Fangirls, Stay Away From Tumblr

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A plea for fangirls everywhere to scale down their obsessions

We all have that stage where we obsessively fangirl over something. For me (and I can’t believe I’m admitting this) it was at age 12, when I discovered Good Charlotte.

MICHAEL ANDERSON

To say I was a big fan of the band is to put it lightly. I wallpapered my bedroom with pictures of the band until you couldn’t see the purple paint on the walls. I bought almost every piece of merchandise they sold, including a set of autographed bobbleheads still hidden in my closet, in the original packaging. I listened to their CDs so many times they started skipping. I wore their name proudly every day — whether it be a T-shirt, hoodie, or just a patch on my backpack. In school, I was called “the Good Charlotte girl.”

I thought my Good Charlotte days were pretty bad until I first logged on to Tumblr, a.k.a. the gathering of the fangirls, last summer.

A fangirl is someone who takes that one thing he or she (usually a she, though) really loves — such as a celebrity, television show, or band — and loves it to the point where their life revolves around it. They are extremely possessive of it — no one else can care more than the fangirl. Unfortunately, fangirls have taken to blogging their unhealthy obsessions on Tumblr, the microblogging website that has given us hilarious memes and fascinating photos, like “Lab Bums” — and it needs to stop. These fangirls aren’t fans anymore; it’s a race to be the most obsessive, and it isn’t genuine or fair to actual fans on the website.

Tumblr fangirls don’t need to stop loving the things they fangirl over. But they need to change how they fangirl over it. They need to stop focusing on what shoes their favorite actor is wearing, and remember why they became a fan. They need to remember how funny the actor was in that one movie no one else saw, or that dramatic performance that brought everyone to tears. They need to let that inspire them, rather than the actor’s favorite food.

Identifying a fangirl blog on Tumblr is easy. Look for pages and pages of images, videos and .GIFs — animated images — of the same band, television show, or celebrity. Then, you’ll notice the timestamp on each post is within minutes of the one preceding it. Fangirls do not sleep; it cuts into blogging time. Under each post, you’ll see a comment that attempts to express the fangirl’s feelings on the content; it is usually a jumble of capitalized letters — the virtual version of a squee (“SHDLKFAHSLKDFWIEORH”), a .GIF (one of an exploding volcano with “OVARIES” written over it in block text seems to be pretty popular), or a frustrated phrase that doesn’t make any sense (like “stab me in the feelings”) or is borderline stalkerish (“let me love you”).

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with listening to the same band for weeks on end, or paying an absurd amount of money for a concert ticket in the nosebleed section. Everyone has that one thing they enjoy so, so much, everything else seems to pale in comparison. Look at the people who attend ComicCon every year in elaborate cosplay. For these fans — the “normal” fans — their obsession is based on what we should be obsessing about — how genuinely good something is, and for them, it’s meaningful. Penny Lane said it best in “Almost Famous”: “We are not groupies. Groupies sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. We are here because of the music, we inspire the music. We are Band-Aids.”

Tumblr fangirls are a different story. They’re extreme to the point where it isn’t about the subject they are fangirling anymore. It’s a competition — who can post the most pictures, who can get a reaction from a band member or actor via Twitter, who can attend the most concerts or know the most quotes from a show, or who can make the most ridiculous comment professing their undying love. A “Parks and Recreation” blog can’t just feature pictures of Amy Poehler and Adam Scott being cute in character. Instead, a “Parks and Rec” fangirl needs to post picture after picture of waffles, with maple syrup oozing down the sides, a hefty dollop of whipped cream on top, because that’s what Leslie Knope (Poehler) loves to eat, so by default it’s what the fangirl loves to eat. Any other fans who don’t blog about waffles just aren’t good enough.

These fangirls need to cool it. Their method of fangirling is cheapening whatever they are trying to obsess over, and it makes everyone involved uncomfortable. I feel embarrassed to admit I even have a Tumblr, because I don’t want to be associated with these fangirls. It’s hard to find an authentic fan blog focused on anything I’m interested in, too, because they’re all too extreme. When I search “The Black Keys” on Tumblr, I want to discover some interviews or videos of a recent concert, not a photo of drummer Patrick Carney with the caption “He’s so cute and precious I want to put him in my pocket and kiss him.” And I know I’m not alone.

So here’s what I’m proposing, Tumblr fangirls: if you want to run your blog “right,” you need to make your posts about why you’re a fan of so-and-so. Post that really inspiring speech Amy Poehler gave at Harvard last year, or that clip of The Black Keys’s first San Francisco show, where they killed it despite the tiny crowd. Everyone will see that you appreciate why these people are in the spotlight, rather than simply their good looks or style — and it will make your blog so much better. Hell, maybe even the best fan blog on your subject.

And hey, fangirls, while you’re at it, open yourselves up to other bands, to other television shows, even to other fans. Who knows — you might find a favorite new artist, or end up making a new friend with a shared interest. And you won’t creep anyone out in the process.

46 comments

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  6. I’m willing to bet you’ve never read a single word written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unless it’s in one of those BBC tie-in editions with Beerstein Crunchyfrog fizog plastered on the cover.

    You insist that you’re “different” because you watch a show that has been a media institution for fifty years, has garnered over 80 million unique viewers since its relaunch in 2005 and regularly pulls in ten percent of the entire population of the United Kingdom, and also because you are a fan of a flashy TV show about a detective that has been around in some form or other since 1887, who is known by the entire world, and who has become a globally-recognised synonym for sleuthing and detective work.

    As for being a “Cumberbitch” (what is it with you ‘people’ and coming up with demonyms for yourselves? I’m sure I remember a time when people used to just listen to/watch the things they enjoyed rather than come up with entire religions based around them. Besides anything, the man looks like he’s transforming into a snake. The scene in Conan the Barbarian where Thulsa Doom magically turns into a giant python? That was a dramatisation of Binliner Crackerjack’s birth.

    This indicates that you’re just another teenage imbecile who’s so eager to defend the objects of their obsession that they don’t notice the Japanese puzzle box they’re twisting themselves up in. The sort of teenage imbecile who runs out and buys a T-shirt that reads “YOU LAUGH BECAUSE I’M DIFFERENT, I LAUGH BECAUSE YOU’RE ALL THE SAME” then wonders why every other ‘beautiful and unique snowflake’ at their local rock club’s pop n’ crisp night is wearing the exact same thing.

    People don’t mind it when you’re a fan of something, but when you react to even perceived slights like somebody’s just urinated in your mouth while setting fire to your curtains, then it tends to rub people up the wrong way.

  7. Whilst I admit that there are a few fans who do have an unhealthy obsession, the majority don’t, and generalizing people into stereotypes is unjust. So what if I have a cardboard cutout of David Tennant? What does it matter that I read fanfiction? I still understand the difference between fantasy and reality, but tumblr provides an escape for many people who are suffering in the real world, whilst still maintaining a grip on reality; tumblr and fandoms provide a family that I know I can confide in and will understand what I’m going through, when my real family hates me and I’m begging to not wake up the next morning.

    So overall, society has a stereotype for fangirls/boys that has been defined by the media (note how only the scary fans ever get noticed in the news); yes there are the extremists, like with any group, but then there are people like me who respect our idols and in no way condone the sometimes stalkerish and possessive actions displayed the lone few.

    Anyway, thank you for presenting your opinion in such a polite (un-insulting) way!!

  8. I don’t think the tumblr fangirls are the obsessive fangirls… obsessive fangirls are worse than than, they could send their period blood to their idols. Those tumblr fangirl/boys/otakus/geeks/nerds you mention are the more enthusiastic fans compared to the “normal” fans you were saying. Well, to be fair, maybe you haven’t actually heard of the really extreme fans. So the ones you were referring to are actually more sane then you think.

  9. I will never stop obsessing over bands, singers, actors and whatever else I want too. This article was not something I enjoyed reading, how dare you tell fan-girls to scale down their obsessions! I go on Tumblr to see what my idols have been up to and to also see funny things that they have done, it makes me smile seeing them and I won’t every stop fangirling!

  10. Well obviously you don’t have a fucking life either if you’re here judging everyone in the comments. I hope you guys realize that fangirls won an internet war against Beliebers. Beliebers, in all their glory. That means the so-called NORMAL FUCKING FANGIRLS as well. You and the author both are treading on dangerous grounds. Keep your smartass attitudes up and you’ll get yourself in some bad situations in life. And you’ll have no friends to back you up.

  11. Bullying? Telling the truth isn’t bullying dear. You’re obviously not mentally stable for the mere fact that I stated ‘if this does not apply to your person you may simply disregard my comment’ there is a difference between passion and obession. I guess following a guy around I have a crush on and stalking his social media accounts is passian as well. I guess fatal attraction is passion as well.

    Your logic is flawed. You’re mad because you’re worthless to the object of your obession, you’re not special. Nor are you unique. You can die the next day, and your “beau” wouldnt care or notice that you were missing.And what I said bothered you.

    You’re a predictable nobody, you did exactly as I said some fangirls would do.

    Also no you share a hive with others who have unhealthy tendencies as much as you do. Also get get thick skin please. No one came to your account or your home to assult you. If you let others opinion get to you then YOU ARE WEAK. Especially when it wasn’t directed towards mentally healthy fan girls, since most of the mentally stable individuals have a good grasp on what reality is. You felt threatened thus you felt the need to retaliate, because deep down you know my comment applies to you. Haha have a nice day 😀

  12. You know how butthurt your comment seems right? Like you let an anon’s comment get to you right? Someone you don’t know in real life right? I guess the truth hurts. And I kind of agree with the anon.

  13. My thing is if it doesn’t apply let it fly. If its not true then let it go, it doesn’t apply to you. If it is then the truth just simply hurts. But I find anime fanboys creepier. Tumblr fangirls can be b*tches only when their favorite actor or singer is dating someone(ahem the twitter stalking is not cute). But the bronies and anime fanboys are faaaaaaaaar worse. I rather get hated by tumblr fangirls then bronies or anime fanboys(a**hole brigade). Tumblr fangirls are just annoying with the “my ovaries” “did I just get pregnant? ” “perfection” “this perfect human” “my feels”. Those lines are kind of cheesy and just corny. But there are some decent fangirls who actually make comments like “his performance was excellent” “I love his vocal skills”. If any of my friends came to me like “My ovaries exploded, his voice! His voice!” I’d probably want to b*tch slap them, unless they were joking or mocking.

  14. I am aware of my mental state thank you very much and I am also stable. I am a passionate superwholockian, cumberbitch a and a million more. It is not your place to judge us because we are different. That’s why we turn to places like tumblr because we aren’t accepted anywhere else for being who we are.

  15. I am a fangirl and I am bloody proud of it. We do need to hold it together all the time no matter what so we don’t get bullied by close minded people who condemn fangirling. That doesn’t always work so we go to places like tumblr to be accepted as an individual and meet other individuals who have the same passions as we do. If that is too much for you then you can very much fuck off you assbutt.

  16. Oh lord it seems as if you’ve pissed the little monsters off. The truth hurts. When tumblr…yes and I do mean tumblr since the majority of the females on thelicentiousnessicentiousnesse have been declared mentally unstable and annoying by the internet. They say the most sickening things or post the most distasteful pictures of their objects of obession that makes normal people gag or simply have no desire in enjoying the show/movie/band that the tumblr crowd does. Oh yes, they will write you out long winded paragraphs and essays about how their actions are justified. If this article doesn’t apply to your personal character (you) then it shouldn’t bother you.

    Otherwise you feel threatened because someone criticized your confused labyrinth of a psyche. Anyone who has a healthy admiration for anything wouldn’t even let this article (by one little opinion by a faceless anon) get to them. Deep down you are aware of your mental instabilities and you rather delusion yourself into thinking that your psychologically terrifying obessions are normal.

    So you write these little mentally self defeating post to someone who probably doesn’t care about you to convince them and others that obsessively fawning and libertinism warrants respect
    From the rest of the internet. With that your defending something that isn’t concrete. Anime/Cartoon characters? Not real, nothing but computer generated artwork. Actors/Singers? Unless your wealthy or a celebrity yourself you don’t stand a chance. Another faceless sheep from that one thing your willing to desperately defend doesn’t know or care about your existence.

  17. Well frankly I couldn’t care less what they do on their blogs. What really annoys me is ships. When I’m trying to find decent pictures of friendships from manga or whatever, I do not appreciate only being able to find a ton of fan art of those two characters having sex…. It seriously pisses me off……..

    Gah!

  18. Hi, you sit there and type this out like you sit on a fucking high pedestal, don’t you? You’re being downright offensive and assumptive, and I don’t think you wonder about the mass of people you’re hurting right about now by telling them off on something they like to do.
    If you had some common sense, you’d stop yourself before you sit down and type out this rather angry and quite sad article, and you’d think about whether you have a right to say this or not. No, you don’t. Because you have no fucking right to tell people how to live their lives. You make a fangirl sound like a fucking disease you should stay away from. How would you feel if someone told you off on something that you’re passionate about in this disgusting manner? Tell you off as if you were dirt under a shoe? Angry. You wouldn’t say, “Oh. OK.” and give them a thumbs and a gracious smile and stop whatever it is you’re passionate about.
    Look, you inconsiderate jack ass, I’m a fangirl. Yes, I look at photos of Benedict Cumberbatch or Matt Smith and say, “I want to eat you.” It’s something called light humor. It’s fucking ridiculous if you think I’m pushing it by saying that. You act like I’m actually going to hop on a plane to the UK and eat him. Are you in your right senses? And it can be a form of affection, like “ASDFGHJKL WOW HE’S SO AMAZING” doesn’t mean I’m some thickheaded thirteen year old who spends all fucking night stalking a celebrity. I can appreciate him and his work deeply and thoroughly enjoy everything he does for TV/the music/cinema industry at the same time.
    And when you said that in the tags there is a difference of just a minute between each posts, haha, PLEASE, not everyone lives in the same timezone as you do. At 3AM in the morning, it can be 6PM somewhere else and someone might be blogging at that time.
    I’m so sorry if I came out as rude and disrespectful, but in my opinion you were much more disrespectful to OTHER PEOPLE, who might have, oh I don’t know, FEELINGS, and you completely and wholly deserve what you just got. You are being a complete bully, and one day, I hope you realize how you may affect some people deeply. Really, get a life. Open YOUR fucking eyes. Tumblr is still what it always was before fangirls. Tumblr is still awesome. It will always be awesome. Please get that into your narrow-minded, selfish head. Have a good day.

  19. Well, the 100% of my friends in tumblr are 100000% more in control with my friends in twitter (all of them want to marry their idols, all of them believe that some day will, all of them use just the clothes they use just because their idol uses it and they stalk their idol more than they live) it depends on the fangirl, not in the site 😉 And if your ovaries have never exploted with a sexy girl/boy then you haven’t been in tumblr because for your knowlege it means that the guy or girl inthe picture turns you on or is too sexy. Be TOLERANT.

  20. sooo how many of you fangirls have fake baby showers and post pictures of what you and your idols baby will look like online…maybe just maybe thats a bit overboard for a middle school kid. i love how the peoe jumping in are probably teenagers anyways..but what about a parents point of view…? fake babyshowers are crazy.

  21. You know, these “normal fans” you’re refering to… I’m sorry to say that but I don’t think there is such a thing. Every artist or cosplayer or whatsoever I met over the last few years at Conventions and Fan-Meetings were like: “Hey, nice to meet you. You wanna stay in contact? Here’s my tumblr, so add me maybe.”
    No exeptions. I got all these people on tumblr now.

  22. I agree with this post. I’ve never been an obsessed fangirl. When I’m a fan of something I respect it. I don’t go on about wanting to have the persons babies, wanting to date him etc. That is just crazy. I also have posters in my room but it’s of different bands that I like. I wouldn’t theme my room with one thing
    either.

    A lot of obsessed fan girls irritate me but I leave them alone. Sometimes when someone loves something they want to be surrounded by it and that’s fine. Just don’t get obsessed. You have to know where to draw the line.

    I see a lot of angry comments and it just shows how much of a nerve you hit, when you try and make crazy people notice that what they are doing is unhealthy they will just get more crazy. I would just leave them alone and not fuel the fire by calling them out, there is psychologists for that. Rather let the professionals handle the nuts. And who knows maybe one day they will grow up/grow out of it like you did.

  23. I just read your post about this, and I have to be honest, I dislike Tumblr so much. But that doesn’t mean I hate it. Tumblr is actually a perfect site for fandoms to assemble. They share what they love, create fanarts and fanfics as well, and all those things. At some point, it’s unhealthy if you’re too obsess about it, and that is really a bad thing. Even though I don’t like it as well, I respect their choices and their obsessions. The way you said it, however, it really is a bit sexist. There are fanboys as well, but well, in Tumblr, I can only see mostly fangirls. They are free to share things they love, things that they can’t show in public since most people will not understand them. That is what Tumblr is. Tumblr unites fangirls and fanboys worldwide, and that’s why Tumblr is a good thing. But most of them are in the unhealthy stage, and sometimes it greatly affects real-life situations.

    *For fangirls out there, forgive me if this offend you in any ways, and just take this as an opinion, okay?*

    In my opinion, some hardcore fangirls cannot define between reality and fantasy anymore. The truth is, there is no way we can identify the line whether fan girling is good or bad. It’s impossible. It depends on each people. For some, it’s okay. But for some also, it’s not good either. I used to be a fangirl as well, but I stopped since these things started to affect my point of view. My friend, who is a hardcore fangirl type, loves Tom Hiddleston very much. I like him as well, but only to the level of respecting him as an actor. I know that he is a very philosophical person, a gentleman, a very extremely talented actor, and very kind. But my friend found him very sexually-frustating. Not him only, but other British actors as well. It’s getting really unhealthy, and she can no longer define between what’s real and what’s not. She procrastinated so much, and she always forgets about homework and focus only on fanfictions, movies (that has the actor she likes in it), and pictures of him. That is basically the image I can picture from hardcore-level of fangirls.

    Most of them also set their bars very high on guys. Aside from British actors, there are fangirls who likes other things such as Justin Bieber, Twilight, 1D, and many more. As we know, not all guys are perfect. I know that these days guys that are ‘perfect’ (such as Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, and other famous icons) are rare gems, but can’t we accept normal guys’ imperfections as well?

    To make it simple, I have this hate-love relationship with Tumblr. I love it since it has many fandoms and fangirls that have similar obsession with me, and love the same things like I do. But I also dislike it for its unhealthy posts in some blogs, and where they can no longer define between reality and fantasy.

    End of rant. Again, I apologize if any of this offends you greatly.

  24. Well honey, that’s your opinion…
    Another funny thing is that I’ve made a lot of friends that fits your description and I have these explosions of ovaries to thank for it. Not to mention our love of Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hiddleston and pudding. All this thanks to tumblr, because this way of phrasing and blogging is humorous to us. We find these things funny.
    So yes, I’m a fangirl but I’ve also made good friends with others like me. We’re not competitive, we’re equals.

  25. Okay, there are lots of things wrong here. Not just with the article, but also with the comments.

    And I will write here starting with the fact that I am completely aware of my obsessive behaviour over things, you see, when I like something, I usually love it to the point of sick obsession or ignore it completely. But, I’ll tell you, something I know exactly the reasons why I do love something so much, most of the times is because said fandom contributes in some deep way to my personality and life, and has taught me something. I used to be a die hard potterhead. To the point of knowing every single spell from the books, the films, and the video games. I knew the names of the whole cast, most of their ages and birthday dates, I own all the books, the DVDs and I could keep going with the list, but I never felt competitive about it. I know that all that doesn’t make me more or less of a fan compared with others. I accept that I didn’t used to like it when someone came to me professing their love for HP when they didn’t have read the books, but it was because, in my mind, they were missing the most magical part of the fandom, since the books started it all. Harry Potter is ‘over’ now, and guess what, I moved on to other fandoms, because, that’s the nice thing about Tumblr, it just opens your doors to so many other places to discover and love.

    Some times there are blogs dedicated to just one thing, and most of those times, said blogs are made with that sole purpose. I mean, lets say that have my personal blog, in which there are many things I love, all the fandoms together, but if I’m over obsessed with Tom Hiddleston at the moment, I make another blog, just for stuff about him, so people who is interested in him and him alone, can follow. And as a matter of fact, you could go to my blog you’ll find all those fist interviews with him, all those moments and quotes that make him especial, that made me get interested in him in first place, past his appearance.

    I’m giving you my personal examples because I want to get to the point that obsessing about something is not wrong. Yeah, sometimes people say nonsense Let me love you, Right in the feels, all that, but that’s just part of the fandom, say, expressions, and actually that’s pretty much all over Tumblr, no matter how ‘obsessed’ is the blog.

    Now, people here are reacting quite harshly, yes. Because, for many Tumblr is our place to be ourselves, and by ourselves I mean “act as we can’t in public”. I can’t go around saying all the reasons I have to love Tony Stark, or Captain America and Avengers in general. I cave to stay put if I see a nice poster of Chris Evans in the mall, not make a noise and say out loud Let me love you. So we do that in our blogs. And that some third party comes and says that we need to go somewhere else just because, well that’s unnerving. But still not that way to do so.

    I’m open to discuss this matter further, my tumblr is themadnessswithin.tumblr.com If anyone wants to say something to me.

  26. Hi everyone. I know the author of this article and she’s really chill, and not some demon that is close minded or mean. You guys are complaining how condescending this *opinion* article is, and then being really condescending in return, as well as insulting.

    She didn’t even say that much, and if she did, it wasn’t completely not in the “fangirls” favor. She gives the fangirl side of tumblr credit (hence, Almost Famous quote). She is just saying that there is a level of tumblr full of fangirl-ism that is overwhelming. Back in the day I used to spend half my life on LiveJournal. I was a fangirl to LiveJournal what fangirls are to tumblr, today, and its not different. I used to do the same things – post things nonstop, feel competitive if someone thought they were a bigger fan than me. And I DEFINITELY see that today on tumblr. I don’t know if the subject is worth debating, if at all, but thats why this is just a small op-ed, and one that isn’t really that incriminating.

    Also, she isn’t “bullying” fan girls. If anything, the way “fangirls” on tumblr obsess over things on tumblr in an overwhelming way is, in some regards, more akin to bullying. It’s a group mentality (as seen in comments above) where everyone is either with or against you. She is saying, as some people who are less vocal fans of something, they feel overwhelmed by those who are more vocal and act like they practically own Tom Hiddleton’s face.

  27. lmfao these comments are hilarious and just go to show how true your article is :-)…the only ones offended here are the ones who have no lives.. bahahaha and they’re such trolls for trying to make attacks at you too.

  28. Opinion writers- stay away from the internet
    A plea for opinion writers everywhere to check facts and actually know something about what they’re writing before they sit down in front of a computer and embarrass themselves

    I find this article hilarious. You’re every bit the mother-that-discovers-daughter/son’s (oh hey, nice job on the sexism)-blog-and-gets-a-tumblr-to-stalk-them. Even if you’ve followed the most enthusiastic, most competitive of us (Though honestly I have never seen competitive fangirling/fanboying. Did you mean enthusiasm? Just because someone posts 5 posts a minute does not mean he/she is out to impress. It probably means he/she is very fond of the alt+reblog feature.) defining them in the way that you did is blatantly wrong, hopelessly ignorant and makes me reconsider my decision to major in journalism, if my peers and colleagues are to be like this. I literally cannot wait until your opinion piece on ships, fanfiction, and fanart. That you didn’t include them is even more evidence to the already overgrown pile of facts that show you have no idea what you’re talking about.
    First of all, here is a definition of joke:
    joke (n) something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act.
    With that in mind, reread “let me love you” (Stalkerish, really? Yes, our goal in life is to actually track down our favorite celebrities and force them to love us. Logical.) (Also, if it wasn’t clear, the previous parenthesis was a joke.)
    I find it absurd that you go around on the internet telling people how to be a True Fan. I will reblog as many waffles, multifandom things, twitter posts from celebrities and essay-length commentary and how gorgeous Benedict Cumberbatch’s eyes are as I want. You are not allowed to dictate how anyone can show admiration or respect for any actor or band. You are not allowed to look down on people because they express their feelings differently. Just so you know- We don’t sit in front of a computer 24/7 looking at pictures of celebrities. The reason people are inclined to spend so much time on Tumblr is because it’s a community of people who like the same things we do. We’re not in it for the 6 thousandth post about Tom Hiddleston’s eyes, we’re on Tumblr because there are people out there who like Tom Hiddleston as much as we do. It’s a *social* blogging site.
    Dear Lord, please tell me you did not just give me tips on how to ‘blog better’. Tips for better opinion writing: 1) Step off your delusional pedestal of “the right way to be a fan”. I honestly do not own any posters or merchandise and have a social life that I really can’t seem to get rid of. I do not think that this makes me a better person, a better fan, or in general a better Tumblr user than those who do. In fact, I’m pretty envious of fans who have posters and merchandise- they’re dedicated. I’ve come across blogs that are dedicated specifically to an actor’s ass, and I’ve been smart enough to a) see that it’s a joke and b) see that the fan is dedicated, if in a joking way.
    2) Check facts. If you’re going to write a piece about a website, at least make it sound like what you did was more than sign up for 5 minutes.
    3) Don’t compare yourself to the intended audience. Ever.
    4) Pay attention to language- condescending is hardly the right tone when trying to get your point across. With that in mind, go ahead and delete this whole article because all of it is hilariously condescending.
    5) Did you just call Tumblr fangirls/fanboys abnormal? That we’re not as good as ComicCon cosplayers? Okay, ignore all the tips up to now. Here’s the most important pro tip that I could ever hope to give you about writing: Stop writing.
    I think the real issue here isn’t keeping fangirls/fanboys off Tumblr, it’s more about keeping people like you off the computer, period.

  29. Well sweetheart, here’s an idea, if it bothers you so much, why don’t you stay away from tumblr?

    Honey, there’s a lot of ways you can keep away from these terribly, awful fangirls you hate so much, you don’t even need to be that smart, your level of intelligence it’s enough.

    So please shut the hell up and get the fuck over yourself.

  30. -tilts head-

    I find it curious that the author of this article would even know about these so-called over obsessive “fangirls”. That would mean that the author would have had to have either sought them out or followed a blog that was about a certain person or subject. And I also find it rather hypocritical of the author to say that what she sees as an unhealthy level of liking something, when she herself admits to doing just the same and even more.

    And the very definition of a blog is for someone, or sometimes even a group, to record opinions, information, images, art, ect. And yes some fans, note that I do not single out either the fan is male or female because males can be just as guilty as the females, go out and buy various merchandise for various reasons. I myself am guilty of it. Simply because I /enjoy/ it. It makes me happy. It makes me feel a little more connected to whatever fandom I got it for. (Sorry if that seems a little odd but that’s just me. Heh.)

    But you see, my thinking is that, the images and gifs and merchandise are there for a reason. Someone enjoys the work of whoever or whatever it is and opens the door for more potential people to see and enjoy it as well. I honestly don’t think many of the famous artists (whether they be in film, music, ect) would be “famous” if it weren’t for a few of those enthusiastic fans. If say, going by the authors standards, someone posted a single post with a picture of a specific actor that person thought was talented with calm statistics or reviews. That one post would be lost (because honestly, who wants to look at a post that looks boring as hell and doesn’t catch any attention with flashing gifs or hilariously photoshoped memes?) and if it was lost, there would possibly be no new fans and with no new fans, the movie doesn’t make money, and if the movie doesn’t make money, then the actor is out of a job. In fact, I think a lot of artists rely on the enthusiasm of fans since they themselves can’t go and advertise their work without looked like an ass who just wants attention.

    And perhaps some fans do go a little over the top, but it’s not a crime to be excited or enjoy something.
    If it annoys you there is no one making you stay where you are. Simply unfollow that person or ignore those particular posts. Blogging is a way for people of the same interest to meet and share their love for something.

    And actually, using myself as an example, some fans may have a tough time finding people on the outside to really connect with for various reasons. My reason was because many of the teens in my high school and college just didn’t have the same interests as I did. It can be very isolating. Blogging and “fangirling” over something that a person enjoys can really help them build a group of people who understand and appreciate, and even sometimes support when necessary, that interest. Many times, fans meet their best friends or even partners on fansites. It can help a person open up a little more, not just on the internet, but the outside world as well. The author looks on nothing but what she calls the “bad” of blogging without acknowledging the good that comes with it too. You can’t have one without the other.

    I get that this is her opinion on the matter but it is a bit of a bother to put /all/ “fangirls” into the same category without fleshing more of it out. Ah! Sorry, didn’t mean to ramble. That’s just my take on it.
    -shrug-

  31. I have a lot of issues with this. It’s offensive, it’s demeaning, it’s one-sided… I’m not sure what else I can say that other people haven’t articulated incredibly well in the comments above mine.

    “Everyone will see that you appreciate why these people are in the spotlight, rather than simply their good looks or style — and it will make your blog so much better.”
    Because the sole reason we are fangirls (and fanboys, I feel the need to point out that that term exists for a reason) is for social recognition? … right. We KNOW how amazing these actors are, trust me on that. Why do you think we fangirl? Simply because of their looks and their style? Please. It’s a factor, yes, but it’s a mere drop in the ocean.

    “open yourselves up to other bands, to other television shows, even to other fans. Who knows — you might find a favorite new artist, or end up making a new friend with a shared interest”
    Judging by that statement, I’m not sure you realise how many communities there are on Tumblr. We have in-jokes, we are united by our love for our fandoms, and we do actually discover new things through each other, believe it or not.

    You’re implying that there is one way, and only one way, that someone can show their love and appreciation for a fandom/actor/band/whatever and I’m sorry, but that’s completely out of order.
    If the only way you can like or love something is quietly and without excitement (and incoherent capitals), great, you do that. The rest of us “fangirls who need to stay away from Tumblr” will continue to well, fangirl. On Tumblr. Please don’t try and tell us that we need to stay away from it; we have our own blogs, and we have the right to post whatever the hell we want.
    The little x in the top right is your friend, say hi if things start bothering you. The “unfollow” button is also your friend.

    One more thing, “it isn’t genuine or fair to actual fans”? Pardon my French, but bullshit. Who on earth are you (or anyone) to determine who “actual fans” are?

  32. You know what, this is honestly really offensive.

    Not only because it is sexist (excuse me but the term fanboy exists for a reason) and self-righteous (what the hell gives you the right to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do on my blog?) but also obtuse, wrong and gratuitously demeaning to a lot of people.

    Well, sorry if you feel you have to be serious all the time, some of us actually like to joke around and, you know, have fun.
    We’re not blind. We know actors are awesome, that bands are talented etc… Newsflash: that’s why we love them!
    If you think the only proper way to like/love something is to put it on a bookshelf and spend your day writing in your journal about how technically good it is, fine. I like to do that, too, from time to time.

    But honestly, I’d rather be excited about it and shower it with love, and if that translates as irritating capslocks, guess what?

    The cross button in the upper right corner is there for you.

  33. Haha, very nice use of generalizations and biased opinion to attack a specific ‘group’ of people. It would probably be beneficial to follow your own advise and stay away from tumblr if free speech on the /internet/ is just too much for you – in free blog space, no doubt. Unless this entire article was actually a joke. For your sake, I’ll assume this was the case.

  34. I think someone needs to sit this person down and very gently and patiently explain the concept of a “joke.” And then that patient soul should further go on to explain the concept of “in-jokes,” and why they might not be funny to people who overhear them without knowing the full story. Then, finally, this person could explain the concept of “fan sites,” (which may or may not be affiliated with the fan sites network) which contain interviews, bios, press releases, videos, and neatly labeled photos, and “personal blogs” (which may or may not be hosted on tumblr) and which frequently contain “jokes” and “in-jokes.” I myself don’t have the patience to define all those terms, so I’ll just point out that there are dudes on tumblr, too, and that misogyny is SO two-thousand-and-late.

  35. Honestly, yes there are some of use who compete with each other but what you don’t seem to realize is Tumblr is a way for us to “fangirl’ over the things we like and talk to people who like the same things we do. I agree also with the comment that fans ARE NOT just girls. Here’s a hint: If you don’t like what you see click the UNFOLLOW button. there now you don’t have to see us “fangirl” or whatever you think we do. Personally i think you just want something to complain about, no one is making you read our posts. Please stop bashing us, because it’s honestly not going to do much. It’s just annoying.

  36. Hi Ashley, My name is Sydnie and I don’t like you very much. I feel what you just said is kind of rude. Fans (which includes boys AND girls so you shouldn’t be putting this all on one gender) are allowed to love something as much as they please. This is the particular moment where I started to really dislike you:
    “A fangirl is someone who takes that one thing he or she (usually a she, though) really loves — such as a celebrity, television show, or band — and loves it to the point where their life revolves around it. They are extremely possessive of it [They are people, TV shows, and bands. Just because we like them so much doesn’t mean we say we own them] — no one else can care more than the fangirl. Unfortunately, fangirls have taken to blogging their unhealthy obsessions on Tumblr, the microblogging website that has given us hilarious memes and fascinating photos, like “Lab Bums” — and it needs to stop. These fangirls aren’t fans anymore; it’s a race to be the most obsessive, and it isn’t genuine or fair to actual fans on the website.”
    You know that you’re a bully right? You’re talking about how I need to stop doing something that I love, because you don’t think it’s right anymore. Wow, hey could you tell me the part where it says somewhere that you can tell me and my friends what we can and cannot do? Because you’re not my mom, which means I don’t really have to listen to any of your bullshit. It’s a blogging site, which means people can blog about whatever the fuck they want. You didn’t create it, so therefore you cannot dictate it. If you don’t like the things someone blogs then: DON’T. FOLLOW. THEM.

  37. “And hey, fangirls, while you’re at it, open yourselves up to other bands, to other television shows, even to other fans. Who knows — you might find a favorite new artist, or end up making a new friend with a shared interest. And you won’t creep anyone out in the process.”
    Isn’t that what a multi fandom blog is for? I just don’t think you should dictate how people profess their love for something.
    I love Tome Hiddleston, I would say things like “he’s so cute I want to eat him.”
    But I don’t love him primarily because he’s cute. I love him because of his AMAZING acting, because his bright personality and just everything about him.
    Yes, I post numerous photosets and gif sets of him on my blog.
    But then again, who are you to tell somehow to run their blog, or better yet, how to run their lives?
    If their overenthusiastic, competitive to a point where it gets annoying, DON’T FOLLOW THEM.
    Why do you even care what they do?
    Its not hurting you in anyway.

  38. I was honestly going to pass this by, but it is really hurtful to read this and see that nobody else has weighed in to tell you how out of line you are. This article is incredibly mean-spirited and seems to be based on opinions that you feel (wrongly I might add) are shared by almost everyone.

    Going by your description, I would be classed as a fangirl, but I take offense to the things you label me, and other fangirls, of. I am not obsessive, I have a genuine, healthy life outside of tumblr and I know that most people can take the way I talk about the things in fandom that I like for being purposefully over-the-top and playful. Yes, I say those things, and you know what? It’s not stalker-ish; I can genuinely say that I have no desire to stalk celebrities, but most people understand that we (the fangirls) are OVER EXAGGERATING for HUMOUR (which you appear not to have heard of, it’s quite a common form of joking around) and if you don’t understand the phrases, ‘stab me in the feelings’ or whatever, then that isn’t OUR problem, because other people on tumblr definitely do.

    You know what? It is very small minded of you to act as if we are all sitting alone in our rooms with no outside contact just because we like to blog about our fandoms in an over excited manner – and even if we are, how the FUCK is that any of your business? If you don’t like the way we contribute to the fandom, well honey, it ain’t hurting anyone, so you can just back the hell off.

    And hey, here’s my blog, so have a go at me for something specific if you’d like, because I have a lovely group of girls behind me saying that that shit isn’t worth my time at all. Judging people who you have never met and making generalisations that seem to be based on something that doesn’t even make sense is petty and will make you absolutely zero friends. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME, ASHLEY. Have fun perusing my blog, if you don’t think it’ll affect you too adversely.

    http://maja-likes-stuff.tumblr.com/

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