stereotypes...The Simpson's Comic Book guy has already been mentioned, but I think it bears repeating - the Get A Lifers are the wierdos, while the people watching the Simpsons or SNL or MadTV can consider themselves normal while they point and mock.
gendered ... The media finds fandom a convenient geek show, and pictures of Project AKon or Cepheid Variable or the San Diego con show the kid with the candles tied to his head and cardboard cutout shoulderpads, not the 30 something mother in reeboks and jeans. The documentary Trekkies is either us or them, and the "them" are worthy of mockery. The image of a fan is not me, with my Harry Potter calendar here at work, but the woman who showed for jury duty in a Star Fleet uniform.
To an extent therefore, what I think of as the media-labelled fan is non gender; it's simply anyone disassociated with reality enough to make living in the real world difficult by a series of socially inept choices. But while mainstreamers can tolerate the "rebel" outcast with his tattos or her facial piercing, the geek boy who dares wear his cloak to class is humiliated.
Other's perceptions...I've mainstreamed myself. Yes, I have the calendar but I would prefer not to be photographed standing in line in my Quidditch robes. Yes, I still own the bajoran earring, no I do not wear it to work. No, I do not have anything in Elvish, Klingon, or Correllian tattooed anywhere on my body. And certainly not anywhere visible in standard clothing.
Those who consider themselves true fans (otaku, Trekkies, pick the fandom) consider me a sell out, a traitor to the faith, as it were. *shrug*
The fans I've encountered fall into loose groups. There are the rabid ones who do in many ways fit the stereotypes, referring to themselves publically as Hobbits, using examples from Blake's 7 in business meetings, recounting their latest D&D game or BDSM adventure in carrying clarion tones while waiting in line in Starbucks or at the ATM. The computer geeks who spend all weekend playing online Risk or MuDS (I'm dating myself here, does anyone still play MuDs?) and forgetting to bathe, forgetting to eat, unable to handle an emotional relationship that involves actually meeting the person, touching skin. The SCAer's who spend 70-80 hours on an A&S project and fail two-thirds of that semester's courses.
The rest are rather like me, wearing blue jeans and a Tank Girl t-shirt at Hallowe'en. Pulling the Quidditch robes out of the closet for movie premeieres but not wearing them to work, or jury duty, or the grocery. Fitting in research and hobbies around paying the mortgage and cooking dinner.
gendered ... The media finds fandom a convenient geek show, and pictures of Project AKon or Cepheid Variable or the San Diego con show the kid with the candles tied to his head and cardboard cutout shoulderpads, not the 30 something mother in reeboks and jeans. The documentary Trekkies is either us or them, and the "them" are worthy of mockery. The image of a fan is not me, with my Harry Potter calendar here at work, but the woman who showed for jury duty in a Star Fleet uniform.
To an extent therefore, what I think of as the media-labelled fan is non gender; it's simply anyone disassociated with reality enough to make living in the real world difficult by a series of socially inept choices. But while mainstreamers can tolerate the "rebel" outcast with his tattos or her facial piercing, the geek boy who dares wear his cloak to class is humiliated.
Other's perceptions...I've mainstreamed myself. Yes, I have the calendar but I would prefer not to be photographed standing in line in my Quidditch robes. Yes, I still own the bajoran earring, no I do not wear it to work. No, I do not have anything in Elvish, Klingon, or Correllian tattooed anywhere on my body. And certainly not anywhere visible in standard clothing.
Those who consider themselves true fans (otaku, Trekkies, pick the fandom) consider me a sell out, a traitor to the faith, as it were. *shrug*
The fans I've encountered fall into loose groups. There are the rabid ones who do in many ways fit the stereotypes, referring to themselves publically as Hobbits, using examples from Blake's 7 in business meetings, recounting their latest D&D game or BDSM adventure in carrying clarion tones while waiting in line in Starbucks or at the ATM. The computer geeks who spend all weekend playing online Risk or MuDS (I'm dating myself here, does anyone still play MuDs?) and forgetting to bathe, forgetting to eat, unable to handle an emotional relationship that involves actually meeting the person, touching skin. The SCAer's who spend 70-80 hours on an A&S project and fail two-thirds of that semester's courses.
The rest are rather like me, wearing blue jeans and a Tank Girl t-shirt at Hallowe'en. Pulling the Quidditch robes out of the closet for movie premeieres but not wearing them to work, or jury duty, or the grocery. Fitting in research and hobbies around paying the mortgage and cooking dinner.
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