In topic: "ironic detachment with homestuck enjoyment"

Saturday, August 23rd, 2025, 1:18 AM13 days ago

I'm going to go on a short tangent here, to describe a similar feeling and its resolution in my life.


I had a complicated relation with the Biohazard/Resident Evil franchise for most of my life, being incredibly attracted to its base concepts and atmosphere - I love disaster science fiction and body horror so much - yet being perpetually disappointed by the various ways in which the worldbuilding and continuity are developed. The games themselves are fine, for the most part, but I had a PROBLEM with the storytelling. It's all so incredibly, mindblowingly stupid. The plots and subplots have all the depth and appropriateness of someone claiming they can fly and then charging right in a wall head-first. Not only is the move ill-advised, the move doesn't even seem related to what the person was apparently trying to prove.

I LOVED the potential and soul of the series, but I HATED its concrete development.


It all changed when I came to revise two major facets in my approach:

1 - I renounced any hope Resident Evil was ever going to have high quality (or even quality) stories. I mean, it's been decades. If these games were ever going to do a good job at storytelling and worldbuilding, it would be done by now.

2 - I rethought my entire approach to art. I now refuse to consider things in terms of "formal quality".


To talk a little more about point #2. When you think about it, "formal quality" is a narrow, wanting measure of human imagination and creativity. Furthermore, it uselessly hierarchizes stuff and helps in (useless, again) attacks of various works. I prefer to focus on more interesting things: the intent, the themes, the influences, the art direction of a work, the concepts it develops or fails to develop, the genealogy of ideas, the historical context, the implications of the worldbuilding, as well as the various qualities.


To obsess over a work for its potential while being constantly caustic about what it concretely is... It all seems quite unhealthy. There are more positive and constructive things to do with our lives, with our thoughts, with our words.

And when one really CANNOT let go of the frustration before what they perceive as unaccomplished/sabotaged potential... Well, such feelings and energy can be channeled into original art or fanworks rather than becoming endless chafing and bitching.


At some point, you have to consider the CURRENT reality of the subject of your interest, rather than the HOPES you have in them. Respect works of art and respect your own time: if you are too discontent with the works, learn to accept them as they are, or drift away and forget about them.




Read Alabaster here: https://mspfa.com/?s=236

Oasis Nadrama