The great ReluctAnt Dragon

My dear friends,

I know this is not the post you are waiting for, but it’s the one I have right now. I actually wrote this during RDC5, but things were too hectic to actually post it. No time to reread/edit. So imagine reading this on Saturday night:

I have to say a word or two hundred and fifty times two? about some reactions to RA’s photo op policy and the fannibal’s disappointment with it.

I have read a number of people getting huffy about the fannibals expressing their disappointment with Richard’s Photo Op Rules & Regulations and I would like to say something about that.

Yes, it’s his choice and I wasn’t surprised or upset by that at all. Like many of us, I was surprised he decided to show up in the first place. And he has bodily autonomy same as all of us do. That’s understood.

That said, I completely understand that fannibals are upset/hurt/surprised by this. There is a standard for this con that was not being met by him and I get the feeling that wasn’t apparent to many of them beforehand. Unlike us, whose favorite pastime is analyzing his every breath (well, not me, I’m not that kind of fan, as you know, I’m far to lazy and unorganized; I only analyze maybe every third breath) their main focus is the show and Mads, who is the king of the realm. It is HIS show but it’s also a real ensemble piece and every actor here gets the fan love. All of them seem more than happy to get up to all kinds of fan shenanigans. They have all been multiple times and they are beloved. It’s an intimite fandom, almost familial in the vibe you get (I’m always just describing my impressions as an outsider looking in, of course) and the con is their family reunion time. So the rules of their bar (to drag out that overused cliche) run heavily towards ‘the wilder, the better and always, always wear your flower crown’ (I know I do!!).

Now into this happy, flowery, lovably crazy bar, where Mads Mikkelsen’s only reaction to the request “Can you please pretend to throttle me for the photo” will be “from the front or from the back?” and Aaron Abrams and Scott Thompson will gladly do a synchronized biting event, comes the “no hugging, no touching, no flower crowns” rule and it is a bit like “no shoes, no shirt, no service” signs at your favorite beach bar. You’re there in your swim trunks for crying out loud, of course you want your margarita served without shoes and a shirt. So it’s a bit of a letdown to the fandom, because it’s a huge outlier and also not expected by many IMO.

So I fully understand the confusion and disappointment expressed by a lot of people and besides–they feel their feelings. Those cannot be changed and I haven’t read anything that was rude, so I can’t object to someone expressing how they felt.

Edited to add: On Sunday he did change his policy and I just saw the digitals of that day. There was hover-hugging, some real hugging and he wore a few flower crowns. I am massively jealous. I want to be the bigger person, but I’m not that saintly. I had my photo op on Saturday and while it’s an okay photo, it doesn’t compare to the Sunday ones. *sniff* But kudos to RA for reading the room and finding it in his heart to adjust.

More about my shenanigans when I’ve settled back into my routine a little more. Working today was brutal. I’m just not ready to adult yet.

Peace out,
Kate