Ahira's Hangar

Ok, this might sound like a rant to some, but... Here goes anyway, and I have time decided to bring this up because of NCAA final four coming up this weekend. This is gonna be little long. It also might potentially offend some folks.

Why is it seemingly OK for SF and F fans to be held up to public derision and ridicule? Case in point, several years ago at the time of the debut of the Attack of the Clones, of course several of the premiering theaters had fans camped out for the initial showings and sale of tickets, and naturally many of those lined up were in costume. And here locally, I live in the Chicago burbs, two well known drive time radio hosts had a real wild time with the situation. Filled with their vulgar (meaning common) snickering and blatant name calling (more to follow)(and now to continue) (for example, losers and 'get a life'), these two continued with their commentary about how pathetic the ST fans were. And I do appreciate how ridiculous fandom might seem, here we are obsessing (to various degrees) over stories (some written or might be film or TV) about space ships, aliens, rayguns and wizards, magic, demons, and superheroes. It's not real, or even close to real.

However, no one seems to want, or would even think of labeling, sports fans as even strange. Baseball, basketball, football (professional or collegiate). I mean really, these are childern's playground games, and it does not even seem to strike anyone as a little bizzare. And yes sports fans generate millions of dollars of revenue. And up to about 25 or so years ago, I watched lots of pro football, and more recently I have been known to watch an MLB game or two, and an NBA match or two. And I might watch a game or two of the Final Four this weekend.

Now, on another ezboard I have been accused of taking this issue personally, and basically called a ridiculous person for even considering any similarity between sports fans and SF fans. As to taking personally, well maybe, one of my dearest friends in California (one of the sweetest folks I know) is active in what is probably the ultimate fanac (fannish for fan activity), and she is a member of Soc. for Creative Anachronism. She and I used to work for the same company at the same facility, and while we were sorta coworkers I used to overhear unkind and not generous comments about her involvement. So...

Someone might want to consider how when the Cubs are losing again and how that makes them feel down. Or conversely how when the Cubs did well last year, and it made folks happy. How watching the final episode of the Xfiles, or seeing Star Trek IV made me laugh out loud, or watching Hush, an episode of BtVS, makes me feel the same.

I wish that last paragraph was better written. taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 3/29/04 6:43 pm
</i>

I'm not sure if this totally compliments your arguement but...During my lunch (at work ) I either read or listen to a national sports radio talk program called The Jim Rome Show, affectionately known as The Jungle. During the height of the LOTR film craze Rome's "clones" (how would you like to be refered to as a clone--interestingly enuf it used to be a SF term b4 cloning became reality--I, personally, find such a term very degrading) refered to SF/Fantasy fandom as "a bunch of unemployed nerds who do nothing but smoke pot, play RPG games and live in their mother's basements". On the other hand one could refer to the "clones" as a bunch "unemployed jock wannabes who do nothing but drink beer and watch Sports Center on their father's couch." Funny how the same people who put down medieval costumes and pointy "Vulcan ears" appear at sport venues in multi-colored afros, chestbared and face painted or dressed as women, pigs or dogs with huge wedges of cheese on their heads... *****
Before, you are wise; after, you are wise. In between you are otherwise.
Fravashi saying (from the formularies of Osho the Fool) <i>Edited by: danlo60 at: 3/29/04 8:13 pm
</i>

Well, it would be difficult to find more extreme fan behavior of any sort then football fans who go shirtless to outdoor games in far northern cities. I suppose the body heat of the thousands of other fans keep them from being hospitalized from the cold, but still... ******************************************************

Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
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This is slightly left of the point, but I'm sure it's happened to most of you. 'Cause I know you've all got bookcases full of SF/Fantasy. (But you don't have enough bookcases do you? You never do. It's some sort of universal law...like the one sock in the washing machine law.)

Anyway, some moron with in IQ only marginally greater than his shoe size comes round...looks at the books...and asks, "Have you read all 'dem."
"Yes."
"But," he begins, (his brows knotted in unaccustomed concentration,) "They're all...
...kids stuff
...fairy stories
...that Harry Potter rubbish
...none of the above, but something just as offensive

Once upon a time I would simply have shown him the way out...through the nearest closed window...but I've mellowed in my old age, and these days I'll just shrug it off and think, "Get a good look at the place clown, 'cause you ain't coming back."

I hate snobbery, and intellectual snobbery is the worst form of snobbery. But sometimes these eedjits make it very hard to be civil.
And, sometimes, I suffer fools not well.

Adios
Rockin' & in THe Land of Oz

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Sigh... Danlo, Duchess, Dragon! you get it!! you understand , what I am saying. I feel a little better now for having thought of these similarities. More please taraswizard
Allan Rosewarne N9SQT/WDX6HQV
Chicago area
W/T forever, always
Plan C - http://planc.bravepages.com/main.html<i>Edited by: taraswizard at: 3/30/04 6:06 pm
</i>

Yep.

The strange thing is, I've noticed the sneering coming mostly from those a little to the right of the Bell curve. In the navy, I work with guys all across the intellectual spectrum. I always have a book with me. But who makes the comments? Not the cooks or the deck seamen (the guys that generally have to study to even score high enough on the ASVAB to get in); they usually sound a little impressed and somewhat envious when they ask how many books I read. No, it's guys like my friend Barker, a fellow tech, who know just enough about the genre to constantly bring up cliches and the invariable phrase "homosexual space travel."

It's group mentality. Sure, the fat guy wearing two colors of paint is kind of laughed at by most other "normal" fans, but he's still part of the whole. Us geeks, despite being numerous, are still a minority to everybody else. It's only different than being, say, black in the fact that it's no longer ok to insult black people for being black. In a society left with few targets, the geek is fair game.

Heh, my books are all in pine wine boxes.
[When you meet a man who is a swordsman, show him your sword. When you meet a man who can't read past a 5th grade level, do not show him your books.] ________________
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two" <i></i>