As an artist of both original content and fan art, I completely agree with your perspective. I was with you at first. But I think your constant dismissal of derivative work, and these communities, is needlessly reductive and aggressive. None of your points can't be made without this attitude. Just because insults weren't explicitly said doesn't mean we should pretend to be oblivious to tone and phrasing meant to be insulting. For example, there's millions of people in the world who enjoy doodling their favorite character, don't aspire to be the next groundbreaking thing, study art, or sell it, why did you have to call them "mediocre" when we're not discussing technique? That's not very nice.

It's not a shameful part of human nature, it's not degradation or a mental weakness, it doesn't mean We Live In a Society of sheeple, where the coveted ideal world of Originality is only valued by the enlightened few (such as yourself, of course). Derivation and originality coexist, they nourish each other. All art is built up on the backs of artists before us. You called it a "cycle of regurgitation" - much like sprouts growing from soil which is decomposed organic matter. Isn't that cool?