"Y'All Jus' Jellus!" The Scary World of Fandom

[pepper67]

Nothing beats the Cult of the Tremulous Wounded Starchild. I honestly think that nothing can.

I was in the Stargate fandom (yeah, I know. Shut up. The first four seasons were good) when it hit a kind of meltdown because Michael Shanks, one of the main actors, was leaving. There was a huge row with people being accused of not being True Fans because they were willing to give the show a chance after MS left, long-standing internet friendships were ripped apart and basically it went to hell in a handbasket for a while.

A friend of mine was at a multi-fandom convention where MS was appearing (she went to see someone else) and once his fans heard that he was in the building, they booed 2 stars from another show off the stage so their idol could get on there quicker. So, some MS fans bring the crazy.

[Deleted]

One of the things that gets me is peoples inability, or unwillingness, to seperate an actor from the character they play.

I totally understand that, but for some reason, I tend to be one of those people in a certain way. Kirsten Dunst, for example, is grown up and doing pretty big movies now, but every time I see her I flash back to her as Claudia in Interview With A Vampire. It's probably just that she was the absolute exact way I had imagined that character but I bit my lip to keep from screaming, "Don't kiss her; she's a vampire!" during Spiderman.

Topic? Literary fans can be hella scary. I enjoy Anne Rice, but if you're ever in a Borders or Barnes and Noble and one of her fans catches you looking at her stuff you should run. And run fast. These are the kinds of people that file their teeth down into fangs and sleep all days kind of crazyfans. *shudder.*

[kaylee]

Oh lawdy, Courtney fans can sometimes get out of control. 10 years ago, Courtney made some, err, disparaging remarks on the internet about a male musician that she decided she hated. All hell broke loose and her fans took it upon themselves to make this guy's life hell. My god, the creepy stuff he received in the mail! Girls would stalk him, hang outside his house, call him on the phone, send him dead animals in the mail - and they always made sure he knew they were doing it "for Courtney". The guy had to get bodyguards 24/7, for christ's sake. It was sad.

Who's that guy, I have to get rid of some dead fish, I kid., I kid.
I never knew she even had fans, when was the last time she even made a record? I think I've heard about 10 seconds of her singing in my entire life and I'm pretty content with that.

This thread used to be my favourite at the old board, between the Leif Garrett (who I'd never even heard of) fandom story (which still has me laughing even thinking about it), The Cult, the Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul 'shippers and fan fiction writers and the people who wanted to see Kate Bosworth dead it was so much fun.

If anyone wants to read it I saved a copy (Don't look at me like that, I saved like a maniac during the final hours)

Link

[katiebear3]

Anybody think the rise of fandom is connected with the disappearance of religious belief and an ethnic/familial indentity basis in a post-war, consumerist society?

anybody?

[strikemepink]

Alias fans. I'm a huge one and even I get scared sometimes.

It's not just the whole I hate Jennifer because she broke Michael's heart thing. It's the "only teenage girls like David, Michael is for much more mature women" and wow, don't even get me started on the whole Sarkney versus Sydney/Vaughn thing.

[chibinekocutie]

I really love it how if you, as a female in some forums say something negative about a female actress, you automatically are jealous of them and are being "catty" or "hating."

Rabid Fangirls scare me. Especially those who insist handsome heartthrob (insert name here)is gay and MUST be boinking his equally attractive co star...because, you know, it is common knowlege that all good looking Hollywood actors are gay and do things like that. Because the evidence is overwhelming. Some of these girls BELIEVE IT TO BE FACT despite said actor dismissing gay rumors(in denial) and being married(he doesn't really love her)! And if you say other wise you are guilty of death by stoning!

Or something...

LOTR fangirls are one of the scariest bunch out there. Say something about their "Orli" or their "Elwood"and they will hunt you down and CUT you.

I read this halarious "Judewan" fic today in this forum I wondered across...Chock full of fangirls and their stories. I just love how they put the names all cute together too. Jude+Ewan=Judewan. Dominique + Elijah=Domlijah! LIKE OMG LOLZIES!!! Really, I do.

I wonder how Ewan(who seems to surf the net) would feel if he came upon one of these rabid fangirl sites with slash fic about him really hating his wife and being REALLY in love with Jude(or whatever co star he is with at the moment)and out of the blue having hot male action. I mean, he seems like the sort to laugh about it.

Has anyone ever read a "Mary sue?" *shudder*

There are talented writers out there, yes...not saying anything about them...but there is an equally dark side to the fandom most of the time.

Another scary bunch of fans are the "Japanese rock/pop" fans. VERY VERY scary. I love Japanese culture, language(look at my board name), music, etc, but sometimes they really go overboard, to the point of self hatred. I've witnessed a lot of this :

"Everything American is soo lame. American music sucks. Why can't things here be super kawaii like Japanese stuff? Why wasn't I born a sugoi Japanese girl?" Because you know, adding in that random Japanese word makes you so cool and trendy. Then when you call them on it, you must be jealous of them! Why? I don't know either.

I'm sorry. This morning is rant morning. Forgive me. I'll be better later on in the day.

[monkeypox]

Well, I'm an Orlando Bloom fan that never could stand Kate Bosworth, so I guess that qualifies me as crazy/creepy/scary in some people's eyes. And I have to say I find the whole "OK with O/K" deal to be every bit as creepy as the people who hate her only because she had Orlando.

But yeah, certain LotR fans? Nuts. If there was such a word as "heterophobic," it would fit many of these folks perfectly. A little slash is hot (though I'd rather see Orlando with someone other than crusty old Viggo), but these folks have themselves convinced that it was one big gay orgy on the set of LotR. That itself is no biggie, but some insist-and even claim to have "proof"-that these relationships are still going on, and if you dare suggest that they might be wrong about that, you get called a homophobe and a bigot that can't accept the "truth."

[kaylee]

But I still love to think that Elijah Wood is very very gay, because this website is so much fun

[roundround]

Kaylee said:

This thread used to be my favourite at the old board, between the Leif Garrett (who I'd never even heard of) fandom story (which still has me laughing even thinking about it), The Cult, the Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul 'shippers and fan fiction writers and the people who wanted to see Kate Bosworth dead it was so much fun.

If anyone wants to read it I saved a copy (Don't look at me like that, I saved like a maniac during the final hours)

Link

Word to your post, and thanks very much for the copy of the old thread! I was kicking myself that I hadn't saved it. *hugs it*

[Malle Babbe]

Anybody think the rise of fandom is connected with the disappearance of religious belief and an ethnic/familial indentity basis in a post-war, consumerist society?

Well, I didn't dub CMJ fans "The Cult of the Tremulous Wounded Starchild" for nothing!