Are you open about your Fandom?

[Cast No Shadow]

Do people know you come on here, and how much you love BtVS/AtS?

Does it bother you, telling people about it?

I generally don't talk about it, my friends know I like Buffy, but they don't know the degree to which I do. My flatmate knows, because I watch it in the flat, and she's seen my t-shirt. I don't wear it out of the house.

My boyfriend knows pretty much everything about it, he knows about the boards and the fanart I've made, he's the one that bought me my t-shirt.

Other than that, my best friend knows that I like it, but she doesn't know how much and that I'm part of a forum. I think I might have made a couple of pro-Buffy facebook posts around that time that Breaking Dawn came out, but it's always pretty jokey.

The reason I don't talk about it, is probably because it's considered (in the society I'm with) to be a bit weird to be part of online forums, and to be *so* into something, so I tend to play it down. It's just not what my friends are into, and I'm sure they wouldn't be bothered if I told them, I just like to keep it to myself.

 

[kittenpoker]

I don't make a point of beating people over the head with it..... I was told that people don't like that. ;-)

but if it gets noticed, like my cell phone has a picture of buffy on it - I am extremely excited and eager to talk about my undying love for the whole buffy universe.

 

[SlayerFest]

No one knows that I use BB because...why should they? Haha I mean if someone asked me if I used an online forum, I'd tell them, but I've never felt the need to mention it. Pretty much everyone who knows me well, knows that Buffy is my favorite show in the world. My entire family knows, for the most part, and all of my really good friends know. I talked about it non stop when I was younger, so much to the point that when I'd say the name "Buffy" my friends would groan. I don't refrain from talking about it now because I feel that it's weird or anything (I am extremely weird...mentioning the fact that I use BB would not make me seem any weirder haha) it's just that I rarely feel the need to bring it up. I'll sometimes say something like "Ah that reminds me of a Buffy episode...Restless, season 4 episode 22." if something in a movie a television show, or life reminds me of Buffy.

 

[PassionBecoming]

I talk about it if I bring it up, and honestly, I make references to BtVS in the most unlikely places (Bible study!) Every once in awhile I mention BB and most people think I'm nuts, but I don't really care too much. I don't ramble on about my little obsession or anything. I'll talk about it if it comes up or if I see an appropriate opening.

 

[WWGD]

One of my good friends knows that I'm very into Buffy. She thinks it's weird. My brother has passed judgmental remarks when he's seen me on the forums before, not sure why. I always just shrug it off because I don't see how he can try to act like this 'cool guy' who's not nerdy enough to be into a show like this. Since he's a gigantic Star Trek fan. I think he does it jokingly though, because he did help me to make a custom Buffy shirt and he even bought it for me 😀

I think that if any of my dude friends knew how much I am into the show and that I even frequent a forums based around it they'd probably make fun of me, so I don't ever talk about it around them. Strange, the kinda shit that people will look down on for absolutely no good reason at all.

 

[Taake]

I guess I don't really flaunt it but I don't hide it either, my brother and my sister (who shares my obsession) and my best friends know cause I talk about it and to others I'll discuss it if it comes up. So far people mostly seem surprised that I like Buffy at all, which I'm not sure why, it's so awesome 🙂

But as far as hobbies and obsessions of mine I think most of my friends think Buffy etc is the least creepy or annoying one 😉

 

[xaphania]

I keep my involvement in fandom to myself. My family and a few friends know how much I love the show, and that I've been to a couple of cons, but they don't know the true extent of my fannishness.

I prefer to keep it to myself because I know how people, and society as a whole view us. Take the article about shippers that was posted on the forum. That wasn't an article sympathetic to fandom, it was an excuse for outsiders to point and laugh. There was a similar article recently about The Social Network fanfic, but it was sensationalised as being about how weird RPF is, completely failing to realise that the fics in question were about the film, not the people, and that TSN is in itself a piece of RPF.

I hate that I can't be open about fandom, and the fic I write, the art I make.

Why is it socially ok for grown adults to paint their faces in team colours at a football match, but not for someone to cosplay?

Why is it ok to travel to another country to see your team play but not to go to a con?

Why can grown men cry over a bad footy result but not over the death of a beloved character?

People who spend hours poring over gossip magazines and websites are seen as normal but people who spend their free time writing or reading fanfic or making fanart are weird and have too much time on their hands.

I hate society's view of fans but I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

Huh, apparently I have a lot of feelings about this!

 

[SlayerFest]

I keep my involvement in fandom to myself. My family and a few friends know how much I love the show, and that I've been to a couple of cons, but they don't know the true extent of my fannishness.

I prefer to keep it to myself because I know how people, and society as a whole view us. Take the article about shippers that was posted on the forum. That wasn't an article sympathetic to fandom, it was an excuse for outsiders to point and laugh. There was a similar article recently about The Social Network fanfic, but it was sensationalised as being about how weird RPF is, completely failing to realise that the fics in question were about the film, not the people, and that TSN is in itself a piece of RPF.

I hate that I can't be open about fandom, and the fic I write, the art I make.

Why is it socially ok for grown adults to paint their faces in team colours at a football match, but not for someone to cosplay?

Why is it ok to travel to another country to see your team play but not to go to a con?

Why can grown men cry over a bad footy result but not over the death of a beloved character?

People who spend hours poring over gossip magazines and websites are seen as normal but people who spend their free time writing or reading fanfic or making fanart are weird and have too much time on their hands.

I hate society's view of fans but I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

Huh, apparently I have a lot of feelings about this!

Who cares what society thinks...? The people who shun you for being you aren't worth your time. I mean...people who spend hours reading gossip magazines are seen as normal?? Where, exactly? I know a lot more people who are into making fan art, reading fan fic, going to cons, etc. (keep in mind, these people are hardcore fans...and they are definitely more normal than I am, by anyone's standards) than I do who are obsessed with celebrities. Your art is beautiful and amazing, if someone can't accept and appreciate it solely because it's centered around a show that you like, well then they aren't worth anyone's time.

 

[xaphania]

Who cares what society thinks...? The people who shun you for being you aren't worth your time. I mean...people who spend hours reading gossip magazines are seen as normal?? Where, exactly? I know a lot more people who are into making fan art, reading fan fic, going to cons, etc. (keep in mind, these people are hardcore fans...and they are definitely more normal than I am, by anyone's standards) than I do who are obsessed with celebrities. Your art is beautiful and amazing, if someone can't accept and appreciate it solely because it's centered around a show that you like, well then they aren't worth anyone's time.

Perhaps not normal, but a lot more accepted than fandom.

And it's all well and good saying who cares what society thinks, but if I came out of the fandom closet to my work colleagues I know it would mean endless gossiping. So these people might not matter in the long run, but they're the people I have to see every day and it's easier to just keep things to myself.

When I was in secondary school I was more open about my fandom involvement (back then it was Harry Potter) but it got me branded as strange for a lot of my time there.

Like any form of discrimination you shouldn't let it get to you, but sometimes it's hard not to.

 

[Bexieh]

My closest friends know that I frequent forums like BB, but they're kinda on the same level as me when it comes to fandoms. Well, maybe not as into forums as I am but yeah. They know about it and they don't mind it. There are the occasional jokes but they don't mean anything by it and I have stuff to fire right back at them so it's aaaaall good!

I will talk about fandoms to people who aren't my best friends if someone brings it up but I don't make a point of it. And I don't tell others about forums.

 

[dexeded]

If someone asks, or it's relevant, I talk about Buffy and how I'm a fan. But I'd deny being part of fandoms or reading fanfiction because I like the anonymity of the internet, especially since fanfic is a guilty pleasure for me.

 

[david4wt]

Uhm my close friends now I'm REALLY into BTVS, others don't know simply because the topic never came up 🙂

 

[Valjavertjinn]

Well, I have one good friend that watched the entire series with me, but she actually got into Dollhouse way more than she did to Buffy. My other friend watches it with me sometimes, and she did get attached to the characters (she cried in 'A Hole in the World').

 

[jellybean13]

I think i tell too many people, i am one of lifes awkward ones. Its the sort of thing i would say in a job interview or to someone i just met. Lol!
Luckily i dont really care what other people think.

 

[zobothehobo]

I'm more than very open about my fandom. I have this thing where I don't believe in putting different versions of yourself out there in different situations. I'm the same me in my bedroom alone on the internet as I am in class with a bunch of people I don't know. Or with my physical world friends. Or with my family. The ONLY exception I make is in a job/professional environment. For example, I curse a lot. In a professional environment, I wouldn't do that. But other than that, I pretty much live for me, not society.

So that means when it comes to fandom, I'm just as flamboyant about it in the physical world as I am on the internet. Fandom is how I relate to people. When I meet new people, I generally always try to find a way to steer the conversation to something TV related so that I can get a feel for what kind of person they are... what TV shows a person watches can and does say A LOT. I've watched a lot of shows and chances are when they mention one, I'll have something to say about it. Even if I don't watch it, I usually am not completely under a rock when it comes to that show... so I can generally discuss it.

Fandom is my favorite thing about me. My emotional attachment to the characters... my emotional attachment to the ships. My emotional attachment to the rest of the fans... I love it. And I don't give a flying f*** if society doesn't like it. Who are they to say? "Anyone who wants to judge me for being passionate about art, go ahead... but just think, what kind of person does that make you?" That's my philosophy.

 

[Sweet J]

I understand perfectly why the general public might make fun of us Buffy fans, but there's a quote that Joss Whedon made that sums up my position, that I'll paraphrase because I can't remember it word for word ''Those that can't get over the funny name, aren't invited to the party.''

As big a fan I am, I do think BtVS can be down right cringe worthy cheesy some times.

And due to the habitual cheese factor, I can see their point.

Anytime I get some flak for being a fan, I usually agree with whoever is criticising it, but add that there are some amazing cheesy-free episodes that they need to see, to understand why I'm a fan, and why it won an Emmy and Saturn award and was nominated numerous times. Although OMWF is cheesy and I wouldn't reccommend my friends watch that first.

 

[brinkster130]

I am open with my love for BTVS and Angel, but I've never gone out of my way to tell people about my involvement in fandom and I probably never will. Like others have said, the way fandoms, forums and online communities are often viewed by society makes makes me keep my involvement to myself. Plus, I like that BB is my thing, my place to escape from the outside world.

 

[SlayerFest]

Perhaps not normal, but a lot more accepted than fandom.

And it's all well and good saying who cares what society thinks, but if I came out of the fandom closet to my work colleagues I know it would mean endless gossiping. So these people might not matter in the long run, but they're the people I have to see every day and it's easier to just keep things to myself.

When I was in secondary school I was more open about my fandom involvement (back then it was Harry Potter) but it got me branded as strange for a lot of my time there.

Like any form of discrimination you shouldn't let it get to you, but sometimes it's hard not to.

Yeah, I understand. I might not be open about it with the people I work with, unless they started talking about Buffy. Oh man, I get so excited when someone unexpectedly brings it up. But they'd gossip about you? That's pretty damn immature. I mean, some forms of discrimination should get to a person, like racism or judging someone based on their sexual orientation, or be bullied for just being yourself. I feel like crying when it happens to someone else, it doesn't even have to be me. I'm really emotional haha but for some weird reason, I care more when it happens to someone else. Anyway, I just assumed that you meant your friends would judge you and make fun of you if you shared your artwork with them and that is just lame because your art is awesome! People should appreciate any form of art if it's well done and if time and energy went into it. Even if it's a...portrait of how taxidermy is done.

 

[Ripper666]

My friends know that I love Buffy and that I am member of a fan-forum. But I don't talk with them about Buffy. They know that I give much about the show but I can't imagine they really know how much I love it!

 

[Amethyst]

My husband obviously knows about my Buffy obsession and that I come on here and luckily he doesn't seem to think I'm any more bonkers then he already knew I was LOL 🙄 We actually have some good Buffy discussions even though he says he's not into it! 🙄 (yeah right lol 😀)
My family knows I'm into Buffy still lol and that I come on here but it's not really something I talk about alot with them 🙄 My mum is a Jehovas Witness, so hates anything violent 😱 My dad isn't really bothered and my sister doesn't watch any tv so she can't really grasp why people love certain programmes, as she's never had a favourite tv show, so she just thinks I'm odd lol 😛 but generally I'm pretty open about it 😀 I mean I can't really hide it with the Buffy theme as my ringtone and my txt tone as Buffy saying 'If the Apocolypse comes, beep me!' LOL 😀