Where is the love?

Although this question has been trailing about in my mind for a few years, I never thought to question it aloud. I found myself lurking Youtube, again, and watched a video where this one individual was asking certain questions about the jrock fandom. Particularly, very good questions that definitely provoke further thought. One of the questions happened to be, "Where has all the love gone in the fandom?"

This is a brilliant question, because those who have been around long enough highly sympathize with it, whereas those newer folks in the fandom can imagine that there have been better times than now.

The past used to be a lot friendlier than what it is now. Then again, back then it wasn't as easy to find jrock fans roaming the world wide web or in real life. I remember attending my first convention at a pretty young age, and the community then is definitely not the same as where it is now. It definitely has pros and cons to every issue:




Cliques:

We are a much bigger community than we've ever been before, so its natural for social groups to arise. Granted, it's different everywhere you go. I know that I can not speak the same for the East coast as easily as I can for the West coast. For the west coast, or rather, the LA scene...a lot of people know each other, whether it be thanks to myspace or because we all see each other at local shows or actual concerts. In a way, it's both a good and bad thing; we're a close-knit scene but it proves to be harmful sometimes. It proves to ruin the privacy and trust you had with friends, and it's even worse if you're a part of the industry. Overall, the LA scene is one that most people would enjoy, because it's easier to make friends....just make sure to keep the drama out of it.




Industry:

As some of us are able to recall, there were never any overseas jrock organizations in the past. It wasn't until Jpophouse and JaME came into the scene and provided a lot for the US and Europe. Jpophouse made us all happy in the US by bringing bands and selling their goods online, while JaME brought exclusive news to European audiences. Nowadays, there are more and more companies and groups popping out of nowhere, particularly in the US. (history lesson ftw!)



Fashion:


Lot's of pros and cons here. It's definitely made it a lot easier to spot a jrock fan from an anime otaku. It's become a lot easier to purchase everything, including visual kei/lolita clothing/jrock CDs. No one ever said that any of this stuff came cheap. Yes, it's our worst fear, everything that we could ever want is at our fingertips, but at such a hefty price! I see so many people struggling to make a normal living due to how much of their finances go to jrock paraphernalia or clothing. It also doesn't help with the current state that our economy is in, but the dedication we retain has ultimately turned into a compulsive addiction. Also, attending a jrock concert in LA is like coming to a fashion show: because of the easy-access to clothing now, it's become a competition as to who dresses the coolest in Vk or lolita. That obviously does not apply to everyone that attends, but the general consensus by just looking at the crowd gives enough evidence to believe that.



Looking at how most fans interact on the internet now, most people would look at this and go, "BAAAW". Blech, I'll never understand how the evolution of jrock fans over the internet started out as nice and few in number, and currently bitchy and callous.

Oh wait. I do know why fans are like this now! *rolls eyes* Just because you've run into a couple of dim-witted fans, doesn't give you the right to treat everyone like they deserve none of your respect. It has come to pass that most of the wank people start these days are becoming rather tasteless. And most fans choose not to become fans of particular bands because of said band's fandom, which is kind of understandable, but in all seriousness: you don't need to associate with them, nor be forced to interact with fans that drive you up the wall. I consider myself an individual with the bands I support, even before I became a part of the industry. It may have a lot to do with the fact that I do not interact with many fandoms, but to each his own; people come from different walks of life and probably depend on such interaction. (Again, this brings back comparisons to the East and West Coast scenes)




This fandom has seen better days....