Fanboy defined

[pengu...@earthlink.net]

Since starting on this group, I have signed most of my messages as The
Ultimate Fanboy.

For some reason, that raised a discussion among many of you. Lately, it
seems to be on a defination of a fanboy. It also does not seem
quite...well..complimentary to people who use the term.

I have had one or two people who have asked me straight out why I call
myself that name. I never gave a total reason, because I felt that it
was mostly my own business.

But I will tell you this...a man who owned a comic shop in California
gave me the name in 1988, because I took a position that the story, and
the character was more important then the writer or artist of a book.

Not long after, a discussion arose about certain movies; I once again
made the comment that the character was more important than who played
him, or who directed him. Because...if no one cared about the
character...if no one followed what the character stood for, then it
would fall apart anyway.

For that reason, this friend called me the Ultimate Fanboy. Because I
could tell about a character, knew how to find out about a movie or tv
show, and loved doing research into the things I cared about.

And they meant more to me then what a book was worth, or who the
director or special effects person was in a movie.

Then later, in 1991 at the San Diego Comic Con. another friend who
worked for Marvel and I were talking at the Marvel booth. He introduced
me to someone as the Ultimate Fanboy. The joking went on for a while,
questions were asked, and answered.

And finally, it was decided that, to them, I was the Ultimate in a
Fanboy. That I cared for the book, the movie, the characters....not
about the artist, writer, director, etc etc. They accepted me with no
problem.

Now, the main point of the definition as given by the original poster
seems to be...that a fanboy is someone who refuses to look at another
point of view about something, no matter how much evidence is presented
to him (or her).

I can accept that. Especially since it covers most of the human race
when it comes to something they like or want to do. If you don't believe
me, talk to someone about smoking, chewing tobacco, drinking, drinking
while pregnant, driving under the influence. How many times have you
heard someone say "I drive better after a few drinks"?

I'm sure you know what I mean. The same thing with people who like a
certain author. Or love coffee. Who only like certain types of ice
cream....

So, like I say...I think using the comment that a description of a
fanboy or girl is someone who is stubborn, thinks that they are right
about something they care for, and are willing to discuss at length or
even argue at length about the merits of something they like....or to do
the same over something they don't like is a perfect description.

As well as the comment about acting a fool when you meet someone you
think is an excellent actor, writer, artist whatever. Acting silly,
while human is that situation is unpleasent to the people around you.
But you usually don't know it.

And I am sure that if most of the people on this group had the chance to
meet someone the admired they would always be cool, calm and collected.
Why, the evidence is right here that they could control themselves....

The open discussion without name calling of Godzilla, Titanic, Deep
Rising, Deep Impact...uhm...wait a minute...after thinking about that
last sentence, remembering a lot of posts where really stubborn people,
myself included, held to their own ideas of what was good movie making
and what wasn't; who called people names who said they liked "XYZ"
movie, but thought "ABC" movies was lousy....who carried on flame wars
for days, sometimes even weeks...heck..sometimes months after a movie or
video came out...

About 98% of the people on this newsgroup are fanboys or fangirls.

Welcome folks. Don't you think it is time to come out of the closet?
Now, I am the Ultimate Fanboy. I'm a fan, and I'm proud of it. I love
science fiction. Heinlein is my god and Harry Harrison is the High
Priest. Keith Laumer is in charge of the entrance to heaven.

I love sci fi. Books, movies, videos the whole nine yards. I even like
bad sci fi. I may not watch it more then once or finish reading it, but
it is still sci fi. And knowing it is out there give me pleasure.

And I am a Fanboy when it comes to it. Everytime I have met someone I
admired, I was excited. Happy. Thrilled. I tried to control myself
however, because I don't like to make gushy displays in public. But
trust me, when I got home, or back to the hotel, I did a little happy
dance.

Now...everyone out there who is a fan, who likes certain movies, even
when someone else dosen't, those of you who can recite the names of
every movie so and so ever did. Who keep movie, horror and science
fiction magazines hidden the car or at the office so no one will see
them...who read them in secret behind a copy of Time magazine...

Stand up, be proud of who you are. Be proud of what you are...fans of
the greatest genre of literature ever created (in my mind anyway)
science fiction!

After all, most everybody already knows who you are. You keep putting
your names on most of these posts.

So, welcome home. We'll all get together next summer and have a big
bar-b-que somewhere.

And we will all wear little buttons that say "I'm a fanboy(girl) and I'm
proud!"

Larry Stanley
The ULTIMATE FANBOY

Who really hopes you all realize that most of my comments are in fun,
and not meant to insult, hurt, inflame or anger anyone. But who most
assuredly believes that most of the people on this group are fanboy and
girls.

I like most of you, so I won't fight. But I love to talk about science
fiction.