Archive:Fanboy

Fanboy or fanboi is a term used to describe a male who is utterly devoted to a single subject or hobby, often to the point where it is considered an obsession.

History of fanboys and the term

The term originated in comic book circles, to describe someone who immersed himself in the fictional worlds of comics and the culture of comics fandom, to the exclusion of a more mainstream social life. The term is often used in a derogatory manner by other, less serious fans of the same material. Some fans use the term to label themselves; in the songs of the fannish parody musician Luke Ski, many characters proudly consider themselves fanboys. The term is usually applied to people in their teens or 20s. Within this group, common subjects of reverence by fanboys are TV shows, movies, anime, cars, video game consoles, video games, operating systems, MMORPGs, and software companies.

The stereotypical image of the fanboy is as an unkempt, socially awkward, and generally unattractive figure of a young man who appears as a loud mouthed pseudo-intellectual. A popular depiction of this stereotype is the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons. In the mid 1990s, the emergence of slacker culture changed this image somewhat. Movies such as Kevin Smith's Jersey Trilogy (Clerks, Mallrats, and Chasing Amy), altered the image of the fanboy. As electronic entertainment gained popularity, the term became increasingly applied to video gamers and television addicts. As a result, a subculture emerged which readily labeled itself as fanboys. Within this group, more effort is taken to fit in with a perceived standard, resulting in a more outgoing attitude, even among those with insecurities. Those not as deeply involved in the culture often view this attitude as abrasive.

One example of this behavior is found in the video game industry, where fans of any given video game console manufacturer can exhibit very high levels of devotion to their brand of choice, often at the expense of considering competing brands objectively. This attitude can lead to rudeness towards fans of competing brands or towards those who do not share their level of devotion to their console of choice. This pattern has contributed to a more negative connotation of the term.

Fanboys are often perceived as possessing a sycophantic devotion to the creators behind the object of their passion, but also as being likely to move their focus quickly elsewhere with just as much passion, once something else catches their attention. One example of this is Harry Knowles and his associates at Ain't It Cool News, whose particular focus is on movies in the action, fantasy, adventure and superhero genres. Fanboys are also perceived as having a strong emotional attachment to the object of their devotion, often responding to negative remarks about it as though they were personal attacks.

Some common types of fanboys

Video game fanboys

After comic books, video games may be the most fruitful environment for fanboys. These include

• Nintendo Fanboys (sometimes called a "Ninty" or "Drone", short for "Nintendrone")
• Sony Fanboys (sometimes called "Tools", short for "PSTool" which is derived from Sony's current entertainment console, the PS2)
• Xbox Fanboys (sometimes called "Xbots")
• Sega Fanboys

On the GameSpot System Wars forum, as well as SystemWars.com [1], the different schools of video game fanboys are associated with various animals. Nintendo fanboys are called "sheep" because of their perceived willingness to be herded by Nintendo. Sony fanboys are called "cows" because of the perception they pay extra, i.e. are "milked" by Sony for optional features for their equipment of choice. Microsoft fanboys are called "lemmings" because of the perception they follow Microsoft blindly, even if it leads to their demise. Similarly, PC fanboys are called "hermits" because they are perceived as solitary, friendless gamers who play by themselves. The majority of Sega Fanboys are now Xbox Fanboys, due to Dreamcast "death" responsabilizing Sony with their PS2.

Quotes

• "Microsoft money is infinite. Bill Gates money is infinite. Microsoft will never loose money with Xbox".
• "Sony sucks. Sony lies. PS2 sucks. Poor hardware. Rootkit sucks."
• "Xbox is a complete failure see the Japan sales were people ignores Microsoft."
• "Zelda is the best game of all times. Never a game will surpass Zelda."
• "Why buy a console if you can't play Metal Gear Solid?"

Anime fanboys

Anime is another fertile breeding ground for fanboys. Some notable examples are:

• Dragon Ball Fanboys (get hung up on names, especially romanji)
• Sailor Moon Fanboys (very strict about manga continuity)
• Inuyasha Fangirls (generally, they're all female, but display all the traits of fanboys)

Software fanboys

• Linux Fanboys - Love open source and believe that anything coming from Microsoft is inferior.
• Mac Fanboys - Are devoted to the Mac design concept and think that anything coming from Apple is amazing.
• Microsoft Fanboys - Love Windows' ease-of-use and all Microsoft stuff.

In Media

Comic Book

• Sergio Aragonés' Fanboy

Television

• The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy

Radio/Podcasts

• Fanboy Radio - [2]
• Drooling FanBoy - [3]

Webcomics

• Fanboy Almanac (webcomic) - Fanboy Almanac
• Fanboys web comic

See also

• addiction
• otaku
• anorak