Why is fandom awesome - and some Italy pics

[misscam]

Please remind me why fandom is awesome. A particular one - Doctor Who, CSI - or fandom in general, whichever you prefer. Fandom, that is, not the show/book/thing itself. Please? I need to remember why it's awesome. Maybe you do too.

Meanwhile, three pictures from Italy - me above Portofino, the girl in the fireplace and me and Elisa together. (That's falena84 in case you wondered, and she'll probably hit me with a shoe for posting these. Muhahaha.)

Yay Italy. Milan on Saturday, Rome on Tuesday. And my nose got sunburned. Ooops.

Comments

[glinda-penguin.livejournal.com]

Why is fandom wonderful?

1)Because without it I would have far less friends, from far fewer countries. People who have widened my world view, tolerated my truly terrible grasp of the German language, and have been rays of sunshine whenever the world looked darker than I could understand.

2) Because for all the bad!fic out there, there are some truly wonderful writers out there. People who's skill with words can make you laugh or cry, gutted or touched. People who's love for the characters involved can remind you of why you loved them in the first place, no matter what the original source material (or other people) may have done to make you lose that love.

3) Because no matter how crazy a fan you are? There's always someone out there in fandom that just makes you stop and realise that, compared to them, you're actually quite sensible about you fannish-ness. Sometimes, we all need someone to mock... ;)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I guess everyone needs to feel superior to someone ;)

And you're totally right about meeting such diverse people - it is quite wonderful.

[vandonovan.livejournal.com]

All of my nerdy friends and I got together this weekend at a convention, dressed as the Doctors and we ran around having fun and putting the Master on trial and geeking out and discussing which Doctor had the most shaggable companion crew and such glorious fun like that. It was awesome...

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Does sound like a very fun time, yes ;)

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

DW fandom has given me the nicest, most intelligent readership and feedback I've had in, well, ever--people actually seem to appreciate long, detailed stories and obscure pairings and little throwaway details and Easter eggs, and take the time to say so, and nobody knew me from Eve when I posted my first story and started friending various other fans but they still have been lovely to me. There is always someone somewhere with whom to share the obsessive squee, even for a pairing or Doctor who's been off the air for decades. Which is awesome. Though Homicide fandom will always be the most awesome of all because that's how I met my lovely partner of seven years.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

You met your partner through fandom? That is indeed quite an awesome that is hard to top.

[boz4pm.livejournal.com]

Because there's nothing better than finding fellow loons who love the same thing that you do for the same reasons and just as much. It's lonely out there in the real world. When fandom isn't wanking and bitching, it's fabulously fun place to be. You can squee and crow and bounce with them all, discuss minutiae of canon or write/read fic - it's a place in which to wallow and revel with those of a fellow mind. That's something fantastic, IMHO.

:)

Glad you're enjoying Italy! :D

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I guess there's been so much bithcing of late I've forgotten all the rest :(

And yeah, I'm having the most awesome time! Not just with the weather, but with everything.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

Fandom rocks because...

-- It is educational. No, seriously. I love meta posts about topics like characterization or gender, trivia details about costume design or allusions to other movies.

-- The creativity is an enjoyable thing to behold. People will put so much effort into making funny quote icons or writing dark LOTR AUs of genuine book length or vidding seven seasons of "Buffy" to the entire "Abbey Road" album or crotcheting Daleks or even into writing snarky crackfic. It's amazing.

-- It makes you feel less isolated in your geekdom. You can meet other nerdy types through fandom to indulge in some shared interests and you can even make new friends.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

PS: Are these glasses new? They certainly look very stylish.

[jenbachand.livejournal.com]

Fandom is awesome because:

* you meet some of the most wonderful people from all walks of life and places in the world.

* you develop friendships that start with a basis other than sitting by each other in class or living near each other.

* I personally have gotten in touch with writing again, something I hadn't done in far too many years.

and a ton of other things including postal love and nifty presents from all over the globe. ;)

Glad you're having a good time on your trip. :)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeh, I wouldn't have Cowboy Santa without fandom ;)

It is a trip of awesome and fab weather. Hurrah.

[specialagentr-c.livejournal.com]

The best thing I've ever had from fandoms are friendships. Possibly the only + for me!

Yay Italy!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Friendship is the bestest thing there is sometimes.

I just wish there were less grudges and opposite of friendship coming along.

[kerlin.livejournal.com]

I have many reasons, and most of them are the same as above, but one thing that's making me love fandom this week is the_retelling, a community I started to rewatch Alias. It's thriving, full of people who are eager to discuss and dissect and squee about a show that got terribly short shrift while it was still on the air. It's just been ridiculous fun.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

It is quite sad that I never got around to watching Alias.

But rediscovering shows you loved really is wonderful - it's like a nostalgia trip and discovering new things at the same time.

[falena]

*whacks you with a shoe*

[falena]

ps: Fandom is great because I got to meet you. And because it often teaches me knew stuff (like the whole miscegenation issue).

[canadian-kazz.livejournal.com]

To me, fandom is awesome because:

- It lets the Doctor get a bit of sleep. Oh, and a shag or two as well. (It's not like he's getting any from RTD.... that sounds wrong.)

- It brings squee to the hearts of many when done well.

- There's just so much you can do with DW fandom. Times and Places and people... you don't get that with most fandoms.

- It brings people together. Plain and simple. I have many great friends whom I would never have met were it not for a shared interest in a fandom.
(You included.)

I'm glad you're having fun in Italy! I really ought to go there one day...

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Everyone should see Italy before they die. *nods sagely*

And have a shag, of course ;)

[jessickuh.livejournal.com]

Nice pics. Glad you're having a lot of fun.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

:) Thanks.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Some of these are repeats, but it's worth saying some of this again.

Fandom is wonderful because:
1) Most of my friends - like all but one of them - I met through one fandom or another. Many of them from online/letterzine fandom who I then met in "real" life later. For every dick who pisses you off with every post, there's a new friend you're going to find dozens of non-fan things in common.

2) It is educational. Because of fandom - because of the Doctor Who race wank in particular - I've learned a great deal about culture, experience, and race.

3) It is amusing as hell. Not just in the point-and-laugh-at-the-wank way, but because of the brilliant parodists and humorists who spring up with their macros, crackfic, and vids that make us bust a gut with their cleverness and joy.

4) It is a good training ground. How many professional authors got their start in fanfic?

5) It spreads culture. No, seriously. I first went to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival (the Ontario one) to see one of the supporting actors in Kung Fu - The Legend Continues and I've been going back for love of the festival for the last seven years. Although my impetus for going back to England after 22 years was to see John Barrowman in panto, I also spent hours in the Impressionist wing of the Welsh museum and practically a whole day at Westminster Abby.

And to make it an even half dozen:
6) Fandom inspires. It may inspire asshattery, but it also inspires art, fic, creativity. The quiet one in the corner suddenly realizes that she has a voice - and she is not alone!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah, even the wankery can be educational. The lastest HP one made me learn a new word that I'd never heard of, and also not to ever use it.

[mademoisellenon.livejournal.com]

Fandom is gay and you two are adorable. Enjoy! Love the Portofino shot!!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

We are enjoying ourselves, thank you :)

[jocelyncs.livejournal.com]

I am utterly and completely CONSUMED by jealousy! I've wanted to visit Italy all my life, and you sound like you're having amazing experiences.

Fandom is awesome because without it most of us wouldn't know you (most of us met you via OFUM reviews originally) or each other, because when people aren't fighting over ships, some great debates and analyses come of our favorite shows/books/movies, and because without it, most of us would be looking for ways to occupy our time which would probably involve illegal activity! *snerk*

And because with Fandom comes snark. Always.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I'm having a blast, yeah. Friend Elisa and maybe you can score an invitation ;)

Snark always wins. True fact.

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

Jacob's TWOP recaps are the only reason anyone knows what's actually going on in "The Long Game." I rewatched it after reading and it was about a million times more awesome. And he brought us Jacobspeak. "It's as wide as a three-way kiss and as thin as a nine-letter anagram." "Hell is the difference between a metaphor and a simile." "The ramp up and the ramp down." "That's Grace."


They also got me questioning my spirituality, but that's another story entirely.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid the recaps didn't resonate with me that much - but hey, fandom is also all about different tastes meeting.

[wintergreen126.livejournal.com]

italy looks like fun! good to see that you're having a great time :o)

as for fandom, i think i'm going to echo what others have said. i tend to sit on the fringes of fandom, but it's nice knowing that there are people out there who get as excited (or even more than) you do about the things you love. and if you get to make friends along the way, even better.

hope you have a blast in milan and rome :o)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I'm sure I will have - if I survive the heat ;)

How's the weather in the motherland?

[evilstorm.livejournal.com]

M-e fandom introduced me to people who have literally helped shape my worldview. Without them, I would be quite a bit dumber and more ignorant than I am today. To have a person just open your mind to the larger world out there, and to show you things that you didn't know existed--yeah.

Trek fandom is made of awesome because there are geeks like me who sit down and calculate engine specs and try to explain away the show's sometimes-godawful science and when that fails come up with alternative reasons as to what things should be. Not to mention, my OTP just isn't canon, which means that fandom is the only way for me to get my squee on. Hee.

Every fandom I've been in has left its mark on my brain and my writing style in its own way. It's like an easy opportunity to explore different perspectives without leaving the comfort of your own skull. Put like that, I guess I owe fandom quite a debt.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Fandom is full of geeks. It's like a geekarchy. Hurrah.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Without DW fandom, I would never have been able to dress up as Rose at a convention and chase a boy dressed like the Doctor until he gave in and posed for photographs.

There are other reasons to love fandom, but my dinner is ready. Oh yes, there's another reason -- I met all of my RL friends through fandom. Only some of them are crazy.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

LOL.

You Doctor hounder you.

[everysecondtues.livejournal.com]

Without the people I've met through fandom, I think my time in Japan would not have been as rich or enjoyable an experience. It connects people. Fandom has also helped me to grow a bit as a person and as a writer in my younger years. For all the wank, all the drama, all the bad-fic, fandom has still overall been a positive experience in my life.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

:) Japan has to be a rather interesting place to live, I would think.

[usuallyhats]

Fandom is awesome because of the sheer joy of it. Just reading through the comments on this post has reminded me of that! I love also the diversity of squee, the fact that whatever it is you love from canon, someone else, somewhere, loves it too. The silliness of fandom is wonderful and so is the seriousness - I've learned so much and it's also made me a better viewer, more engaged and thoughtful rather than just watching the pretty colours (though that is fun too). And it is great that it brings together people from all over the world and from all backgrounds and shows us that yes, we do have this at least in common.

Also, those are lovely pictures! I went to Portofino a few years ago and it is beautiful.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is. And also very hot. At least for a poor little pale Norwegian.

And yeah, the comments have reminded me a bit too :) Yay for that.

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Fandom is awesome cos I met you! 'Nuff said. ;)

I have survived week two! This is yay. However, there are still 8 weeks of term to go. Oh well, I have weekend now. :)

[misscam.livejournal.com]

So do I :P Going to Milan tomorrow. Will be lots of people there. Eeek.

Chocolate for you for surviving week two - and being awesome.

[(Anonymous)]

pretty pics ! :-) it's so sunny here down in oz, i'm actually getting a tan in winter-lol.
love peace and music
chaoskiwi :-)

[lotus79.livejournal.com]

Check it out, baby!

And here, too.

We wants it now, precious!!

[jvgymnast.livejournal.com]

Got your postcard today! Thank so much-- it was very pretty. I'll send you one too, whenever you send your address.

[stringertheory.livejournal.com]

Hi! Just wanted to say that I got my Italy postcard. Thanks! I'm glad you're having a great time. :D