DW fans and Negativity

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,003
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And interesting article on the matter from DWTV here http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/doctor-hmph-is-there-too-much-negativity-48421.htm that already got a mention in some other threads, but I think it deserves its own, because I feel that DS is even more guilty of what the article describes than DWTV is.
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  • CD93CD93 Posts: 13,939
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    Threads like this make me think DS should rename the forum to Doctor Why Bother?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,129
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    CD93 wrote: »
    Threads like this make me think DS should rename the forum to Doctor Why Bother?

    Especially when it seems to be full of spoilers for whatever episode it is for...but from what hit my retina before I could click back it seems someone is criticising the inclusion some type of characters within the story and automatically saying it is going to be crap or poor.

    This isn't just a Dr Who thing...now forums with instant posting for every man and his dog to post then giving 'opinion' becomes very easy and it gets to a reductionist point where every little thing can be picked upon.

    There is also the trait of putting other people and things down as it makes one feel superior especially when one doesn;t realise the amount of work and short amount of time and resources that TV programmes have to create and make.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 171
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    "but it is not very hard to find a general trend of increasing negativity since Series 5."

    Could that be because fewer people are enjoying it as much? This guy seems to want to blame everything but the show itself because he is still enjoying every episode - he thinks Rings was a good episode FFS - whilst other people are not. Are we not allowed to watch Dr Who any more unless we think EVERY episode is AMAZING? Are we not allowed to discuss plot holes, bad acting, or other issues we had with an episode?
  • saladfingers81saladfingers81 Posts: 11,301
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    It is very prevalent and not to mention thoroughly miserable in DW fandom at the moment but as Alfster says it is not unusual among cult fandoms especially with the advent of the internet.

    I still remember the absolute hurricane of abuse that was started by some Marvel fans when Joss Whedon was announced as Director for The Avengers. It was insane on places like Ain't it Cool News with the usual battle cry of 'worst film ever' and 'this will destroy Marvel filma' and 'he doesn't have a clue what he's doing'. Same reactions greeted Heath Ledgers casting as The Joker. We know how both of those things turned out don't we and yet fandom never learns. The malcontents just shout louder to cover up their embarrassment.

    Its odd though. From an often marginalized sector of the arts like DW and comic books and super hero films to be so loudly self entitled. People have short memories.

    Rather than enjoy these halcyon days instead they choose to bitch and moan because it isn't quite what they wanted. Thing is the day will come again when DW will be dead as a Dodo and returns to the margins. It will happen. Same with filmakers like Nolan making comic book films. They used to be a joke. Same as DW. We have enjoyed in the last decade a resurgence of this form and its a shame some can't celebrate it.

    Don't worry though. As I say. It won't last forever. Perhaps when in seven or ten years they are back to dusting their Target novelizations and going to tiny conventions and starting petitions online to get the BBC to make DW again they will cast their minds back...to the days when it was the biggest thing on TV with the finest writers and actors in the land lining up to get involved. When it was the Xmas day centre piece. When it had millions of viewers. And maybe just maybe they might regret not enjoying it while it lasted.
  • WelshNigeWelshNige Posts: 4,807
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    alfster wrote: »
    Especially when it seems to be full of spoilers for whatever episode it is for...but from what hit my retina before I could click back it seems someone is criticising the inclusion some type of characters within the story and automatically saying it is going to be crap or poor.

    This isn't just a Dr Who thing...now forums with instant posting for every man and his dog to post then giving 'opinion' becomes very easy and it gets to a reductionist point where every little thing can be picked upon.

    There is also the trait of putting other people and things down as it makes one feel superior especially when one doesn;t realise the amount of work and short amount of time and resources that TV programmes have to create and make.

    So what is one to post if they genuinely didn't enjoy an episode??
  • Sora2311Sora2311 Posts: 2,306
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    I'm not saying Doctor Who is crap and the episode will suck i'm just questioning the inclusion of 2 pointless character that will take away from the main plot being the return of the cybermen
  • saladfingers81saladfingers81 Posts: 11,301
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    neutralned wrote: »
    "but it is not very hard to find a general trend of increasing negativity since Series 5."

    Could that be because fewer people are enjoying it as much? This guy seems to want to blame everything but the show itself because he is still enjoying every episode - he thinks Rings was a good episode FFS - whilst other people are not. Are we not allowed to watch Dr Who any more unless we think EVERY episode is AMAZING? Are we not allowed to discuss plot holes, bad acting, or other issues we had with an episode?

    He didn't say or imply any of the things you claim. This is a debate about some of the mindless negativity which seems quite prevalent. Not about disliking individual episodes. There is among some a general sense of doom and gloom which is out of all proportion. The thread quoted is a good example.

    When you are ranting about problems with episodes two weeks before they are shown there is something awry and it isn't with the show.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 631
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    Who are the 2 pointless characters?
  • saladfingers81saladfingers81 Posts: 11,301
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    WelshNige wrote: »
    So what is one to post if they genuinely didn't enjoy an episode??

    There is a difference between genuinely not liking an episode and giving reasons for it and ranting 13 days early about an upcoming episode.
  • Sora2311Sora2311 Posts: 2,306
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    snopaelic wrote: »
    Who are the 2 pointless characters?

    Angie and Artie 2 pointless kids
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    Sora2311 wrote: »
    Angie and Artie 2 pointless kids

    How do you know if a character is pointless of not before you've seen the episode?
  • Banks246Banks246 Posts: 521
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    I don't think it's just Doctor Who fans, just the world is a very negative world.

    Nothing is as good as it used to be and everything is crap because I say so.

    That is the world we live in now sadly.
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    Banks246 wrote: »
    I don't think it's just Doctor Who fans, just the world is a very negative world.

    Nothing is as good as it used to be and everything is crap because I say so.

    That is the world we live in now sadly.

    Actually I saw an interview with Brian Cox recently. He was lamenting being part of a song called "Things can only get better" and said that it was scientific fact that things will only get worse.

    (I've probably horribly mis-quoted him but I think that was gist of what he was saying.)
  • saladfingers81saladfingers81 Posts: 11,301
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    Banks246 wrote: »
    I don't think it's just Doctor Who fans, just the world is a very negative world.

    Nothing is as good as it used to be and everything is crap because I say so.

    That is the world we live in now sadly.

    Oh dear yes. This is sadly true.

    if there is one common statement that I despise for its essentially pointless empty lack of comment masquerading as some sort of wisdom its 'What is the world coming to?'. Usually uttered by people after an unpleasant world event who have no knowledge of history or context in which to place said event. Very depressing.
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    DiscoP wrote: »
    Actually I saw an interview with Brian Cox recently. He was lamenting being part of a song called "Things can only get better" and said that it was scientific fact that things will only get worse.

    (I've probably horribly mis-quoted him but I think that was gist of what he was saying.)

    Spot on. Entropy. In his Wonders of Life he explained how organisms - a seeming building of an ordered complex thing from disorganised molecules are also actually engaged in the active decline and end of the universe. All of us.

    But he didn't say we should therefore slate Doctor Who with trifling or incorrect whinges.
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    Oh dear yes. This is sadly true.

    if there is one common statement that I despise for its essentially pointless empty lack of comment masquerading as some sort of wisdom its 'What is the world coming to?'. Usually uttered by people after an unpleasant world event who have no knowledge of history or context in which to place said event. Very depressing.

    It's why people imagine that life was wonderful in Victorian days. Blithely ignoring the disease, grinding poverty and giant cyberkings stomping around.
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    nebogipfel wrote: »
    Spot on. Entropy. In his Wonders of Life he explained how organisms - a seeming building of an ordered complex thing from disorganised molecules are also actually engaged in the active decline and end of the universe. All of us.

    But he didn't say we should therefore slate Doctor Who with trifling or incorrect whinges.

    Ah. Entropy. I shall have to re-watch Logopolis :)
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    DiscoP wrote: »
    Ah. Entropy. I shall have to re-watch Logopolis :)

    It was as a result of learning all the science in Doctor Who they made Brian Cox a Professor of physics. His classic lecture "i've got two identical boxes, one in my hand and the other over there" clinched it.
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    Banks246 wrote: »
    I don't think it's just Doctor Who fans, just the world is a very negative world.

    Nothing is as good as it used to be and everything is crap because I say so.

    That is the world we live in now sadly.

    We used to have to go down the pub or stand at bus stops to hear people's moaning about stuff. Nowadays we're just exposing ourselves to the moanings of hundreds of people we used to have no way of hearing.

    We're just having to learn how to filter better. And grow thicker skins, especially when reading the views of people we don't actually know.
  • Chris_TVChris_TV Posts: 4,021
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    I really don't understand why people are turning against Doctor Who. This forum especially since series 7.B has started is full of negatives. Every week the episode has not been on for 5 min and there's posts of people being bored and how woeful the episode is. It just seems to me that people are itching to have a go at the show for any small thing at the moment.
  • Virgil TracyVirgil Tracy Posts: 26,805
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    Banks246 wrote: »
    I don't think it's just Doctor Who fans, just the world is a very negative world.

    Nothing is as good as it used to be and everything is crap because I say so.

    That is the world we live in now sadly.


    so you're saying things used to be better ?
  • nebogipfelnebogipfel Posts: 8,375
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    Chris_TV wrote: »
    I really don't understand why people are turning against Doctor Who. This forum especially since series 7.B has started is full of negatives. Every week the episode has not been on for 5 min and there's posts of people being bored and how woeful the episode is. It just seems to me that people are itching to have a go at the show for any small thing at the moment.

    It's difficult to understand why people do that. I don't know if they used to do that in previous years? My tactic is to not look at DS or Twitter during the episode and then skip all the during show posts.

    Looking at this week, one would imagine the episode was an utter disaster. But the poll shows only 1 in 5 voters didn't like it. 4 out of 5 thinking it was between "average" and "excellent".

    So people are welcome to criticise, but I am equally welcome to note they are a small minority.
  • Welsh-ladWelsh-lad Posts: 51,908
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    WelshNige wrote: »
    So what is one to post if they genuinely didn't enjoy an episode??

    Exactly. I genuinely disliked this weeks episode, but for explaining why and examining its shortcomings, I have been labelled a troll!

    It's ridiculous. I've found some episodes in this series really good eg last week's and the very first ep a while ago in which Clara/Oswin turned out to be a dalek. Excellent stuff.

    People need to stop obsessing about what other people think of the show, because it just comes across as rather insecure yearning for consensus, as if they require people to agree with them for validation.

    Just say what you think about the show - that's all we ought to do really. If someone else has a positive opinion I don't make a judgement on them. I may point out why I disagree, but I try not to make it personal unless they personally attack me.
  • DiscoPDiscoP Posts: 5,920
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    nebogipfel wrote: »
    We used to have to go down the pub or stand at bus stops to hear people's moaning about stuff. Nowadays we're just exposing ourselves to the moanings of hundreds of people we used to have no way of hearing.

    We're just having to learn how to filter better. And grow thicker skins, especially when reading the views of people we don't actually know.

    What's your take on series 7b getting more negative criticism than previous series Nebo? Perhaps it was always like this when a series is being broadcast and I am remembering things incorrectly. I mean forums and twitter etc have been with us for a while now...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,129
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    Sora2311 wrote: »
    I'm not saying Doctor Who is crap and the episode will suck i'm just questioning the inclusion of 2 pointless character that will take away from the main plot being the return of the cybermen


    SPOILERS!!!!!

    Any chance we could try not to give away plot points of episodes to come in non-specific episode threads...I studiously avoid any spoilers any 'NEXT WEEK' stuff so I can go into an episode clean of any pre-conceived ideas or opinion (which is probably why I thought Prometheus wasn't too bad.

    And how the hell do you know they are pointless when ..YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE £*&*$&^$£ EPISODE?
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