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        New Message Board Archives >> 2007 General Board Posts >> Ever been a fan?
        
(Message started by: sandie99 on Sep 14^th, 2007, 2:51pm)

Title: Ever been a fan?
Post by sandie99 on Sep 14^th, 2007, 2:51pm

I've been working on my dissertation about fanhood for a while now. When I started it out, if somebody would have told me that it will give me a fan identity crisis, I would have never picked that topic.

I'm still trying to figure out some of the theory questions out. Sometimes I feel that getting hit has turned my brain into mush... :-/

So I'm turning to you for little help. Have you ever been a fan? Ever wondered why? I've been thinking about it since 1996 when my fanhood started. ;)

PF days,
Sanna

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Rosybabe on Sep 14^th, 2007, 3:00pm

I am fan of a mexican singer Luis Miguel, why? because He is so good looking but more because his voice is soooo wonderful, he melts you singing "Besame mucho" and everything else ;;D he sings . I have been following his carrer since He started it and he is very close to my age, maybe a year older. He sings since He was 12 years old. So this has being a long relationship ;).

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=f7QJjRW0HNk

His concerts are amazing and everytime he comes to Houston I go to the concert ;;D

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Saffy on Sep 14^th, 2007, 3:45pm

I have been a fan.

When very young of boy bands which I now think were terrible.

A little older I was a fan of rock and metal bands which I still admire.

Also of sportspeople that I would have probably liked to be more like.

I have met , (to a lesser or greater degree,) some of my former "idols" and sometimes but not always it was a let down.

Hope this is of some help. PM if you want any more.

Saffy ;;D

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Mosaicwench on Sep 14^th, 2007, 8:22pm

A Fan?

A Fan of what?

Of whom?

I'm a big fan of marriage because mine has worked well for all involved. I'm a fan of my husband's band - cuz they're good and I enjoy them.

I'm a big fan of my son because he's a neat kid and he's growing into an interesting young man.

I'm a BIG fan of chocolate to cure most of life's ills. Perhaps "cure" is a strong word . . . to "ease" most of life's ills.

I'm a fan of CH.com for all the good it does to people in pain.

Does that help at all?

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sandie99 on Sep 15^th, 2007, 9:42am

That helps a lot. I wish there would be more people who can use the word "fan" in more positive things as well! :)

I have said twice that people can use the word fan about their spouses, kids, hobbies and such, but on both occasions people have come to tell me that I'm wrong when I say that.

Wrong? How? Because I personally get equally exited about my guinea pigs silly tricks that I do when I hear my fave band's song... I'm a fan of lot of things, I don't even try to hide it.

From BSB to Jokerit, to Ice Hockey team Finland to the Academy Awards... my godson, my guinea pigs, my country, country music, my best supporter... I'm a fan.

Sanna

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by barry_sword on Sep 15^th, 2007, 9:54am

I am a Nascar fan, a mountain bike fan, and a fan of too many things to list. ;;D

Barry

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Mosaicwench on Sep 15^th, 2007, 10:55am

And lest I forget, I'm a BIG fan of FANS . . since I'm menopausal and always power surging!!

http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/274803_front200.jpg

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by UN solved on Sep 15^th, 2007, 11:01am

No, my arms won't move fast enough to be a fan, I tried :P

But I am a NASCAR fan, an ARCA racing fan, and a CH.com fan ;;D

PF Wishes

UNsolved

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by E-Double on Sep 15^th, 2007, 11:09am

on 09/14/07 at 20:22:11, Mosaicwench wrote:

A Fan?

A Fan of what?

Of whom?

Define fan and then you'll have your answer :)

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 16^th, 2007, 10:06am

Sanna,

Yes. Never a "crazed" one...but certainly have really admired a band, a movie star...a mentor.
There is different levels we can take it to. The extreme some go to...speaks volumes and is difficult to fathom.

There is the proverbial "line drawn in the sand". We've all read, seen, heard stories of those that cross it. If I remember correctly, some woman actually broke into Brad Pitt's home and was lying in his bed...(not positive if it was him..but definately remember this)...that is way too much...and obviously requires ALOT of time and attention. Not to mention, there is assuredly mental and/or emotional disturbances in the individual.

It doesn't take being famous to have someone "decide" they're your "fan". Again, many of us have known other's or personally experienced being stalked...our lives invaded. It can be terrifying, maddening and extremely dangerous.

It's bad enough to have ONE individual decide to make another human being their main focus...let alone many who do.

I hope that is kind of the input you were looking for. Good luck San...I know you'll do well. Sherri

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Turts on Sep 16^th, 2007, 11:01pm

big fan of U2

listen to them daily

Turts

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 17^th, 2007, 5:07am

I understand. But, I doubt you'd tried to lie in Bono's bed or they consume your every thought all day.

God...I hope not!!!! ;;D

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Brewcrew on Sep 17^th, 2007, 7:37am

on 09/17/07 at 05:07:30, sldrswyfe wrote:

I understand. But, I doubt you'd tried to lie in Bono's bed or they consume your every thought all day.

God...I hope not!!!! ;;D

Not that there's anything wrong with that... ;)

No, only Bono is consumed with the thought of lying in Bono's bed.

(Oh, snap! Did I say that?)

I'm just messin' with you guys.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sandie99 on Sep 17^th, 2007, 2:49pm

Just in case somebody at this board finds my thesis funny... I take it seriously.

I have been wondering about fans most of my life - ever since kids were ready to beat me up because of liking my home city's another ice hockey team.

Now, turning this complex topic into an academic thesis has been hard for me. And with ch, harder. I chose fanhood or fandom, because it's a topic I know something I know about. I chose BSB, because I knew few fans in advance.

During my research process I've found out that even the academics who get paid to research this topic are not quite sure how to define it, so no wonder that I've found it challenging. For me, fans are everywhere around, but, truly, a fan is someone who defines him/herself as a fan.

Just something I wanted to add now when my fever is down and I can think more clearly.

Sanna

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by PollyPocket on Sep 17^th, 2007, 3:05pm

Sanna, I am a NASCAR fan because I like the intensity of the sport, the comraderie fans have for one another, AND the competition between fans' drivers. They become "our" driver and talking trash and ribbing each other is a big part of that.

I'm also a Tony Stewart fan (not TiTS, Jonny!) because his hard-driving style is aggressive and focused on winning (and I love bad boys with dark hair! LOL).

Hope that helps you,
Jen

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by michael on Sep 17^th, 2007, 3:21pm

I am a fan of people who have dedicated their life to a sport to such an extent that they are the best not only in how easy they make it look (I believe the better you are, the easier it looks), but are also totally entertaining by their pure perfection. I don't have to like the sport to totally admire and always watch these people.
Not sure I explained that to well.

Examples that really stand out for me are:
Muhammad Ali
Olga Corbitt
Torvill and Dean
Bruce Lee

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Brewcrew on Sep 17^th, 2007, 4:04pm

Take it easy, Sanna. There's a huge difference between "laughing with" and "laughing at."

Nobody's laughing at you or your thesis.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Ghost on Sep 17^th, 2007, 4:13pm

A Fan, I have and am a fan of many things, teams and people.

Mostly I am a fan of the ones that do or have made me feel better about myself, see things differently(not always better), and to act because of the insperation they have brought out by doing whatever they may do.
I even have become a fan of my kids, They have brought me more joy and pain than I can describe, They mostly bring out in me the will to protect unconditionally while still allowing them to get hurt to learn a lesson.

Sorry for not answering sooner but I really wanted my response to reflect my being a fan.

Mike

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by marlinsfan on Sep 17^th, 2007, 4:31pm

Hi Sanna, my name is Fan, Marlins Fan ;;D

I am a fan of baseball, live music, anything related to the canadian rock band RUSH, good dark chocolate. But I am not a FANatic of anything. Like some here, I am a huge fan of my 16 month old son, Marco, who week after week teaches me a thing or two. I am not a fan of my wife, I'm just in love with her, still, after 11 years together. Mostly I'm not her fan because....

on 09/14/07 at 15:00:10, Rosybabe wrote:

I am fan of a mexican singer Luis Miguel

Like Rosy, she LOVES and is a FAN of Luis Miguel!

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Karla on Sep 17^th, 2007, 5:14pm

I am a huge Spiderman fan. I have towels, shower curtain, garbage can, movie posters, life size cutouts of him, I get all of his commic books, I have spiderman band aids, key chain, etc you get the point. Why do I love Spiderman? Because he takes great responsibility seriously which so many people seem not to do. He could easily have been a villian or choose to do nothing with his powers. But instead he decided to make a difference in peoples lives. He may be a vigilante of sorts but he is still needed by many in a day and age of lots of corruption.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Charlie on Sep 17^th, 2007, 8:50pm

When I was ten or so, I was a fan of....I kid you not, Davey Crockett thanks to Walt Disney. I had my coonskin hat, plastic toy flintlock, and teeshirt. I was stunning. :o Only have a picture of it on slides though....

I was a big time science fiction fan. No cyberpunk for me though. I got away from it all in the mid-80s. Now I sell the stuff on ebay.

We tend to be fans of famous people we meet but it's been awhile since I had that experience.

Good luck Sanna

Charlie

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 18^th, 2007, 12:14am

There you go Sanna Girl.

You got some excellent, specific input....I enjoyed reading the reasoning behind our admiration for whomever our idol is.

It seems they represent something, teach us something or....reflect who we'd love to be.

Realizing you are composing a dissertation put being a fan in a different light, and made me realize there's alot more to it than just thinking someone is talented.

So, thank you for teaching me something. You could say Im ONE of your fans!! Not in a crazed sense :o...Im not going to fly to Finland and stand outside of your apt.... :-/ Again, I know you'll do great.

I'd love to read the finished product. Sherri

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sandie99 on Sep 18^th, 2007, 3:01am

I knew that there are fans in here... ;;D

Thank you guys for your input. I appreciate it a lot. :)

And, what's interesting, I can see the typical us/them distinction. People, who are fans, can also make distinction between different kind of fans. The normal fans and the crazy ones. (I plan to distinct different levels of fanhood, because there clearly are those; we have things we care about, but we're committed to those in different ways. The same thing goes with fanhood.)

My fave story comes from a guy in his 20s who had spent nearly 40000 dollars to fan stuff and said that there are a lot of crazy fans in there who would pay good money for their idols poo. ;;D

Officially, fans are not just people who define themselves as fans, but also people who consume their time, consume (buy fan stuff) and get emotional satisfaction out of it all. Some call that flow, some affection, some other scholars something else. One Finnish scholar also believes that fans always need a community, i.e. other fans, to connect to.

But it's funny though. Fans dreamed about getting close to their idol (in normal getting an autograph way) and these days they can get bulletin messages from their idol to their MySpace! Things change.

Thank you, Sherri. :)

Sanna

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Lotus on Sep 18^th, 2007, 5:57am

Hi Sanna,

English is not my first language but the way I understand "fan" is that it stands for something that you like very very much, so much that you wish to be near them and to "serve" them by "fanning" them. Almost putting yourself into a " slave" position to them, remembering how in the old days the slaves would stand next to and fan their masters with those big feathered fans? I have no idea whether I am correct or not but that is where I thought the word came from.

I believe people are fans to things/ other people that they can identify themselves with.

I am a fan of Garfield, ever since I was a little girl. I like this cat a lot, he is fat but so adorable, he is lazy but so witty, he has a wicked sense of humour but you cant help but fall in love with him. Above all, I love his attitude! ;;D

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 18^th, 2007, 6:59am

I never thought of that...why the word FAN to describe a fan.

Lotus' defintion seems to be logical....that it comes from the act of "fanning" someone who's a so called master to us....hmmmm Is that the reason San?

**something that may be of interest re fandom (?)...my favorite band has remained to be Aerosmith...I seem to give Steven Tyler, the lead singer, super human status...I also considered having the band name tatooed on me :-[....but WHY would I do that....and in the "font"/style (?) from my favorite album....and then thought that was lame. But, why would I feel the need to advertise, for a lack of a better word, my fandom to them?....I seriously am unable to answer that.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by john_d on Sep 18^th, 2007, 7:15am

I am a fan of certain actors, right now Christian Bale. What makes me a fan of an actor is that they can truly suspend disbelief for me in the movie, I love the characters he plays and make it an enjoyable experience. It's usually because in one movie or another they gain my respect. For Bale, it was the Machinist. Also, actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Russel Crowe. I also am a fan of some directors because I respect the movies they make. For me, becoming a fan is a matter of gaining true respect for the person. On the other hand, I don't collect autographs or pictures or anything else, the fandom stops with going to see their flicks.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by john_d on Sep 18^th, 2007, 7:19am

on 09/18/07 at 05:57:10, Lotus wrote:

just read this, I am NOT that kind of fan of anyone. It's a subjective word and I don't think that's usual way to define it.

from the dictionary- an ardent follower and admirer

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 18^th, 2007, 8:24am

John,

At first, I thought you said "I am not that kind of fan ANYMORE"....sorry...got a giggle out of my mistake. :D

I do understand that is not the defintion from the dictionary per se...but what truly is the origin of the word? I just am interested in words...and enjoy knowing the origins.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Charlotte on Sep 18^th, 2007, 8:54am

I have been a fan of different authors. I check out books they write with other people and sometimes become fan of those authors too.

I have been a fan of art book authors or recorder music book authors and looked for everything by that person over the years.

I am a fan of little kids. My favorite this year was Jonny's post of the little japanese dancing girl, for the fantasy kid band.

Charlotte

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sandie99 on Sep 18^th, 2007, 10:52am

Words are just words, if the word "fan" sounds ok to you, use it. I'm aware that words are symbols with sometimes very heavy connotation to positive or negative meanings and the word "fan" usually is intrepreted with the negative.

I thought myself that "fan" comes from the word "fanatic", but in fact, its rooths are in the Latin word "fanaticus", which meant simply a temple servant, a devotee. So the word fan actually has more religious and divine beginning. ;) (and comes handy when one needs to find some explenation why some fans use rather religous terminology when they discribe their fan experiences).

I've learned that there has been fans pretty much in every society, always, but one of the earlies uses was in refrence to women theater-goers, "Matinee Girls", who admired rather the actors than the plays.

The sport fans in here are pleased to know that the first time fanhood came to journalism took place in the late 19th century, describing followers of professional sports team and especially baseball.

Hope this helps,
Sanna

P.S. Sherri, I have their album Get A Grip in my collection.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Charlie on Sep 18^th, 2007, 11:37am

http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/zblob.jpg
I always loved the Zoloft blob, probably because it was about the first gif..........you know how I love them....I downloaded for email and here. Anyway, this thread reminded me of it and that "Fan" was part of it. I never knew why. http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/headscratch.gif

I miss those commercials. I'm not alone it seems.

That's it kids.

Charlie

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Lotus on Sep 18^th, 2007, 8:27pm

Thanks Sanna for explaining that the word fan comes from the Latin word Fanaticus.

Interestingly it meant my own way of interpretation is not that far off the mark :P .

Fanaticus = temple servant = devotee = worshipper = slave to master(s) 8)

I guess then really to be a "fan" you need to have a degree of "worshipping" behaviours towards the object of your devotion, not simply liking something but to be (totally) devoted to it.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 18^th, 2007, 9:10pm

Thanks Sanna.

I was thinking that the word fan does have a negativity attatched to it somehow.

And people definately worship bands...have you ever seen girls at concerts...bursting into tears, holding their heads, etc?? I always think of the Beatles footage for some reason...I mean people went out of their minds.

I can imagine it is disappointing to actually meet your idol...and come to find out the inevitable...they're only human, and could be dull or rude, etc. Sort of like some fantasies are best left fantasies.

Thanks...very interesting subject. Charlie...the zoloft blob? ;;D You do love your smilies...they really are great though, and have made me laugh many a times.

**Oh yeah...I met "KC" from KC & The Sunshine Band ...and he was a big jerk. Rude as hell.

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by Charlie on Sep 19^th, 2007, 7:18pm

http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/caveblob.jpg http://www.netsync.net/users/charlies/gifs/zblob.jpg

The blob....as it is called.... is a little sad advertising creation shown before taking Zoloft and after taking this anti-depressant. He's bouncy and happy as a clam afterward.

They were cute commercials.

Charlie

Title: Re: Ever been a fan?
Post by sldrswyfe on Sep 19^th, 2007, 7:50pm

Truth be told...I liked him too! I remember those commercials...and that little "blob" convinced me that stuff would really work...

I ddin't notice, until you pointed it out, that those commercials have ceased to be. Fondly, Sherri