I have a few fandoms that I am a part of. I love Dr. Who,
but I also love Fall Out Boy, Death Note (anime) and I grew up loving Harry
Potter and Twilight. I don’t really associate with just one fandom but a few.
At the same time, I have never gotten fully invested in just one show or idea.
The current fandom that I am heavily invested in is Dr. Who.
The values and narratives shared through Dr. Who are
adventure, friendship and an underlying idea of a forbidden romantic
relationship. Almost every doctor has at least one companion (over the few that
they have) that stimulates the feeling of more than a friendship. That is kind
of my pull into the show; I love romance, but I also love adventure and suspense.
The idea of a re-occurring theme was also really positive idea that I love. The
Doctor is someone who wants to help everyone and everything; humans, aliens
everything. That is why he calls himself The Doctor. Each actor emphasizes a
different idea and characteristic because that is how this actor sees the
Doctor and then personifies the character as they see it. Yes, some of it is
the writing and the screening that the writer has, but then the actor has to
have us believe it.
What I think binds the fans together is their love for the
idea of The Doctor (because he is always changing) and everything he stands
for. Everyone has their favorite doctor and I think that is the true connection
between fans. For example, I love Matt Smith as The Doctor while my boyfriend
like David Tennant and my roommate loves Christopher Eccleston and Peter Capaldi. I think it is what we see in each
of ourselves portrayed as the different doctors, which really attracts us to
the different doctors.
Everything changes but everything stays the same. The actor
for the Doctor changes which brings a different approach to the character, new
companions come with the new doctor, new ‘quirks’ (sayings, calling cards,
clothing) that always change, sometimes new villains and sometimes reoccurring
villains because of how wildly loved they are. Each new season could bring new
villains or simply upgrade past villains to a newer model where it is like
every day where things upgrade over time. I don’t think the setting of Great
Brittan plays too much of an important role. The show was created in Great
Brittan, and because of this, non-Brits romanticize the country. It is the idea
of adventure but still being a positive force in the world. The thing that I
believe saved the show was the re-boot that brought the show into our timeline.
It is that much more believable and relatable which makes it that much more
enjoyable for watchers today. It walks the line of this is happening in today’s
world so it’s believable, but it’s still fantastic enough to attract viewers.
Being in a fandom can be really influential and beneficial to people, being able to make connections and grow closer to people. Some people have a difficult time approaching others and making conversation, but having a similar interest from the get-go is a great ice-breaker. Especially when they enjoy the same aspects of the show and it's characters.
ReplyDeleteSome fans can be over the top though, you have to admit. They act as though show runners and actors owe them something. Because they view the show, they're suddenly owed the world on a silver platter. While their opinions may be heard and shared, they should never assume that they hold a high positions because of their interest. They should continue to love the programs they do and support the show runners and actors as much as they possibly can. Having a high and mighty persona turns people off from shows and unfortunately causes others to view the program in a negative light. An unfortunate problem I see a lot with Doctor Who fans :/