phonz3 Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Can someone explain what the difference between a fan and a fan boy is? From reading previous posts, I've come to the conclusion that fans boys like Boba Fett, while fans enjoy the entire saga... Is that close? Are there any other categories of fans that I should know about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justus Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 phonz3: Can someone explain what the difference between a fan and a fan boy is? From reading previous posts, I've come to the conclusion that fans boys like Boba Fett, while fans enjoy the entire saga... Is that close? Are there any other categories of fans that I should know about?Interesting.... The fan: A fan is someone with a general appreciation for some sort of interest, or as the dictonary puts it "An ardent devotee; an enthusiast." The word is derived from fanatic, or "A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause." but the popular use of the word does not (usually) carry the more negative ends of the definition. Being a fan could be the act of having an interest in just about anything, from film, a TV program, writer, music star, actor, actress, sports team, politician (!) or anything else you can think of. The fan does not necessarily have to buy material related to the interest, or experience everything that is available about that interest to be a fan. All that is needed is a general, healthy interest. The fanboy: Though there is no real, "official" definition of the fanboy (or girl) many have tried to define the term, usually with humorous or (at times) negative connotations. I have discovered a very interesting list attempting to define fanboy-ism related to the world of anime, but it may help to modify the list for a possible Star Wars version, which is not as negative as one might think, and can be applied to (almost) anyone when you think about it.... A few signs of fanboy-ism: 1. You've spent more hours in one day watching Star Wars films than you have sleeping. 2. Someone mentions the word force[/i] and you instantly picture a Jedi or Sith character. 3. You have named a pet after a Star Wars character. 4. You have pictured your ideal woman or man as resembling some Star Wars character. 5. You live on earth, yet you speak of daily events/activities in "Star Wars Speak" meaning--using words and expressions created for the Star Wars films. 6. You are an adult, but own a toy lightsaber and make lightsaber sound-effects with your mouth while playing with it. 7. You will not drink milk unless you mix blue food coloring in the milk to make it look like the famous drink from Star Wars. 8. Your favorite video games are all Star Wars related games, and/or games that borrow much from the Star Wars movies. 9. You have been to more than one Star Wars convention within 6 months. 10. You have traveled over 300 miles to attend a Star Wars convention. 11. You have taken the time to produce a fan made tribute to Star Wars (i.e. fan film, music video, fan fiction). 12. When accounting for what is taking up your hard drive space, you discover 3/4 of your drive are Star Wars-related files. 13. You made an effort to introduce multiple friends to Star Wars and become upset if they do not express any interest in the films. 14. You attempt to convince friends that Star Wars is "better" than Star Trek or try to convert "Trekkers" to Star Wars appreciation, while trying to make them reject Star Trek. 15. Your house or office is decorated with box-loads of Star Wars collection items. 16. You purchase every action figure variant in existence, even if the difference is a slightly different color of a uniform, hair, etc. 16. You actually think the Star Wars galaxy is a parallel world to ours. 17. You have made a trip to the hospital because of an lightsaber "duel" with friends gone terribly wrong. 18. You try to convince friends Star Wars is "better" than the Lord of the Rings films, or try to convert Rings-fans into Star Wars fans, while trying to make them reject LOTR. 19. You become angry when fantasy fans, film critics or just about anyone else criticizes the Star Wars films, George Lucas, or claims he is a "bad director." 20. You redecorate any part of your apartment/home to look like the interior of a Star Wars dwelling or spaceship. 21. You refer to your significant other by Star Wars character names (ex. calling a girlfriend "Leia" or a boyfriend "Anakin"). 22. You think the Force is a real religion, and attempt to live by every standard of the Jedi code seen in the films and the Expanded Universe. 23. You collect every piece of Star Wars merchandise in existence--with no plan to ever sell the collection. 24. You act "dark" and go through the world pretending to be Sith-like. 25. You think Star Wars is the greatest artistic feat in world history. 26. You watch the Star Wars films every time they are broadcast on TV, even if you have the films on VHS, VCD or DVD. 27. During sex, you imagine your partner is one of the actors/characters from the Star Wars films. 28. You are a member of no less than five Star Wars message boards. 29. You hate the Lord of the Rings films with a passion and think the two LOTR films' Academy Award (for Best Picture) nominations is Hollywood's underhanded way of slapping George Lucas by "celebrating" any fantasy film or series except his Prequel films. 30. You resent the fact that Spider-Man earned more money than Attack of the Clones. 31. You wear Star Wars character costumes....even when it is not Halloween, a costume party or costume competitions. 32. You style your hair to look like any Star Wars character. 33. You believe Lord of the Rings is a ripoff of Star Wars. 34. You fantasize about sexual relations with Star Wars alien life-forms. 35. You can say "I've learned everything I need to know about life from Star Wars" and really mean it. 36. You post lists like this to Star Wars related message boards. 37. You purchase every new re-packaged box set of the Original Trilogy, even if the only difference is in box art and/or a five-minute commentary by Lucas about his next film. 38. You believe you will be the "ONE" to marry Natalie Portman or Hayden Christensen. 39. You will call an exorcist to rid your child of "the evil" if he or she favors Star Trek and does not like Star Wars to any degree. 40. You think Boba Fett deserves a movie series of his own. 41. You cringe when some random person asks "Star Wars? ain't that the TV show about the guy with the pointed ears?" Okay..... There are a ton of additional "fanboy/girl" defining signs I could list, but this may give you a general impression of the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainbleh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Fan Boys are nuts. Simple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinister Lord Degiya'goh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 CaptainBleh nailed it. That's the real definition. Fanboys are "nuts"... fans aren't. It's as simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euronymous Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Define "nuts" then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinister Lord Degiya'goh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 "Nuts" means having a distorted, obsessive, whacked-out view of the thing they are a fan of, and this could be in a positive way or a negative way. It has nothing to do with a person being a fan of a particular character in the story or collecting toys or anything like that. It has to do with exhibiting bizaare obsessive behavior with regard to their attitude toward the subject. Fanboyism could potentially manifest itself in many ways, both positive and negative toward the subject in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euronymous Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 So basically what Justus said? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinister Lord Degiya'goh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 No... it's not that. The people who went to the Star Wars convention were not all fanboys. That is not an indication of fanboyism... nor is being a member of several Star wars message boards, nor are various other things on that list. Those things are not what defines someone as a fanboy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Zippy' Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 All fan-boys are fans, but not all fans are fan-boys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justus Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Euronymous: So basically what Justus said?When dealing with Star Wars or fantasy material, I will add this: From the many Star Wars and/or general fantasy fans I know personally and fans met uder other circumstances, they would easily confirm the list as being a fine example of some of the fanboy mentality, though the term is not "officially" defined. Whether some like it or not, deep habits and interests--or the active, daily pursuit of the interest may fall under the fanboy catagory, since so many of the items on the list go beyond the standard level of the fan, whch to reiterate is: someone with a general appreciation for some sort of interest, or as the dictonary puts it "An ardent devotee; an enthusiast." Being a fan could be the act of having an interest in just about anything, from film, a TV program, writer, music star, actor, actress, sports team, politician (!) or anything else you can think of. The fan does not necessarily have to buy material related to the interest, or experience everything that is available about that interest to be a fan. All that is needed is a general, healthy interest. Now, we know some can live in denial about this, but the 41 items on that list points to what many in the pop-culture soaked Western world would consider a "fanboy" because the interest is no longer casual, but an active, omnipresent part of a person's existence, where in some way, the interest is explored and occupies more-than-significant amounts of time out of a person's life, at given period in that life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Awe Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Fanboy - Unhealthily dominated by his/her subject, bloated with money and with too much free time. And probably an immature attitude towards adult relationships. Sorry - I'm simply in this sort of mood this afternoon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinister Lord Degiya'goh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 'Zippy': All fan-boys are fans, but not all fans are fan-boysI'm not too sure about that, some fanboys are not fans... some fanboys spend all their time obsessing about things they hate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justus Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Darth Awe: Fanboy - Unhealthily dominated by his/her subject, bloated with money and with too much free time. And probably an immature attitude towards adult relationships.Harry Knowles and all who are "Knowlesian" in nature. I have seen a lot of that too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tie-Fighter Pilot Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Justus: Justus: Fanboy - Unhealthily dominated by his/her subject, bloated with money and with too much free time. And probably an immature attitude towards adult relationships.Harry Knowles and all who are "Knowlesian" in nature. I have seen a lot of that too... thumbs_u Harry Knowles is the biggest ass clown on the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinister Lord Degiya'goh Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Harry Knowles definitely displays some fanboyish characteristics... and it should be noted that he hated The Phantom Menace, so being a Star Wars "fanboy" does not necessarily mean that the person is a "fan" of everything related to Star Wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cGt 2000 Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Ignore all of the above posts Fans just like watching SWFanboys like watching SW and post in message boards like we do here, and deny they are fanboys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_Droideka Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Justus your list was hilarious but If I may say, question 33. should have said Willow instead of SW.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justus Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Mike_Droideka: Justus you're list was hilarious but If I may say, question 33. should have said Willow instead of SW....You're right! laugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth_Binks Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Justus: Justus: Can someone explain what the difference between a fan and a fan boy is? From reading previous posts, I've come to the conclusion that fans boys like Boba Fett, while fans enjoy the entire saga... Is that close? Are there any other categories of fans that I should know about?Interesting.... The fan: A fan is someone with a general appreciation for some sort of interest, or as the dictonary puts it "An ardent devotee; an enthusiast." The word is derived from fanatic, or "A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause." but the popular use of the word does not (usually) carry the more negative ends of the definition. Being a fan could be the act of having an interest in just about anything, from film, a TV program, writer, music star, actor, actress, sports team, politician (!) or anything else you can think of. The fan does not necessarily have to buy material related to the interest, or experience everything that is available about that interest to be a fan. All that is needed is a general, healthy interest. The fanboy: Though there is no real, "official" definition of the fanboy (or girl) many have tried to define the term, usually with humorous or (at times) negative connotations. I have discovered a very interesting list attempting to define fanboy-ism related to the world of anime, but it may help to modify the list for a possible Star Wars version, which is not as negative as one might think, and can be applied to (almost) anyone when you think about it.... A few signs of fanboy-ism: 1. You've spent more hours in one day watching Star Wars films than you have sleeping. 2. Someone mentions the word force[/i] and you instantly picture a Jedi or Sith character. 3. You have named a pet after a Star Wars character. 4. You have pictured your ideal woman or man as resembling some Star Wars character. 5. You live on earth, yet you speak of daily events/activities in "Star Wars Speak" meaning--using words and expressions created for the Star Wars films. 6. You are an adult, but own a toy lightsaber and make lightsaber sound-effects with your mouth while playing with it. 7. You will not drink milk unless you mix blue food coloring in the milk to make it look like the famous drink from Star Wars. 8. Your favorite video games are all Star Wars related games, and/or games that borrow much from the Star Wars movies. 9. You have been to more than one Star Wars convention within 6 months. 10. You have traveled over 300 miles to attend a Star Wars convention. 11. You have taken the time to produce a fan made tribute to Star Wars (i.e. fan film, music video, fan fiction). 12. When accounting for what is taking up your hard drive space, you discover 3/4 of your drive are Star Wars-related files. 13. You made an effort to introduce multiple friends to Star Wars and become upset if they do not express any interest in the films. 14. You attempt to convince friends that Star Wars is "better" than Star Trek or try to convert "Trekkers" to Star Wars appreciation, while trying to make them reject Star Trek. 15. Your house or office is decorated with box-loads of Star Wars collection items. 16. You purchase every action figure variant in existence, even if the difference is a slightly different color of a uniform, hair, etc. 16. You actually think the Star Wars galaxy is a parallel world to ours. 17. You have made a trip to the hospital because of an lightsaber "duel" with friends gone terribly wrong. 18. You try to convince friends Star Wars is "better" than the Lord of the Rings films, or try to convert Rings-fans into Star Wars fans, while trying to make them reject LOTR. 19. You become angry when fantasy fans, film critics or just about anyone else criticizes the Star Wars films, George Lucas, or claims he is a "bad director." 20. You redecorate any part of your apartment/home to look like the interior of a Star Wars dwelling or spaceship. 21. You refer to your significant other by Star Wars character names (ex. calling a girlfriend "Leia" or a boyfriend "Anakin"). 22. You think the Force is a real religion, and attempt to live by every standard of the Jedi code seen in the films and the Expanded Universe. 23. You collect every piece of Star Wars merchandise in existence--with no plan to ever sell the collection. 24. You act "dark" and go through the world pretending to be Sith-like. 25. You think Star Wars is the greatest artistic feat in world history. 26. You watch the Star Wars films every time they are broadcast on TV, even if you have the films on VHS, VCD or DVD. 27. During sex, you imagine your partner is one of the actors/characters from the Star Wars films. 28. You are a member of no less than five Star Wars message boards. 29. You hate the Lord of the Rings films with a passion and think the two LOTR films' Academy Award (for Best Picture) nominations is Hollywood's underhanded way of slapping George Lucas by "celebrating" any fantasy film or series except his Prequel films. 30. You resent the fact that Spider-Man earned more money than Attack of the Clones. 31. You wear Star Wars character costumes....even when it is not Halloween, a costume party or costume competitions. 32. You style your hair to look like any Star Wars character. 33. You believe Lord of the Rings is a ripoff of Star Wars. 34. You fantasize about sexual relations with Star Wars alien life-forms. 35. You can say "I've learned everything I need to know about life from Star Wars" and really mean it. 36. You post lists like this to Star Wars related message boards. 37. You purchase every new re-packaged box set of the Original Trilogy, even if the only difference is in box art and/or a five-minute commentary by Lucas about his next film. 38. You believe you will be the "ONE" to marry Natalie Portman or Hayden Christensen. 39. You will call an exorcist to rid your child of "the evil" if he or she favors Star Trek and does not like Star Wars to any degree. 40. You think Boba Fett deserves a movie series of his own. 41. You cringe when some random person asks "Star Wars? ain't that the TV show about the guy with the pointed ears?" Okay..... There are a ton of additional "fanboy/girl" defining signs I could list, but this may give you a general impression of the subject. now that's a funny list. but how could someone possibly think that lord of the rings is a ripoff of star wars? I guess only a true fanboy would know! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Jade Skywalker Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Rememeber everyone, there are good fanboys/girls, and there are bad fanboys/girls. Which one are you? hmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth_Binks Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 a really good fan...thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_Droideka Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Mara Jade Skywalker: Rememeber everyone, there are good fanboys/girls, and there are bad fanboys/girls. Which one are you? hmmmI dunno, come here and spank me and I'll let ya know flirt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Jade Skywalker Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Um, ew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike_Droideka Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Mara Jade Skywalker: Um, ew.LMAO!!! laugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justus Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 spanking..... laugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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