3F
I had heard of this concept in a different context ... but I think that it seemed interesting to me to talk about the differences between fanatics, followers, and fair weathers
After re-immersing myself in the world of music fandom recently, it had occurred to me that I had missed the point about certain aspects of being a fan .... of anything --- whether it be a sports team, rock band, comic book, movie, etc.
There are only a handful of the truly hardcore in the world of fans of anything ... these fans will quite literally schedule their life around something if it involves their passion, and that in and of itself is only moderately fanatical. Some may think having every commercial release, single, b-side, rare mp3, live cut, poster, concert shirt, etc. constitutes fanaticism ... however, I was made to think that there are other aspects of true fan-aticism that make me think that with respect to my many interests, there are very few that I am truly fanatical about.
Let's talk about the most expensive thing first, I suppose ... would you travel to see the thing you are passionate about? I mean, would you go and air travel to see the digital cut of SW because your town has no digital theatres? Would you travel INCLUDING foreign countries to see your favorite band play live ... MULTIPLE times on the SAME tour? Would you travel to remote signings in NYC or some other big city to get your book signed?
I have travelled to other cities to see concerts, but I would not travel to multiple cities on the same tour ... some say it's a matter of expense ... I say HA, to expense. That's what credit cards are for ... at least that is what I have been told repeatedly lately by the hardest of hardcore fans of a particular supergroup
Some things like sports require the moon and stars to lineup in proper configuration before you can see something special ... like your favorite team in their league championship, which for something like the SupBowl can cost several thousands of dollars in travel and expenses. For example, this year one of my favorite teams could make it to Detroit ... and I won't go largely because of the location --- so even if it may be a once in a lifetime thing, I must say that I will pass
But what I have learned is that the true fanatic will go, make it happen, no matter the expense. Perhaps what I am saying is that I lack that kind of eternal passion about common things that people get really fanatical about ... I guess in many ways that just makes me a follower of a band, a team, a movie... and not the hardcore ultimate fanatic.
Perhaps that means I don't have stalker tendencies or other obsessive tendencies ... I thought however that it might be cool (on paper) to find something to be truly a zealot fanatic about. Have you noticed all the Jordans, Peytons, Dylans, etc. in this world? That's something a fanatic would do ... tattooing yourself with an insignia, logo, some album art, that's pretty tame in comparison. Having your funeral be themed after your favorite sports team ... I even saw things like a casket for the painted face Simmons, Stanley and Two Dudes. Would a wedding look good with black and gold themed everything ... I think not, that's what makes me less than a fanatic
It doesn't mean that I don't cram several metric tons of comparatively useless information into my head about the interests that I follow ... or spend inordinate amounts of time consuming things I am interested in.
I guess at the end of the day, I remain stuck on the proposition I had realized only recently ... does your fanatical interest love you back? I mean, if I shook the hand of members of my favorite band and took some p/roids with them, is that getting something back ... or getting your favorite player to sign something, is that love returned?
Ehh, not to be a partypoop but I think that many of these things do not love you back ... one's fanaticism and interest are in many ways one-sided. You like something because it means something to you in the context of your life experience at that time ... it's related to something that you enjoy, something that is meaningful ... but it doesn't mean that your life has captured the essence of the thing you are interested in
The thing that you are interested in ADDS color, flavor, texture, meaning, whatever to your life ... and a great deal of enjoyment as well, let's not discount that. But I will never become my interest ... my interest will never play more than a curiously entertaining blip on the landscape of my life.
I guess what I am saying is that my life is enriched by my interests, but I will never be anything towards my interest besides a consumer ... I will never have a personal and direct interest in the things I follow with a goodly amount of passion, and that is okay for me. I'm okay with not being so hardcore about several distinct interests in my life.