Question about reccing

[emmagrant01]

Last night, MDH and I went out with charlotteschaos and her hubby to see Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park get MST'd by a comedy troupe. It was hilarious, but I think Char and I giggled the loudest at all the Harry Potter references that were worked in!

And now, I have a question: on another post, some folks are talking about reccing, and a few comments have been made that seem to imply many people don't read fics that they think have been over-hyped. This is honestly a bit baffling to me, because if everyone on my f-list is reccing something, then I tend to assume it has a good chance of being a great read. People don't rec fics they don't like, after all, so if the pairing is something I'm in the mood for, I figure I should at least give it a shot. If I don't like it, I can hit the back button and go on my merry way.

But why would someone not read a fic that's getting a lot of attention on principle? If you do this, I'd appreciate an explanation, because it doesn't make any sense to me at the moment.

Edit: To clarify, I'm talking about a situation where it's a pairing and a scenario you would ordinarily find appealing, but you choose not to read the fic SOLELY because it's getting recced by everyone out there. Maybe no one actually does this and I'm overgeneralizing...

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Hm. Maybe it's like being in school and having to read something. An "ought-to-read". Something insta-recced for reasons other than what might appeal to the person refusing to take up this recommendation.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Maybe, but... we're all here for fun, and we all know it. Maybe some people interpret those "OMG you must go read this fic NOW!!!" comments literally.

And what other reasons are you thinking of? *is confused*

[balfrog.livejournal.com]

Usually the folks on my flist rec one or two at a time - if the pairing fits (I'm shallow) I go read it... I guess I have a flist whose recs are more non H/D than not... that's the only reason I'd skip out on an oft-recced fic.
A one ship (character) reader like myself misses out on a lot.
:D

[lauramcewan.livejournal.com]

It may be a case of having been burned. I finally watched a film that everyone else said was SO much better than another version of the same story, that if I liked the one I'd seen, then I'd *REALLY* like this other version - and I ended up very disappointed. I mean, it was a good film and all but it just didn't compare to the other in my mind. So it might be a case of not willing to become disappointed and feel out of the loop if they don't like it as much as others hype it to be.

[dorrie6.livejournal.com]

I'll read fics that are hyped, but I admit I'll look first at who's hyping it. My tastes are really specific, and there are a lot of popular authors whose work is not to my taste, and I'd say the same about a lot of popular reccers. On the other hand, there are reccers whose tastes I enjoy so much, that I'd read anything they recommended, even if it was written by someone whose work I have not previously enjoyed.

So. Er. I didn't really answer your question, but... :)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I'll usually skip a highly recced Snarry fic, because that's just not a pairing that does anything for me most of the time.

But that's not exactly what I mean -- I'm talking about a fan not reading something that they would otherwise be interested in, just because it's been highly recced.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Right, that's not exactly what I was asking! ;-)

But yeah, I agree. There are some reccers whose taste I don't share. But if they AND twelve other people on my f-list are reccing a fic, I'll go take a look.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I can see that, and maybe that's part of it, yeah.

[balfrog.livejournal.com]

yeah - I saw that brewing up. I shouldn't have said anything.

[mrshamill.livejournal.com]

Oy, there's a new one. After having been told by some people that they 'only read certain authors' (who are not even writing in their fandom any longer) or 'only read what's been recommended'(by a certain cabal of people), now apparently they've figured out how to not reading anything. Why'n'hell are some people even in FANDOM?! /bitter

Sorry 'bout that, but honestly. I'll read anything, or at least try to, but I won't recommend anymore because I just don't need the drama in my life.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Sorry? Was it something I said?

[accio-draco.livejournal.com]

Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Hillary Duff, etc are some of the most recced artists out there. Sure, they're shiny and nice to look at, but that's about it. One can't always, and perhaps shouldn't ever, trust popular opinion.

[balfrog.livejournal.com]

no no no... not you, silly. (sorry about that- it sounded terse)- so the longer explanation-
I shouldn't say, but what with the confusing 'honesty' post (which I don't understand) and the 'don't read recs' posts I saw coming up today, I really don't know what's going on... (the not-chatting part keeps me in the dark a bit) - it all seems to be referring back to something else, and I don't know...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

It's not conscious. It's a reflex, and not all people have it - I am always surprised when someone says they only like a book because it was part of their curriculum.

Hm, friendships, BNFs, hype instead of merit *shrugs*

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't put fanfic in the same category, though!

After all, I choose who is on my f-list, and I respect their opinions. If a large number of those people think something is good, the odds are high I will think so too. If nothing else, my curiosity is piqued.

It's not simply popular opinion -- it's the opinion of a group of people whose journals *I* chose to read.

[lily-bywater.livejournal.com]

(Hi! Just strolling by.)

For me it's not that I don't read a much recced fic on principle, it's just that I won't get around to reading it. I'll see a fic recced. And then recced again. And again. So I think hey! might be good to check that one out - so I bookmark it. But then...I forget about it. I'll have it bookmarked for months, and when the hype is gone and I'm looking trough my bookmarks I'll find it again and decide to read it and I'll love it. By then I would have forgotten about the hype and the recs and it would be like I found the fic myself.

It's the same with books. I've not read the LoTR yet, but I do have the books. At some point I will read them, I know this, but it will be on my own terms. Maybe that's what it comes down to? I don't want anyone else to tell me what to read, I want to feel like it's my own decision. Maybe I just want to be different, not reading what everyone else is reading - just floating about doing my own thing you know?

Eck I don't know what I'm trying to say here really (it's late, sorry).

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

You are so good that way, and always have been! You've done more for newbies in TPM than just about anyone else I can think of. :-)

And please don't stop reccing!

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

it's not that I don't read a much recced fic on principle, it's just that I won't get around to reading it.

Right, I do that too -- but that's not exactly what I'm talking about. We read when we have time to read, in general. Sometimes I'll drop everything to go read something that's getting a lot of attention, and sometimes I'll bookmark it for later. But I still don't understand why people refuse to read a fic just because it appears to be popular.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I missed the "honesty" post! And this is just based on a few comments I saw on one post that made me go Wha???, not anything secret. ;-)

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I just don't see why people think there must be some sort of inverse relationship between hype and quality, especially when so much of that merit is based on our own personal preferences. Odds are that a highly recced fic is good. It won't always be good, but so what? How will I know if I like it until I give it a chance?

[balfrog.livejournal.com]

I wasn't quite sure what the 'honesty' post was about- it seemed an interesting 'theoretical' point (which would be fun to talk about in classes and such), but it seemed to refer to something else, so I didn't say.

and... sorry about that - there's 1) my stupid "not saying anything" (as not knowing- and not wanting to stick my foot in it) 2) not actually saying anything which is more effective/what I actually want.

what with our *action* comments, it's a funny speech/act place on lj.
:D

[lily-bywater.livejournal.com]

Well, from what I've seen of fandom there is a lot of bitterness going on. People can be quite bitter towards BNFs for example, and maybe a highly recced fic is something similar? I think that sometimes people might think that a fic being recced is only recced by the friends of the author, by the author's 'clique' if you like. I don't want to draw parallels to school-life, but think the much-recced fic as the popular girl in school. Now she might be lovely and really nice, but there will still be people who dislike her or try to stay clear of her.

[marksykins.livejournal.com]

The honesty post and my post have absolutely 100% nothing to do with each other, I promise. I was confused by that post, too, though I've gotten a bit of clarification on it now. :D

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

I don't really know the post or person that made you wonder about this, but I read downwards and: What lauramcewan said.

[balfrog.livejournal.com]

when's all said and done, it's been pretty quiet on the fic front.
:(