Fangirls/Fanboys - Fandoms in General.

[Corvidae]

NOTE: This is a clean debate. There will be NO attacking of another person's fandom or opinions on a fandom. No flaming, targeting, etc.

 

Fandoms. Fangirls. Fanboys.

 

We've all heard the terms before. Some people choose to associate with certain fandoms. Others, not so much. Love them or hate them, fandoms are here to stay.

 

What is a fandom?

A fandom is a particular movie, book, tv series, comic, or any other media's fan base. Fandoms are a bit beyond a fan base, however. Some people become so infatuated with their fandoms that they are often referred to as "fangirls" and "fanboys".

 

Common/Well Known Fandoms

Homestuck

Doctor Who (Whovians)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Loki

My Chemical Romance

One Direction

Justin Beiber

Falling in Reverse

Several animes, tv shows, bands, movies, comics, and books.

 

So the topic of the debate is: What are your opinions on fandoms/fangirls/fanboys in general? Or for a specific fandom? Do you find them obsessive? Do you think you're a fangirl or fanboy? Do some of them take it too far?

Edited July 2, 2013 by Corvidae

[7Deadly$ins]

Overall I don't care much one way or another, but I deal with so many self-proclaimed "otaku" that it becomes quite tiresome. Definitely a bit of a pet peeve.

[Corvidae]

Overall I don't care much one way or another, but I deal with so many self-proclaimed "otaku" that it becomes quite tiresome. Definitely a bit of a pet peeve.

 

Welcome to my high school in a nutshell. So many girls (and guys) here who go around with their fellow "otaku" constantly blabbing about one anime or another. There is one girl I know who is so into Korean culture that she learned Korean, befriends every Asian person she can find, dresses like K-Pop stars, poses in pictures like K-Pop stars, does her makeup like them...it's so awkward for someone like me. It's almost to the point of obsessive.

 

Another person I know is also so infatuated with Korean culture that she ONLY dates Koreans. I got molested by a guy that I was with (I hope he rots in Hell, now). Broke up with him, my friends practically beat the out of him, including this other girl. She kept saying "I hate him so much!". But when I told her that he was half Korean, she became OBSESSED with him. She went over to his house everyday and now they're "dating". It's just disturbing to me how she is dating somebody who molested me, JUST because they're of a certain race.

[7Deadly$ins]

Welcome to every high school ever. I visited one of my English teachers recently and some of his current students felt to need to lecture me on how I'm "mispronouncing" words like "mang-a". I'll just see myself and my in-progress Japanese degree out the door, thanks.

[gyiyg]

I'm in some fandoms, at least two of which a lot of people outside my fandoms think are obnoxious, and I completely understand why they would come off that way because I've personally noticed a lot of particularly obnoxious people within them and in one case I was actually hiding being part of one of those fandoms for awhile because I didn't want to be confronted by anyone like that. :L

[xxBurningxx]

Ahah. Hah. I'm...What many would consider a fangirl. My friend has referred to me as being "rabid" once. I've seen actual otakus and otaku-wannabes. Actual otakus are usually pretty nice people, whereas the wannabes I've met are just....obnoxious. There's a difference between a fangirl/boy who screams about everything and won't shut up, and the ones who are just like, spazzing inside silently (the ones that aren't loud and obnoxious).

 

I personally avoid tumblr and other fandom sites of the sort. I will admit I write a lot of fanfiction, and I have multiple OTPs (which is like, against the rules but whatever).

 

I dunno. I hate it when fangirls/boys are obnoxious. I try to not be like that (and sometimes I don't succeed, sadly~ ). Yes. I ship everything that moves.

 

Anyways. I love my fangirl/boy friends, regardless.

 

I honestly don't want to get in a debate about it though.

[pudding]

I'm a SuperWhoLockian and I love my fandom. I tend to avoid other fandoms, however, since they're known to get out of hand and divide into little factions that hate other parts of the fandom or fight with different fandoms. The gifs that people post online are just hilarious, though. I mostly like my fandom because of the gifs.

[NixAyum]

Sturgeon's Law and its corollary apply to every fandom.

 

I consider myself a fangirl, though not a particularly active one. I'm very good at acting like a normal person hurr.

[Banuk]

I personally find terms like "fangirl" and "fanboy" demeaning, and would never use them to describe someone, and highly dislike when people use them to label me. In my eyes, using those terms to describe someone passionate about something is like likening them to the hordes of crazy teenage fans a boy band has. Not everyone in a fandom who could be labeled as such is an out-of-their-mind, overly-obsessive lunatic.

 

I've actually blown up at people for calling me a "fangirl" before. I'm no raving madperson; I actually put quite a bit intelligent thought beyond just "I like this omg" into the fandoms I'm part of.

 

Currently, I'm a somewhat-active part of the MLP:FiM fandom and one of those fans who kinda just hangs around and quietly really enjoys things in the Valve fandom, if there is a such thing.

[Zovesta]

Oh, brother!

 

I personally couldn't care less however ya put it. If they're freaks who attack people for disgracing their precious, then they're freaks period who would have done so anyway, just for a different reason. I try not to let the few bad apples spoil the spread. v(9_9)v

 

I'm a fangirl of a lotta things - ask anyone and they'll warn ya not to put "foreign" and "cartoon" in the same sentence with me around. Besides, the terms themselves are kinda funky. Am I a Bette McLaurin fangirl because I obsessively tracked down every song she ever sang? Without a doubt! What about someone I just casually listen to every once in awhile, like The Four Seasons? And what about something that I sincerely appreciate because I like the deeper meaning in it? Something I like just because it gives me a great laugh but I don't pay much attention to otherwise? Guess you could call me a fangirl of all those things, but I feel more like a casual fan than anything.

 

Edit for a typo

Edited July 3, 2013 by Zovesta

[Syaoransbear]

I don't mind fangirls and fanboys. I wish I could have such a passion for something.

[siliconrose]

I dislike it when people put down fangirls/boys just for being fans. There are plenty of things which fans can do which are irritating, but I think people should hate those behaviors, not fannishness. I've been called a fangirl, and when it happens I feel shamed because of the negative connotations. But there is nothing wrong with being passionate about something.

[PumpkinPyromaniac]

Well, I know that I'm a fangirl.

And if not for MLP: FiM, then definitely for CreepyPasta. I talk about it all the time!

And I sort of kind of fangirl over Slender Man...

[Aquenee]

I tend to really loathe a lot of fandoms. I could just be around the wrong places, but it seems to be full of people screaming "OMGZ LOVES THIS SHIP and I am LIKE SO OBSESSED WITH THIS OMG" which gets quite annoying.

 

Yes, I ship. I support ships and I have strange and quirky OTPs. I take extreme likings to specific things to the point where I feel as if I'm dying if I'm not browsing it or something related to it. But, I try my best to keep my "fangirliness" to myself because I know it's quite annoying. I mentioned browsing, usually fanart and sometimes fanfiction. Not taking part in the fandom by making fanart or fanfiction or even commenting on it. Just browsing.

 

There are few exceptions. No anime fandom has proven itself to me, yet. I'm open enough on Vocaloid, because I've just managed to avoid most of the bits of fandom that I loathe. I've been edging closer on that, though, so I've been edging away from that, again.

 

Brony community wasn't too bad at the start, I had some fun there. Nowadays the fandom terrifies me and I'd rather avoid it at all costs. I've danced around the Kingdom Hearts fandom so much, it's the only fandom I can say I still 'take part' in.

 

I agree that there is absolutely no problem with being passionate about something and being a fan of something, but when you start to annoy and force your fandom onto others, that's a different story. If you're addicted to some anime and you want me to look at it, fine, you can tell me that. If you keep urging me after I say no, we're going to have problems, though.

[VictorianVivian]

Ah, fandoms. Been there, done that. No, thanks!

 

I used to be a "fangirl," I suppose. However, I got so sick of all of the idiots (that seem to greatly outnumber the cool people) in fandoms, that I just decided I would giggle over whatever I like with a couple of good friends now and then. Otherwise, I just keep it to myself.

 

I just got so sick of people pairing the most unlikely characters together and shouting, "OMG, OTP, OTP!!!" all freakin' day long, that I just couldn't deal. Maybe it's the writer in me, but I just can't stand that kind of thing.

 

 

[Zovesta]

Well, I know that I'm a fangirl.

And if not for MLP: FiM, then definitely for CreepyPasta. I talk about it all the time!

And I sort of kind of fangirl over Slender Man...

I've been looking for ages for a creepypasta that can scare me, so if you'd mind, could you tell me the name of some of the scariest you know of? =o I've been to tumblrs and website lists dedicated to this sort of thing and I still can't find one. =(

 

Lol, I'm probably more tolerant of fandoms because the fandoms I join are an extremely close-knit group. 6_6

[azaria]

Hmm...

I have one friend in particular who is a fangirl/otaku of just about everything. I've watched some series before which I do really like, and so I can understand, but sometimes the overkill gets on my nerves.

 

'Shipping just creeps me out entirely.

 

On the other hand, I get it. I love Doctor Who and sometimes you do get a little caught up. I have a Tardis moneybank in my room, and sometimes my brothers will move it... I never know quite where the Tardis will be next.

[Bacon_Strips]

Obsessed fangirls of One Direction and Justin Beiber tend to take it too far. Not just the "kissing the poster in your room" obsession, but the...well...extremer obsession.

[sparkle10184]

I think I'm a fangirl. I'm pretty obsessed with Star Trek, MLP: FiM, and Doctor Who.

 

I don't really have a problem with fans and fandoms. It annoys me when people go totally over the top, though. For example, if someone says "Oh, I don't really like Justin Beiber very much" and someone else (an obsessive fan) screams "You are crazy!!!! Justin Beiber is the best guy in the world!!! Anyone who doesn't like him is stupid!!!!"

[catstaff]

Well, I refuse to call myself a fangirl, but that's more because I'm at least twenty years too old to pass as a "girl" anymore.

 

However, I've been a Trekker since I first saw the animated series back in 1973. I'm not quite old enough to have caught ST:TOS on its initial run, but I did catch both seasons of the cartoon and fell in love from there. I was a regular player in the floor show at the Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was in high school and it was playing nearby... only stopped going because the theater stopped running it. Around the same time, I discovered the old Doctor Who series playing on PBS and fell in love with that. (David Tennant and Matt Smith are good, but Tom Baker will always be the Doctor to me!) I've written fanfic for several fandoms including Phantom of the Opera, Dead Poets Society, the Earth's Children series, and Harry Potter. I've even been known to swear in Klingonaase and/or Drow at times. (Does that count as being super-fannish, or just super nerdy?)

 

However, while I do sometimes run off at the mouth about one or another of my fandoms, I do try to pay attention if my conversational partner obviously isn't interested. I'll happily debate the merits of any given ship within the fandoms I know well, but I won't ever call someone stupid for favoring a ship that I personally dislike, and request that they do me the same courtesy in return.

[Kiradeki]

I freely admit to being a "fangirl" or a "fanboy", depending on the gender pronoun people are using for me at that time. I'm 20, and most of my childhood is something I can't get into at length without getting upset. When I was very young I began watching shows and movies, reading books, roleplaying. All of it was an escape for me.

 

Now, I honestly feel more comfortable nestled away in my fandom and my roleplays. Because real life hasn't gotten any better for me, so...I've let "being a fangirl" be a coping mechanisim for me.

 

It helps. It makes things feel more...steady. I can't control my life, because I'm not in a situation to make anything of myself thanks to some family related problems. But I can emerse myself when things are quiet into the good parts of my fandom. The jokes, the gifs, the roleplays, the discussions. And it helps. A lot.

 

I don't know. Maybe I just have a bias. But...I think fandoms, and fangirls and fanboys, are a good thing.

 

After all....we're just people.

[MasterWeavile898]

I do not usually care to much usually, but one group really gets to me. I tend to dislike the "Sky Army" (SkyDoesMinecraft fans) because of the way many of them react when you say gold. I sometimes look at the comments on videos that I have watched, well once I watched one with Sky in it (it wasn't one of his) and 3/4 of the ones I saw were either "Budder!" or "Sky!". And that just really gets to me. I do not mind people liking him.

 

I think my point is best demonstrated like so:

I was playing MC with one of my friends and I found like 20 gold right in the same area, I told him by saying, "I found 20 GOLD!" I didn't know he was a SkyDoesMinecraft fan but his reaction told me that, "You mean BUDDER?!" He said. Then he came and killed me and took it.

So I dislike a lot of people who are like that. (And the constant screaming doesn't help.)

 

I also dislike anit-fandoms (best I can think of) like the one that has arisen for Justin Beiber. (I personally dislike him.) It has gotten to the point where it can (depending on where you are) be dangerous to like him.

[Victini]

I admit, I'm a member of the Madoka Magica, OFF, and Homestuck fandoms.

I tend to avoid a lot of larger fandoms (including parts of my own fandoms, especially Homestuck) because they tend to have more radical fans.

There's a lot of shows and stuff I don't really want to watch because I can't stand their fandoms.

[Kiradeki]

I'm a SuperWhoAvengeLockian. I'm also a Trekki. So, that's Supernatural, Doctor Who, Avengers, Sherlock (BBC, book, movie, anything. I'm just...I need me some Holmes), and Star Trek.

 

Then I'm sort of in the Homestuck fandom, although I still haven't caught up compleately.

 

I'm in the Harry Potter fandom, the Steam Powered Giraffe Fanmily, the Mass Effect fandom, the Cryaotic fandom (also I'm a Bro, but I dissasociate with that fandom because the Bros you hear about tend to be rude.)

 

If I like something, I genuinely join the fandom and do my best to be a good part of it.

[cfmtfm]

I do admit that I'm a fangirl and I'm part of the 1D fandom. Inevitably, yes, there are going to be crazed and obsessed fans; however, not everyone is like that. I speak for all fandoms, by the way.

 

The more hate a fandom gets, the more defensive and stubborn they get. Especially with people like One Direction, Justin Bieber, The Wanted, etc. Their management adds a great deal to the fandom's ways too - inside jokes can mean a lot to fans. Once a fandom advances an 'matures', using old jokes make you a 'fake fan', etc. I'm sort of gabbling, but my point is that fandoms mainly consisting of teenage girls are like that and these are some reasons behind it rather than their own real personality.

 

1D sass accounts and (warning for language) bromances... Those are the basic definitions of people taking it 'too far'. I'm (not really) sure there's things like that in other fandoms, but I haven't really explored other fandoms yet. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they're hilarious and the passion people have for these things can be admirable, but most 'outsiders' will probably find it strange. And Bacon_Strips, I totally get what you mean. There's a lot of... mature stuff around Tumblr, especially to do with male celebs. That's all I'm saying. X3