Fanboys

Well being a Star Wars 'fanboy' myself this movie will probably amuse me more than others. I do agree with Ebert on some accounts, but regardless I'll enjoy the ride.
 
Well, yes, Ebert makes some good points about the fanboy culture, however, he spends all his time watching movies. To me, he comes off as an elitist. Is he really so much better than the fanboys? Actually, isn't he sort of a fanboy in his own right?

A rant in defense of fanboys:
Just because someone wants to delve deeper into the mythology of the Star Wars universe or learn Klingon is not the end of the world. For some people films like Star Wars, The Matrix, Star Trek, etc... were the first time that they were really exposed to philosophical and metaphysical concepts like the Force, simulated reality, AI, and other tenets of philosophy, science, and spirituality. Star Wars was a huge factor in mythologist Joseph Campbell gaining notice outside of academic circles.

Personally, I became more attuned and interested in hard science, philosophy, and mythology after seeing sci-fi films like Aliens and The Matrix. It was sort of a gateway drug to learning about some pretty great stuff. For a lot of others, Star Wars or Star Trek did the same thing. Look what books like Lord of the Rings and more recently, Harry Potter have done to get kids interested in reading. To me, that is a good thing.

What Ebert seems to be criticizing is just a different cultural type in a sense. What about punk rockers or hip hop peeps? How about graffiti culture? I'm sure anyone with a bit of knowledge on them could write plenty of harsh criticisms. What are we all supposed to be? All like Ebert? How about Bono, Oprah, Tom Cruise, or Britany Spears? Sure they're cool, famous, and wealthy. How about Carl Sagan, Michio Kaku, Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs? Nope, sorry, those guys are NERDS.

Now criticism is fine if aimed at the subject in a constructive manner. What I don't like is when it comes off as an elitist attack. I would also wager that the majority of the fans of Star Wars or Trek are pretty normal people, and the extreme fanboy culture is really a very small minority of the whole.

There seems to this mentality in our country, namely if you like sci-fi your suddenly a fanboy and are a complete loser, but the dudes who go to the bars and get wasted drunk and then bonk some chick, maybe even getting her pregnant or spreading/contracting an STD, well those people are just so cool. What a lofty goal to aspire to. My theory is that this is not criticized very much because there are actually a lot more of these type of people out there than there are fanboys. Majority rules. The scary thing is that alcohol affects your judgement when doing something like driving. Being a fanboy though will not get you into a vehicular accident or land you a DUI.

Finally, to put things into perspective, I'm a self proclaimed sci-fi fan, yet I like to go to the bar and have a good time too. There are pros and cons to any endeavor. You get drunk with some chick you might score, or just get rejected. You go to a sci-fi movie you might learn something, or maybe just fall asleep. I don't think that all people who go out to the bar are a bunch of horny drunkards. Just as all people who might go to see a sci-fi or fantasy movie on opening day are not all fanboys or nerds, camping gear or no camping gear. Hey, what is wrong with camping anyways Ebert?

-- end rant
 
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You make some good points. Ebert attacked all of Fanboy-dom as a whole, but like everything there are shades of grey. What I think Ebert meant to attack are those people, and there are many of them, who fetishize the object of their attention to such an obsessive level that it stunts their growth as human beings. It's a regression, an escape. I know some of these people, who are approaching 40, and still collect every piece of memorabilia they can get their hands on. I personally don't get it. I enjoy certain things I never would have enjoyed when I was younger. And certain things I liked in my youth I now find shallow and silly. And I'm not bursting at the seams with life experience, but my opinions, attitudes and tastes have developed and changed over the years and I find it sad when people cling to childish things.
 
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Nektonic said:
There seems to this mentality in our country, namely if you like sci-fi your suddenly a fanboy and are a complete loser, but the dudes who go to the bars and get wasted drunk and then bonk some chick...
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If you are in NYC anytime, you should come out with me and my friend Colin. The more wasted we get, the louder our sci-fi discussions get. More than once we've emptied the place of Maker's Mark while I defended Kurn's move during the Klingon Civil war, of getting right up on the star and then flooring it into WARP and destroying the pursuing ship in a wake of plasma. I love that move...
 
Batutta said:
What I think Ebert meant to attack are those people, and there are many of them, who fetishize the object of their attention to such an obsessive level that it stunts their growth as human beings. It's a regression, an escape.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that is what kinda set me off about the whole thing, that Ebert just didn't focus his argument enough which caused it to come off as too generalized and stereotypical. Plus, was just in a mood to debate I guess, and since Ebert was against the fanboys I figured I'd argue the other side. Also, an occasional rant once in a while is healthy I think, just as long as it doesn't progress into a Christian Bale or David O. Russell type of tantrum.

But you're also right about the extreme fanboy culture. I mean I like sci-fi and fantasy and all that stuff, but I agree that there is a line that can be crossed where a person can become obsessed about one movie or comic book. There is a whole helluva lot more to science fiction than just Star Wars.

I actually feel sorry for those that can't get past the popular stuff and discover some of the lesser known gems of any genre or art form. That of course is something that does come with age, kinda like veggies. We hate' em when we're young, but eventually grow to love them and appreciate their nutritional value. Doesn't mean we still can't enjoy a Snickers bar once in a while too.

Mark Harris said:
If you are in NYC anytime, you should come out with me and my friend Colin. The more wasted we get, the louder our sci-fi discussions get. More than once we've emptied the place of Maker's Mark while I defended Kurn's move during the Klingon Civil war, of getting right up on the star and then flooring it into WARP and destroying the pursuing ship in a wake of plasma. I love that move...
Click to expand...

Now that sounds like a good time. I'm not much of an expert on Trek though, so I'd have to just moderate the drunken debate. Now if you're talkin' Battlestar Galactica then I'm ready to rumble. :beer:

This is the closest I could get one, but we need a fanboy smilie :furious3:
 
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