The Forum Agreement

[Tuesday Pajamas]

THE FORUM AGREEMENT is a binding covenant that enumerates, iterates, and codifies the rights and responsibilities of SHENNY HQ, hereinafter known as THE FORUM, and you, hereinafter known as THE FORUMEE. 

SECTION 1: THE MULTIVERSE
First and foremost, THE FORUM is not encumbered by the show's current canon and, in fact, actively encourages the free exchange of ideas that advocate any number of nostalgic character conceptions, hypothetical scenarios, and alternative universes, i.e.:

A. Vintage Sheldon AKA Homo Novus
B. Vintage Penny
C. Sheldon having no romantic entanglements
D. Sheldon and Penny having a romantic relationship
E. Sheldon and Wil Wheaton having a romantic relationship (i.e. alternative ships)

SECTION 2: PROHIBITED CONTENT
A. Canon shipping
B. Canon shipping
C. Canon shipping

DON'T BE A DICK CLAUSE: THE FORUMEE agrees not to be a mean person.

SECTION 3: COOKIES (and we don't mean Meemaw's)
THE FORUMEE agrees that any information entered on THE FORUM is stored in a database, and that cookies are stored on your computer to save your login information. THE FORUM agrees to protect your privacy and will not pass on personal information to third parties for internet banality (i.e. cats playing pianos). 

SECTION 4: If THE FORUMEE invents time travel they agree to return to Shenny HQ and register the day before the official release. 

SECTION 5: HAVE FUN WITH IT! 
Self-explanatory

[Idle Miscreant]

Ahem. Cough. Noise of Pay Attention.

In lieu of some recent exterior malarky about what constitutes reasonable criticism, we think we should clarify, both for the benefit of visiting eyeballs, and for any of our members in a state of confusion, that the Wheatonian "Don't be a Dick" clause does not apply to FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. It applies to humans.
Or whatever passes for them.
This includes ACTORS and our FELLOW MISCREANTS. It was added to encourage harmony within the forum itself, not to stifle opinion.

The Characters that the Actors portray are fair game, we submit, for Dickish comments, firstly because the fact of their being written by a conglomerate of writers allows for a rather nebulous existence that we believe is open to criticism, and secondly because - and we cannot stress this enough - THEY ARE NOT REAL PEOPLE.

We realise that this is a confusing and occasionally terrifying concept for some of us. We believe much of the despair felt at the alteration in Sheldon's character, arises partially through identification with the character, and thus we are possessed of a sense of impotence with regards his fate, and partially from a recognition of some intangible concept (be it philosophical or poetic) that he represents, which has now been sacrificed. It is difficult not to be overly dramatic about such things. We are speaking personally here.

However, as regards the practicalities of such close identification on a public forum, certain behaviours will undoubtedly occur. Particularly as many of us here are angry. Many of us here either identify with Sheldon or Penny, and thus recognise the deterioration of their core identities, and wish to mourn the loss.

As is our right. As human beings possessed both of a critical faculty and of the capacity for mythological identification.

The destruction of Sheldon began with the addition of Amy as his "girlfriend" in Season 5, whether it was directly resultant of, or merely a simultaneous atrophy, the dark days of Homo Novus can be traced back to her permanent introduction under these romantic auspices. Ergo, a great deal of antipathy will be directed towards her character by virtue of her sheer existence. This is before we even get into any aspect of her faintly dubious behaviour or personality.

Similarly, the descent of Penny, from a street-smart, idealistic and kind hedonist, to a shallow, disenchanted, cynical borderline alcoholic, unfortunately runs parallel to her continued association with Leonard.

Both characters have lost their central purpose and integrity, and in the absence of any other external force, it can only be attributable (within their artificial world) to the influence of their partners. Leonard belittles Penny. Amy normalizes Sheldon. Both things are death to their very natures and Intents.

And before it is thought that outside the destruction of Penny and Sheldon’s characters, the sole reason for all the acrimony is thwarted desires and designs, let us be clear that both the solitary life and a variety of other suitors have been regularly deemed appropriate in lieu of Leonard and Amy, and that the problems we have are SPECIFIC to those unique characters’ personalities. We feel they are disastrous, and we would tolerate almost anyone in their stead.

However, (and this is the crux) nobody is being "Mean" to anybody, because the characters have no feelings to hurt. They are not real. All of this farrago is sheer fantasy. Allegorical discourse.

A person who identifies strongly with a character, sufficiently so, and in that very specific way, that they interpret any remark as a slight against themselves personally, must make a concerted effort to detach themselves from any criticism of their favourite, or else refrain from reading uncensored forums. We direct this at anyone who strongly identifies with either Amy or Leonard, and who has wandered in here unforewarned.

To suffer vicariously through a character’s tribulations or through the bastardization of that character is one thing, to take personal offence at criticism directed at that fictional character from a stranger on the internet is quite another.

Some effort is made, within this site, to keep discussion away from the topic of other fans, but many of us having suffered censorship, ridicule and aggression on the more conventional forums, we fear makes us rather prone to overlook the occasional transgression on this rather bitter topic.

In summation, “Negativity” is condoned here, although it should more accurately be termed Disenchantment, Grief, Realism, Despair, Rage or any other suitably evocative word, because “Negativity” is the wholly unimaginative and essentially meaningless term used by those who can’t understand another fellow's reasoning.

To paraphrase one of our members here, the question isn’t WHY we’re all so angry and despairing over the destruction of Penny and Sheldon. The real question should be, if you’re a fan of the original show and all it stood for, why the devil aren’t you?

[Tuesday Pajamas]

Please note that you can not reply to this thread, as this houses our general policy but feel free to comment elsewhere. Thanks all.