Well, first of all, RPS fandom for me doesn't really--I mean, it's hugely different if someone chooses to interpret the current canon a certain way and writes a fic based on it, compared to if someone decides that their interpretation is the only right one and is in fact reality. Because, I mean:
But what I also see mentioned a lot is not speculating about his state of happiness based on whether or not he's smiling in pictures, and that kind of escapes me.
The problem with that is sort of inherent in what you say there: speculating about someone's emotional state based on pictures. It's not that I don't understand feeling a little worried about them when they look pale and tired--and I do think Brendon looks pale and tired too--but they looked exactly the same in the studio pictures. Everything we've heard about the recording of this album tells us it was a stressful process, and we know FBR considers Panic one of their bigger bands. I don't see the point of further speculation about Spencer's emotional state beyond that, like if he's broken up with his girlfriend or something, I don't even know.
And so part of it is my RPS line--I'm not okay with the really invasive tone that the discussion about his emotional state tends to take. That's not--he's a person. Being in the public eye doesn't take away one's right to have emotions in private.
(A weight-positive challenge would be cool! You should do that. I'd even more like to see more discussion of How To Write Naked People Like Real People Without It Being Idealized Or Offensive, because we do write about characters who don't necessarily fit the perfect body mold (Pete/Patrick was an enormous pairing, after all), but we don't always describe their bodies in the way they actually look.)
no subject
But what I also see mentioned a lot is not speculating about his state of happiness based on whether or not he's smiling in pictures, and that kind of escapes me.
The problem with that is sort of inherent in what you say there: speculating about someone's emotional state based on pictures. It's not that I don't understand feeling a little worried about them when they look pale and tired--and I do think Brendon looks pale and tired too--but they looked exactly the same in the studio pictures. Everything we've heard about the recording of this album tells us it was a stressful process, and we know FBR considers Panic one of their bigger bands. I don't see the point of further speculation about Spencer's emotional state beyond that, like if he's broken up with his girlfriend or something, I don't even know.
And so part of it is my RPS line--I'm not okay with the really invasive tone that the discussion about his emotional state tends to take. That's not--he's a person. Being in the public eye doesn't take away one's right to have emotions in private.
(A weight-positive challenge would be cool! You should do that. I'd even more like to see more discussion of How To Write Naked People Like Real People Without It Being Idealized Or Offensive, because we do write about characters who don't necessarily fit the perfect body mold (Pete/Patrick was an enormous pairing, after all), but we don't always describe their bodies in the way they actually look.)