i recently received an email by one of my most dedicated and thoughtful fans. some of you may know him as the creator of the nicki clyne fan site or as the artist behind many a character's cartoon counterpart or you may know him simply as a friend and fellow bsg fan who goes by the name 'solium.' he wrote to me expressing his thoughts about what it means to be a fan and i thought they were so... thoughtful, i wanted to share. :-) enjoy!
The Hidden Value Of Being A Fan... Of Anything:
I recently read on Nicki Clynes blog how she felt fan mail connected her and the world in ways she never realized before. (I am Paraphrasing of course)
This had me thinking.... what does it mean to be a "fan" and how can it actually benefit ones life and the world we live in?
Fandom other than sports usually gets a bad wrap. All fans are losers or geeks. Fans make up for their failures by worshiping others who are successful, or admiring people (or social circles) they could never be a part of.
However many fans have a good head on their shoulders. They know being a "fan" is a hobby, something to take with a grain of salt and have fun with, and realize the boundaries between being a fan and a fanatic.
While the wonders of fan mail and the Internet have allowed me to correspond with some wonderful talent in the film industry, it has unexpectedly opened a much bigger door to the world around me.
I have made many friends from around the globe. Some are buddies, others are friends, but they all are people just like me. What is the world like? What is a 19 year old like in Germany? What is a 40 year old like in Texas? Strip away politics and religion and one finds people are pretty much the same everywhere.
I have had the pleasure chatting with many fun and interesting people from around the world. Germany, Australia, England, Canada, of course in the US. (among other places)
Like any fan my initial reason for being a "fan" was to let the talent I admire know how much I appreciate their craft. Wouldn't we all like to "get to know" someone who's work we admire? But there are boundaries and one must respect other peoples spaces.
But by being a "fan" I have made friends I can chat with daily, share experiences with, and in retrospect learn about the people of this planet.
If fandom made more friends, think how our concept of the world would change for the better?!
"Other people", in the industrialized world are not unlike myself. (Of course I knew that already) They dream of purchasing a sports car, they have to work and pay bills, worry about the economy and school assignments, are dismayed by wars and share good will for others.
I was going to mention a few of my buddies on here. But I don't want to single anyone out. You all know who you are.
While we share a common interest in fandom and the celebrities we admire and wish to "get to know", I cannot stress the value and significance of chatting with other fans, and becoming friends with all of you."
Chris
Corn Muffin Goodness