sex who is not Sam or Cait. 

Awhile back these SSers decided to take on William Shatner. He was defending his friend, Sam, and not letting them get away with their pack of lies. Which, of course, infuriated them, because nothing upsets a bully more than to be called out on his or her actions, and they decsended on his twitter page en masse like a swarm of shrieking eels. Not to worry, however, as Mr. Shatner can say in only 140 characters more than I can in two pages of writing. Now remember, the SSers were the ones to start the battle (with one of the leaders even telling him to shut up), but true to bully form, they all claimed they were horribly bullied by a misogynistic has-been. There were those not of the SSers' group who disagreed with how Shatner went about smacking these women down. And that's certainly fair enough. But Mr. Shatner refuted all their lies about the ship and brought to light the problem the fandom has with this group of bullies.

The SSers are a bigger group of misogynistic women I have not seen. Psychology Today states:

A recent study finds that women are more likely to be misogynists than men—at least on social media. The study, which was conducted by a social intelligence company called Brandwatch … found that 52 percent of misogynistic hate speech tweets came from women, versus 48 percent from men. … half of misogynistic tweets (which contained the word “whore” or “slut”) came from women. … the tweets in question, are still social media—or as I like to call it: Disneyland for trolls, where bullying and cruelty are its main attractions. (Emphasis added) (October 25, 2016)

Sound familiar? The current favorite to bully online is Mackenzie Mauzy. They want her to die. They slut shame; date shame; body shame; photo shame; work shame her. They mock her photos, her poses, her life. But guess whose fault this is? Why Mackenzie's of course! She didn't disable the comments on her IG posts! This is classic bully behavior - it is never the bully's fault that they bully. The victim has somehow done something to allow it or cause it. Then if the bullies are called out or receive flak for their terrible deeds, they firmly believe they did nothing to deserve such treatment and are themselves being bullied (a/k/a William Shatner and "the entire fandom").

So after bullying cast and crew, friends, SOs, and others in the fandom, the last thing left to do is to turn on the ones they profess to love - Sam and Cait. "Cait had to demean herself" by posting the picture for Sam who was "abdicating his responsibility" for not coming out and telling everyone every detail about his personal life.  They were betrayed! It doesn't make sense! Why are they doing this to meeeeee?!!!! 


For nearly a year and a half Sam and Cait have definitely been leaving everyone breadcrumbs - in the form of the "We are NOT together" video interview. "We aren't together" articles in proper magazines, newspapers and online news sites. The fact that you blatantly chose to ignore ALL OF THIS is your own fault. Not Cait's; not Sam's. They have not manipulated you or played any games. Their significant others do not stir the pot, cause controversy, or taunt the fandom.  Sam isn't a coward for not sharing his private life with you. He's not afraid to claim his girlfriend ("so his costar does it for" him). They don't leave shippery breadcrumbs. Sam doesn't need "to be seen dating her in public." For God's sake, neither Sam nor Cait owe you anything regarding their personal lives. They owe us all a great performance as Jamie and Claire and that is all. (Which they deliver in spades.) (And regarding Sam and Mack being seen in public - he attended a wedding with her where a video went around showing them looking pretty cozy. Also, don't forget the photo of them at a winery(?) where they were facing each other, mirroring each other, and the look Mack was getting from Sam was so hot it nearly set my monitor on fire.

One more thing about Mackenzie - one of the SSers on the top of the food chain stated that it's "been a year of solid bullshit. Mackenzie has done nothing to earn my respect, and, quite frankly, is partially responsible for a lot of the bullshit fighting in this fandom. I don't feel the need to be nice to her just because she's associated with  Sam and Cait.  …so I'm not going to apologize for what I've said today and I don't expect anyone else to either. I'm sick of being told who I have to be nice to…" (Well for heavens sake, by all means DON'T APOLOGIZE for crappy things you say! Dear god! The horror!) No one expects you or anyone else to have to like or respect someone simply because of who they are dating. I think the majority of this fandom expects people to be nice. It won't kill anyone to be nice on social media. Mackenzie in no way is responsible for any fighting. That is bully mentality blaming the victim. Nobody has to like her, but everybody should be kind to her. Not because of who she is, but because she's a human being. Take your misogynistic, bully hats off and if you can't be kind, be silent. Leave her alone. The world does not revolve around you, SSers. She won't miss you a bit if you leave her alone.

The SSers claim that they've been misled all this time because of how Sam and Cait act around each other when doing promos for the show. (See how it is never the SSers' fault?) I feel sad for the lot of you because you obviously haven't experienced a close friendship with a member of the opposite sex that doesn't actually include sex. As friends you will admire what the other is wearing, you will look at them with a smile for a secret joke, you are touchy/feeling (some people more so than others). You know things about each other and tease each other about it. You are comfortable around each other. You hug. You kiss on the cheek (sometimes on the lips). But it doesn't mean you are in love with each other past the point of genuine friendship. It doesn't mean "So Married!" Add to it that Sam and Cait are going through this newfound fame as actors together, on a new show, with intense love scenes, and intense emotional scenes together. All while working in tough conditions, probably 18 hours days, far from friends and family. You are bound to become close and learn things about each other. There is no denying that Sam and Cait together are adorable, funny and sexy.  Who doesn't want those people to be together? However, they are not being disingenuous. It's a part of their job, and fortunately they actually are good friends so they can have a good time whilst doing the promos and the cons and the interviews, etc. But the real life Sam and Cait have their own interests and lives. Which is to be expected.

Regarding the photo Cait posted about Sam beating her up (again) on set while filming.  The SSers took this as a breadcrumb from Cait that Sam had given her a hickey on her thigh. Yes, that makes so much sense. Cait, who gives nothing of her personal life away, gladly posted a photo of herself with a hickey given to her by her super secret husband. ("So Married!") There was even an expert on the whole shot giving who said that Claire would never give herself a shot in the thigh because that's not how it's done. (She clearly hasn't read the book.) Claire does indeed give the shot in her thigh because Jamie is too concerned about hurting her with the needle. Also, for everyone who has ever given or gotten a hickey, we are aware it does not leave behind two pinpoint marks in the bruise. (Well, maybe - if you were making out with Dracula or Kaa.)


 Final thing. SSers, you do get behind Sam and Cait's charities. But why? Do you really care about that? Or are you simply looking to pat each other on your back, saying "Look what we did! We are the best fans ever!" You go to the comic cons and race to have your photos with Sam and Cait. This is after saying rotten things on social media about the people in their life, and about them. After mocking other fans' photos with Sam and Cait, you then then do the exact pose yourself. You claim to be all about love and light and hugs, but you are a den of vipers waiting to strike at anyone you feel is threatening your already sunk ship. Here's the thing - you are all so busy congratulating yourselves on how amazing you are as fans that you don't see the hypocrisy, bullying, misogyny, and hate that spews from your blogs. And until you take a look at what you are putting out into the Universe, you are always going to keep asking, "Why does everybody blame us?"

11 comments:

  1. It's a damn shame and I for one as a heartfelt fan, have to see things like this.
    You know the saying "One bad apple spoils the whole bunch".
    We the bunch don't like it one damn bit!

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  2. Thankfully I am completely clueless to any of this. First of all, I thought "shipping" was something the teenagers did to their favorite characters, not grown ups? When I read this blog I couldn't believe you were talking about grown women caring about what two other grown ups do in their personal lives? Am I missing something?

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  3. I think this as ridiculous as all the drama in this fandom. It states that if you can't say something nice then be silent. Maybe the author should practice what they preach. The only way all of this will ever stop is for both sides to stop calling the other side out. Stop screen capping each other. And while I agree that some of the things said about Miss Mauzy are not nice and uncalled for, she has the option of controlling what people say about her on her own social media and she chooses not to. EVERYONE needs to be responsible for their actions. And instead of pointing fingers how about taking responsibility for what actions each and every one of us have contributed. And I can tell you from personal experience that when I asked a simple question of Mr Shatner, that I received back one of the rudest, misogynistic responses that I have ever received. Just because I asked a question, and when I immediately blocked him and his sidekick, I then received even more hateful messages from that bat shit crazy journalist friend of his. So hateful that I screen capped it and sent it to my attorney. So, if you are pointing fingers as everyone in this fandom likes to, please be sure to point them all around. And I am not a shipper at all, just in case you think I have a stake in any of this. Last week I made a huge decision and cancelled my Starz subscription. Will I watch Season 3? I don't know. I loved the books, always have. Right now that is what I will stick with.

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    Replies
    1. Your paragraph just proved the authors point, blaming MM for not shutting down comments instead of the assholes listing the comments. That was PRECISELY JJs point about the bullying-blame the victim.

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  4. Well, I'm not a member of any of the fan clubs, but I am a fan of Diana Gabaldon's, her books, and Outlander Season 1. I've just recently been made aware of this mess, by some one who daily tries to explain the rational, to a small few who insist on being irrational by spreading lies and propaganda about the actors, of the show, and their private lives. After Catriona Balfe's post on Twitter, I actually thought all the fan clubs would come together. I thought wrong. The few, in an attempt to keep their agenda alive, just concocted another silly story to rebuild their losses from that tweet. Every time Sam Heughan's girlfriend posts a picture, or anything that proves she is his girlfriend, this nasty few saddle up, form a posse, and attack. I wonder if they really know who they're hurting here. I don't think they're hurting the girlfriend. It doesn't bother her, for she keeps posting. They are hurting Sam Heughan, the actor. This horrendous behavior puts pressure on him to feel he has to go on social media and protect his girlfriend. I've read, he's a good man, a kind man, who is grateful to his fans, and the success of the show. The last thing he wants to do is be put in this position. Did any of these people think what it was like for him to be working on the show, while his girlfriend was visiting, and have to deal with this mess. Catriona Balfe reminds me of a no nonsense kind of girl. I may be wrong, but I think she had to really be pushed to the limit to post that tweet. I think she saw her good friend and co-star stressed over the never ending attacks, and felt she had to do something to end it. Who knows, this could have been affecting his work, as they were still filming the show. Maybe, just maybe if this nasty few thought about who they were really hurting, this mess would stop. They are hurting the actors, they claim to love. They really need to stop.

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  5. I'm a neutral fan who has read all 3 sides of this silly argument since 2014. Yes, there are 3 sides. They are:
    1. Shippers: think Sam and Cait are together, or wish it
    2. Non-Shippers: Cait w/ Tony and Sam with a series of women (Amy, Cody, Abbie, and now Mackenzie)
    3. Gay-Sam fans: Cait w/ Tony and Sam is Bi/Gay (and potentially with his friend, Luke)

    Here's the behavior I see in ALL 3 groups:
    1. Write SM posts about how gullible the other groups are, or how they read too much into everything posted on SM
    2. Tell people of their own group that they have some type of hidden "insight" into what is going on in the personal lives of Sam/Cait. These include, gaydar and personal connection to someone who went to drama school w/ Sam by the gay-Sam group (Lady Goodman); a personal link to Tony, a connection to Hollywood, and people reporting to her from various locations including a Miami vacation spot by a prominent member of the non-shippers (Purvy), and a secret connection in Scotland by the shippers (Stella).
    3. Dox prominent member of the other group (yes, shippers and non-shippers alike have been doxed; I'm not sure about the 3rd group) and post that info on SM
    4. Threaten to report someone to their workplace for too much time on SM, posting inappropriate things, etc because of what they believe regarding Sam and Cait's personal lives (again, both shippers and non-shippers alike have experienced this)
    5. Send mean Direct Messages to people in the other group(s)
    6. Call Starz and report a cast/crew member who have supported the other group's cause as being troublemakers (both shippers and non-shippers have done this)
    7. Make claims that the other group(s) is ruining the fandom
    8. Screen-cap and run to Sam, Cait, Maril, Terry, Shatner, etc on SM to prove how bad the other group(s) is and how victimized their own group is
    9. Make nasty comments about and to people the other group believes are dating the cast. Shippers are known to do this obviously, but even non-shippers were guilty of saying nasty things...especially in the beginning to/about Amy and Cody. I've most recently seen it some in the third group also.
    10. Assume Sam/Cait have to be dating or side-flirting with someone or each other because they appeared in a picture together, tweeted to, or liked each other's pics. There was all kinds of crazy over a model Sam liked pics/posts of on IG, someone he posed with in a pic that was in a movie with his friend, other friends of his, etc.
    11. Assume click-bait articles supporting their side of the argument are always fact, rather than opinion, but also thinking click-bait articles supporting the other 2 sides had to be false.
    12. Assume that the truth of whom Sam and Cait are dating is being hidden for some kind of secret agenda (until it wasn't anymore, for non-shippers).
    13. Post insulting things about Sam and/or Cait regarding body type, personality, and/or intentions when discussing who would be fitting for them to date.
    14. Post death threats and/or suggest that members of the other group should commit suicide (yes, again, BOTH shippers and non-shippers have done this)
    15. Embrace trolls who support their belief and blamed the other group(s) for troll statements
    16. Raise funds for Sam and Cait's charities and then expect to be seen as higher level fans who deserve something as a reward for these fundraisers (I know of at least 2 fans from the non-shipper group and 2 fans from the shipper group who act like this; haven't seen any in the Gay-Sam group yet)
    17. Fawn all over the person the group thinks is currently dating Sam (and ignore people the group no longer thinks is dating Sam).
    18. Create Sock accounts to argue their groups points on various SM platforms, and more importantly post mean things against the other groups.

    (Part 1)

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  6. The point is that a small number of fans from all 3 groups have stepped over the line in how they interact with other fans and the people in Sam and Cait's lives (including each other). All.3.Groups! If you think your "group" is innocent of these points, you are wrong.

    How about everyone in the fandom just forgive each other for past wrongs, since people from ALL groups are guilty of the things outlined above? How about we stop caring who others think Sam and Cait are dating? How about we stop caring who Sam and Cait date? Let's stop. Let's ALL be better than this.

    (Part 2)

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  7. I feel sorry for those who have become victims of the vitrial. I posted a "hey, cut it out" and got so many negative responses that I shut my responses off. They get nasty. I applaud Mr. Shatner for speaking up, but then they went after him! I haven't posted much since. I just wish they'd all stop! I love the Outlander world, the people who are behind the scenes, our writers, author, and actors! They do an amazing job, under what must be difficult circumstances. Fans all over the place no getting away from them yet they remain pleasant, sign autographs, take pictures with us. Don't the SS realize that that can change in an instant? They could deny access, at any time! Where will the SS do then, after they have ruined it for everyone.HI above writes a good argument, but as the bible says, in the end days there will be people who take offense.. Those folks are just pathetic. Nothing will satisfy them ever.

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  8. YET you spend all this time judging them and a few minutes ago went to a IG page and stir trouble there and thanked another post for promoting your blog, so ooo your jsut as bad.

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  9. This is probably why Sam and Caitriona are receding from social media. Neither take interact with fans anymore unless it's their charities or work. I remember when Sam would just say hello to a fan on social media out of the blue. Those days are long gone.

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