There's No Such Thing as a "Real Fan"

[krpalmer]

When I first heard about the plans to release the "Vintage Editions" of the three old Star Wars movies, I have to admit I flashed back to a dismissive comment I read back in 2004, that George Lucas wouldn't release them because he didn't want them to outsell the Special Editions by some huge margin. That comment seems moot now... but some may try to explain it by bringing in other people who have started making a big deal about the Vintage Editions not being in "anamorphic widescreen." Unfortunately, while the song has changed, the key of annoyance remains the same.

I had noticed that D. Trull was working on rebuilding his Lard Biscuit site, and checked it out... to see, right on the front page, a post about how he wouldn't be getting the new release because of the widescreen issue. I can understand that; when you're a videophile, you want a release that suits you, and there's always the question "Could things have been different?" However, right at the start he said that "real" Star Wars fans prefer the 1977-1995 versions... and that grated on me.

To me, saying "real fan" or "true fan" means only "the fans I agree with." It's meaningless in a bad way. With that thought, I proceeded to remember a page I have bookmarked, a subsection of a Transformer fan's site where he contemplates how to be a positive force in fandom, which preserves a post taking on the comment "true fan" probably much better than I ever could. The references are fandom-specific, of course, but I'd hope the sentiment is universal... although it can chide me as well, given that I try to pride myself on accepting all six Star Wars movies as a unit but I don't read the books of the Expanded Universe.

Comments

[ladyaeryn.livejournal.com]

He said that? As interesting as I found his defense of AOTC, there are still a number of things - see his ROTJ page - that lower my respect for his opinion.

To me, saying "real fan" or "true fan" means only "the fans I agree with." It's meaningless in a bad way.

Word.

Admittedly, there are times I've selfishly thought that sort of thing myself - that it's people like us at the ASHP/SJ who are "true fans," while the people who bash everything that came after 1980 "just don't get it." It's an ugly tendency. In the end, I've decided I really don't give a damn what the "other" side's definition of "true fan" is - I consider my fandom of SW plenty true, and if I have a group of others I can find enjoyment in that fandom with, then I'm good.

[krpalmer.livejournal.com]

I guess I've had "I know the secret now" thoughts myself too. Of course, I've also worried that maybe I'm just plain wrong, so it's also tempting to dismiss everything with the thought "It all cancels out."