Do you know Captain James T. Kirk’s middle name, Hermione Granger’s birthday, or the name of each actor who’s ever portrayed everyone’s favorite Time Lord on Doctor Who? Can you recite your favorite Lord of the Rings poem in perfect Elvish? Do you even have a favorite Lord of the Rings poem? If you’ve answered “Duh, yeah,” to any of these questions, you are a fan.
The concept of “fans” can be described as a group of individuals who band together to celebrate something, which can range from movies and TV shows to sports teams and, if you’re really cool, some ancient alien theories. They’re not exactly quiet or moderate about their celebrations. For example, diehard Star Trek fan Steve Nighteagle spent four years of his life turning his entire house into a replica of the USS Enterprise.
While the rest of us fans—yes, I freely include myself in the ranks of fandom—may not be quite the Trekkie that Nighteagle is, we still enjoy participating in what author John Green describes as “unironic enthusiasm,” which is essentially the art of getting incredibly over-excited about what others would consider to be minor occurrences in the world of popular culture. For us, geeking out over our favorite cultural institutions is a blast. It builds communities, and gives us all a little something to look forward to.
Granted, most people prefer more measured and sane reactions than squealing like a little girl when the latest Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer is released. After all, calm and collected is cool, right? Expressing extreme emotion must undoubtedly be a sign of weakness, or so most people think. This misguided belief is why supposedly “reasonable” and “well-adjusted” reactions of non-fans can quickly turn cynical and elitist, as the minority of people who are openly emotive, such as fans, find themselves ostracized by the majority. While this may make that majority feel better about their own less-than-cool habits, it can wind up leaving everyone culturally and emotionally adrift.
Movies, TV shows, and sports all have one thing in common: they are all forms of escapism. Perhaps one of the best things about events like the Super Bowl or season finales is that they create fake stakes and drama. The victor of a championship game, in all likelihood, won’t bring about life or death. The death of your favorite character in Game of Thrones doesn’t actually mean anything beyond the TV. As invigorating and exciting as it is, we must remember that the entertainment we love exists outside of reality, as this is where the idea of fandom is easily defamed.
Fans often get a bad rap thanks to to occurrences of drunken violence (shout out to rioting Canucks supporters) or frightening stories of overly-obsessed fanboys and fangirls. In other words, people criticize fans for overreacting to things that don’t bear on reality. Many are quick to stereotype these people as losers with little to no desire or ambition for real-world pursuits. While I’ll concede that there’s more to life than fandom, everyone needs an outlet, and there’s nothing wrong with choosing your hometown team or a cult TV show as yours. Of course, destroying downtown Vancouver because your team lost the Stanley Cup final or sending death threats to a show’s writers is probably taking the concept of an outlet too far.
Unfortunately, even the more subdued fans are sometimes not much better. Too often, more casual observers are put off by the super fan’s numerous references or over-scrupulous fact-checking. So how can we bridge this divide?
Being a fan isn’t about buying a couple of Klingon costumes or seeing how many times you can quote The Princess Bride in conversation—my record’s 37. It’s about the ability to get excited, to be passionate, to treasure the small things. Life is full of highs and lows, and the entertainment that we enjoy can be an excellent way of learning to adjust. Find out what you love, find out what you can be a fan of, and then find out all the ways that it can help you be a more passionate human being. It may be politics, sports, or more leisurely activities. Regardless, what really matters is your ability to live life to its fullest by truly enjoying something. Sometimes, marathoning all three seasons of Sherlock in a single night is necessary to do just that.
Apathy is overrated. At the end of the day, the ability to care and get excited about something is what it means to be human.
Tiberius