@Roz said in Fanbase entitlement:
I do still find how you talk about checking your boxes a bit off-putting and judgey (as opposed, I guess, to just being like, "oh nevermind they're not into the specific show I'm into," but maybe that's all your checkboxes mean, idk). I'd be kind of bothered if someone told me that they were like secretly quizzing me to determine if I was enough of a fan of something.
I have many faults, and mentally box-checking may be one of them. Those boxes aren't always dichotomous, and I find it useful to narrow conversations to things where there is that sort of mutuality of interest that creates great conversations. The boxes also include things like: "this person clearly knows way more than I do about a particular subject; I may be able to learn something from them."
This scheme is useful for robots. Especially those that are more than meets the eye.
@surreality said in Fanbase entitlement:
I recall these days. At the same time... the level of obsession people demand these days is just not something compatible with my real life (or capacity to remember shit, generally).
I have been told I have a remarkable capacity for remembering shit, especially shit that pissed me off enough to remember why. Perhaps, for too long, I lived with the adage of: "forgive, but never fucking forget."
I also remember stupid little bits of geekdom that has no relevance to my real life. Who needs to remember that "Ulugh Beg -- The Watcher" was the Tremere Justicar in Jyhad? Or that, in the same game, Apollonius was the suckiest Brujah that looked like a rip-off of Axl Rose?
Transformers is a bit different for me. Like @Roz, I grew up with a sibling who was also into them. I'm not surprised I missed "Sunstreaker," and it took me a few seconds to recall Ironhide and Ratchet too. I blame this on the fact that my brother and I didn't own them; the others we did, so the memories came back more easily. We still talk about G1 sometimes, even though he's into the new comics (along with his son, my nephew). So, Transformers is a family thing, rather than a mere nerdly obsession.
For many other things, though, buy all the merchandise you want, but if you're going to hold yourself out as a SUPERFAN, please have some knowledge of the band/anime/show. Lots of people do this -- at least, where I live.
Lastly, an exception: economics. Especially politicians. Just don't.