Crazy or Loyal? The Problem with Fandoms.

So last night, Channel 4 aired a documentary called "Crazy About One Direction" and it was basically about the band's fandom and their fans, who are called "Directioners". Now obviously, Channel 4 chose to use fans who are literally crazy about the boys. Understandable choice if you ask me, as who really wants to listen a fan who just sits in the room all day go on about their love for the band! Well the decision backfired as the fans are angry to the point that they got #thisisnotus trending worldwide on twitter! My opinion, I think their anger is extremely misplaced and their justification of true fans is not helping them in any way.

Twenty years ago, there was another fandom, just as crazy, just as loyal but the only difference is it did not have access to social media as we do today! This fandom surrounded the biggest British boyband (and still are, if we are to compare record sales) Take That! I was a little young at the time to be able to go to the extremes some of the fans went to, so I cannot speak for myself, but Take That fans were crazy, loyal and ridiculously passionate about the boys. It was crazy to the point, that without the need for the internet, the fans manage to discover their home address, even their parents, leading to many of them having to move just to escape the fans. Take That would almost always win fan voted awards, thanks to the fans dedication through phone voting or voting by post (oh yes we had to do that back then). Even today, our fans can still make Ticketmaster crash all because we all desperately want tickets to the tour!

The point I am trying to make is that what was shown is nothing new and will always happen within each fandom.

Today, obviously the Take That fans have grown up and realised that our behaviour, our reactions were more than definitely over the top and probably uncalled for. Chances are we are the ones who are highly critical today of the Directioners. I will put my hand up and say I am one of those people.

I am being critical for a good reason though! Back then, while it was well reported that the fans were crazy, we avoided the critics due to the non-existence of social media. We were proud to be fans and we never let anyone make us feel any differently. But that is not what I am seeing with the One Direction fans. They have vented their anger in the worse way. They have directed it at each other and at Channel 4. The words used in some cases are rude and vulgar and completely unnecessary and uncalled for. Rumours are being spread that a number of fans have killed themselves as a result of the documentary (something I refuse to believe is true) and on top of that their reasoning behind why they are such amazing fans, just makes them look as crazed as the ones shown last night. Sitting behind the computer all day, voting hundreds of times as long the website allows them, tweeting constantly is not a way to tell us you are not crazy!

It never bothered me when people criticised my love for Take That. I was proud to be a fan. I held my head up high and ignored (most of the time) the comments made. I relish the fact the majority of my high school friends now love the boys and no longer hide the fact they do! And quite honestly, this is what all fandoms should do! IGNORE THE CRAP!!! Be proud to be a fan, ignore the comments and hold your head high but at the same time, please remember there is a big wide world out there, away from the boys! I highly doubt they would want you to miss out on that just so you can sit on the computer all day doing whatever you need to do be a good and loyal fan. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with wanting the boys to win everything, finding ways to meet them or even hoping they follow you, but at the same time, your life does not need to revolve around them.

Perspective: Where Should it Lie?

Yesterday, the world woke up to the news that 31 year old actor, Cory Monteith, best known for his role on Glee, had passed away suddenly in a hotel room in Vancouver. The news devastated not just his friends and his family, but the entirety of Hollywood and the huge Glee fandom. Even members of the press were torn up by the news. Twitter was filled up with an outpouring of grief and messages for Cory, showing just how well loved he was and how much he will be missed.

I will be honest, I am one of those affected. I am devastated and heartbroken at the loss of a core character of Glee. I am shocked at how sudden and unexpected it was. It was the last thing I expected to wake up to. I had hoped it was a hoax but reliable news sites were reporting it and there was an official police statement. I have also never seen such interest in a story, such a reaction to a sudden death. I remember the shock of the deaths of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, but something about this is different.

The problem is within a couple of hours of me finding out about the news, the typical comments started about people like me needing to put things into perspective. The reason was because of a news story in the UK. A fireman was killed, while on duty, tackling a shop fire. So where should my perspective lie?

I get that perhaps our culture is celebrity obsessed and perhaps we do ignore the stories which should really matter. But what do people expect me to do with these news stories? The fireman who died, he is not known and his family can be left in peace to grieve, to mourn, to lay him to rest. I feel for them, I do, and no one should ever be taken so young. I think the news story was reported as it is unusual these days for fireman, at least in the UK, to die while on duty. It helps to remind us that there are people putting their life in danger every day, just so people like us can be safe. I have the utmost respect for fireman, putting lives at risk to save people every day. But for most people, we read the story, feel for the family and then we move on, because it does not affect us, because we did not know them.

As for the loss of a young actor, I know I did not know him personally, but every week I watched act, sing and dance (though the latter was poorly) in a show that I have loved since it started in the UK. I won't grieve in the same way his friends, his family, his cast mates or anyone who he was close to will, but it does sadden me that this guy will no longer be on my screens. However, there is more to this story than just the loss of a talented actor.

Cory Monteith had never been one to shy away from his past drug and alcohol problems. He had always been honest that he had been to rehab at 19 and got clean. This year, he had returned to rehab in March and got himself sorted, got clean and turned his life around again. There is a good chance that his death is drug related, but for many people, we really hope it isn't. To the fans, his friends, his family, it appeared he was in a great place in his life and it was reported he was looking forward to returning to work. So therein lies the shock in this situation and we want answers. What happened that night? If it is drug related, why, after everything he has been through, would he go back down that route?

Then to top it off, there are the questions in relation to Glee. Will it be cancelled, leaving many people without a job or will it continue? If so, do the scripts need to be rewritten, will the start of filming be delayed, and if so, how long by? And then how will they deal with Cory's death, how will it affect storylines? For most TV Shows, if there is a loss of a cast member, they are usually older so the death can be written in easily, as was the case of Dallas, when Larry Hagman passed away last year. So many questions that people want answers to, which will take weeks for them to be answered.

I know I am not putting things into perspective in the way people want me to, but I can also see just how this one death affects so many lives in so many different ways. I was not one of those people who was affected by Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston's deaths but I finally get why people responded the way they did to the news their deaths. And perhaps, one day, someone in the public eye, who those who moan about perspective admire, will pass away and they will finally understand just why the fans feel the need to grieve, to mourn and to remember someone who meant so much to them, even though they never met them. But at the same time, we should be grateful that we will not have to publicly mourn our loved ones in the same way as those who have celebrities as loved ones will. We will have our privacy to deal with such awful news in our own way.

But remember, and I say this to the fans, who, for some, have perhaps overacted, life does not stop because someone has died, it goes on, whether we want it to or not.

Too Young to Know Better?

Every Monday, I receive an email from my daughter's school with the weekly newsletter attached. Usually I just scan, checking for anything that may be of importance to Rachael. But this week, a huge section of it caught my eye and absolutely shocked me. I am very lucky that my children go to a school where reports of bullying and bad behaviour rarely happens and when it does, it is dealt with quickly and seriously. So it should not come as surprise that the headteacher has gone to the lengths his has to deal with the current behaviour from a select few children. 

There has been racist behaviour and name calling, something luckily the school feels is simply unacceptable. But it has recently come to light that some children believe homophobic comments are acceptable, and use the word "gay" in an extremely negative light, specifically in relation to other children's clothes, hairstyles and even friendships between the same gender. But are these children too young to know better or are their parents' views being reflected on to them?

I consider myself to be quite a tolerant person, I accept people no matter their religion, ethnicity, colour and sexuality, but I have to admit I detest people who are bullies, racists or homophobic. So obviously when I read this newsletter, I was shocked and disgusted that children in junior school were behaving in this way! I agree with what the headteacher said in respect to parents' views in that they are not accepted within the school in any way and that each and every child should be treated equally with the same respect. I have quite few gay friends, all of whom I adore, accept and respect. Jonathan and I have brought up all of our children to be tolerant of other people, no matter their differences and they have met our gay friends a number of time, so luckily I know Rachael is not one of these children behaving in such a way.

To be honest, as my Dad said to me, they probably do not know any better. But even so, where are they getting such behaviour from? Obviously their parents! I totally understand that each parent wants to bring up their children up with their beliefs, morals and values but in a time where equality is becoming more and more realistic (even if we still have a long way to go), these parents should not be brainwashing their children into believing that being different is wrong! Give them the facts, the pros and cons and when they are old enough, let them make up their own minds! But do not turn them into racist, homophobic bullies!

I am very lucky to have been brought up to be independent and to have my own mind! I have many different beliefs, morals and values (but it does not mean it is a bad thing) to what my parents do and I do hope my children grow up to be the same especially in an ever changing world, just as long as they are tolerant and respectful of people different to them. And this is something every parent should be teaching their children.

So in answer to my own question, yes these kids are probably too young to know better, so have made a huge mistake for which they will suffer the consequences. The simple fact of the matter is that these parents should know better and make it clear that no matter their own views, behaviour like this should not happen and if it does, it will never be tolerated!

An Opinion of Someone Too Young to Remember

Think it is time to blog my two cents worth on the biggest news story in the UK currently: the death of the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher.

I turn 30 in just 11 days, so I was born during the era of Thatcherism. To many people, that means I am too young to remember and therefore should not have my say! But I am studying politics and one of my most recent books I had to read included the ideology that became a part of Thatcherism. I have also read enough news stories online and seen numerous documentaries where she was mentioned. I have even seen Billy Elliott the Musical, which quite honestly paints a very negative picture of her. The point is that many young people can still understand the past even if we did not live through it, or even if we just young children at the time. 

The one thing I do remember growing up was the fact my mother always voted for the conservatives during a general elections. I don't know why she did, she just did in my eyes. The other thing was having milk at school as I was one of those children who was affected by the removal of milk from school children. I don't remember what year it was and I don't remember how old I was when the milk stopped, but I do remember suddenly hating milk. Perhaps if it had not been taken away, I would willingly drink it these days without the need for flavouring it! But that is something we will never find out!

Over the past 24 hours, I have read many tweets, Facebook status updates and news reports about how she changed Britain for the better and I have read many that says she did not! The people who mourn are disgusted with those celebrating her death, but can you blame them? They are still angry with what she did and with how she destroyed so many lives! And the worst thing is, that we are still feeling those effects just a mere twenty years after she resigned as Prime Minister. I know, I am one of those people affected. Her sale of social housing may have helped people onto the housing ladder but it produced a major housing shortage, which is strongly felt today. I am one of those people stuck on a long waiting list for a property that may never come. I have waited NINE years and I am so close to the top but it does not mean I will get a property. 

They said she brought prosperity, but yet there were TWO recessions during her three terms in office. We were in the midst of one when she resigned. She was friends with leaders who were reknown for being dictators and creating oppression and she even called a symbol of hope, Nelson Mandela, a terrorist. Spending increased in all but two years of her term and yet somehow income tax was reduced. It seems to me that many of the problems we face today do in fact stem from the result of her policies and it is my generation and my children who are the ones who have to live with those consequences!

I know a number of people through Facebook and my university degree, who do remember what it was like and did suffer the consequences of her actions. Not one of them has a good word to say and simply think Good Riddance to her. So yes, I was one of those celebrating her death and yes, I brought Ding Dong the Witch is Dead (but my daughter loves the Wizard of Oz, so it was a good excuse) and I won't apologise towards anyone offended by my feelings towards her. I can hope that the UK public will come to realise that neither the Tories or Labour are doing much good for this great nation of ours and when they do, that they vote in a party who truly has the best interests of the public in mind when it comes to implementing policies!