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irishninja wrote:

I can't speak for any other anime convention out there, but Sakuracon really is a lot of fun. It's great to see the costumes and people watch in genera. Yes, there are bad apples, but they don't spoil the bushel, as it were. If you haven't ever been to an anime con and get the chance to go, you definitely should. Smile

But let's not forget that as a social gathering of anime fandom community that should focus on promoting anime subculture as a whole, Sakuracon is the first anime convention that officially lost it's focus.

blueharlequin wrote:

ReiClone88 wrote:

Hitting people in the butt with a wooden yaoi paddle in the minds of many yaoi fangirls is like sticking a piece of hard wood into the dude like in their wildest fantasies.
Disgusting, one of the many good reasons I loathe yaoi fangirls.

Um, No. I'm a yaoi fan girl and that sounds particularly disgusting. I don't own a yaoi paddle. I will NEVER own a yaoi paddle. I think it is the "spanking" aspect that appeals in this case. I could be wrong. Any other yaoi fans want to speculate?

I just want to apologize for not pointing out that I also don't think that this is a common fantasy for yaoi fangirls, not in the slightest, I just got so thrown by the sheer wrong of the description that I wanted to assert that I thought it was wrong and forgot to point out that this view of the mind of the yaoi fangirl is not realistic. I think it is probably the spanking thing, but y'know what's really sexy (and not assault and is legal)? Consent.

For-Chan wrote:

Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:

Quote:

The enjoyment of yaoi is harmless fantasy at most.

Until they paddle you on the ass without your consent, no? Then it's sexual harassment.

Yes, because every yaoi fan owns a paddle and they all hit people indiscriminately.

I never said they all do either, but you said "at most" they still don't hurt anyone, which implies it never goes any farther than that, when complaints indicate that this is not true.

DomFortress wrote:

irishninja wrote:

I can't speak for any other anime convention out there, but Sakuracon really is a lot of fun. It's great to see the costumes and people watch in genera. Yes, there are bad apples, but they don't spoil the bushel, as it were. If you haven't ever been to an anime con and get the chance to go, you definitely should. :)

But let's not forget that as a social gathering of anime fandom community that should focus on promoting anime subculture as a whole, Sakuracon is the first anime convention that officially lost it's focus.

Quite true, but I haven't gone to any conventions since 2005. But every actor besides Tiffany Grant in that commerical was extremely annoying. Especially the creepy guy in pajama's and is equally creepy lady friend.

But if someone ever hit me or anyone I know with a paddle without consent, I would not be as kind as other people would be. Especially since they could be trying to rob you or worse try to murder you.

If this is what modern conventions are like, then unless there is a special event in the event, I don't think I'll attend one again.

Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:

For-Chan wrote:

Dorcas_Aurelia wrote:

Quote:

The enjoyment of yaoi is harmless fantasy at most.

Until they paddle you on the ass without your consent, no? Then it's sexual harassment.

Yes, because every yaoi fan owns a paddle and they all hit people indiscriminately.

I never said they all do either, but you said "at most" they still don't hurt anyone, which implies it never goes any farther than that, when complaints indicate that this is not true.

The real problem is that you're acting like this is a Yaoi specific problem. Its not. People hit people with paddles. If someone has a paddle, whether it says yaoi on it or not, they're probably going to hit someone with it. Everyone is also conveniently forgetting the yuri paddles. Nobody here has complained about raging yuri fans hitting people with their yuri paddles. Other fans carry paddle props for other reasons and some of them probably hit people with them too. But somehow, only yaoi fans are being demonized.

This is really more of a maturity issue of certain fans, but people are trying to make it into a yaoi issue. It isn't. To claim otherwise is simply discriminatory and ignorant. If you think it is, maybe you should all go out and buy yaoi exorcist fans and hit people with those. Rolling Eyes

At least the yaoi fangirls have calmed down a little in the last year or so. It used to be they were forcing guys at gunpoint to make out with each other at cons!

DomFortress wrote:

irishninja wrote:

I can't speak for any other anime convention out there, but Sakuracon really is a lot of fun. It's great to see the costumes and people watch in genera. Yes, there are bad apples, but they don't spoil the bushel, as it were. If you haven't ever been to an anime con and get the chance to go, you definitely should. Smile

But let's not forget that as a social gathering of anime fandom community that should focus on promoting anime subculture as a whole, Sakuracon is the first anime convention that officially lost it's focus.

I agree with both of the above statments 100%. Laughing

DuelLadyS wrote:

DomFortress wrote:

irishninja wrote:

I can't speak for any other anime convention out there, but Sakuracon really is a lot of fun. It's great to see the costumes and people watch in genera. Yes, there are bad apples, but they don't spoil the bushel, as it were. If you haven't ever been to an anime con and get the chance to go, you definitely should. Smile

But let's not forget that as a social gathering of anime fandom community that should focus on promoting anime subculture as a whole, Sakuracon is the first anime convention that officially lost it's focus.

I agree with both of the above statments 100%. Laughing

And that's the confusing part about us the North American anime fandom community; most of us don't really know who we are anymore based on what we see internally with ourselves, and what we show externally with each others. And I think I just found out why.

For-Chan wrote:

The real problem is that you're acting like this is a Yaoi specific problem. Its not. ...
This is really more of a maturity issue of certain fans, but people are trying to make it into a yaoi issue.

Shifting the goalposts? People complain about the immaturity of other aspects of the fandom as well, it's just that those corners don't have a symbol that is used for assault and sexual harassment. Maybe if the yaoi fangirls didn't flaunt their paddles, we wouldn't be making an issue of it.

For-Chan wrote:

The real problem is that you're acting like this is a Yaoi specific problem. Its not. People hit people with paddles. If someone has a paddle, whether it says yaoi on it or not, they're probably going to hit someone with it. Everyone is also conveniently forgetting the yuri paddles. Nobody here has complained about raging yuri fans hitting people with their yuri paddles. Other fans carry paddle props for other reasons and some of them probably hit people with them too. But somehow, only yaoi fans are being demonized.

This is really more of a maturity issue of certain fans, but people are trying to make it into a yaoi issue. It isn't. To claim otherwise is simply discriminatory and ignorant. If you think it is, maybe you should all go out and buy yaoi exorcist fans and hit people with those. Rolling Eyes

It's literally a wooden paddle that says "YAOI" on it that people use to smack other people with at conventions.

It's so common and has been around for so long that people call them "yaoi paddles". Which stands to reason since it's a giant wooden paddle that says YAOI on it in huge letters. I guess it's not a very clever name.

I mean - if you cared at all about the PR aspect of it, where you yaoi fans didn't want yaoi getting a "bad rep" as a result of it - maybe 5 years ago you should've said something about the use of a giant wooden paddle designed for the smacking of random asses at conventions being labeled in huge letters "YAOI".

I realize there's no centralized organization here or anything, but complaining that somehow people are taking it out of context and unfairly staining yaoi fandom by suggesting that it's just a bunch of fat chicks with big wooden canoe oars branded in giant letters with the word "YAOI" that run around conventions smashing up unwilling asses with reckless, unthinking abandon, then maybe you should've said something about it years and years ago when it all started. This isn't a new phenomenon and you're not a victim.

Yaoi fandom is what it is, but if you're that concerned about people not associating yaoi fandom with yaoi paddles, then you should've been doing something about it a decade ago.

if you get wacked by a yaoi paddle... you had it coming... suck it up... quit your bellyaching... and take it like a man...

jeeze i thought men were supposed to be tough not a pack of sissies!

*waits to see what happens*

*waits to see if anyone gets it*

anne_elise wrote:

if you get wacked by a yaoi paddle... you had it coming... suck it up... quit your bellyaching... and take it like a man...

jeeze i thought men were supposed to be tough not a pack of sissies!

*waits to see what happens*

*waits to see if anyone gets it*

Get what? Is is a reference to a movie or are you saying that if men get assaulted we shouldn't blame them, just as we shouldn't blame women when they get assaulted?

Zac wrote:

Stuff

Wow. I didn't know that my dinky attempt at defending people from a stereotype was going to land me with the responsibility of the entire genre's fandom in my lap. I am just a single fan that can no more stop the scourge of yaoi paddles than I can stop anime piracy. Let's get real here.

First of all, I know what yaoi paddles are. Thank you for the unnecessary and patronizing explanation. I was trying to inject a little humor into the topic with my reference to the anti-yaoi "Yaoi Exorcist" fans, or Harisen, that DMP has now taken to marketing (possibly as a paddle replacement). Though, they also have a Yaoi Harisen and it is forebodingly out of stock. Let's see if they turn into the controversial firestorm that the paddles have become.

Secondly, I'm not defending yaoi paddles or their use. I think they're a bad idea and quite tasteless to boot. I didn't like them when I first saw them on DMP's website five years ago and I like them even less since they've become such a stigma.

I stand by my comment about this being a less of a yaoi issue and more of a maturity issue. Erica Friedman, President of Yuricon, blogged about the Yuri paddle in 2007 and referred to paddle carriers as "sexually immature". I'm not with her on the sexual maturity jab, but as far as maturity on a whole goes, I couldn't agree more. Let's face it, if you put a paddle in someone's hand, chances are really good that they're going to hit someone with it, whether it says yaoi, yuri, or Jack Sprat.

Paddles seem to be one of those things that just invite usage. I completely agree with you that it was a bad move to create and sell them. I don't know who came up with them first, but as I said I first saw them marketed on DMP's Yaoi-Manga website about five years ago. DMP seems to have since realized that the paddles are not a good idea as they no longer carry the product, but the legend lives on. I can't fault the paddles themselves, tacky as they are. Like any other weapon, they're not inherently evil. The person wielding it is responsible for how it's used. If the person with the paddle is immature and irresponsible, people will get hurt.

As for the centralized organization of yaoi, or general lack thereof, I think it really says something about the yaoi community's distaste for the paddles that Yaoi-Con has banned them from the convention. In their Weapons Policy they specifically state, "Wooden, leather or plastic paddles, bats or any similarly designed implements may NOT be brought to the convention." Simply bringing it to the convention will get you in trouble and actually using it can get you kicked out.

Anyway, I'm not complaining about Anime News Nina's jab at the yaoi fangirl stereotype. The stereotype exists for a reason, like it or not, and the comic is presenting us with a humorous exaggerated situation. It's a parody, I get that. I took offense to ReiClone88's rather lewd accusation of yaoi fangirls' motives for hitting people with yaoi paddles and commented on it. Fangirls are getting a pretty bad rap in the comments, but I don't think they're being victimized, especially not by a parody comic. Frankly, I'm disappointed that this argument has managed to suck all the humor out of the situation. I read Nina to laugh, not to get into wanky slap fights. I'm not even sure how this beast got turned around to imply that I am somehow responsible for the state of yaoi fandom. I'm not. I'm not Yaoi's Keeper. This is an issue that is bigger than me and trying to imply otherwise is ridiculous.

But hey, if I must take the initiative to battle the dreaded scourge of the yaoi fangirls, I offer an open invitation for all paddle wielders to come to my house where we shall burn the paddles in a great big Yaoi Paddle Bonfire. Then we can roast wieners and make ridiculous cock jokes before heading inside to watch some Boku no Sexual Harassment while enjoying some corn. Popcorn that is.

Quote:

Paddles seem to be one of those things that just invite usage.

Heh, I suddenly remember something. Back in 2001 a bunch of people from a Dutch anime forum went on a small camping trip together. Someone brought a little rubber boat with paddles. Guess what people did with the paddles?

That was years before yaoi fans entered our inner circle.

The best you can do is walk up to the paddle abusing girls and ask them to respect other peoples personal space. I'm sure (most of them) will understand.

Tamaria wrote:

Quote:

Paddles seem to be one of those things that just invite usage.

Heh, I suddenly remember something. Back in 2001 a bunch of people from a Dutch anime forum went on a small camping trip together. Someone brought a little rubber boat with paddles. Guess what people did with the paddles?

That was years before yaoi fans entered our inner circle.

The best you can do is walk up to the paddle abusing girls and ask them to respect other peoples personal space. I'm sure (most of them) will understand.

While the average person would probably listen, a person who malciously harms others may not. If they hit you, make it so they can't leave and call security or police. It's sad, but the only way these people will listen is if actually speaks up and has security deal with them.

Sure, to some this is just a game, but in realitity its called assasult. I am surprized these weren't banned years ago, all it would take is a splintered paddle and someone could have been seriously hurt.

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