So, it's probably been a year since I've posted anything to my blog here, and somewhere in that time it feels as though I've missed a cultural notice passed down to semi relevant model builders in how to appeal to your fans. The notion seems a bit out of left field to me, but apparently it's catching on like wild fire, so I figured I'd turn to my old blog to see if maybe someone out there in the model building microcasm can shed some light on when this latest directive was passed down on what the sole topic of model blogging should be about, and quite frankly, it's pretty simple...
You're enjoying your hobby all wrong.
That's right ladies and gentlemen. YOU'RE DOING ALL OF IT INCORRECTLY. Now, I can't for the life of me sort out exactly where it's all coming from, because again, I've been out of the model blogging for the past year. In that time, I've been focused more on building models, because I think that, no matter what, that's the ultimate objective when it comes to model building.
Perhaps in this time frame, I've just "liked" or followed more model related pages and communities and am now more exposed to the jargon. Once upon a time, I swore off all contact with forums because I got tired of people telling everyone on there how to enjoy their craft. These days, I'm comfortable enough to realize that not everyone is an asshole, so I've ventured back into the forums, albeit on a very limited basis. I find that forums are a lot like brothels, the less time you spend there, the less time you have to encounter something that's really unpleasant. So Facebook has been my "go-to" source of interacting with other people. Most of them here on my own Fox Thre3 page, but also through various groups, and other pages. I find people are less inclined to act inappropriate when they don't have only a screen name to hide behind. There's pictures of them with their dogs, and kids, so they usually refrain from coming out in full forum asshole form. To be clear, this doesn't mean to say that you're not still going to have people who have always got something negative to say, but that's just the nature of the world we live in. But this trend...this full-on barrage of negativity towards the masses has taken me a bit by surprise. I guess my biggest question regarding all of it is....Who gives a shit??
I mean, really. When you boil it down to it's bare essentials, who cares how someone else is enjoying their hobby?? Do you supply their kits? Are you paying for their paints?? Have you commissioned them to build said model? Then why the hell are you so inclined to share your notion as to why it that you just cannot stand their relative behavior in how they enjoy their hobby?? To be clear, I understand the ideology behind critique and constructive criticism. But that's now how any of this is coming across my screen when I read these disciples of scale modeling write their verses unto the biblical pages of scale model sanctity. Who cares if someone has an airbrush?? Who cares how someone paints their airplane? Who cares what realism looks like? Who cares about any of it??? The people building the model? Obviously not, or there'd be nothing for these people to complain about.
Someone once taught me early on in my military years, that there's no such thing as a stupid question. I have since learned that to be absolutely false, but I also understood the point he was trying to make. People have questions, and sometimes, to those with experience, they may seem trivial, but that's not enough to label it as a stupid question. I field many questions (often repeatedly on the same thread or topic) that I find to be trivial. However, I also have to take myself back to the early days of scale modeling and remind myself what it was like to not have a damn clue how to do anything. It's daunting. I also remember how badly I wanted to learn, and with that stemmed questions. Lot's of them. There were people who would answer in sarcastic tones, as if the questions I posed were satirical or on an elementary level, not even worthy of their honest answer (but still had time for a smart ass answer), but then there'd be that one guy who would talk to you like a human being and try to break it down for you on the level that you could understand at that time. Those are the people who make a difference.
The people who have probably already answered 'trivial' questions time and time again, continue to do so, because they haven't forgotten where they came from. I still technically consider myself a "new guy" to scale modeling. It's not uncommon at all to meet people who have been avid builders for 30-50 years. That's a long, long time to be partaking in anything. Much less a hobby. At just over three years, I hardly consider myself to have even scratched the surface of knowledge. I do, however, consider myself to be at a good place on the learning curve at this time. That being said, I try to remember that there's other "noobs" just like me out there, and we're all still learning, thirsty for knowledge. Who are still looking for the next big breakthrough in their skill sets. Why in the world would anyone out there get any satisfaction in going out of their way to discourage someone by writing full on blogs commenting on how trivial their techniques or collection of tools is? So what if they don't have an airbrush. Is it still stupid to ask how to pre-shade without one? Probably. But only to the guy who's been around long enough to know better. But it's not those people asking the honest questions...stupid or not. It's the new guy who couldn't tell you the difference between a single action airbrush, or a twin engine prop. Ignorance is not stupidity. Stupidity is making yourself look like an asshole by flaming this guy publicly because you knew something he didn't. Nice job asshole, you're a know it all. Feel better? Perhaps we'll make you a plaque or a trophy for your victory.
I've said it a million times when helping other people out with questions...There's virtually a million ways to do anything in scale modeling. None of them have been proven to have more success than others. Some of them save a lot of time, and may produce slightly better results, but again, even that is subjective. In the end, it's what works best for you, your comfort level, your skill level, your bank, and your space. Don't abandon something that works, simply because someone else tells you it's wrong. I'm still waiting for someone to define "wrong" for me when it comes to scale modeling. At the end of the day, they're still just plastic replicas. You can saw off pieces, spend months adding surgical additions and scratch built interiors, but guess what....it's still never going to be anything more than a plastic scale replica.
So why is there so much hostility??
I often wonder if this type of behavior swarms other hobbies as well. Do old ladies in quilting forums disregard someone's work, because a wheat pattern on a quilt doesn't fit well with sunflower patterns next to it? Are there pet rock collectors who frown on other pet rock collectors because their display doesn't properly display the symmetry of their rocks? Are their bird watchers who flog other bird watchers because they don't have now extinct birds in their collection of watched birds?? Sounds silly doesn't it? I bet the guy with the bird watching blog is probably writing the same thing saying, "I wonder is scale model builders belittle each other because they don't paint their planes a certain way." God, I sure hope not. I hate it when other people are right....especially bird watchers.
In the end of it, I guess my biggest question is "Why do you care so much?" If you're tired of reading the pointless, or trivial questions, stay off the forums. Then you won't have to feel so inclined to answer the meaningless questions of the masses. You'll be left to bask in your superiority all by yourself. If seeing how other people weather their airplanes bothers you so much, quit browsing galleries. Pull the plug on your internet, build a dark underground bunker, fill it with refried beans and canned water and reside to it for eternity. Then you don't have to witness all the horrid misrepresentations of what is and is not realistic when it comes to plastic scale models. The point I'm getting at is it's avoidable. If it's to the point where you feel your only recourse is to shout it from the highest mountains, then perhaps it's time to pick up another hobby.
I hear bird watching is really taking off as we come into the fall months.
To summarize, lay off people's work. This is what they do for fun. Some don't build world class models, nor do they have any inclination to ever be on that level. THAT'S FINE!!! Some don't enter their work into contests, that too is okay. Most importantly, some people are simply inexperienced and looking for people to offer constructive advice to help push them in the right direction. Simply going on a tangent and only opining about the fact that what they are doing is incorrect (by who's standards is still unclear) is worthless. Try sending the guy a message saying "hey man, I see you're doing this, and wanted to let you know that if you were to try (insert helpful solution here) you may see a bit of a difference". That makes you look like you're interested in seeing the community as a whole get better, and the guy may come back to you later and show you some astounding progress that they've made in the following months, often times with a well deserved thank you for your time. It's happened to me on countless times, and it actually feels pretty good when folks care to give you some credit for their success. But you'll never get there by robbing pictures of their work, and then passive-aggressively shaming them on the internet.
I was once told by a wise man, that if one day you get in a position to change something or help someone, and you don't, then your journey to get into that position is a failure. Quit forgetting where you came from. Be constructive in your criticism, and for the love of all things holy....please quit bitching about how someone else enjoys their hobby.
