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

[Deleted]

From the article:

Nestler requested that Letterman, who tapes his show in New York, stay at least 3 yards away and not "think of me, and release me from his mental harassment and hammering."

...

She wrote that she began sending Letterman "thoughts of love" after his "Late Show" began in 1993, and that he responded in code words and gestures, asking her to come East.

She said he asked her to be his wife during a televised "teaser" for his show by saying, "Marry me, Oprah." Her letter said Oprah was the first of many code names for her and that the coded vocabulary increased and changed with time.

So basically, to sum up, he's supposed to not say, do or think anything at all.

[gemstone]

Yes, DoctorNemesis I think that about it. But, additionally, she be crazy. Code words? Oprah? That is almost off the charts crazy, I believe.

[Libelle]

Judge tosses Letterman restraining order.
From the article:

"I appealed to the court for a restraining order to keep this man away from me, but now that's been denied me," she said. "He has access to me. He can actually come for me or send people. He has many accomplices. I know this sounds crazy. I was crazy to have listened to him in the beginning."

[Ripley]

*blinks*

That girl ain't right. /Hank Hill voice

[Maddiemoo]

If you ever say "I know this sounds crazy," chances are, it probably is.

[Libelle]

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present you The Tarts, a.k.a. rabid Gerard Butler fans. Here is an article about their latest convention. Some highlights:

Their T-shirts, baseball caps, badges and bags are adorned with slogans: "Tarts on Tour", "Mistress of the Tarts", and, in one instance, simply "I Am a Tart". One grips a small doll to her chest, a photograph of a handsome, rugged thirty something man glued to its face.

"This is it. This is it, right here, " Greenberg coos, almost inaudible. "Just think. He looked at this view once. He was here. Gerry was here."

There is also the odd disconsolate husband among the ranks. You can't help wondering whether it'll all end in restraining orders.

... her first experience of Butler ("popping your Gerry cherry", as the fans call it) ...

A hand taps my shoulder. "Do you want hear about my dolls?" asks its owner, handing me her card. "Pat Berschied, " it reads. "Gerry's Travelin' [sic] Gerrymigo Tart." A pin badge for her hometown of Paducah, Kentucky, is attached. Full marks for civic pride. "We have our own little Gerry community in Paducah, " she enthuses. "We meet once a month with dolls from Gerry's films and have parties with them. We dress 'em up like his characters."

Another voice pipes up. "I have a Gerry doll. It's a mannequin really, but it's full-size and anatomically correct." Kelly's friend Paulette Comstock, who hails from Wisconsin, moves closer. She wears a T-shirt featuring several photographs of Butler. Her hair is a shock of dark cherry, framing piercing pale green eyes. The look could be bottled: menopausal intensity. "We dress him up too, " she says with a wink. "It's great fun. Although it can get out of hand. You ever tried cleaning up chocolate spread?"

These crazies are the reason why I am very very reluctant to call myself a Gerard Butler fan, and if I do I absolutely always add the qualifier "but I'm not one of those crazy tarts!".

[alby]

Hee hee hee. For some reason the FAQs on that site are cracking me up:

How tall is Gerard?
How old is Gerard?
What colour are Gerard's eyes?
Where does Gerard live?
Does he prefer to be called Gerry or Gerard?
Can I have his phone number?
Does Gerard have an e-mail?
Where can I write to Gerard?
If I write to Gerard, will he write back?
Does Gerard ever visit GB.Net?
Is he married or single?
Is he gay?
Did he do all his own singing in The Phantom of the Opera?
What's the story behind the ring and bracelet he always wears?
Does he smoke?
What football club does he support?
Is there more information on his band Speed and did they ever record anything?

[huntergrayson]

Wow, that's a lot of mania. (FWIW, only when he has short hair and no beard. And then, I'd probably still take Clive Owen).

For the doll to be really anatomically correct, wouldn't she have to "popped her Gerry cherry" in the other sense?

This frightens me to no end:

"The way the relationship between Gerry and the fans has become so strong is surprising, " says Tamara Halstead, a mother of two from Virginia. "I consider him a friend."

Halstead, it transpires, is the original Tart. She began the website on February 10, 2001. The intervening five years have not quelled her joy - or doubts. "Sometimes I feel like I've crossed a line, " she confides. "But Gerry genuinely understands what we're doing."

Oy. Sure, he may support the club and send video messages and whatnot, but he is not your friend. Not really. And you don't think the second someone starts to go to far they won't be slapped with a restraining order no matter how much he "genuinely understands" what you're doing? Seriously, I would love for him to become a huge star and then be a lot less available so that all these tarts can have a reality check. (that said, the article makes him out to be a stand-up guy, so he probably won't become all Hollywood jackhole and leave them in the dust...but I would laugh so much)

Hours whizz past, as does innuendo. I hear of personalised registration plates bearing Butler's name, and of how the actor has helped "reawaken the passion" in one woman's 16year marriage.

Oh. Dear. God.

[susyhomewrecker]

Who the f**k is Gerard Butler? And why are these women so obsessed with him?

[Ripley]

Gerard Butler's IMDb Profile.

Susy H, I had the same reaction. I also thought, "This would make sense for somebody hugely popular, but not this guy." Then it occurred to me that there might be some pride in these women when they say, "Oh, I love Gerard Butler? You've never heard of him? Have you seen 'Phantom of the Opera?' No, the movie. How about the second Lara Croft movie? No? Well, I think he's fabulous!" It's kind of like how snobby music fans like a band until they get a hit, and then the snobs don't like them anymore because they've "gone mainstream."