It’s Ok to be a Fan

Recently I saw the following video about Whoopi Goldberg‘s reaction to an Autistic fan who thanked her for her work on Star Trek Next Generation as Guinan.  This role encouraged him to join a Star Trek fan club where he learned how to socialize with people and is now at a good job and happily married.  Just watch her reaction.

As you can see it is ok to be a fan.  Why? Because artists don’t always get to hear that their work was good, inspiring or meaningful.  Usually they hear it from friends and family which as well know can not mean as much.  So, when an artist or celebrity of any sort hears that you love their work, and how it has affected your life it is, well, everything you could have ever wished for.

My friend, Princess Bob, who recently met a member of Dead Gentlemen Productions, a production company that has a host of great films she loves.  She had me watch all the Gamers movies and the Demon Hunter movies.  I even got into playing the test game of the Demon Hunters RPG.  Princess Bob was afraid she was becoming a total fan girl and freaking out about the fact he would be at the convention.  But I told her she was fine.  She met him in the hall and they spoke like friends for several minutes before singing the theme song to Mystery Science Theatre 3000 together.  He was great and appreciative to really appreciate the support.

I only have a few recommendations for not being a creepy fan girl.

• Try to to cry if you can help it
• Attempt to talk in a normal cadence
• Talk about your favorite work of their’s
• Remember they are just another person but have done something you think is great
• Ask before taking pictures
• Thank them for their work and their time.

But these are my rules.  Do whatever you want because you are the fan and know the celebrity relatively well.  So, forget about acting cool around your favorite author, artists, director or random celebrity.  Be a fan and express yourself honestly.

Born Again Geek

I like to say I am a Born Again Geek because I don’t feel like I came back to geekdom until after I met my boyfriend and current friends group ,after I graduated from college. Yeah, I was in the SCA but that wasn’t Gamer, right? Vox is a gamer. I wasn’t excited to start because I knew the stereotypes of, “He will game and forget you are there.” I didn’t want that but tried anyways. After a while he got me to play Heros of Might and Magic. Yeah, I smashed and grabbed and looked for reasons for us to play together. I always lost and still have trouble being a sore loser with him. But it started something.

Munchkin

I ended up playing Munchkin the weekend we met (yep at an SCA event). I had played it before but as we dated I became obsessed with having all the cards and all the silliness it entailed. It played into my comedy geekdom so well. I bought the t-shirt, every expansion, and even joined tournaments (oh my!).

Anime

Then he had me watch some anime. We started watching Fullmetal Alchemist as one of the first, along with Outlaw Star. FMA I had seen once or twice but never really all the way through. Yeah, I am now in the middle of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood because Netflix won’t add the last few episodes :_( That caused me to start watching other anime like Fruits Basket, Gundam Wing, Trigun, Hellsing, Trinity Blood, xxxHolic and more. I got a little obessed with CLAMP animes because we also started watching Tsubasa Chronicles and still havne’t finished probably because I don’t want it to end.

What make a Born Again Geek?

But these things are what I felt a geek was. They play video games and dress up like anime characters. However, as I have grown in my own geekdom and looked at the Conventions and Internets of geeks I see there is more the costumes and dice. We are just people who want to share our excitement.

Much like a Born Again Christian (or at least the ones I have met) there is an excitement to share EVERYTING you know about a subject. But the subject can be like a religion to you or it can be something that you feel doesn’t get enough credit. Before I met my current friends group and boyfriend I hid my excitement for fear that people would judge me as creepy or unworthy to hang out with. Now I realize that those people wouldn’t want to hang out with me anyways. Most people love to hear about the random facts in your head about Firefly or the Muppets. But you get to learn about their love of Battle Star and Demon Hunters.

So, now I share my excitement with you. However, I am still coming to terms with my geekdom and acknowledging that I was always this way but I have to redefine with GEEK means. From the weird kid with great grades and taped glasses to Felicia Day.