Fandom Flounce

A fandom flounce is a dramatic exit from a community, mailing list, or a fandom (or even fandom in general).
A flounce usually takes the form of an announcement that the fan will "quit all communities," "never write again," and even to "delete or f-lock all their fanworks."
Flounces often follow in the wake of a kerfuffle, a flame war, or in response to undesired/negative feedback. 
Some fans have been known to flounce repeatedly, or to employ it as their usual method of leaving a fandom.
Flouncing is often a reaction out of genuine hurt and disappointment. But it is also sometimes a drama ploy to garner sympathy and messages of support, and a way to rally the supporters to beg the fan not to leave. 
Not everyone agrees on what qualifies as a 'flounce'; one person's flounce may be another person's brave rallying cry.
==Deflection and Derailment==
Flounces can also be a way to stop conversations and deflect attention. When used as a derail, a threat of a fandom flounce can be an effective strategy to stop or derail a discussion, shifting the focus away from the original topic, which may have been uncomfortable (for example a discussion of racist elements showing in a fanwork) to focus on soothing the upset fan with an outpouring of sympathy to prevent them from leaving, or alternatively mocking the overreaction of flounces and such, but in either case the discussion will devolve into more general wank away from the original topic.
 
==Reassurance, and Begging==
A key defining factor in a flounce is often an underlying tone of seeking reassurance: 
==Definitions and Fan Comments==
===1997===
===2006===
===2008===
===2019===
==Some Examples==
 
* You are holding in your hands the final issue of DESPATCH by Gail Saville and Barbara Metzke (1980)
* Beth Blighton and All I can see of fandom is something that was once beautiful which has now become painful and almost unbearable. (1991) and her departure (1994) 
* [J J] and So I leave the genre, if not the APA, with no regrets to be going and a good deal of relief that I don't have to try to like this stuff any more. (1997)
* Dargelos and Dargelos: The Obituary (2010)
* Melody C. and various dates 
* Jane of Australia and Jane of Australia: Gafiated (2006) 
* Otterlady (2003)
* Alexis Fegan Black and Alexis Fegan Black is Dead (2017) 
 
* Michela Ecks and Michela Ecks' FF.net Resignation Letter (2001)
* , thread at Fail-Fandomanon, en masse OTW Board resignation (November 22, 2015)
* Eneli - Ultimate Unfollow Spree, iconic within the Dream SMP fandom (2022)
==Fandom's Response To Flounces==
In general, fandom views flouncing on par with toddler tantrums: annoying and disruptive. Some fandom communities tag or make lists of note-worthy flounces in an almost celebratory fashion. Fandom Wank Flouncing tag. Other fans point to flouncing as an example of how their fandom community is deteriorating"I was never tempted to flounce from being a fan of BtVS, but I've been sorely tempted to flounce from being a fan of its fandom on more than one occasion..." from Rowan Hawthorn in Whedonesque, April 12, 2008 (accessed Jan 12, 2011); WebCite, Wayback. "And I want to roundkick them for ruining things making great fics disappear. .... I really don't get the tendency to flounce in this fandom..." from comments in A Different Forest: A polite request, a Twilight writing blog, January 6, 2010 (accessed Jan 17, 2011); WaebCite. sometimes ignoring the fact that the behavior has existed for decades and stretches across multiple fandoms. Other fans take a more balanced approach:
==Additional Reading==
* by Joseph Reagle, posted 5.2012, accessed 5.2012
==References==
Category:Social Media Feature-Terminology Thursday