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Confession #99: I’m as Fangirly as Anyone Else

In midst of the announcements of the upcoming regime change in Doctor Who land, one major detail was left unresolved: the status of Peter Capaldi’s position as the lead. This week we learned that Capaldi has been asked to stay on, but hasn’t yet made a decision about whether or not to accept that invitation.

My reaction to this revelation was a combination of elation that the door hadn’t been closed entirely on the possibility of seeing Capaldi under a different showrunner and extreme wariness; I know how uncertain my desired outcome is. I recognize that there are plenty of folks on the other side of that fence, but that fact baffles me. I have never for a moment wished anything less than a T.Baker-esque tenure for Capaldi’s Doctor, so when I run across folks who think he’s the Worst Doctor Evar, I just can’t relate at all. As I reflected on that chasm of differing opinion, I realized that I am, in fact, a Capaldi Fangirl.

I almost hesitate to apply the label “fangirl” to myself, simply because of the vitriol that seems to come with it. For some people, being a fangirl is the worst possible thing another fan can be, a close cousin to the “fake geek girl.”

I find it interesting to note that there is a strongly gendered component to this particular struggle. It’s almost unheard of for someone to disparage another as a “fanboy” when it comes to expressing love for a thing (though it’s not uncommon when discussing certain anti-social behaviors), nor do you hear accusations that someone is a “fake geek guy.”

On the other hand, there are sometimes positive connotations of “fangirl”; oddly, there does not appear to be a male-gendered counterpart to the term in this form. Remember the negative associations with the label “fanboy” mentioned above; such a person is often imagined to be living in his parents’ basement, unwashed and unloved by any potential paramour. By contrast, a fangirl can be seen to be cute, especially if she’s exhibiting membership in multiple fandoms at once.

More to the point, all these negatives spring from the idea that someone is “doing it wrong” in their expression of fandom. As far as Doctor Who is concerned, the expression I’ve most consistently seen derided this way is the “Tennant fangirl.” Heaven forfend some young woman (it’s always the young women/girls presumed to be “at fault” here, rather than those of us who are, ahem, more mature) adore the Tenth Doctor—especially his relationship with Rose Tyler! Worse, though, is the thought that such a fangirl might wish to see the return of her Doctor to the title role on a regular basis.

I will freely admit that I find that kind of fan self-delusional (having a previous actor return as lead is simply not how the show works), but I certainly can’t blame them for wishing for a return to their favorite era; after all, plenty of pre-Hiatus/Classic fans (paleowhovians, if you will) wish the show were still just like it was in “their day” (whichever era that may be).

In other words, there’s no wrong way to love what you love. I might disagree with your opinions or be bummed that you can find no joy in whatever it is you disdain—whether that be everything-but-Tennant, anything-under-Moffat, anything-pre-color, or some other subset—but I will always support your right to define your own fandom.

So despite the way some use it as an epithet, I’m going to embrace my fangirl status as a badge of honor. I’m a proud Capaldi Fangirl. And I’m going to keep hoping for a fourth Capaldi series (at least!) until he crushes my dream himself.

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6 Comments

  1. Kara S

    fan love
    IMHO there is no wrong way to enjoy your favorite TV show (unless it causes you to hurt others in some way). If you like Doctor Who, old or new or whatever Doctor or companion you favor then good for you! Fan love is a subjective experience and whatever way feels right IS right.

    I love many different scifi properties and proudly call myself a Whovian, a Trekkie, a Gater, a ‘Scaper, an Xphile, whatever you call a Star Wars fan and I enjoy many other shows and movie franchises as well. I wear my Doctor Who, Farscape and Star Wars tee shirts in public and they frequently spark positive comments and even conversations from strangers I meet.

    I don’t get this jealous posessiveness that some people seem to have. YOU can’t like my favorite TV show! You don’t fit my demographic.

    That’s crazy talk. The more people who love what you love, the better it is (and the more likely it is to get another sequel).

    I’ve spoken to all sorts of people about my hobby when they liked my shirt or I liked theirs. From age 5 to 70, male andd female, black, white, latino and asian. It always pleases me when the cashier tells me about his love of Farscape or the girl at the doctor’s office tells me how she watches Doctor Who with her boyfriend. Or the 5 year old at the mall points out my Yoda shirt to his daddy.

    It’s all good and anybody who doesn’t understand that is missing out on the fun.

  2. Wholahoop

    Splendid Chaps…
    All of them!

    I do occasionally wonder about DW fandom I found the usenet group rec.arts.doctorwho (radw) a frustrating experience because too often the trolls, who were definitely in the minority, would lead too many of the other posters on a merry dance to their tune, if I may mix the occasional metaphors.

    To me whether or not someone likes a particular Era, producer/showrunner, Doctor, new era/old era etc, is of passing interest albeit a source of many potential discussions I am however, more interested in the fact that someone is a fan of the programme itself.

    Yes people can have different opinions but it shouldn’t get personal which was in my experieince of radw, was too often the case.

    With regard to the perception of a fanboy I reckon the word fanboi has also been used in a disparaging way to describe male fans of the show. A way of making them sound both pretentious and subject for ridicule perhaps?

    Btw In your poll I would add another option “Perfectly normal”

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