Fangirling

Everyone bangs on about it, but what does it actually entail? Personally I like to call it 'being  groupie, without the sex'. That is a bit long winded though so for now, 'fangirl' will do.

What defining feature are there to 'fangirling'? I would say the following points sum up a 'fangirl' pretty well:

• Going to several shows/events where your favourite band/actor/whatever is doing in one tour.
• Buying more merch than anyone could actually wear in one lifetime, just to say that they have it.
• Creating 'fan art'. This ranged from the epic to the downright ugly with varying levels of artistic capability in between. Sometimes it is a direct portrait and sometimes it is just inspired by a song. The disturbing stuff can come in the form of the plain pornographic!
• 'Shipping', such as putting two of your favourite band members or TV characters together such as Drewence, Keveridge, Lukier or Phan. Sometimes this is sweet, again, sometimes this is borderline pornographic!
• 'Fanfiction' - I wanted to separate this from 'fan art', although it is an art form in itself. This is stories based on either a musician's work, actual people you're obsessed with or real and fictional people together. Sometimes it is harmless, like an adventure story about people you admire. Sometimes it is just sex!

Some points I want to elaborate on. I think the key factor is that 'fangirling' (just to jump in, this behaviour can be exhibited by men too, I am merely using the word as the main example for the purposes of this blog) is obsessional. To 'fangirl' is to obsess. So, for example, going to every show on a tour. For a start, there are people who go to almost every show on an FVK tour. They will get to the venue in the early hours and wait for the band to show up. Even if they saw the band the day before they will try and beat the band to the next venue. They give them gifts every time they see the band and try and hang out with them. Most of these people are lovely.

I have to add I have done this. You saw the cape last blog. I also did this...

Meeting Luke Lucas for the 6th time in a year...

I bought Luke a toy spider after he had a giant one in his house...

Then I also bought him a pikachu t-shirt...as you can see him wearing here...

Then there was comic con when I bought him a plasma ball because he said he wanted one and I also turned him into a cat... see!

This is the result...and it made Ben go boss eyed...

There is one person who does this though and they are the rudest person I have ever met! This person is utterly convinced they practically own the band and just because they claim they 'got off' with one of the band members on one tour, they think they are so bloody special! Well, being rude and nasty to other fans will get this person no where! They are the ugly face to this part of 'fangirling'.

Most people who follow the band around I think are lovely. They just have to be so committed and must save like fuck for each tour!

Then there is shipping. This can be a harmless joke like the Lukier stuff from The Killing is Dead Tour last year. Sometimes it gets a bit out of hand. I have read about FVK doing things that I didn't know were physically possible! It burnt my eyes out of their sockets and I had to have an eye transplant! Anyway, that may or may not be true. Some 'shipping', like Keveridge, is actively encouraged by the band. Lukier was something that Luke Lucas made a huge deal over. What can be disturbing is when you know something you wish you didn't and you realise that some 'shipping' is actually real...like, there is a grain of truth about it. I will never tell!

I am honest, I have many 'fangirl' traits myself and most of us are lovely people with a common obsession/interest and I am glad our 'fangirling' brought us together. There are a few bad apples who give us all a bad name, but that is unavoidable. Unfortunately there will always be idiots.

My 'fangirling' is mostly what you saw above and making some gifs...I ship Lukier!

So what do you think? Tweet me: @sarahcritcher or leave a comment.