When it comes to entertainment, when it comes to our love of Ripping Good Yarn style storytelling, our interest and preferences are as broad as the group itself. Looking at each one of us is like looking through a kaleidoscope, each of us with a different combination of likes and dislikes.
The idea behind the creation of Ripping Good Yarns, both as a blog category within The Strait Line and as a Facebook group, was twofold.
The first was to have a place to talk about a certain kind of storytelling. More melodramatic than the usual Oscar nominees and arty works, stories that centered more on character and plot, that turned and twisted, that emphasized continuing elements and character growth. Genre entertainment would fare better, but it wouldn't necessarily be exclusive.
The second was to create a safe environment to discuss these things. I had noticed that when I tired to talk about things, particularly television, half of my comments would be about how television was rotten and that "they" would never deign to watch television. So I tried to create a space where no one is criticized for their entertainment choices, both in what they see AND in how they see it. Reading, watching, listening, performing....all would be equally respected.
It has been generally been successful, although I have had trouble sustaining the traffic volume level to make it more engaging. Asking for votes or nominations can be a scary process. Sometimes people are out there, sometimes they're not.
I have a number of book people, and they post a lot. That is a very good thing. Books are not the only part of Ripping Good Yarns, but they are an important part. On the other hand, you can dislike reading, and still be a full fledged part of Ripping good Yarns. You may prefer audiobooks, or TV, or something else, It's okay! The key element is in liking storytelling.
Television is still rough. A number of people make it clear they do not watch television, or watch very little of it. That's fine.
Whatever it is you prefer, don't make other people feel like what they're doing is less than you because it's not the same way you like to receive story-telling. There's a lot of criticism in our culture over the amount of time people watch TV. Ripping Good Yarns is not the place to make that kind of judgement.
Myself? I play the field. I read books, watch TV and movies, participate in theater, write my own stuff. How do I find the time to do it? Easy. I have no other real hobbies or interests other than my family and storytelling. I don't garden, or sew, or do household building or repair projects. I don't gamble, carouse or play sports. Not everyone is like that. And I'm fine with that, as long as they don't condemn those involved in storytelling as being lazy, or wasting time.
I mean, really. Except for the basic necessities and taking care of each other, we're all just basically Waiting for Godot.
Then there is the problem that, even within the context of being a Ripper (storyteller lover), that the group of stories that you like may be different than others. We can't all be huge The Walking Dead fans. Things that you find distasteful or disinteresting may be someone else's cup of tea. We had a set of friends awhile back who loved the genres we like best, science fiction and fantasy. But it was inevitable different books and movies and TV shows than our favorites. If we liked Battlestar Galactica, they liked Babylon 5. If they liked Godzilla, we preferred Jaws. The point is, even when preferences seem close, they may not be an exact match.
If you like Ripping Good Yarns, there is still more that unites us than separates us. It's fun to talk with those with different perspectives, and to learn about new stories to experience and try.
It just takes a little respect, and we're on our way to the best time ever!
But really, seriously, y'all should try Agents of SHIELD. It is awesome.
Ulps! I started back into it already!
Have a great day, Rippers! Here's to a new exciting story find, and here's hoping you will share it with us.
Saluda!
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