When it comes to movies and TV, I’m nothing if not a
completionist. As I’ve mentioned before on here, I don’t consider myself a fan
of something until I’ve seen a good chunk of it. I just don’t want to be
considered to be jumping on the bandwagon if it’s a popular show and I’ve only
seen a couple episodes. Give me at least a couple seasons or a movie or two, if
it’s a franchise, before I can really feel like a well-informed fan. Because
what’s the point in being a fan if you’re not well informed?
I also tend to go through phases. For a while everything’s Star Wars then it’s Batman then it’s Doctor Who then it’s X-Men etc etc. Usually it
aligns with what new pop culture movie is out I suppose. My girlfriend despairs
of me. For example, a couple years ago I went through a Clint Eastwood phase,
which led into a more general Western phase, especially the work of Sergio
Leone. I seriously contemplated buying a poncho and learning to ride a horse.
Then out of nowhere something else comes along and replaces it. While my
obsession with Clint and Westerns was fairly intense for a stage there, now
it’s calmed down and is probably around the same level as perennial favourites
like Harry Potter or Morrissey. They
each resurface at opportune moments but they’re always there. Some drift away
if the product gets shit or I grow out of it (funnily enough, both things
happened to Doctor Who) but usually
they’re all there waiting for me to return.
It’s a strange way to like things and I’m not sure if other
people live like this. But it’s the way I do things. I just like liking things.
I want to experience everything.
As you might expect, wanting to be considered a true fan (and
having to experience as much of a product as possible) and having so many
different things to watch and going through phases and only have 24 hours in a
day makes everything really hard to handle. Just yesterday I saw someone on Twitter
joke about being sent to prison just so they could catch up on all their
reading. Hook me up with a DVD player and you’ve got a deal. Although I do have
a lot of reading to do as well. How long as we talking here? (Obviously prison
is bad etc but still. Makes you think).
Anyway I’ve been thinking about this recently because I made
a grave mistake. I watched an episode of the original Star Trek series and loved it. I never really saw any Star Trek when I was a kid; it just
wasn’t big in my family. But I did like the rebooted movies and there’s a new
one out this week, which looks pretty great. I loved Boston Legal growing up so I have a soft spot for William Shatner
(especially young and handsome) and Leonard Nimoy is a sweetheart. And bloody
Netflix has to be great and have all the TV shows and some of the movies. And
I’ve got to have bloody uni start next week. It’s a perfect storm.
How much do I have to watch before I can be considered a
Trekker? Or is it Trekkie still? I’m guessing at least most of the original
series and associated movies and some of the Patrick Stewart era? Man, I’m only
two episodes in. Do I have to learn Vulcan to be accepted? Read some tie-in
books? I think there’s an Xbox game that looks all right? Should I play it too?
I don’t know which movies we’re supposed to hate yet. What if I like the wrong
one? Are all the TV shows worth it or can I just stick to the big two? Why are
we here on Earth at all, if not to watch pictures on a screen? Can I juggle Star Trek and my other obsessions? Who
are the Borg?!
Guess I’m here for the long haul. If I was a bigger fan I’d
feel more comfortable making a joke about beginning my five-year journey to
explore new worlds. But the fact I had to look up the exact saying probably proves
I’m not a true fan. Yet.
Lonnie Gilroy 