Sigh...

[hells_half_acre]

Things like THIS make me depressed because they are true.

Which is why I really want my friend to come with me to VanCon this year, so that she can hopefully ask one non-vapid question...even if no one knows how to answer it. (My friend is hella smart, folks, and ponders things like constructions of masculinity.) (Do people say "hella" anymore, or was that an early 2000s thing that only I still do?)

In other related news - and because I had a great time at last year's con - I broke down and just went ahead and bought a silver ticket and even some photo-ops. Because I am crazy like that. 

Now I just need to figure out how to make more money...while still quitting my good-paying job (because it may be good-paying, but I'd gladly sacrifice that money not to have my soul sucked out of me. I'm sure Sam and Dean would agree that soul-sucking should be avoided at all costs.)

Anyway, yeah, the game might be crooked, but it's the only game in town, so you might as well smile while you play...

Comments

[mymuseandi.livejournal.com]

I just read the article that you linked to, and while it's a fresh perspective from a con-goer who's male and not fan-girling the boys (unlike us!), I do think that he comes in with an expectation, and maybe that alone pulls his enjoyment rate down.

I think there are different types of people who go to cons, and it depends on whether you've met your objective for participating and going in the first place. This writer goes with the expectation that he can learn something informative about the show and its characters, as well as the progress and behind the scenes of what goes on with the brain-trust of the series, and since he can't make the goal, he thinks that the whole experience is not worth the time. Similarly, if you go there just to quiz the boys on their personal lives then you'll be delighted by the barrage of questions targeted to make them uncomfortable. :)

If your aim is to just see the boys in real-life and less than an arm's length away signing the autos, or hugging you for the photo ops, then it doesn't really matter what the content of the panels are, or how long you have to stand in line for them to take a photo/sign the pictures, you'll think it's worth every penny.

Personally, I came in with NO expectations during the AHBL Aussie Con, and I enjoyed it very much even though I've heard from a couple of my friends that they regarded the whole thing as a bit of a mess. So maybe if you don't have anything to expect, you won't have the chance to get disappointed! LOL

[hells-half-acre.livejournal.com]

I do think that he comes in with an expectation, and maybe that alone pulls his enjoyment rate down.

Yes, I agree with this.

Last year when I went to VanCon, I had negative-expectations...so, unlike the author of the article, I didn't expect to learn anything informative (my god, I've done so much research on my own, what could they possibly tell me?), and I knew full well that the writers never appear at these cons...and I also am rarely comfortably in a room full of hysterical girls...and I also expected that I'd spend the whole time cringing as people tried to make the boys uncomfortable with targeted questions.

And, yeah, I also expected to be ripped off, because I had heard enough about Creation Cons to know to expect that.

So, with all those negative expectations in my head - I was pleasantly surprised when I had a blast and was able to find some really cool people to talk to...and discovered that while Creation WAS trying to suck the money out of us, the actors themselves were super personable and kind and doing their best to give us our money's worth.

It really does have to do with expectations...and perspective. I think the author of the article also didn't really understand that for a lot of con-goers, it's less about boys and more about meeting up with fellow fans.

Now, that all being said, seeing as how Creation paid for that guy to go as a member of the press...I'm kind of glad that he wrote a negative review, because there's always the off chance that Creation will hear the complaints - because despite the negativity, he DOES have some good points about the money-gouging and the lack of writer-panels. Not that I expect those to change because of one silly blog post though...

But yeah, one of the reasons I'm really glad they started having Cons in Vancouver is because we get to hear from the crew. It's neat. :)