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Dec. 23rd, 2003 05:10 am
(no subject)
Finally....
I feel like I'm finally wrapping up for the year, and looking around at something other than the One Big Thing that's been eating my life for the last several months.
I think I wouldn't have had it any other way, though. I know it's hard for people in my meatspace life to understand, but my involvement with LOTR fandom has been really important to me on a number of levels. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There will never be another global movie event like this, I don't think. It's bigger than anything else which has come before, and the movies themselves are unbelievable masterpieces which have the rare distinction of being embraced by both critics and audiences and, one would hope, award granting bodies. Being as deeply involved in the fandom as I have been has been an intense, sometimes frustrating, sometimes ecstatic experience, and it's something which will stay with me my whole life. I've had very deep emotional connections made from my experience with this, and have shared some amazing experiences with wonderful people. And above all, I feel like I've had a center court seat watching cultural history be made. Imagine, for instance, if there had been fandom when The Wizard of Oz was being shot. Imagine being a part of the initial bloom of cultural change that came from that. It's something you can't equal with any other experience. These are not just movies. Not just a fantasy story turned into some blockbuster films. This isn't Spider-man, it isn't even Titanic. It's something with cross-demographic appeal and worldwide impact. It's a huge part of the GNP for an entire country.
But it's winding down. A few more months of awards season, and then it will slowly ebb. Chances are I'll probably keep the site up for a while, at least through the DVD release and the upcoming movies the guys have been working on, but the intensity level will taper off, and I can go back to "normal" life. Maybe it will morph into another web project (I've considered doing an AICN-style site with game, movie, book, etc. reviews) or maybe I'll get back into singing again. I'll of course have some involvement with Chorus. I might write a book, like I've been wanting to. People who've forgotten what I look like will see me again. Chances are good I'll get involved in something political, what with the key issue in the presidential race being something which is very important to me and others I love. I may go to law school, I may get a paralegal certificate. I may get a "real" job for a while just to get me out of the house. Undoubtedly I'll be spending some time supporting Mike with the stuff he has going on.
I may just play video games and sleep for a month, too.
But I think I'll always look back on this time fondly, even though some of it has been frustrating and depressing and just generally fucked up. All of us who have been involved in all this can say we've had an experience we're not likely to have again in our lifetimes. That's something worth enjoying, and worth giving credit to. It's not just dicking around with a website or writing fanfic or chittering with other people about the luscious ripeness of Dom's ass. It's a shared emotional experience. It's being able to talk to other people who understand. It's sitting in a theater with a friend who knows very well the impact each moment onscreen has. I've never been into fandom for the sake of fandom-- I'm not good at structured social groups-- but I do believe that I've taken some great people from this, and most of all, I feel like these films are going to live forever, and so will the part I played in the swirl of activity around them. Imagine being able to say you were part of Beatlemania, or the first Star Wars fanclubs. Imagine being able to say you saw Elvis live, or that you were at Woodstock. That's what this is for me. I didn't set out intending to do things this way, but I've held on for the ride, and it's been exhilirating.
I feel like I'm finally wrapping up for the year, and looking around at something other than the One Big Thing that's been eating my life for the last several months.
I think I wouldn't have had it any other way, though. I know it's hard for people in my meatspace life to understand, but my involvement with LOTR fandom has been really important to me on a number of levels. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There will never be another global movie event like this, I don't think. It's bigger than anything else which has come before, and the movies themselves are unbelievable masterpieces which have the rare distinction of being embraced by both critics and audiences and, one would hope, award granting bodies. Being as deeply involved in the fandom as I have been has been an intense, sometimes frustrating, sometimes ecstatic experience, and it's something which will stay with me my whole life. I've had very deep emotional connections made from my experience with this, and have shared some amazing experiences with wonderful people. And above all, I feel like I've had a center court seat watching cultural history be made. Imagine, for instance, if there had been fandom when The Wizard of Oz was being shot. Imagine being a part of the initial bloom of cultural change that came from that. It's something you can't equal with any other experience. These are not just movies. Not just a fantasy story turned into some blockbuster films. This isn't Spider-man, it isn't even Titanic. It's something with cross-demographic appeal and worldwide impact. It's a huge part of the GNP for an entire country.
But it's winding down. A few more months of awards season, and then it will slowly ebb. Chances are I'll probably keep the site up for a while, at least through the DVD release and the upcoming movies the guys have been working on, but the intensity level will taper off, and I can go back to "normal" life. Maybe it will morph into another web project (I've considered doing an AICN-style site with game, movie, book, etc. reviews) or maybe I'll get back into singing again. I'll of course have some involvement with Chorus. I might write a book, like I've been wanting to. People who've forgotten what I look like will see me again. Chances are good I'll get involved in something political, what with the key issue in the presidential race being something which is very important to me and others I love. I may go to law school, I may get a paralegal certificate. I may get a "real" job for a while just to get me out of the house. Undoubtedly I'll be spending some time supporting Mike with the stuff he has going on.
I may just play video games and sleep for a month, too.
But I think I'll always look back on this time fondly, even though some of it has been frustrating and depressing and just generally fucked up. All of us who have been involved in all this can say we've had an experience we're not likely to have again in our lifetimes. That's something worth enjoying, and worth giving credit to. It's not just dicking around with a website or writing fanfic or chittering with other people about the luscious ripeness of Dom's ass. It's a shared emotional experience. It's being able to talk to other people who understand. It's sitting in a theater with a friend who knows very well the impact each moment onscreen has. I've never been into fandom for the sake of fandom-- I'm not good at structured social groups-- but I do believe that I've taken some great people from this, and most of all, I feel like these films are going to live forever, and so will the part I played in the swirl of activity around them. Imagine being able to say you were part of Beatlemania, or the first Star Wars fanclubs. Imagine being able to say you saw Elvis live, or that you were at Woodstock. That's what this is for me. I didn't set out intending to do things this way, but I've held on for the ride, and it's been exhilirating.
