I Am a Fan of Many Things

This morning in class we discussed fandom and how it helps us build identity and community. So I've decided to take a look at myself and see howmy life is made up of fandom of different sorts.

Fandom builds our identities:

By articulating our personal identities:
*Through Inspiration to try new things
Let's see. I already said in class that I want to be a martial artist. Would I ever want to be a martial artist if it weren't for shows like TMNT and Power Rangers? Well maybe. Both of my parents are martial artists. But they fail to make it look nearly as cool as Michelangelo does. And being like Michelangelo is just about as great as anyone can possibly be i.m.o.

*By influencing our vocational choices.
It's true. I have been influenced by a major media text that I was once a fan of when it comes to choosing a vocational path. When I was a kid, there was a show on Nickelodeon called Caitlin's Way. According to many of my friends it was a pretty lame show (which is probably why it didn't last very long). But I thought Caitlin, a troubled teen living in foster care, was pretty cool girl with a pretty cool camera. And she took pretty cool pictures. I saw that show and decided that I too would take awesome pictures and develop them beneath the red lights of wonder. So I did. And I loved it. But I'm not very good in the dark room and film photography is much too expensive, so I'm all digital now. Even so, this is what I plan to do with my life. Thank you Caitlin for showing me the way.

*Through symbolizing dreams and motives.
I suppose that it's obvious that if fandom inspires you to try new things and influences vocational choices that it must influence dreams and motives. Otherwise, we'd never try the news things or make the vocational choices. But then there are those unachievable dreams and motives.
I must say that Amy Brown, J.M. Barrie, Cicely Mary Barker and especially Bill Kroyer have motivated me to go out and try to find fairies. I've searched for fairies and dreamed of becoming a fairy all my life. Of course, I can never be a fairy because I was already born as a person. And seeing how fairies are not real, I will probably never find one (I can say that now because I am no longer child. But if a child would have said that he or she did not believe in fairies, it would have caused a fairy somewhere to drop dead. I wouldn't want to do that. But I am confident that I no longer fall under the category of child so I am not worried about it.). I am a big fan of fairies.

That's all I'm going to say about identity for now. How about community?

*Shares Values
I am a big fan of children's books. In fact, my clothes display that fandom today. My Dr.Suess hoodie, complete with Horton the Elephant and his quote "A person's a person no mater how small" is showing on the top layer with pride. But if I take that off you will see my gray "Where the Wild Things Are t-shirt, beneath." That's an amazing book. Read it to your kids.
Anyway, I love to read children's books to kids. I must say, the value they hold in these books is a bit different than the value I hold in them. Even so, the value is shared. The End.

*Developing Standards of Authority
Um...I can't quite remember what that means. Is it the one that has to do with Trekkies vs. Trekkers? If it is then I do have an example like that. I'll come back to it in a second.

*Models belonging.
I have found my sense of belonging at a place called P.I. (Perfect Isolation), which is a board for Nine Inch Nails fans. It is definitely a community and that is where the best of Nine Inch Nails fans go to talk to other NIN fans. And we have our NIN lingo which will take me back to what I said I'd get to into in a second.

If you're a NIN fan on PI, then you are a NINie. Newbs and n00bs who come to the board and address us as NINers are quickly corrected. NINes who go over-board with enthusiasm and are too often too drooly are quickly labeled as fan boys/ fan girls and dismissed. If you're a fan boy, then go back to being fifteen years old. You're not welcome at PI.

*Participate in interpretive community. Wait, maybe that's what the Trekkie vs. Trekker thing is about. I can't remember. Either way, I covered something. So that's about it.

I am a fan of many things.

~Nadia