Comments on: Tribes, “true” fans, and everybody else

By: Kellie

Kellie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:05:53 +0000

ACK! My apologies, Elena and kellyd. By hunkering down for some deadlines, I’d forgotten there are comments outstanding here. I am so sorry for the delay. Thank you again for the thoughts, and I’ll be back at the end of the week after I make a necessary deadline. Thanks for your patience!

By: Kellie

Kellie — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:19:57 +0000

Thanks for the comments, Elena and kellyd. The holiday is delaying a proper response from me, but I appreciate your thoughts and plan to return to chat in a couple of days. Best wishes to you both, and have a good weekend!

By: kellyd

kellyd — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:44:16 +0000

Heya, DM (or Kellie in an alternate universe)
I’ve got to say that it’s a subject I find fascinating. Not just the fandom aspect but the varying degrees and the personalities involved. Until I read back through the older stuff, I had no idea that the flag project involved SO much. These days I’m a less “manic” fan and more of a quiet careful observer, but boy did I have my moments. Tears, screaming, running after tour buses, collecting. Sheesh.

By: Tweets that mention Tribes, “true” fans, and everybody else — Kellie M. Walsh -- Topsy.com

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:08:22 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kellie M. Walsh, Nicole Pellegrini. Nicole Pellegrini said: Tribes, “true” fans, and everybody else — Kellie M. Walsh: http://bit.ly/59wDb7 via @addthis [...]

By: Elena Woontner

Elena Woontner — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:19:31 +0000

Attachment to one or more factions is a given in fandoms; yet it allows to express which are the ideas, role models, interests, media that interest you the most and a way to connect with others on your wavelength. To me, fandom is high school all over again, and also allows to opt out of the obligation of being adult, mature, understanding, and PC. “Fan” is short for “fanatic”: hence, anything goes: enthusiasm, loves, “hatreds”, trends, looks, thrills; for some, it’s being able to gush about something that would otherwise be tut-tutted by society, workmates, etc etc. It’s liberating and creates bonds that make you relive your youth along with someone else who “gets it” – and guess, there are other ADULTS who “get it”!
Duality and exclusion are not the only deformation I have noticing in fandoms. There are those who elbow their way to the top just to be envied or namedrop, those who border stalkerazzi behavior, the infamous “Easter Egg Deliverers”, and even stranger fields I won’t venture into, but that I witnessed first-hand.
I am an adult and behave as such in real life. When I’m a fan, I can be an immature teen again, albeit for the duration of posting my indignation or approval of something, to get in lust looking at a video or a pic, the duration of a concert or a movie, of screaming a favorite song with my earbuds on. Then, urge gone, I’m an adult again.
Music fandom is different. To me there is only good or bad music, or better, music that captures your antennae and music that doesn’t. So music I still find a unifying element for the most part. Once you overcome the stages of completism, collectionism, and pure mania, there is only the big Aural Pond in the sky to connect to.
And that’s enough for me.