The Fan versus the Fangirl

[Cindykt-OvertureThief]

*shrugs* idk, I've been reading fanfiction nearly my entire life, and I don't really think it's that weird. It's just manifesting your fantasies and whatnot, for fun. Most of the people I know who actually write Belldom fanfic are quite sensible when it comes to basically everything else discussed so far.

 

Obviously there are those who take it way too far and start believing in it and look for "evidence" completely seriously, and scrutinize every shred of gossip and evidence… and as far as I'm concerned, yeah, that is creepy.

 

Eh…my point is, there's having fun and then there's delusional. And it applies to basically everything, not just Belldom, though that's the specific example I wanted to make because I'm personally involved.

 

+1

 

 

Belldom is a fun thing to imagine and crack jokes about, but in all seriousness it's bullcrap. Fanfiction is the same. It's fun to read, but it's not true. Not quite sure why people fly off their handles when they see stuff like that. There's nothing wrong with indulging in a little creative fan-ness once in a while.

 

As far as I'm concerned though...

 

- Yeah, I have a Muse poster on my wall, but I also have a poster of Jesus Christ

- Yeah, I enjoy those ridiculous videos and the like on the internet, just like I enjoy the Annoying Orange

- Yeah, my best friend and I squee over cute pictures of the boys and are regular stalkers of the pornogenic threads, but hey, I'm a single female and they're attractive

- Yeah, I keep my Muse CDs in a special box, but I do that with my U2 and Green Day ones too

- Yeah, I look up to Matt as a role model, but I also idolise Mark Knopfler, Bono, Billie Joe Armstrong and innumerable others

- Sure, my own music is influenced by Muse, but I was born with a natural affection for the phase effect and I'm a sci-fi freak

 

I think the point that I'm trying to make is that it is something to be enjoyed and loved, but not obsessed over, and I don kind of think obsessive super-fangirls/boys are a little... ergh... and they should probably try and find a life somewhere.

[kueller]

Yes, stalking a hairdresser or family members on twitter or writing sexual fantasies to web is creepy, but so is going to nine gigs on a tour or calling band members liars when they do not obey some poll results on songs to perform. Writing long posts on a message board at four o'clock in the night is super creepy

 

That's actually something I was thinking too. I think everyone here has pointed out the twitter stalking, hotel waiting, fanfiction writing, etc. as being over the line. But really there are also quite a few people, myself included, that care a lot about which song is better or how good a setlist was (the reactions to Wembley 10th or the Reading broadcast come to mind). Sometimes too much. With all that included into the previous points, I don't think any regular MM poster can say they've never crossed the line to an extent.

[Cindykt-OvertureThief]

That's actually something I was thinking too. I think everyone here has pointed out the twitter stalking, hotel waiting, fanfiction writing, etc. as being over the line. But really there are also quite a few people, myself included, that care a lot about which song is better or how good a setlist was (the reactions to Wembley 10th or the Reading broadcast come to mind). Sometimes too much. With all that included into the previous points, I don't think any regular MM poster can say they've never crossed the line to an extent.

 

Amen.

[Tilly]

That's actually something I was thinking too. I think everyone here has pointed out the twitter stalking, hotel waiting, fanfiction writing, etc. as being over the line. But really there are also quite a few people, myself included, that care a lot about which song is better or how good a setlist was (the reactions to Wembley 10th or the Reading broadcast come to mind). Sometimes too much. With all that included into the previous points, I don't think any regular MM poster can say they've never crossed the line to an extent.

 

Bolded for emphasis. I'm pretty sure someone else has brought this up too, and it's absolutely right. I'm sure I have crossed the line at some point in my short time of being a fan, and even if I haven't yet, I probably will at some point in the future.

 

I'm not organizing my thoughts very well right now, but I guess it's the people who don't see a line at all that bother me.

 

I'm taking a journalism course and one of the topics is ethics, and basically the way the rights of people in the public eye can be seen as different from the rights of people who aren't. It's confusing as hell at times and a little depressing.

 

I've been thinking about this too much over the past few days

[diamond_writer]

That's actually something I was thinking too. I think everyone here has pointed out the twitter stalking, hotel waiting, fanfiction writing, etc. as being over the line. But really there are also quite a few people, myself included, that care a lot about which song is better or how good a setlist was (the reactions to Wembley 10th or the Reading broadcast come to mind). Sometimes too much. With all that included into the previous points, I don't think any regular MM poster can say they've never crossed the line to an extent.

 

I think the line fairly blurred, though.

[Dee3Dee]

Yes, stalking a hairdresser or family members on twitter or writing sexual fantasies to web is creepy

 

but so is going to nine gigs on a tour or calling band members liars when they do not obey some poll results on songs to perform.

 

You're right, they're both equally creepy.

 

Or maybe not.

[kueller]

You're right, they're both equally creepy.

 

Or maybe not.

 

Fangirl-type followers can include all levels of obsessiveness, it doesn't always have to be the creepy type.

I know Kati implied differently but it can still be considered overly obsessive.

[Dee3Dee]

Fangirl-type followers can include all levels of obsessiveness, it doesn't always have to be creepy.

 

But that's what the post said; that it's creepy.

 

Obviously there are different levels of obsessiveness. I'm obsessed with wanting them not to play mediocre gigs all the time.

[FabriPav]

Yeah, I enjoy those ridiculous videos and the like on the internet, just like I enjoy the Annoying Orange

 

That's so 2009

[HannahG123]

If Matt had an aversion to vultures/paps, he shouldn't have hooked up with that Kate girl. Not that his fame excuses the behavior of the more fanatical fans (they'd be around regardless of his "LA lifestyle"), but I'm sure he had to know what to expect once he got himself "involved".

 

Sorry to sound soppy and all but you can't help who you fall in love with. I admire Matt for being with Kate when he has often expressed his aversion to the glamour side of fame, didn't he say something about the more cars you have makes you a bigger dick? But obviously he cares enough about Kate to take everything that comes with it, and take if very well I would say. It is annoying that paparazzi only take an interest in Matt because of Kate, it should be because of his talents, or just leave him alone, but not as sad as the interest they take in their children. Obviously this is just how things are with paparazzi. But I don't think you can 'blame' Matt for being with Kate if that's who he wants to be with. I can't believe he is with her to get more fame so I wish people could just respect their family like they respect chris', or any others.

 

Sorry I know this has been moved on from now and I'm not getting at your point I just feel it needs to be said

[L.]

Can we please drop the relationship discussion and speculations? Thanks

[Cindykt-OvertureThief]

That's so 2009

 

Indeed, but I enjoy The Resistance too.

[Kati]

Can we please drop the relationship discussion and speculations? Thanks

 

Would you please clarify what you mean by speculation? I know I went to danger zone when I said that celebrities who openly talk about their private lives in interviews and get butthurt about paps are creepy, but I tried to keep that on general level because imo it has significance to discussion about what is too much fan obsession. So was that speculation?

 

Btw I agree with jdeboer01 on her post about the relationship between paps and celebrities. They both know what they are doing, and the celebrity culture that makes some people millionaires needs the paps. It would be a task for legislation to change the celebrity culture, not for fans, but afaik there is not even a discussion about that in US (I find it telling that in some European countries publishing pictures of celebs' children is illegal, but not in US or UK, which have the most developed and powerful entertainment industries).

 

To clarify my thoughts about fangirl/boy obsessions, I didn't say that twitter stalking or going to nine gigs on a tour are just equally creepy. In my opinion though both are creepy, and both cross the line of reason. Unlike others though maybe, I think the line of reason is not only defined by how we treat the celebrities, but also how we treat ourselves when spending time on fangirling. As long as it is for fun and does not have effect on the normal life it's more or less ok in my eyes, but when people start spending considerable amounts of money and time and then get disappointed when all that effort does not give expected breath taking experience, it is creepy. Creepy because such people put too much expectations to something which is after all three guys playing songs we all know on stage, some fancy laser lights and videos and tens of thousands of people getting uncomfortably packed together watching the show. Probably the band doesn't mind such behaviour as it doesn't exactly harm them (and Dee3Dee's ranting about the quality of gigs has lost all credibility by now so that's not harming them either) but that doesn't make it non-creepy in my eyes.

 

But yeah, tweeting everyone who tweets about a member of the band or his girlfriend to ask for more information, as I've heard and seen some people to do, is even more creepy. Should we define a numerical scale for creepiness and start giving numbers to how creepy exactly something is and what is the limit where a person should seek for therapy? ( )

[Furygirl]

Would you please clarify what you mean by speculation? I know I went to danger zone when I said that celebrities who openly talk about their private lives in interviews and get butthurt about paps are creepy, but I tried to keep that on general level because imo it has significance to discussion about what is too much fan obsession. So was that speculation?

 

 

To be safe, it's probably best to avoid discussing Matt/Kate/paps at all. Even though I was trying to be jokey, I was wrong to even make that recent post, and unfortunately deleted a subsequent one too late. It's a very touchy subject on here for sure.

 

I guess just try to keep it general to celebs in general I guess if it's something related to the topic.

 

Edit: I don't know how I accidentally put that arrow at the top of my post.

[L.]

To be safe, it's probably best to avoid discussing Matt/Kate/paps at all. Even though I was trying to be jokey, I was wrong to even make that recent post, and unfortunately deleted a subsequent one too late. It's a very touchy subject on here for sure.

 

I guess just try to keep it general to celebs in general I guess if it's something related to the topic.

 

Edit: I don't know how I accidentally put that arrow at the top of my post.

 

Drunk posting Well we'll all been there.

 

Yes what I meant is speculating who should or shouldn't be with whom and the reasons why they are together.

[Kati]

Should we define a numerical scale for creepiness and start giving numbers to how creepy exactly something is and what is the limit where a person should seek for therapy? ( )

 

Ouch, I did a dictionary search a bit too late and realised creepy means scary, not just weird and disgusting. In that case I have to say nothing that has been discussed in this thread is creepy (scary) only such fans who manage to sneak into celeb's hotel room or follow them to their homes are scary imo. Twitter stalking or expecting gigs to be breath taking experiences are just weird.

 

And Furygirl thanks for clarification.

[mjartrod]

Bellamy should be allowed to do what he wants to do. If he wants to marry the fracking queen he should be allowed to without being harassed. I understand what you are saying but you are basing it off of it being acceptable to follow people around and take photo's and videotape people (which is sadly our world today) but it still doesn't make it right.

that's basically what i think too. should bullying kids at school be acceptable just because it happens all the time? should we see it as part of growing up just because it makes it easier for us to deal with it?

 

obviously there are plenty attention whores in the entertainment industry but in regards to Muse, they obviously aren't in it for the celebrity aspect of it. they said it themselves many times - they used to be the biggest band the world hadn't heard of. they were selling out stadiums and even general music fans had no clue what they looked like

 

that is why i find it a bit disheartening to see muse fans encouraging this papparazzi and tabloid-y culture. coming across pics and gossip-y pieces of 'journalism' is one thing, i suppose but there's people out there (you know who you are) who seem to live off this crap and are constantly on the look for paparazzi pics and spreading them around, encouraging others to marvel at the wonder that it is to see someone walking down the road with a camera in their faces i have the feeling they would gladly accept this person (who they are supposed to admire...) to be locked in a big brother house with cameras trained on them 24/7.

/1984

 

just... ugh.

[Hat]

Ouch, I did a dictionary search a bit too late and realised creepy means scary, not just weird and disgusting.

You find people who go to 9 Muse gigs disgusting?

[mjartrod]

but when people start spending considerable amounts of money and time and then get disappointed when all that effort does not give expected breath taking experience, it is creepy. Creepy because such people put too much expectations to something which is after all three guys playing songs we all know on stage, some fancy laser lights and videos and tens of thousands of people getting uncomfortably packed together watching the show. Probably the band doesn't mind such behaviour as it doesn't exactly harm them (and Dee3Dee's ranting about the quality of gigs has lost all credibility by now so that's not harming them either) but that doesn't make it non-creepy in my eyes.

+100000000000000000000000000000000000

 

 

But yeah, tweeting everyone who tweets about a member of the band or his girlfriend to ask for more information, as I've heard and seen some people to do, is even more creepy. Should we define a numerical scale for creepiness and start giving numbers to how creepy exactly something is and what is the limit where a person should seek for therapy? ( )

perhaps a sort of quizz and see how one rates in it?

[Hat]

Muse keeping their promises=Too high expectations.

 

lol.

 

Muse playing more than 15 songs a night=Too high expectations.

 

lol.

[Furygirl]

Even though it's a bit over the top, I think it's fine if someone wants to spend every waking moment listening to Muse, pastes posters all over their walls, goes to 30 gigs on one tour, etc... It's the person that pushes the line with attempting band interaction that is over the line imo. Like the people that used to post on Matt's MySpace page. Good god, man! And the people that obsessively tweet, trying to get a response but are really just probably annoying Tom or Chris. Personally I would probably be too shy to actually approach them in public. Depending on the circumstances, I might do it, but some people go too far.

 

Once your obsession leaves your own little universe and is projected out there into fandom, you have to kind of be mindful of how your behaviour could affect someone in the band.

[Buxomflirter Queef]

Not that I ever got stalked ofc

 

 

 

to come back to jdeboer's question 'didn't you expect that?'. I doubt Will would think that his 5 second appearance on screen would result in girls trying to figure out where you go to school and adding your friends on facebook. It's creepy and disrespectful, so why should he chose not to do something he loves because there are a fair few crazies who can't control themselves?

[Dee3Dee]

To clarify my thoughts about fangirl/boy obsessions, I didn't say that twitter stalking or going to nine gigs on a tour are just equally creepy.

 

That's what it sounded like.

 

In my opinion though both are creepy, and both cross the line of reason.

 

Why is going to multiple gigs on a tour creepy? You could call it an obsession maybe, but surely not creepy? Creepy is when you write what is practically porn about two band members, follow their family members and stylists on Twitter, stalk them in person etc.

 

I think the line of reason is not only defined by how we treat the celebrities, but also how we treat ourselves when spending time on fangirling. As long as it is for fun and does not have effect on the normal life it's more or less ok in my eyes, but when people start spending considerable amounts of money and time and then get disappointed when all that effort does not give expected breath taking experience, it is creepy.

 

What?

 

Creepy because such people put too much expectations to something which is after all three guys playing songs we all know on stage, some fancy laser lights and videos and tens of thousands of people getting uncomfortably packed together watching the show. Probably the band doesn't mind such behaviour as it doesn't exactly harm them (and Dee3Dee's ranting about the quality of gigs has lost all credibility by now so that's not harming them either) but that doesn't make it non-creepy in my eyes.

 

Okay, I only got one thing from your post, and it's that you know nothing. Why has my opinion of the gigs lost all credibility? Because you happen to disagree with me? Like Simon said, expecting them to keep promises and to play a reasonable amount of songs is NOT having too high expectations. It's having reasonable expectations for a band who are, supposedly, the best live band in the world.

 

Even though it's a bit over the top, I think it's fine if someone wants to spend every waking moment listening to Muse, pastes posters all over their walls, goes to 30 gigs on one tour, etc... It's the person that pushes the line with attempting band interaction that is over the line imo.

 

Essentially this.

[Buxomflirter Queef]

 

I still find it even creepier when artists who blab about their private lives and children in television interviews get all butthurt about paps.

 

There is a difference in choosing what information you cant to convey to your audience and the audience just deciding they have the right to take that information.

 

There is a difference in <famouspersonwithkid> saying 'aww <kid> so cute and funny; she faceplanted in her food and let out a massive fart' and a paparazzo taking a picture of that child outside the school gates, or follow the children around the park to get a picture of them eating ice cream.

[HannahG123]

I wish I could ban the word creepy from this thread it is being misused so much.

 

I do think it's weird when people tweet people loosely connected with the band (girlfriends, family, etc) EVERY time they tweet. For example say X friend of the band said 'just bought a puppy' crazy fangirl/boy replies with 'Oooh what puppy what kind?' when actually they are not genuinely interested in the puppy but just want to say 'i got a reply from matts brothers sons school teacher'. These people will know why they are getting all this attention and it can't be a good feeling. It's different if you are asking them about the band directly, yes this is obsessive but at least you are not trying to hide your reason of tweeting these people. It's one of the reasons why I deleted my twitter account, in fear of being caught up in it and being disgusted by the number of fans I followed who constantly did it.