Ealasaid A. Haas
Opinion Writing
March 8, 2001During my senior year of undergraduate school, one of my good friends graced me with a title.
I had just returned from seeing "The Greeks" with my Classics professor, and regaled my friend with the tale of discovering Marc Alaimo was in the cast and getting his autograph after the show (Alaimo played my favorite character, Gul Dukat, on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"). When I gushed about how nice he’d been in person and what a great performance he gave, she laughed at me, and declared me "The Überfan."
See, I do that kind of thing all the time. And not just over Star Trek (which I haven’t actually been heavily into for years).
For me, being a fan isn’t just about one particular show or film or actor or whatever . It’s about all the things and people who interest and excite me.
I do come by it honestly – my Mother will get hooked on actors or films and see everything by that actor, or see the same film repeatedly. Back in her college days, she was active in science fiction fandom, and was even Leonard Nimoy’s security organizer for one event.
I didn’t really become a fan until first grade, when Mom and Dad took me out of school to see "Star Wars" Episodes IV-VI at a special one-time anniversary showing in Berkeley. I was hooked.
I still have the action figures, ships, coloring books, storybooks, and records I collected. Heck, I’m still a fan – I have action figures of Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin on my desk near my computer as I write this, and a Darth Vader figurine mug is holding my pencils.
See, when I decide something is worth going nuts over, I stick with it. As a result, I can pepper any conversation (if it seems appropriate) with references to actors, films, musicians, authors, and books I adore.
In many ways, I’m grateful for the title my friend gave me – somehow "The Überfan" sounds better than "rabid fangirl." It shows the respect my hobby deserves.
Being a fan has enriched my life. I’ve met friends, both in my hometown and around the world, I never would have met otherwise. I’ve learned a surprising number of obscure facts (for example, nearly every culture on earth has a vampire myth of some kind). I’ve read an astounding number of books (I have to install another floor-to-ceiling bookcase at my parents’ place before I move home for the summer). I taught myself HTML to share the information I found with other fans (and, recently, I took on the running of an official online fanzine).
And, what’s more, I know that warm glow of pleasure at finding some new tidbit, a new CD, an fresh website, an obscure photo… not to mention the sheer euphoria of getting a reply to a fan letter or surviving a close encounter to get an autograph.
For example: I recently became a fan of actor John Turturro. Although I’d seen several of his films, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" made me think back to the other stuff of his I’d seen and compare his performances. I came to the realization that he was really quite talented, and immediately set about learning more. Last weekend, I headed down to Hollywood Video with a handful of his films in mind for rental. Most of them weren’t there, but I did find "Box of Moonlight." From the moment I saw the box on the shelf until I got it home, I was half-grinning with supressed excitement, and the instant I finished the work I’d told myself was a prerequisite to watching, I all but sprinted downstairs to fling it in the VCR.
Watching it was pure bliss.
And that’s why I’m The Überfan. Call me strange, but I’m not alone.
Being a fan helps make the world a wonderful place, full of excitement. After all, I never know when I’ll find some wonderful new piece connected to one of my current or past fandoms, or when a new artist or work will come along for me fall for.
And now, excuse me, please, I have to make some calls – some of Turturro’s films are darned hard to find.