I was not planning to write another response in this thread so soon. I was actually contemplating writing about my own personal story and history with the Donkey Kong franchise, seeing as how many others have also done it, though, I will probably share it for another time.
However, this short message you wrote made me want to speak out.
No. Fake fans are not better than no fans. You are far, far, far, far, far, far, better off with a handful of fans than a ton of "fake fans". The true fans will be there through good times and bad, whereas the "fake fans" are fair weather and will get going when the going gets tough, and many times have outsized embarrassing passion during the "good times".
You want to know what it looks like to have "fake fans" in a Smash fanbase? It often ends up with your thread locked shortly after their deconfirmation (like what happened with Ridley during pre-Smash 4, and with Geno a month ago). The bandwagon is a blight that makes the true fans and those who truly have a connection to their character of choice look bad. There are many that hate Geno simply due to his fanbase, (see
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/234547-super-smash-bros-ultimate/79173772 ). I think many of the toxic Geno fans that people dislike though were bandwagoners. I feel bad for the Geno supporters who were unable to have their voice of reason heard during the mania in 2019 and 2020, I went through a similar experience during pre-Smash 4 after the April 2014 Direct where it became obvious to me that Ridley was going to be a boss, but much of the Ridley fanbase on SmashBoards felt he was still going to be playable through bizarre "shadow theories", so I can definitely empathize with Geno supporters even though I myself am not a Geno supporter.
I might work on an essay discussing the Smash bandwagon and go into various ones throughout Smash support history someday. However, I can make no promise on actually doing it. It is something I have considered writing about for quite a while though.
Extending that to friends the statement is even more poignant. Would you rather have thousands of "fake friends" , or a handful of true friends that will be by your side and supporting you even through hard times? Many people seem to think simply "more is better", but quality is a quantity in its own right.
Dixie Kong right now might not have much support, but the fans that do support her have a genuine affinity not just for her, but also for her franchise. I said before that the Dixie fanbase here reminds me of Roy's fanbase in a lot of ways, and honestly I liked interacting with and sharing my ideas with Roy supporters during pre-Smash 4 a lot more than Ridley supporters despite Ridley being a more important character to me personally.
A small little community where we all know each other's names and each have our own unique talents, abilities, and quirks is what we have right now, and I am glad a character as special as Dixie Kong has one. Sure it would be nice to have some more activity, but at least we can put thought and input to the ideas and creations that people in this thread put out. Every voice is heard and valued. The optimist's ideas is given as much weight as the skeptic's is, and vice versa, and thus people can weigh different viewpoints and decide among themselves for how different scenarios could play out in regards to prospects. The artist's work is not as quickly forgotten. Words crafted with heart and sewn with soul hold more weight.
Contrast that to having one of the biggest support bases around (like what happened with the Geno thread), where many faces come and go, and it is simply a constant roller coaster of manias, despair, and controversies.
If there is indeed a new Donkey Kong title announced this year, I fully expect far more activity for this thread (especially if Dixie Kong has a major role in it). However, we must remember that even if it ends up being the case that Dixie Kong does have a major role in this possible new upcoming DK title, that it does not make her a guarantee for Pass 2 or even likely. Heck, I would also say Dixie Kong is not even necessarily the next DK character in line. Both Cranky Kong and Funky Kong have many things going for them too. Cranky is a favorite of Miyamoto and managed to return in Country Returns over every other Kong (aside from DK and Diddy), and is regarded as the original "DK" in elderly form, so Nintendo and Sakurai and his team might see him as fitting to promote given that the original arcade Donkey Kong title turns 40 this year. With Funky Kong, he made it in as the third character in Mario Kart Wii over Dixie Kong and has his own dedicated mode in the Switch port of Tropical Freeze.
Even if we are so fortunate as for Dixie Kong to be given a prominent major role in the next DK title, we must still temper our expectations, especially for those who would be flooding into this thread given those particular circumstances. I alone cannot do that. It would take the collective effort of many Dixie fans here to shape the culture here into one of "cautious optimism" in that circumstance. I can provide historical precedence for various situations where an "obvious choice" got passed over for an unorthodox one, but many others would need to provide their cautious input as well in order for this kind of mindset to be default.
I see Dixie, Cranky, and Funky all on an equal playing field if there was a hypothetical consideration given by Sakurai to make a Donkey Kong character a part of Pass 2. All three of these characters are equally prominent for the DK brand these days (for the Donkey Kong part of Super Nintendo World, there is going to be a talking animatronic Cranky Kong and the food court/gift shop there is going to be Funky Kong themed). Who the fourth Donkey Kong slot in Smash will be is very much an uncertainty unfortunately (or at least right now, those circumstances could easily change depending on what roles those characters have in the rumored new Donkey Kong title, assuming they appear at all).
My best works and efforts would matter very little in the face of a prospective bandwagon. It would effectively take the effort of many of the Dixie Kong thread community here in order to temper expectations, and hammer in the statements I mentioned in the previous three paragraphs. Dixie Kong is my favorite Donkey Kong character by far, but she is definitely not the obvious choice next in line as many think she is, and either Cranky or Funky could easily make it in over her.
I really hope we can come together and preserve this community if the time comes (that a new Donkey Kong title is announced, and Dixie Kong has a major playable role in it) and for the first time in Ultimate's DLC cycle Dixie Kong fans are given tangible hope to go off of. I want for us to be a model for other prospective fanbases to look to. It will be difficult navigating that tight rope to be sure (between hope and skepticism), but I think if we work together, if might very well be possible, that we might have a massive fanbase that is not toxic and even tolerant and accepting to other "competitors".
Lastly I want to comment on this:
You should not put yourself down like that. Just because your art is not acclaimed by the masses, does not mean you should stop making it or that you should desire for "fake fans". Does making the art "fulfill" you, and express an inner world to which you want to share with the outer world? I make massive write ups that probably only get 20 people at best reading them, yet I still write it because I still feel need to express an idea I have with other people, even if it ends up being only a few. A random joke post probably gets far more accolades elsewhere on this site than the most comprehensive posts I submit here, but for an artist (and art can come in many forms), creating the work is as fulfilling as whatever praise it could potentially receive.
I will be honest as there was an instance recently where I passed on writing something (an essay possibly exploring the history of Smash bandwagons) simply because I thought there would be far less interest in it relative to the amount of work that would be needed to write and complete it, so this is a mindset that I also need work on overcoming (that "art" is only worthwhile to put hard work into if there is some sort of appreciation for it relative to the amount of work put into it). In an era where most internet traffic is only a handful of websites, it is demoralizing to many content creators to see their works that they put their best effort forward to be seen as a waste of time because it simply has a handful of "likes" or views relative to the accolades that the works of others have received.
The works we make are an inner expression of ourselves put into some sort of medium, whether words, drawn, or audible. It is difficult in a saturated internet to get a foot in the door in getting your work noticed,. Even if it is the case that it has only a very small following, you should still create it if it is something you wish to share with someone or someones, a particular community, or the world as a whole.
I can definitely understand your frustration, but please keep your spirits higher, and just look to improve your craft in any way you can.
This year potentially could be a very big one for Donkey Kong, and possibly even Dixie Kong. We have no idea right now how accurate these Donkey Kong rumors are, and just what will end up happening with the title, but it will be very interesting to see. I hope that what I have written here, has given most of those whom read this thread quite a lot to think about and contemplate. If Donkey Kong indeed is going to have a major title revealed this year, we are going to be met with high ordeals either way (a wave of despair if Dixie Kong is absent, or a deluge of bandwagoners and out of control optimism if she is given a major role). Regardless of what the outcome ends up being (assuming this title even exists and that it does end up being shown off this year), we have to persevere together.
It will only be through a harmonization of our efforts and unique talents to which we can properly integrate a massive wave of incoming fans, as well as prepare those fans for plausible outcomes to which they would find unpalatable. One of the biggest draws to the bandwagon is the expectation of victory. As Dixie Kong fans, throughout the character's Smash series (or certainly within the last eight years) there has always been an expectation that Dixie Kong was "likely". We can dare dream more if the light slowly emerges over the horizon, but do not call it a surise just yet. We must remain hopeful, but still cautious. Regardless of what the outcome would end up being for Dixie Kong at the conclusion of Ultimate, I hope our story is one to which other fanbases can look to and apply to themselves.
We can only wait and see what happens, but I hope what I have said gives you all consideration for what we might have to do if we are so blessed with a major new role Dixie Kong this year. Thank you for your time in reading this.
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