"Fanboy" defined!
Brian John Wright
I raised the question some time ago...just what *is* a
fanboy, and how should we define it, considering that so often
when one is accused of being a fanboy, it's often by somebody
else...that many would call a fanboy.
Strange.
Anyway, after some thought, I've come to a conclusion.
You don't have to agree, of course. Thoughts are welcome.
"A fanboy is any person who holds a work (cinematic,
written, whatever) in such high regard that he refuses or
fails to find fault of any kind in it. Alternately, a fanboy
is also any person who holds a work in such *low* regard that
he refuses or fails to find merit of any kind in it."
That's it. That's my definition. Basically, somebody
who just can't be reasoned with rationally about something they
feel that strongly about ;)
Of course, by this definition, I could even call myself
a fanboy (I have, to date, seen nine movies which I would say
are completely without merit. I have seen no movies which are
without fault.). Oh well.
--
-Brian J. Wright
"There's a fine line between clever and stupid."
-Spinal Tap
Louann Miller
In article <6lqnkl$j...@ds2.acs.ucalgary.ca>,
bjwr...@acs6.acs.ucalgary.ca says...
> I raised the question some time ago...just what *is* a
> fanboy, and how should we define it, considering that so often
> when one is accused of being a fanboy, it's often by somebody
> else...that many would call a fanboy.
>
> Strange.
>
> Anyway, after some thought, I've come to a conclusion.
> You don't have to agree, of course. Thoughts are welcome.
>
> "A fanboy is any person who holds a work (cinematic,
> written, whatever) in such high regard that he refuses or
> fails to find fault of any kind in it. Alternately, a fanboy
> is also any person who holds a work in such *low* regard that
> he refuses or fails to find merit of any kind in it."
>
> That's it. That's my definition. Basically, somebody
> who just can't be reasoned with rationally about something they
> feel that strongly about ;)
>
> Of course, by this definition, I could even call myself
> a fanboy
I first ran across the word fanboy in Fandom (i.e. among
science-fiction fans who attend conventions). I agree with
the total-acceptance end of your definition. I haven't seen
the word used, at least not there, to describe the equally
total hatred of a work.
The other major quality of a fanboy is grovelling self-
abasement upon meeting a pro, whether an actor or a writer.
In most cases this is the real determiner. In fandom, if you
truly believe that Guy Williams on "Lost in Space" defined
acting for a generation, you're just a little odd. If you
make an idiot of yourself in the autograph line, you're a
fanboy. Young fans get one or two free strikes (I used mine
on Larry Niven and George Takei, personally) but if you keep
it up, your social standing suffers. Fanboys are the kinds
of fans that other fans don't want to be judged by.
--
Our ISP is cyberramp.net -- you know the routine...
Stephen Wellington
Brian John Wright wrote:
(snip)
> "A fanboy is any person who holds a work (cinematic,
> written, whatever) in such high regard that he refuses or
> fails to find fault of any kind in it. Alternately, a fanboy
> is also any person who holds a work in such *low* regard that
> he refuses or fails to find merit of any kind in it."
And here I thought that "Fanboy" was Rosie O'Donnell's lesbian code
name. (The first sentence comes close to defining Rosie, though. Just
change that first "a" to "any and all".)
Regards,
Steve
Brian John Wright
Louann Miller (mil...@spamoff.net) wrote:
: I first ran across the word fanboy in Fandom (i.e. among
: science-fiction fans who attend conventions). I agree with
: the total-acceptance end of your definition. I haven't seen
: the word used, at least not there, to describe the equally
: total hatred of a work.
I would use it in that sense, but in particular, in the
sense that sort of alludes back to the total-acceptance end...
if someone adopts a stance of complete hatred for something
that he perceives as an inferior version of something he's
otherwise a fan of. And thus claims not that it's disappointing,
not that it's poor, but that it's the worst thing he's ever
seen (usually claiming this with a new movie ever other week).
pengu...@earthlink.net
Brian John Wright wrote:
>
>
> I would use it in that sense, but in particular, in the
> sense that sort of alludes back to the total-acceptance end...
> if someone adopts a stance of complete hatred for something
> that he perceives as an inferior version of something he's
> otherwise a fan of. And thus claims not that it's disappointing,
> not that it's poor, but that it's the worst thing he's ever
> seen (usually claiming this with a new movie ever other week).
>
> --
>
> -Brian J. Wright
>
> "There's a fine line between clever and stupid."
> -Spinal Tap
You mean like, oh...Godzilla?
Wow. Someone agreeing with my own post about this (even if he dosent
realize it)....that lots of people on here are fanboys and fangirls.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh well.
"Godzilla" dropped to No. 5 in its fourth
week, earning $6.5 million for the
weekend. The monster movie has
earned $124 million since its debut.
CNN interactive news
June 14, 1998
Web posted at: 6:02 p.m. EDT (2202 GMT)
Just thought I would throw that in for what it's worth.
LArry Stanley
The Ultimate Fanboy
NOTICE FOR SALE:
Buttons...I am a fanboy (or girl) $2.50 plus shipping and handling
or I Hate The Ultimate Fanboy....$175.00 plus shipping and handling.
Impress other people, state your feelings.
Liv
On Tue, 16 Jun 1998 08:36:46 -0800, pengu...@earthlink.net wrote:
>Brian John Wright wrote:
>>
>> pengu...@earthlink.net wrote:
(snip)
>> Now, I think we can *all* agree, even those of us that
>> liked the film overall, that the first kind approach is absurd.
>> _Godzilla_ is not beyond fault. (news flash to all - no film
>> is beyond fault) The second one is *every bit as absurd*, but
>> we see it all the time on this newsgroup (and certainly not just
>> for _Godzilla_).
>>
>>
>
>I am sorry Brian. Iguess I was not clear. I was agreeing with you. See,
>I also think that a sign of a 'fanboy' is when they act in either of
>the ways described. For _any_ film. Godzilla, Gone With The Wind,
>Shivers...whatever.
>
>I simply meant (in my own feeble fashion) that I too wish people would
>move beyond stuff like that and just get on with science fiction movie
>discussions.
-----------------
Well, part of it is that many of the movies aren't science fiction
movies, and are lame, to boot...Godzilla, ID4, being examples....
---------------------------------------------
>Frankly, who cares who or what a fanboy or fangirl is? It really is just
>about all of us. There are those who think Harlan Ellison is the
>greatest writer who ever liver. There are those who consider him to be
>little better then a common repeater of stuff that has been done
>elsewhere and better.
--------------------
Harlan Ellison has written some of the best stuff that has been
written, this century. He could have been the best writer who has
ever lived--or been in contention for the title--but he chose to spend
his time arguing with the establishment.
----------------------------
A fanboy is basically someone who cannot act as if they are a normal
person in normal society. Someone who talks about sf, or cult films,
or nuclear physics, and cannot stop and talk about something else,
even if it is obvious he/she is in a social group that knows nothing
about these topics. Translation: socially, they're losers.....
Hey, it happens, it is nothing to be *proud* of.......
And what is there to say about Godzilla? Wasn't Godzilla. Wasn't
memorable. Yet, everyone has something to say. That's life.
Liv
garba...@Ziplink.net
take out the garbage to reply
If you can't beat your computer at chess, try kickboxing...
Brian John Wright
pengu...@earthlink.net wrote:
: I am sorry Brian. Iguess I was not clear. I was agreeing with you. See,
: I also think that a sign of a 'fanboy' is when they act in either of
: the ways described. For _any_ film. Godzilla, Gone With The Wind,
: Shivers...whatever.
Alrighty...sorry, I thought you were being facetious :)
: I simply meant (in my own feeble fashion) that I too wish people would
: move beyond stuff like that and just get on with science fiction movie
: discussions.
Yes. Rather than the oft-repeated "It sucks!" "It rules!"
posts, I'd rather read...anything. The ingredients on a can of
soup. A play-by-play description of everybody I've ever cared
about being mauled by a bear. Anything.
: Frankly, who cares who or what a fanboy or fangirl is? It really is just
: about all of us. There are those who think Harlan Ellison is the
: greatest writer who ever liver. There are those who consider him to be
: little better then a common repeater of stuff that has been done
: elsewhere and better.
But what about those who think he's not capable of writing
a bad word? (even he'd disagree with you on that one, considering
his frequent self-flagellation regarding _The Oscar_) Or,
conversely, those who think he's not capable of writing a good one?
This is quite apparent at the IMDb...look at the viewer's
ratings for any of a great number of movies. What there should
be is some kind of bell curve, or a reverse bell curve. And if
you eliminate the 10 and 1 ratings, that's what most movies have -
either a bell curve, where the bulk of people think a movie is
so-so and a decreasing number think it's increasingly bad or
good, a reverse one where the high and low ends take up the
bulk of the ratings and the midrange is largely empty (otherwise
known as the love-it-or-hate-it film) or the kind of film which
is bulky on one end and just tapers off for the rest (a widely
loved or hated film).
That is, *if* you eliminate the 10's and 1's.
If you don't, then you'll find ridiculous shit like
a number of viewers assigning lower ratings at a lower rate...
lots of them at five...quite a few at four...some at three...
very few at one...and then a HUGE STACK of zeros. (this also
happens in the upper ranges) Or, alternately, finding fewer
and fewer people willing to assign a movie a higher and higher
rating, until you get to the tens, and then you've got about
three hundred votes for a ten.
--
-Brian J. Wright
"There's a fine line between clever and stupid."
-Spinal Tap
JAS Carter
On Fri, 19 Jun 1998 05:07:14 GMT, L...@Ziplink.net (Liv) wrote:
>>I simply meant (in my own feeble fashion) that I too wish people would
>>move beyond stuff like that and just get on with science fiction movie
>>discussions.
>-----------------
>Well, part of it is that many of the movies aren't science fiction
>movies, and are lame, to boot...Godzilla, ID4, being examples....
ID4 isn't science fiction? What do you call it, a religious flick?
>---------------------------------------------
>>Frankly, who cares who or what a fanboy or fangirl is? It really is just
>>about all of us. There are those who think Harlan Ellison is the
>>greatest writer who ever liver. There are those who consider him to be
>>little better then a common repeater of stuff that has been done
>>elsewhere and better.
>--------------------
>Harlan Ellison has written some of the best stuff that has been
>written, this century. He could have been the best writer who has
>ever lived--or been in contention for the title--but he chose to spend
>his time arguing with the establishment.
So... you're a fanperson of Harlan Ellison.
>A fanboy is basically someone who cannot act as if they are a normal
>person in normal society. Someone who talks about sf, or cult films,
>or nuclear physics, and cannot stop and talk about something else,
>even if it is obvious he/she is in a social group that knows nothing
>about these topics. Translation: socially, they're losers.....
So... if I'm in a room with people who looove pro wrestling but I
would rather talk about, say, literature, I'm a loser?
>Hey, it happens, it is nothing to be *proud* of.......
Exactly. Those pro wrestling fans should hide their pointy head in
shame. :)
>And what is there to say about Godzilla? Wasn't Godzilla. Wasn't
>memorable. Yet, everyone has something to say. That's life.
I don't have anything to say about Godzilla. Haven't seen it. I
guess that's life, too.
J A S Carter
jsgo...@zippynet.com
"We should never have let these people come here. We must be a country of idiots."
-- Marseille restaurant owner CLAUDE BALLEN, as drunken English soccer fans rioted in the French city
Bobby D. Bryant
Brian John Wright wrote:
> ... Alternately, a fanboy
> is also any person who holds a work in such *low* regard that
> he refuses or fails to find merit of any kind in it."
Let's call that one a panboy.
> Of course, by this definition, I could even call myself
> a fanboy (I have, to date, seen nine movies which I would say
> are completely without merit. I have seen no movies which are
> without fault.). Oh well.
That probably only qualifies you as "honest", or at least
"hype-resistant", rather than "panboy".
Bobby Bryant
Austin, Texas
Brian John Wright
Bobby D. Bryant (bdbr...@mail.utexas.edu) wrote:
: > ... Alternately, a fanboy
: > is also any person who holds a work in such *low* regard that
: > he refuses or fails to find merit of any kind in it."
: Let's call that one a panboy.
(gasp)
Bobby...I am in awe! Can I steal that word? Please?
: > Of course, by this definition, I could even call myself
: > a fanboy (I have, to date, seen nine movies which I would say
: > are completely without merit. I have seen no movies which are
: > without fault.). Oh well.
: That probably only qualifies you as "honest", or at least
: "hype-resistant", rather than "panboy".
Well, "honest", okay, although I'd contest "hype-resistant"
since the most high-profile of the ten movies (yes, it's ten now)
was _The Flamingo Kid_ with Matt Dillon.
Bobby D. Bryant
Brian John Wright wrote:
> Bobby D. Bryant (bdbr...@mail.utexas.edu) wrote:
>
> : > ... Alternately, a fanboy
> : > is also any person who holds a work in such *low* regard that
> : > he refuses or fails to find merit of any kind in it."
>
> : Let's call that one a panboy.
>
> (gasp)
>
> Bobby...I am in awe! Can I steal that word? Please?
Sure, just be sure to cite the source anytime you use it. (Just
kidding.)
Bobby Bryant
Part-time Wordsmith
Austin, Texas