Part of the trouble with the SF/F fandom is how passionate we are. Oh, it’s certainly a blessing to those of us who create things for others to enjoy, but as a whole we can get a little too passionate at times. Pick a series and we all know one person or another who lives and dies by the machinations of that universe. Consider how major conventions look to outsiders. There’s a reason why the general population considered Trekkies somewhat loony for a couple decades.
Our fandom is also technically savvy and enjoys posting our strong feelings for SF/F where others can easily view and comment. Text does not convey tone as well as personal conversation between friends, so it can often come to pass that preference in public leads to debate, and debate leads to angry argument. Some people are also just jerks, but let’s discount them for a minute.
We are going to argue among ourselves for our favorites. We’ll also argue against certain individuals/series that we feel have jumped the shark—or that we feel were never very good to begin with. You’ll disagree with me and while I think you are incorrect, we can debate it and enjoy ourselves while perhaps understanding a bit more about the other person we are conversing with. Their favorite series speaks to them for a reason, after all.
The point here is that while I do not agree with who won all the awards, I’m happy for all the award winners, including the people I felt did not deserve a win in their category. They achieved recognition from the fandom, and are quite pleased with themselves. Rightfully so.
Part of having a happy life involves learning how to enjoy things that might not be immediately pleasurable. I sometimes wonder if the vitriol against award winners is being inflamed by the “participation trophy” culture so many of us grew up in. When our favorite things lose an award, or our least favorite people win, our passion in the SF/F fandom can make it feel personal. If we have a generation of egos established on a foundation of never suffering defeat, it’s difficult for these people to deal with the ramifications of the real world where one will be a loser from time to time. It is possible to have enjoyment in defeat. George RR Martin did this by creating the Hugo Losers Party at WorldCon many years ago, and it is a wonderful tradition.
So the next time you feel that flash of anger because an award somehow missed the genius of your favorite thing or rewarded an individual you feel is a degenerate, try refocusing your attention on spending a few minutes being happy for the award winner. I’ve found that to be the best way to avoid soul crushing negativity. Life is too short to be angry about annual awards. Someone better might just win next year.
