Dear Author has a great new post, You Might Be A Fangirl...
So of course, this got me thinking...
Who are these people??
The "History Buff" Fangirl: Assumes everything Diana Gabaldon has ever written is completely historically accurate and is most vigorous in their defense of their favorite author. This was the first type of fangirl I'd come across, I wonder do any other historical authors generate this type of response?
The "How Can You Not Love Them" Fangirl: These are the ones that crawl out of the woodwork the minute you say "I don't like '______' books." It doesn't matter if you have legitimate complaints about an author's work, poor plotting, bad character development etc. they are going to tell you "You're a moron."
The "I don't care if she's obnoxious, she's the greatest author ever!!" Fangirl: This is the fangirl who insists on defending an author even after said author has made an ass of themselves on some sort of message board. "She can say whatever she wants, she's just the bestest in the whole world."
The "Nice" Fangirl: This one gets all weepy when you say something remotely snarky, actually it doesn't even need to be snarky just a little negative, "If you don't have anything nice to say..."
The "Gusher": I was going to call the "Gusher" the "Suck-up" but these fangirls are usually nice and actually probably fall under the "Nice" Fangirl category. You know the ones that can be found on message boards... "I love everything you've ever, ever written."
The "Erotic Romance" Fangirl: These are the ones that defend ER and their right to read it even when the book is, let's say, less than stellar. They're always a "tad bit" defensive.
The "Cover Model" Fangirl: They seem to love the male models more than the books. They are followers of the RT Cover Model Contests. Extreme versions actually keep track of the books their favorite models are on.
Okay, I can think of one more, but they're not author fangirls, but rather specific book fangirls:
The "Book Pimp": Pushes the book at everyone they come across. I've been known to do this on occasion, but there are some who are even, shall we say, pushier? "What do you mean you haven't read it yet?? Read it, Read it NOW."
So, there you have it, the rabid fangirl classifications I've come across. Have I missed any?
I've admitted to being an occasional "Book Pimp"...
What type of fangirl are you?
16 comments:
If I'm any of them, it would be the book pimp - I love telling my freinds about such and such's brilliant book, and I'm just about to bring my only copy of "The God of Small Things" to my freind Andrea - now that is freindship! LOL!
when will I learn to spell friend?
I looked and looked at that post and just knew something looked off...
LOL
I'm a book pimp at times as well!!
I fall into a couple of categories:
The erotic romance fangirl to some extent. I tend to only get cheesed off when some prude tells me I'm reading porn. Well whatever - YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ IT YOU HAG! But I don't defend the sub genre blindly.
The Book Pimp fangirl - I'm a librarian. It's an occupational hazard. But I try not to be too pushy.
I hate the "how can you not love them" fangirl! I have to say I'm probably the book pimp too though =)
I guess I'm a book pimp if I'm any of them. Mostly I just sit at my computer & stare at the RFGs & think,"O.M.G- you people are FREAKS!! Get a life." or some such less printable opinion. LOL.
I think there was a time when I was the "History Buff" Fangirl. *cringe* That was before I knew how much they were just blowing out of their butts!
There are cover model fangirls? OMG. That is just pathetic.
...Fi
I am sooooo not a fangirl. I've never done anything on "Dear Author's" list. Don't get me wrong, I have favorite books and favorite authors, but I want to avoid a favorite authors crappy books (even the best write them) and I don't want to know them personally. I don't freak out when others diss books I like. Live and let live, I say. Or read and let read, rather.
Cover models? Ewww. I happened to come across a picture of contestants on a romance site, and can I just say, "ewww!" They are totally not airbrushed and remind me of the guys who used to slink around the roller rink in junior high. Granted, there are probably some models who are truly "hott" (as a fangirl would say), but I wouldn't hang their posters on my wall. Do fangirls do this?
Anyway, that's my take on it.
tafka
Add me to the book pimpage list!
In the early days I think I was a 'How can you not love them?' fangirl. I never came away thinking they were a moron but I wondered if I were the moron for liking the books. Keishon touched on this a couple months back about needing reassurance that you're part of the crowd.
I think with age comes some wisdom so I don't really care what other people think about a favorite author of mine. Someone goes off on a rant, I'm fine. I like 'em you don't, I get it.
I think I'm a mini book pimp because I will tell someone I loved a book but if they say nah, I've tried that author and I don't like her - *shrug* Okay.
No one in my real life reads so it's my web friends that I get recs and give recs to.
Cindys
I suppose I come closest to the book pimp type - but only to readers who show an interest anyway. I know some people just aren't interested in some of the books I recommend - nothing wrong with that - so I just don't bug them.
Can't say I fit into any of these. But thanks for the info. Is there a middle ground fangirl (I'm normally a luker, hope I have't offended.)
To all the book pimps (Sam, Marg, CeCe, Milady, Amanda, Cindy, Kristie)--I think most avid readers have a little "book pimp" in them, it comes with being passionate about what we read.
Sam, don't feel bad about "friend", I can interchange any one of the "their, they're and there", I know the difference, but that doesn't mean my fingers type the right word.
Wendy, I've never thought of you as one of the ER fangirls, most are much more vocal about it.
Amanda, you and I think very a like, freaks is a good term--LOL.
Fiona, you're in good company, my sister was a "History Buff" fangirl. She used to assume if it was in a book, it must be correct, "why would an author include something not right, they must do lots of research."
Tafka, the cover model thing is really creepy.
Cindy, I don't think it odd the need to feel like part of a crowd, with age comes wisdom. Most of us probably think "they just don't get it" when a favorite author is criticized, but we don't actually verbalize it.
Brandy, no offense, you're probably the only normal one in the bunch--LOL.
Tara:
That's because when most of the ER Is Porn mudslinging is going on I bite my tongue. Sometimes clean though.
It's not just ER though. It tends to get my hackles up when someone makes a "sweeping" judgment about a genre or sub genre when they're actually just talking out of their a$$. It would be like me saying that every single Regency historical these days is nothing but wallpaper. Yeah sure, quite a few of them are - but all of them? Since I'm not reading all of them, I'd have to say probably not :-)
Wendy, I think quite a few of us bite our tongues. There are occasions when a feeding frenzy starts and I tell myself "Walk away, just walk away and keep your big mouth shut." Most times I manage it, but occasionally...
friend, fiend, find, fried...
I'm dyslexic and this list is giving me a headache, lol.
And I'm getting very good at biting my tongue, lol. I think I've finally decided it's no good trying to get people to see things from my point of view - they don't want to - so why even try?
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