And as to those who can’t be gruntled...well, maybe they’ve just had a bad day, maybe they’ve got problems you’ll never know about. Regardless of what you do or say, these customers are likely to vent and sometimes you’ll be on the receiving end. And you’ll just have to take it. Not abusive language or physical threats, but when someone is this kind of angry you sometimes all you can do is to not take it personally, sympathize and empathize whenever possible and hope they feel better soon. Admittedly this is not an ideal solution to an unpleasant situation, but if there’s a better one I don’t know what it is.
You can’t argue with angry because anger is a feedback loop of rage which has no room for new information or an opposing point of view. And lately, I’ve started to think active listening maybe the best, maybe the only, way to sensible deal with the explosions of Nerd Rage we’ve been experiencing lately.
For starters, I think we need to stop trying to argue with the enraged. Two weeks ago (see “Confessions of a Comic Book Guy-- Comic Book Guy for The Defense”) I believe that by a simple recitation of the facts I was able to successfully clear Captain America of all charges of being a “Nazi.” But even while writing it I didn’t hold out much hope I’d actually convince anyone otherwise, because I was dealing not with an argument but a reaction. And you can’t reason with a reaction.
Which is why you can’t tell angry people to stop being angry, or that they have no reason to be angry in the first place. And while they may not be expressing their feelings in a particularly constructive manner, they are entitled to them. They sometimes may even have a valid point. When fans are angry it’s because they care about characters important to them and the trigger, the thing that almost invariably sets them off in the first place, is fear. A fear of change that results in a state of near panic that things are changing without their express written permission.
Casting seems to be a particularly sensitive issue for some. Sometimes it’s due to issues of gender bending, race bending, or whitewashing, but it usually has more to do with just not being able to see a certain actor in a part. This happens so frequently I was actually surprised last week when the internet remained silent when it was announced that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was going to play Doc Savage (see “ ‘The Rock’ Starring In ‘Doc Savage’ Feature”). Maybe it’s because physically he’s perfect for the role, though Johnson didn’t do himself any favors among the pulp fans I know by calling the character a “F*CKING HILARIOUS WEIRDO!”.
And you’d at least think I’d care about the news that supposed comedian Sacha Baron Cohen had been cast as one of my all-time favorite characters, Mandrake the Magician (see “Sacha Baron Cohen to Play Mandrake”). But honestly I just shrugged; the chances that there would be a good Mandrake movie, regardless of who was cast, is so small I decided it really wasn’t worth getting worked up about it. And being tall, dark and skinny, Cohen at least kind of looks the part.
Sometimes though, fans are actually advocating change when they object to the way minority characters are portrayed and want to see more racial, ethnic, religious or sexual diversity on the page and screen. You shouldn’t accuse them of “feigning” offense or “ginning up” problems where none exists to create controversy just to get attention. Well, you can of course; once you assume that the enraged is a just a troublemaker who’s nursing an imaginary grudge you can easily disregard them and their concerns entirely.
So the next time someone becomes horribly offended by the next Worst Thing Ever, instead of reacting back I’m going to try and practice what I just preached. I’ll let you know how that goes.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.