got linked to a commentary about the Homestuck Epilogues Andrew Hussie gave around the time of their release, and one part of it sticks out to me
long hussie paragraph (emphasis mine)
I also think many of the negative feelings the story creates isn't just an urgent prompt for the reader to imagine different ideas, or ways to resolve the new narrative dilemmas. It's also an opportunity for people to discuss any of the difficult content critically, and for fandom in general to continue developing the tools for processing the negative emotions art can generate. Sorting that out has to be a communal experience, and it's an important part of the cycle between creating and criticizing art. I think not only can creators develop their skills to create better things by practicing and taking certain risks, fandom is something which can develop better skills as well. Skills like critical discussion, dealing constructively with negative feelings resulting from the media they consume, interacting with each other in more meaningful ways, and trying to understand different points of view outside of the factions within fandom that can become very hardened over time. Fandoms everywhere tend to get bad reputations for various reasons, maybe justifiably. But I don't see why it can't be an objective to try to improve fandom, just as creators can improve their work. And I think this can only happen if now and then fandoms are seriously challenged, by being encouraged to think about complex ideas, and made to feel difficult emotions. I believe when art creates certain kinds of negative feelings in people, it can lead to some of the most transformative experiences art has to offer. But it helps to be receptive to this idea for these experiences to have a positive net effect on your life, and your relationship with art.
and i really find that telling in the context of how so much of the general Homestuck fandom opinion on the epilogues is "oh those are bad and mean, i don't like them so i'll ignore them". the epilogues are a targeted shot directed straight at challenging the nature of fandom and how they're more focused on if their blorbos get hurt than the actual messages of the story being told, the actual themes of what they're looking at.
Homestuck isn't blorbo delivery service and it never was, and so much of the epilogues hate i see usually amounts to "the epilogues made me feel bad for wanting blorbo delivery service." that's the point, you're who Candy was written about.
the epilogues are, to my eye, better than the base comic they're from. they're brutal, rough, they don't hold punches, and they're very beautiful all the same. and the fact that so much of the fandom chooses to look away from them as this wonderful work that encapsulates so much of what Homestuck was truly about to instead write their third tumblr callout post this week calling liking vriska tantamount to sexual assault?
Homestuck fans who hate (not merely dislike, hate) the epilogues don't understand Homestuck.

