Meeting so-called Buffy fans "in the wild."

[Goby]

Have any of you met a so-called Buffy fan "in the wild" and been greatly disappointed? The conversations usually go something like this.....


Me: I love Buffy and Angel!

So-Called Fan: Me too!! I've watched every episode!! They are my favorite!!

Me: I love Willow! She's so perfect, except for trying to destroy the world that one time. Even though [MENTION=9740]Tome[/MENTION] claims she's just a 9, we all know she's a 10!

So-Called Fan: Which one was Willow? :/




I've given up talking about Buffy in the wild. From now on, I'll just talk about Buffy here on BB. 😛

 

[caritas08]

Most people I talk to "in the wild" watched the first three seasons of show in high school, then quit. :0 They never even watched Angel.

I know a ton of people who watched Firefly and loved it but won't give Buffy a chance because they don't like the premise. I keep telling them the writing is as good as Firefly, and if they like Firefly they will like Buffy but they won't listen.

The worst, however, are the people I know who are Twilight fans. I've explained to them if they like Twilight they should give Buffy a shot. They usually respond with something like "Oh I saw an episode once, it didn't really interest me" or "I watched Buffy, I just didn't think it was very good" and then like Goby said, they can't tell you a thing about it to the point where you know they never actually watched the show.

I've tried to watch shows like Supernatural and One Tree Hill and couldn't get into them but after a few episodes I could tell you the characters and premise at least to prove that I gave it a decent chance.

 

[dexeded]

I've only met one or two Buffy fans. Most people just tell me that they've only heard of Buffy. The fans that I've met do like Buffy, but they watched it a long time ago and can barely remember anything, so... I know what you mean, though, with the self-professed fans that actually know nothing, because that happens all the time with my other fandoms.

 

[Enemies]

to be honest I have never met a Buffy fan as die-hard as myself until I came here. Most of my friends would ridicule me for it and the one friend I do have that likes Buffy is just a casual viewer.

 

[Mithol]

I was camping when I discovered one of my friends who I was sitting next to was a die hard Buffy fan like me. It was great. We talked about it for ages.

But the only other person I've met who loves Buffy is my best friend and I introduced her to Buffy myself. We were talking and she was going on about how she loves Tara, especially in Once More With Feeling, and I know she loves Spike and Angel. But then when I mentioned Tara and Giles' duet she said "eh, I don't like him". I was like WHAT?? O_O You don't like Giles??

How can anybody not like Giles? I like ALL the characters! I can't fathom anyone not liking all the main characters (except maybe Dawn). I was very disappointed and then I remembered that she's a fan of Twilight and the Vampire Diaries too and some other vampire book I can't remember the name of and how much she was always raving about Angel and then Spike and I thought... Does she even appreciate the extent of Buffy's awesomeness? Or does she just like it because there are vampires...?

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

The only opportunities I have had to meet fans are at comicon and in the Seattle Buffy Meetup Group I help organize. As for the later, our events are always fun, but everyone is so much older than me I always feel sort of awkward. Most of my interactions with fans happen online. Thank God for fandom.

---------- Post added at 08:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:16 AM ----------

I do have an RL friend who likes Buffy. We clash on almost everything regarding the show, lol. The only thing we agree on is that we both love Spike.

 

[shadcat]

I think for someone who is new to Buffy, they will get a different perception/opinion of the show if they watch season 1 compared to the rest. The other seasons gradually become more serious whereas season 1 feels like episodes of a Dark Scooby-Doo. I love Scooby-Doo, but just comparing. lol

 

[wickedtiger86]

I've met a couple, while working at the bookstore, a few years ago. They'd buy Buffy books and I'd be like, so you like Buffy eh? They you are awesome!

My brothers wife, who used to be my best friend, loves the show . . . and Spike.
One of my housemates, just did a rewatch and now she's watching Angel.
My mom loves Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. . . and Spike and Giles.

But my mom is on such an intense True Blood kick that that's all she wants to talk about TV-wise for the time being. 😀

 

[zobothehobo]

I guess the only disappointment would be my friend Becky. It went like this (and I just typed all of this out because I tell stories like Ted from How I Met Your Mother, I start where most people consider way too early... but I like it. hahah):

Me: Guys, I seriously love Buffy so much! You all should watch it, it's INCREDIBLE!
My friends: *roll eyes*
Me: No seriously. I watch a lot of TV right?
My friends: Right.
Me: And I've let you guys watch a few episodes of shows with me, right?
My friends: Right.
Me: And you've always loved those, right?
My friends: Right.
Me: So watch Buffy! Please! I promise you, it's amazing!
My friends: How will I know I like it?
Me: Well, you like Firefly, and Dr. Horrible, and Dollhouse... just give the other Whedon-works (Buffy and Angel) a shot!
My friends - Becky: Maybe
Becky: *looks up from her phone for the first time in this conversation* Wait, are you trying to make us watch Buffy?
Me: ....Um... Yes?
Becky: I already did that! And I LOVE Buffy! It's SO good! AHHHH *turns to other friends* YOU GUYS SHOULD WATCH IT!
Me: *freaks out* Who's your favorite character? I love Spike more than words could ever describe!
Becky: Um... Spike was the blonde one right?
Me: ...Yes!
Becky: Then I thought he was hot.
Me: Cool, so you are a Spuffy or a Bangel? Or neither?
Becky: Huh?
Me: Do you like Spike and Buffy or Buffy and Angel? Or neither?
Becky: Buffy and Angel. I didn't know there was a Spike show.
Me: No, I mean the relationships...
Becky: Oh... um... But I thought Spike and Angel were vampires. Why did Buffy have a relationship with the vampires?
Me: *facepalm*

 

[Kean]

Very recently I found out that pretty much all of my closest friends watched Buffy and Angel. So, considering that I know them all at least 5 years, and it never came up, that tells you all you need to know on into the fan side they are.

 

[This Year's Girl]

I didn't know any fans until I turned all my closest friends and they all love Btvs, so I'm pretty happy about my wild meetings 😉

 

[xfivebyfive]

I've met a couple die-hard fans. There was one I used to talk for hours with at Barnes and Noble every time I saw her lol She was a huge Joss fan in general like she had like hundreds of books on him and buffy.

I met one the other day at the comic store and he asked me what was my favorite song from the musical and when I said Walk through fire he started singing it right there in the store!! Haha I love meeting buffy fans!!

 

[Hale Caesar]

I've never been disappointed because I understand not all fans of Buffy are fanatical about the show, some people just watch it once and enjoy it for what it is. I don't expect everyone to be as passionate as myself or others on the forum, but I would love to meet a hardcore Buffy fan one day 😀

 

[BuffyThoughts]

I met a true-blue Buffy fan through Couch Surfing once. We still keep in touch. I may even be able to visit her this year (she lives about 300 miles away). Buffy love is a great togetherness maker.

 

[kittenpoker]

First of all, I love how you call the world outside of the computer the wild! That's awesome!

When I first started watching it was all I wanted to talk about to anyone who would listen....mostly I came across people who had seen the show years ago and didn't really want to spend hours discussing and teasing apart every little odd and end of the show. Thank god I found this place...I might not have any friends left otherwise.

 

[brinkster130]

I have only talked to one other person IRL who was a Buffy fan and that was back in high school. This girl was obsessed with BTVS and I mean obsessed, she lived and breathed it; I often wonder if she is out there somewhere on a forum (maybe even this one) still talking about Buffy.

Other than with her, I've never brought up BTVS (or any other TV show) with friends. Although I did go to a dinner party a couple weeks ago where Prison Break and its awesomeness came up; I almost brought up BTVS then but the conversation steered away from TV pretty quickly.

 

[AlyInWonderland]

My old roommate watched Buffy, and when I told her I was going to start watching it, she freaked out. I would watch an episode then walk over to her and start ranting about it. We had amusing discussions. So yeah, good buffy experience. Now we are both doing rewatches. I shall miss having her as a roommate. She also like A very potter musical & sequel.

 

[BuffyElevated]

I've only been lucky enough to meet a couple Buffy fans "in the wild" and neither of them were as hardcore as me. They were the type to watch it once in a while, if they happened to catch it on TV, but when I invited them here they looked at me as if I'd grown another head.

 

[Kanazaka]

A friend introduced me to Buffy, and she was a fairly hardcore fan. We talked about the show a lot when I first began to watch it, but not so much any more. But she did at least seem interested when I talked to her about Season 8 (which she hasnt' read).

 

[prophecygrrl]

Oh yes, I've met a few in real life. One of them is awesome and is pretty much my fandom twin. The other I only met once (we were volunteering the same shift at the aquarium I work at) and she seemed cool, until she called Buffy a 'whore' and said she only liked Spike. And then she wasn't even aware of Angel's show. She was really surprised when I mentioned to her that Spike gets resurrected in Season 5 of Angel.

I was also at the Buffy OMWF Sing-a-long at Comic Con, and I was really disappointed by some of the Buffy fans there. I didn't really talk to them one-on-one, but the jeers and the booing whenever Dawn came on screen were awful. I wanted to punch someone. The guy behind me seriously thought he was in MST3K or something and would not. shut. up. Fun fact- fans who complain really, really loudly and frequently about Dawn while everyone else is trying to enjoy the show? Are 10 times more annoying than Dawn could ever be.

eta- oh yeah, and I've had good experiences converting two friends into Buffy fans! But I wouldn't really consider them people I found "in the wild". More like tame zoo-dwellers.