the definitions and semantics of a "fangirl"

[meitachi]

Okay, so I admit I'm a huge KangTeuk fan. Everyone knows this, right? My bias is all over the place.

But...aren't I allowed to be a KT fan and still be sane? Is that asking too much? Can't I love their dependency and friendship and (brotherly, platonic, whatever) love without losing my touch with reality? I mean, I'd like to think I'm fairly sane when it comes to RPS pairings: I like to read about them being in love and having rough sex up against a wall (yum) and even seeing the fanservice or "evidence" irl of their closness, but I realize there's a difference between fantasy and reality.

In reality, I would love for both Teukie and Kangin to find girls they adore and want to marry. I think it would be the cutest thing in the world, because they deserve that kind of happiness, and the het romance would be so awkward and sweet. I would totally love to see them stand up at each other's weddings.

But thoughts like that apparently make me not a "true" KangTeuk fan to some people. Does this girl frighten anyone else? [edit: she deleted her post, but mostly it linked to her own journal, except the comm post had a lot more people asking her if she were insane than her journal comments.] She can't seem to separate her wish fulfillment from reality and it frankly worries me a little. I admit to having my emotions played with in regards to KT (them not talking or seeming distant or appearing as if everything between them is just fanservice makes me upset; them playing around and joking and being touchy makes me happier than it should, probably), but fans who have gone that far--

I worry what's going on in their psyches or their real lives that they need to cling to this type of illusion (self-delusion). This girl is so...defensive about it too.

My first reaction to the video she posted (rumors about Kangin and a potential girlfriend with matching rings on their ring finger) was "alkfj omg cuuuute, he really will be first to marry and he will be such a good husband and daddy and oh! maybe all of the other members already knew and this was why they all said he'd be the first to marry alkdjfld awwwwww ♥". BUT MAYBE I'M DOING IT WRONG. ::facedesk::



On a different note, but still re: crazy fans, I just want to put it out there that I don't support batshit insane fans, whether they are ELF or Flawless or what-the-fuck-ever. I tend to associate non-rabid fans as non-Only 13 fans, which is more or less true that I've seen, but I've realized that over-generalizing is a bad idea. There are sane Only 13 fans that I can respectfully disagree with and there are some crazyass, judgmental, bitchy, holier-than-thou Flawless/pro-SJM fans that get on my nerves.

Why do we have to have these kinds of divisions anyway? I draw a line between "crazy" and "sane" and that is not the same line between "Only 13" and "pro-SJM".

Actually, the very concept of Flawless kind of pisses me off. We're not here to get cliquey and elitist, so let's stop encouraging that "either/or" mindset, okay?

I will, however, confess to an unrelenting hatred of ELF, but that's just because of the shitty image they've presented of themselves. I'm sure there are sane fangirls in the official fanclub...somewhere...


All right, enough about crazy fangirls. I pre-ordered the Taiwan edition of Sujuman's Me (迷)! I am excited. :D

Comments

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I support SJM but I don't support SJM fans who want to bash Only 13 fans. While they (Only 13 fans) might be mostly batshit insane, acting like snobby elitist bitches doesn't make the pro-SJM side look that awesome either. D: Let's all just love what we love and get on with it, y/y?

No more drama, just love! Love that is grounded in reality and separated from fantasy! Oh KangTeuk, you are so cute. ♥

TO THE INSANE ONES:

[nightengale.livejournal.com]

No, seriously. Ugh.

This is why I try not to "fangirl" in public places, or label myself as such. Though I am prone to fits of illogical support of my pairings in the face of cast interviews, public opinion, and even canon, I come back down to earth eventually.

Being a "fan" is so much easier than being a "fangirl." For starters you're allowed to like the fandom in whatever manner you want to, rather than having this big peer pressure "be faithful to our cause and our preferred band member set or die!" code to live up to.

Here's another thing I hate about fangirls, and this goes *triple* for that snake of the many-changing names: Don't name your fucking journal after your fandom, pairing, or character. It's *your* online presence, not theirs. Take a name that can be YOURS and stick to it, so you don't have to spend $15 on a rename token every time some new andryogenous shiny comes to town.

/rant

Re: TO THE INSANE ONES:

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Don't name your fucking journal after your fandom, pairing, or character.

I've never mentioned this to anyone, I don't think, but GOD I AGREE WITH THIS. So hard. :| I'm always a little disturbed when I see people pick names for their online presence that reflect only that one part of themselves, one that is subject to change, at that. You have to be able to define yourself as more than what you fangirl!

Re other: I know I a fangirl, but I like to think I know when to draw the line and just be fan, too. D: Oh wife, the internet, why is it full of such stupid people?

Re: TO THE INSANE ONES:

[dimloep-suum.livejournal.com]

(Luther? Y/N?) Macro FTW!

[dear-whimsy.livejournal.com]

I. What. Why. That girl - what.

I have to agree on the Flawless thing. When you see it on their Sohu blog: "FLAWLESS FANS BLAH BLAH"...it's kind of embarrassing. D:

ALSO PREORDER YAY <3

[dear-whimsy.livejournal.com]

Also, just in case~

30 sec. preview of the SJM show airing tonight:

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/WqWnK4MsNyo/

[meiface.livejournal.com]

I mean, I always knew people like her existed, but -- to see such upfront evidence like this? I am really rather sad for her, in a kind of pitying way. I wish she had other things in her life to remind her that her RPS fantasy != all that is good and true in the world.

[sapphynashi.livejournal.com]

Word.

Oddly enough, I think Kpop fandom is the craziest fandom I've ever been in. Somehow, I always managed to avoid the crazy and the wank in my other fandoms. But it feels like the really insane Kpop fans act like they actually own or have the right to dictate the lives of these boys just because they're entertainers. And therefore it is the End of the World when things don't go as planned. I try to be respectful of other people's issues - just because their problem isn't a big deal to me, doesn't mean it shouldn't be a big deal to them - but I find it very difficult to be sympathetic towards the crazy Kpop fans. Crazy is crazy. Possibly because Kpop fandom makes it easier to blur fantasy and reality - we're talking about real people, not fictional, 2-dimensional characters. Still, the resulting rabid fan population is frightening.

I also agree about SJM and ELF and Flawless and blah. I think I am done with talking about all of that. Done forever. I just want the boys to be pretty and gay and happy.

*crawls back to paper-writing*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Possibly because Kpop fandom makes it easier to blur fantasy and reality - we're talking about real people, not fictional, 2-dimensional characters.

I think this is probably the root of all the craziness. Fangirls think they have some measure of control over them because they're real and not just a figment of someone's imagination put to animation. :/ I don't know, it's still scary (and I rather think it ought to be the other way around--it's easier to make up stuff with someone wh's already made up?)

Ugh paper-writing. I totally feel you on that.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Flawless is the new official fanclub for SJM. The name in itself is pretentious and hostile to Only 13 fans and ugh. I am done with stupid fangirls on both sides.

I am a fan of their friendship, and the closeness that the couples have together - YES. I am so jealous and admiring of the close friendships these boys seem to share. Probably due to how much time they spend with each other, but still so sweet. ♥

(No worries: Donghae always distracts me, too, haha.)

[jaded-skys.livejournal.com]

urg srsly.

I wish happiness and love and copious amounts of sex and titties for those boys, because they deserve it. Kangteuk is (and other couplings are) fun and sex!fic is hot yo, but obviously these kids aren't homosexual. People need to remember that touching another male in an affectionate way =/= ghei lovas. It's cultural. Same sex friends touch each other in a friendly manner. Girls do it too. It's all because of the lack of heavy Christian values until very recent history and the traditions of collectivism that make it "ok" for male friend to hug each other.

Cannot we all just get back to enjoying the crazy and ignore the cliquey?

Now, I'm a fan and I'm a girl, but that doesn't make me a creepyass fangirl. There are bouts of squees but, c'mon, how crazy to do you have to be to have those sorts of delusions.

*reads a comment above* ... they're making a SJM show. *scrunches up face*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

The idea of Teukie and girlbreasts is just so...awkward for me. XD And yet it's kind of hilarious at the same time. I always think back to his pornbook from Change and how it really reminded how very much these guys are, well, guys. Even if they live in a different culture that allows for a lot more boytouching without serious backlash or reproval, even if they're celebrities, even if they're prettier girls than I am half the time--they're still so much male. It's a good thing. :)

Cliques are retarded. LET'S BE FRIENDS~ ::sings song of world peace idek::

[forochel.livejournal.com]

so you said KT and I was like, KAT-TUN? and then I realised, NO! IT'S THE KPOP. lol why are all the acronyms so amazingly similar?

*definitions, by the way

[meiface.livejournal.com]

WOW I R GOOD TYPER.

Ew, KAT-TUN. :( I mean, what.

[chu-totoro.livejournal.com]

This would be one of the reasons why fangirls//fandom don't have the greatest reputation. :x

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Because it's the crazy ones who get all the attention and make the rest of us look bad? :( Unfortunately so.

[loveblackcoffee.livejournal.com]

is flawless what they are calling themselves?

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Ugh, yes. Retarded fans are everywhere, how tragic. :(

[cerisier.livejournal.com]

I know you and JE parted ways looooong ago, but the first half of this post, at least, you could replace with Certain Other Names and it would be exactly what I'm always saying. XD (...Actually, what with the whole suspended-people-from-NEWS/K8 business, the second half applies disturbingly well, too. gah.)

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Oh JE! I remember the crazy Akame fans, but even they probably aren't as bad as the crazy DBSK JaeHo fans... Though this is probably not a competition you want to win. XD

Oh man, why does Asian pop fandoms always have this much crazy? Do you think there are comparable levels in Western music fandoms?

[emeraldcrystal.livejournal.com]

I have to say, this is nothing compared to Jaeho fans. orz

[tyreling.livejournal.com]

... the pairing war between the Jaeho/YunGi fans?

[tyreling.livejournal.com]

There's enough wank in this fandom -_-;
I'm a fan (of almost all the possible pairings) all right, but not to the point that I'm so obsessed about something that might not be true. Ahh~!

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Scary fans are scary.

Shipping for fun is one thing, so let's do that over here in the sane part of fandom. :D;;

[loser-no-jutsu.livejournal.com]

uh, holy shit. that's about all i have to say.

THOUGH I CAN TELL YOU ONE PAIRING I'M IRRATIONALLY OBSESSED WITH AND THAT'S KANGIN/BAILEY LOLOLOLOLOLOL *kills self oh god*

[meiface.livejournal.com]

HEY I COULD SUPPORT THAT. Or Kangin/Mei. Or Donghae/Mei. alksdjfl ugh actually just typing that makes me feel sort of unclean. :( Reminds me too much of this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnjpWgPLxk0).

[evercool.livejournal.com]

Oh fandom/fans. Really, there's sane and crazy ones on ALL sides. The over-generalizations and ridiculous firey lines between divisions are what cause the problems, really XD; But it seems like it's been that way since THE BEGINNING OF internet!TIME, SOB.

*hugs* You are a sane fan in all aspects, imho.

[meiface.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you. I try to be sane, most of the time. Hahaha.

I wonder what crazy fans get out of their craziness, seriously. You'd think they'd find something better to do with their time/energy in that regard. D: