Fandom or Obsession?
In my youth, I took my fandom very seriously. I would brook no criticism of the various objects of my affection. I would robustly defend them in lengthy forum comments, filled with the sort of detail and lack of self awareness that only an ardent fan can bring to bear. Nowadays, it’s a different story altogether (insert Airplane gag here). I still enjoy Thunderbirds, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings but I do not consider them unassailable, sacred cows. If other’s scorn them, that is their prerogative. Age not only brings you more keys and things that require charging, it also grants the realisation that it doesn’t matter what others think. Furthermore, reboots, reimaginings and revivals cannot harm your memories or “ruin your childhood”. Has Gus Van Sant’s ill conceived 1998 remake of Psycho harmed in any way Hitchcock’s classic original. Any answer other than “no” is at the least spurious and at worst naval gazing bullshit, served on a platter of hyperbole and attention seeking.
For me fandom is a benign activity which I share with others via this blog or twitter and occasionally takes me to the BFI Southbank in London, where I spend several hours enjoying the company of like minded individuals. However, and this is a big “however”, there appear to be an ever growing group of fans at the extreme end of the spectrum. Fandom turned up to 11 to use a Spinal Tap analogy. When these folk latch onto something that they like they go all in. The thing that they love preoccupies them constantly and they analyse and dissect every conceivable aspect of that which they love. It is easy and possibly a little condescending to invoke an analogy of the conspiracy theorist that has a “wall” with all their data on it but there is a grain of truth in the imagery. YouTube is filled with videos where fans discuss the most extravagant theories and hypothesise about meaning, subtext and future developments of the things they like.
Films and especially television shows are naturally a focal point for fandom. They also provide the perfect environment for the über fan. Now if folk wish to dedicate themselves to such levels of devotion, so be it. Sadly, this position is often just one step away from crossing the line and becoming the toxic, fundamentalist fandom we’ve all seen in recent years. Consider the associated gatekeeping, zealotry and non-inclusional bullshit that has emerged around the Star Wars franchise in recent years. Not every über fan is guilty of such behaviour but if you draw a venn diagram you’ll find that many toxic fans are those who have become wedded to their “cause”. But if we set aside for a moment the matter of toxic fandom and simply concentrate on borderline obsessive fandom, it seems to come at a rather big price. Because there is a fundamental flaw inherent in investing really heavily in a TV show, book or film. You may well have placed it upon a pedestal for your personal adulation but you have no control over it and are ultimately dependent upon its creator to determine its course of direction.
All of which brings me on to Line of Duty, known jokingly by those “without a dog in the fight” as Lionel Duty, courtesy of UK comedian Gary Delaney. For those who may not know, Line of Duty is a British police procedural television series created by Jed Mercurio. It has run for six seasons and has gained enormous popularity due to its densely plotted storyline and robust performances by its cast of character actors. Audience figures have grown from 3.8 million viewers to 12.85 million over the last nine years. The latest season has turned analysis of the show into a national pastime, which has then been splashed across most of the national tabloids, throwing further fuel onto the fire. Naturally Line of Duty has its devoted über fans and they have devoted a lot of time and energy into hypothesising about the season conclusion. Last night, the final episode was broadcast and the relevant storylines neatly tied up. And within minutes the internet was filled with the bitter tears of fundamentalist fans who were “disappointed”, like the children of Thulsa Doom at the end of Conan the Barbarian.
Which one is Lionel?
It is not my intention to mock, judge or indulge in schadenfreude. Okay it is just a little bit. But I think there is one observation worth making about this situation. It was both predictable and inevitable. Lionel Duty fans are pissed at Jed Mercurio because he ultimately wrote what was in his own head, rather than what was in theirs. Damn these authors with their creative control over their intellectual property. I think when fans go all in and stray from affection into obsession, then they ultimately separate themselves from the source of their fandom. The continuous analysis, discussion and conjecture becomes more important than the source material. Sadly, fans disappointed with the conclusion of Line of Duty have made the same mistake as gamers who have pre-ordered games only to find them underwhelming upon release. Both groups filled the gaps in their knowledge with their own aspirations, only for reality to teach them otherwise. My advice is to temper your fandom and not to lose sight of its context. Because it would appear that über fans are perpetually dissatisfied and this entire scenario will happen again when the next “big thing” arrives.
