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

[susyhomewrecker]

I'm sure most celebrities have crazy fans--Brad Pitt's house was broken into by a stalker--but those actors on TV shows seem SO much more accessible to fans who can watch them every day/week in the comfort of their own home. Anyone remember Brooke Shields playing Joey's crazed soap fan on Friends--she thought Joey WAS Dr. Drake Remoray, and said, "how'd you get here? I just saw you in Salem!!" A little over-the-top, but maybe not so far off.

[mostlyharmless]

I think actors on TV who play one character for years make it way easier for fans to believe they know them and think of them as a friend. Brad Pitt plays a different character every movie, so there's no common thread.

I remember many Buffy fans were convinced that they could tell that SMG was unhappy with the show during season six because of the way she was acting. The whole season was about Buffy (the character) being uber depressed but these fans really believed they could see what SMG (the actress) was feeling.

[underjoyed]

susyhomewrecker said:

I'm sure most celebrities have crazy fans--Brad Pitt's house was broken into by a stalker--but those actors on TV shows seem SO much more accessible to fans who can watch them every day/week in the comfort of their own home. Anyone remember Brooke Shields playing Joey's crazed soap fan on Friends--she thought Joey WAS Dr. Drake Remoray, and said, "how'd you get here? I just saw you in Salem!!" A little over-the-top, but maybe not so far off.

I seem to recall reading several interviews with soap stars over the years (I don't know why or how; I don't even watch soaps) who've been accosted by members of the public and given marital advice on their soap marriage or who've been smacked with handbags by irate old ladies for stealing another soap character's soap husband or cheating on their soap wife. Kind of funny when it's a handbag, but it's not a million miles away from the same mentality that exchanges "handbag" for "gun/knife.".

[pepper67]

I seem to recall reading several interviews with soap stars over the years (I don't know why or how; I don't even watch soaps) who've been accosted by members of the public and given marital advice on their soap marriage or who've been smacked with handbags by irate old ladies for stealing another soap character's soap husband or cheating on their soap wife.

That reminds me of something I read in the paper about a Neighbours star. The woman who played Nell Mangle (I think that was the name) quit because she couldn't take the hassle she was getting from the public as her character was a busybody.

I remember wondering then why these people couldn't tell the difference between fact and fiction.

[Deleted]

From the bringer of the Great Fangirl Meltdown of 2005, comes the Great Fangirl Meltdown of 2006-Country Music Edition. Seriously, why is it that I find all of the crazy fandoms to be a part of!

This is in response to Keith Urban cancelling his Fan Club Party this year. Keep in mind, these women are all mostly over 40, delusional and about the most unattractive set of women that you'd ever want to see. I would post links to all of the comments, but you have to have passwords for all of his boards (for some of them, you need multiple passwords). They try to confine the crazy to as many locked doors as possible.

ok i am going to to tell yall how i feel not that my 2 cents matters,

i feel totally USED! after all the cd's i bought, after all the shows i attended, after all the requesting music to my local radio stations, after all the voting i have done on the internet, after all the teeshirts i purchased... and the one day out of the year we the fans are just asking four 2 hours out of his day what a slap in the face!
i guess after winning : entertainer of the year, male vocalist of the year, album of the year, grammy award, having number one singles, i guess its all right to diss your fans, your fans that got you to that pedestal. the fans that paid for that house your living in right now, & for that ring you bought for the girl who you supposedly NOT dating, i guesss your fans are at the botton of your list.

what really hurts the most ist all the money i have invested in keith. i work hard for my money as as most of us. some people used their bill money, put off paying mortages just to purchase tickets, cd's & his teesshirts and to pay a membership to be in his fanclub that states he has fanclub partys, for what? i guess its to late to ask for some refunds?

Hello all - it's been eons since I have posted but, I really feel the need to on this one. I am more than disappointed at this decision, I am disgusted. I knew once a certain something surfaced the fans would take a back seat. I don't care if he is getting married, vacationing in Fiji, writing an albumn, recording, galavanting in Nashville with "red" or WHATEVER - he is in Nashville so much lately could he not give us a FCP ?!?!? Makes me really sad that it has come to this and I don't think I will be renewing my membership to his fan club next year. Doesn't really seem to be a point in doing so. No meet and greets, no FCP what next no presales? I must say that for making Keith the ETOY and Male Entertainer he is really shafting his fans.

They all hate the fact that he is dating Nicole. That is the real reason that they are all so upset. Man, I could go on and on but I think you get the jist.

[shawnalanne]

Part of what makes a country star a star is their accessability. They are just 'regular' guys or gals. By not going to a fan based event he really isn't playing by the rules. Also it's pretty assy for him to not show up for a meet and greet since it appears to be part of the fan club package.However, those people do sounds scary. What adult pays their mortgage late so they can go to a concert?

[Deleted]

What adult pays their mortgage late so they can go to a concert?

A batsh** insane one! These women skip CONTINENTS to go see him in concert! And get seriously upset if they are not front-row center.

This man has performed over the past year with a blown vocal chord, the flu, sprained fingers, and varieties of other ailments. If anyone has earned some time off, he has! The only reason they are pissed about the meet and greets is because the Fan Club cut the number of people down that could attend and put other stipulations on them because the same women kept getting them OVER and OVER again. He is a country music singer, not a robot or their personal blonde, Australian savior.

One person posted a semi-sane argument:

After reading all your replies, I'm rather shocked.

Some of you have been spoiled over the years with meet-n-greets, BSE's, FCP's or $XXX front row seats, etc, etc, and you should consider yourselves BLESSED!!!

I've reined in my raging jealousy of all y'all who have had opportunity to do all these things, I've tried to be positive, and join in on the creative ideas, but the WHINING on this thread over the FCP has pushed me over the top. "Keith needs to such-n-such". He does? "It's so-n-so's fault." Oh, really? "I paid my $20, I DESERVE this." You do? Listen to yourselves. What would Keith say/think if he were to read it? For once, the general consensus over this issue at the CMT board is more mature.

Go ahead and throw your flaming arrows and rotten tomatoes at me. I can take it. But don't any of you DARE tell me I'm any less of a fan because I feel this way. Keith has made his choice and we all have to live with it. Ranting and raving about it - while cathartic - won't change anything.

Which got a large number of these kind of replies:

Feathers, you know I love your posts, but that's really offensive.
This is a group of loving, devoted, intelligent women. We ARE mature.
The fans are hurt. Expressing one's self and being honest among peers isn't being immature. It's being real and true to yourself.

Collectively on this board, we've spent thousands of dollars and logged many miles and hours supporting this man. We've made an investment in him and his career. We have a right to be disappointed and to say so.

Keith does not volunteer his services. We pay money to see him and to join his fan club. He DOES owe us. His fan club with HIS name on it promised a fan club party. If he promises a product, he needs to deliver. As Jen has said, we wouldn't tolerate it with anything else we buy.

And this:

However, Feathers IMHO there is a boundary and you have just stepped over it!! Cindy is right in what she says about your post being offensive!!

I will complain when i do not feel that i have got what i have paid for..........note the word "complain", i have not and will not "whine" about anything that Keith has said, done or as the case may be, not done!!! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion however, you seem to feel that it is ok for you to then slag everyone for having an opinion!!

As i said i really can't post all that i want on this subject!!!

Edited to add: Why do you always seem to think that people are telling you that you are not a real fan??? I know that i haven't said it and i don't recall anyone else saying it either!!

The crazy just keeps coming!

[Mutagen]

Keith does not volunteer his services. We pay money to see him and to join his fan club. He DOES owe us.

"I will not be ignored, Keith." Guard the bunnies!

[Deleted]

It's the shrieking harpy demographic. They're jealous of Nicole, and without even being an Urban fan I bet I know that there are posts blaming her for it.

I come from the Beatles fandom, and it AMAZES me how entitled some fans feel. "Paul should do this, do that, he OWES us." You know, from where I sit he owes me nothing. He gave me hours and hours of beautiful music and in exchange, the only thing I have to do is buy some CDs. If I see him in concert, I pay my money up front and therefore the only thing he "owes" me is a few hours of good music. So where is the sense of entitlement coming from? Like the Urban fans: "We go to his concerts, buy his CDs, yadda yadda," so what? Did you not get the music as part of that? He recorded his album and played his show. You gave him money in exchange for his goods, that's it. You didn't give him money for a kidney transplant and therefore he has some moral obligation to you.

Sorry, but the McCartney boards have been bugging me for the past couple of weeks. I don't care if you don't like his wife, and guess what, he doesn't either. You don't know him, don't know what's best for him, and he's a big boy who can make his own decisions, so f**k off.

[dwanollah]

People who have to be fan-er than thou are seriously scary! And this...?

i work hard for my money as as most of us. some people used their bill money, put off paying mortages just to purchase tickets, cd's & his teesshirts and to pay a membership to be in his fanclub that states he has fanclub partys, for what?

It still boggles my mind.