No Happy Medium?

[BuffyElevated]

Maybe it's just me, but I have never found there to be a happy medium of fan types in fandom. I've always seen that either people just watch the show/movie for entertainment and don't think of it much once it's over, or they obsess and join forums and stuff to proclaim their love for their show.

Do you also find that this is true? I'm curious to know if it's just me. 🙂

 

[KendraTheSlayer]

I think that sounds about right. And the casual fans who just watch the show, kind of hate on us that go overboard with it. Since I started watching Buffy I've become obsessed and put ALOT of money into merchandise and my love for everything Buffyverse. I proudly show it off. My room is becoming a Buffy room already. I think the passionate fans will be the one's that keep a show/movie around way after it has ended.

 

[tbessie]

I dunno - I loved the shows and comic books and participate in this forum, and friends know I love it, but it doesn't dominate my life. Eg I don't "ship" anyone and don't care much what the writers decide to do - hey, it's their mythos isn't it?

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[sk]

Yeah, I think there is a happy medium.
At least if you think that you can be a part of fan forums like this and still have a healthy distance to the show, which I think you can.

Like tbessie I like to follow the story, and see other people opinions about it.
But it doesn't really matter to me who Buffy's boyfriend is. Also think the writers are allowed to do what they want.
All I do is to follow it, if they take it on a path that doesn't suit my taste I will just stop. (Or I might keep follow out of old habit, but I won't make a lot of noise about it)

I think that's the thing actually. You just doesn't notice the happy bunch because they doesn't make a lot of noise.
They probably disappears with ones who doesn't care at all.

The only ones you notice is the haters and the most enthusiastic ones which makes it easy to forget the huge amount of people in between.

/SK

 

[Kean]

There is definitely a happy medium. One of my best friends collects all the comics, has rewatched the show twice in the last 12 months and went to a Buffyfest con event during the Summer. He doesn't really have any problem with the show or the characters and certainly would never, ever come onto fan board to talk about it. He just enjoys consuming the content.

 

[Blaze]

I also think that there is a happy medium but it's a bit harder to see because we don't really see those people around. I've had awesome conversation about the show with people I never thought in a million years watched it because they never talk about it, are not collectors or don't come on boards, but they are still a fan. They care more for it than the average watcher, but less than a fan like me. And even then, if you look at me, I very rarely talk about Buffy outside of this forum.

 

[KendraTheSlayer]

I also think that there is a happy medium but it's a bit harder to see because we don't really see those people around. I've had awesome conversation about the show with people I never thought in a million years watched it because they never talk about it, are not collectors or don't come on boards, but they are still a fan. They care more for it than the average watcher, but less than a fan like me. And even then, if you look at me, I very rarely talk about Buffy outside of this forum.

I've had similar experience. Just the other day I was with a friend and they saw my wallpaper on my phone was SMG and laughed. He said, whats next, Angel as your wallpaper? And this is someone I never expected to know Buffy let alone Angel! Was pretty cool.

 

[Ethan Reigns]

A lot of forums will show at the bottom of the page, the number of members and guests on a particular thread. I think a lot of people follow the forums but don't intend to become members, and these are some of the more avid fans that have actually taken the time to search for information and find a forum. It is nothing unusual to see the message "There are 1 members and 5 guests watching this topic". Add to that the people who join but never post or post only a few times and you get a clearer picture of the fandom.

Some people are thrown by the arguments or critical reception they get for any ideas that are thrown around. I am on several car forums and the general tone of the forums are quite different. For example, miata.net is a regular forum with mainly adult readership and generally good manners except for a few people who square off against each other quite predictably. Clubroadster.net is for the same car but heavily picture-oriented and a bit more adolescent in content. It is nothing unusual to see sexual innuendos thrown around between various people. Legacygt.com (for the Subaru Legacy) is what comedians call a "tough room". You have to have the hide of a rhinoceros to want to handle that one.

This forum seems civilized although there are some "shippers" and mainly arguments about Buffy vs. Spike that get quite heated. If "Seeing Red" had never aired or had been substantially changed, this forum would be about 5% lighter (in terms of less verbiage).

But I think many of the people who were fans just tell themselves, "It was good while it lasted, what's next?" Add to that the people who believe their favourite show stayed on the air too long (arguable with Buffy, seeing as Season 7 was a critical flop) or the writing sagged during certain years (Angel Season 4 was a dog's breakfast of bad plotting, poor storytelling and unsatisfactory execution) and the fervour seems to die off. Sorry Joss, you had better options, but it looked like the writers were getting fatigued and nobody was at the helm. Still, compared to other shows, BtVS and Ats were the best things on TV for their entire runs.