Real Fans

[jimhines]

For the record, since it’s an ongoing source of frustration for me and a lot of other people, I have zero patience for anyone trying to gatekeep whether or not someone is a Real Fan.

So I’m reposting my own personal decision tree on Real Fandom.

Please note the lack of anything like:

• Whether I like your politics
• Whether I personally like the thing you like
• Whether I think you’re an asshole
• Whether I know more about the thing you like than you do
• Whether I’ve been a fan of the thing longer than you have
• Whether you’ve ever been to a convention
• Whether you prefer the movie or the book
• Your gender
• Your age
• Your race
• Your sexual preference

If you and I both like the thing, then guess what – we’re both fans. Yay, us!

And if anyone gives you crap about not being a Real Fan, feel free to show them this Real Fan Certificate, signed by a Real Fan who also happens to be a Real Author. (The “Real Author” argument is another, similar rant, but I’ll save that for another time.)

ETA: Updated with a higher-resolution certificate, for anyone who really wants to print it out

So, is that clear enough? Can we stop arguing about who gets to be a Real Fan now?

Mirrored from Jim C. Hines.