The general stereotype I encounter about fans is that people who are sci fi, media or comic book fans are only fans because they have failed at life. They have bad hygiene, have never had sex, have no friends, don't know how to talk to people - view their fandom as more real than their own life. Now I have certainly met people like this, but it is an incredibly negative stereotype such that I immediately have to start explaining that I'm NOT one of these when I tell people I'm into sci fi.
There are definitely gender differences. The typical male fan, or "fanboy", is supposed to look something like the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. Women fans I think are less well defined, but the basic elements of social ineptitude and ugliness are there in the stereotype.
There are definitely different perceptions for different types of fans. The sci fi fan owes its main stereotype to the popular perception of Trekkies - nitpicking wackos who dress up in costume. I'm being negative here but only because I think that's how a lot of the population sees us. Comic Book fans are seen as people who have devoted most of their brains to trying to make sense out of the continuities of their favorite characters - a futile task. Along with this is the collector mentality, the obsession with getting mint quality comic books and then not touching them.
People definitely give me funny looks when I tell them I'm a fan. It's like high school. People look at me as if to say, "How can you hang out with those people? Why do you waste your brain thinking about that stuff? It's just pointless." I find it interesting that while there are equally well established stereotypes about sports fans (which exhibit a lot of the same features), sports fans are generally accepted as normal and well-adjusted people and sci fi fans are not.
As I said above, I constantly have to justify my behaviour. I think cons are a blast, especially with friends, but I have to wheedle like mad to get non-fans to come with me. I think there are a lot of people out there who are fans of various forms of sci fi, media, comic books, etc. but will never call themselves "fans" because of the stereotype. They're not "fans," they just like reading Tolkien.
And don't even get me started on the stereotypes about D+D players, especially LARPers.
I have met people who fit the fanboy social misfit stereotype to a tee. I have also met people who are nothing like it. I think the truth of the stereotypes comes out the fact that in high school we sci fi fans were the "geeks" and we still are. Without trying to insult anyone in particular, there are sci fi fans who need to take a shower, get out into the light of day, and make some friends. But there are people like that in every aspect of life (I'm thinking particularly of my fellow scientists). I think it's disgraceful that fans are assumed to be delusional, maladjusted introverts.
It's taken me years to accept that I am actually a fan because of the stereotypes. (My mother, in particular, has always stated that D+D is satanic because it makes people lose the ability to tell 'real' from 'imaginary'.) You know what? I like gaming. I love sci fi. I read and write fanfic. I go to cons. And I could have been having this much fun years ago if I had been able to get past my own hangups about fan stereotypes.
The general stereotype I encounter about fans is that people who are sci fi, media or comic book fans are only fans because they have failed at life. They have bad hygiene, have never had sex, have no friends, don't know how to talk to people - view their fandom as more real than their own life. Now I have certainly met people like this, but it is an incredibly negative stereotype such that I immediately have to start explaining that I'm NOT one of these when I tell people I'm into sci fi.
There are definitely gender differences. The typical male fan, or "fanboy", is supposed to look something like the Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons. Women fans I think are less well defined, but the basic elements of social ineptitude and ugliness are there in the stereotype.
There are definitely different perceptions for different types of fans. The sci fi fan owes its main stereotype to the popular perception of Trekkies - nitpicking wackos who dress up in costume. I'm being negative here but only because I think that's how a lot of the population sees us. Comic Book fans are seen as people who have devoted most of their brains to trying to make sense out of the continuities of their favorite characters - a futile task. Along with this is the collector mentality, the obsession with getting mint quality comic books and then not touching them.
People definitely give me funny looks when I tell them I'm a fan. It's like high school. People look at me as if to say, "How can you hang out with those people? Why do you waste your brain thinking about that stuff? It's just pointless." I find it interesting that while there are equally well established stereotypes about sports fans (which exhibit a lot of the same features), sports fans are generally accepted as normal and well-adjusted people and sci fi fans are not.
As I said above, I constantly have to justify my behaviour. I think cons are a blast, especially with friends, but I have to wheedle like mad to get non-fans to come with me. I think there are a lot of people out there who are fans of various forms of sci fi, media, comic books, etc. but will never call themselves "fans" because of the stereotype. They're not "fans," they just like reading Tolkien.
And don't even get me started on the stereotypes about D+D players, especially LARPers.
I have met people who fit the fanboy social misfit stereotype to a tee. I have also met people who are nothing like it. I think the truth of the stereotypes comes out the fact that in high school we sci fi fans were the "geeks" and we still are. Without trying to insult anyone in particular, there are sci fi fans who need to take a shower, get out into the light of day, and make some friends. But there are people like that in every aspect of life (I'm thinking particularly of my fellow scientists). I think it's disgraceful that fans are assumed to be delusional, maladjusted introverts.
It's taken me years to accept that I am actually a fan because of the stereotypes. (My mother, in particular, has always stated that D+D is satanic because it makes people lose the ability to tell 'real' from 'imaginary'.) You know what? I like gaming. I love sci fi. I read and write fanfic. I go to cons. And I could have been having this much fun years ago if I had been able to get past my own hangups about fan stereotypes.
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