December Meme - 8th

[vyperdd]

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For wings128 :

How did you discover fandom and livejournal?

Wow, this was a very interesting wander down memory's lane for me. Until I actually looked, I had thought I'd found LJ and set up my journal after discovering SPN but it was the opposite.

I set up my LJ on May 8, 2008 as a way to document my first overseas trip. I was flying to LA in Nov of 2008 to go to a Farscape con and wanted to record all the details and trials and joys of planning such a big trip, similar to what I'm doing for my big SPN con adventure next year. I don't even remember how I found LJ, probably just searched for 'journals' or more likely 'free journals' and I guess LJ was near the top of the list.

I used it randomly over the next few months, mailnly posting about RL trials and tribulations, (almost buying my first home, only to lose it when I lost my job, getting my ears pierced, etc) and I posted one little snippet of Mulder/CSM from a fic series I was working on back then.

I didn't discover Supernatural (show or fandom) until almost a year later after hearing about it on a podcast I listened to each week. I had heard of SPN and had even glanced at some eps as I channel-surfed but it never really caught my eye or attention. Well one of the podcasters issued a challenge to listeners who hadn't watched SPN to watch at least until ep 9 of season 1 (Home) and that if they weren't hooked by then she would stop bugging people about it. So I took the challenge, aquired *coughcoughdowloadedcoughcough* the first 9 eps and began watching. Well I didn't need to see Home, I was hooked by the end of the Pilot and the obsessed Sam!girl that I am now by the scene in Skin where Sam is tied up in the shifter's lair. OMG, how freaking HOT is that scene???

The very next day I went and bought the first 3 seasons on DVD for some outrageous price (I think over $100 each, dvd's were bloody expensive in Australia back then) and mainlined them in about a week. I also started watching mid season 4 on local TV (Family Remains was the first ep I saw, I remember the end scene with Dean telling Sam about hell) and *acquiring* current eps as they showed in the US.

My first SPN related post on LJ wasn't until Nov 21st, 2009. I have no idea why there was such long gap between when I started watching the show and mentioning it on my LJ. Maybe I was still so new and jsut caught up with watching that I didn't feel the need to reach out and connect with other fans. Anyways, in Nov I filled out an SPN 'hellatus' friending meme and looking back at my answers, I was reading a lot of fic apparently and wanted more of it (bottom and submissive!Sam please and where is all the Sam/other fic??) My fav character was Sam (geeee, what a surprise!!! heheheee) and, as now, was trying my best to avoid spoilers.

Thanks to that meme, I was friended by some very delightful fans and fellow Sam!girls and my adventure in fandom truly began. I started commenting on other posts and started posting my own fic and generally just rolling around in all the good stuff that Fandom is and provides.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank every single fan and LJ'er who has friended me, commented on a post or fic, been there during all the good and bad times, both in Fandom and RL. All my fellow Sam!girls and JaredLadies and Dean!girls and JensenLadies and of course all you bi-bro fans out there. We may not always agree with each other but 10 years and 204 eps later, we are still here and interacting and supporting each other.

I love you all so very much!!!!!!!!!

Comments

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is a lovely post, I adore hearing about the how and the why of someone setting up their lj and discovering fandom or their spiritual home when it comes to their shows and blogging :D

I just want to take this opportunity to thank every single fan and LJ'er who has friended me, commented on a post or fic, been there during all the good and bad times, both in Fandom and RL. All my fellow Sam!girls and JaredLadies and Dean!girls and JensenLadies and of course all you bi-bro fans out there. We may not always agree with each other but 10 years and 204 eps later, we are still here and interacting and supporting each other.

Hear hear and well said :D ♥

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It was certainly quite the journey and the destination, as well as all the wonderful peeps I've met along the way has been oh so wonderful.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

It's not something you can ever explain to another human being either unless they have experienced it. It sounds so crazed when I try and explain the how of fandom!

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

I know. I used to not talk about it with folks in RL, and avoid saying that I was travelling interstate for the weekend to go to a con because of the weird looks I'd get and yet I know plenty of people who travel to see their favourite bands and sports teams.

But I'm now a lot more comfortable with my geekiness and love for my shows and the actors. I wear lots of fandom shirts and am still amazed and kinda proud when someone says "Hey, cool shirt." This used to only happen at cons but now I'm getting comments from check-out chicks at my local supermarket and even complete strangers at the local shopping mall. Had one with the other day who said she loved my Captain Tightpants (aka Mal Reynolds from Firefly) t-shirt.

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

I have been out and proud for so long I've forgotten what it's like to be a shy retiring fangirl, and the best part about being so loud about my passions, people on the street who feel they can approach you BECAUSE you're happy to show the fangirl inside :D ♥

[supernutjapan.livejournal.com]

This was really neat to read :)

Did you have some friends on LJ in your first year? I remember really having to search for friends before participating in a friending meme. And your posts in your first year weren't SPN related right? That must have been quite a change?

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I had only a couple of friends on here that I knew from X-Files fandom but they were into SPN as well so by reading their posts and the comments left there I was able to slowly expand my f*list and add more SPN- focussed fans and comms.

[supernutjapan.livejournal.com]

Just goes to show how many fans there really are, aye :D

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

Con adventure next year?? What is this about??

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

Wow, you haven't heard me shouting from the rooftops these past weeks and especially today???

I'm going to meet 4 of my top 5 favourite actors at 3 cons next year. Jared and Jensen in Denver and LA next November and Ben Browder and Michael Shanks in my very own hometown in April.

Check out these 2 posts for all my squee and OMG'ing.

Denver/LA


Perth OzComicCon

[septembers-coda.livejournal.com]

And we love you, too! :-D

This is a great story. I love hearing about what sucked people into the show-- I love that it was a podcaster that made you try it! and a Sam!girl from the beginning, like me. There was just this instant fascination with that character; I had never seen anything like him on TV before. And I never would have tried SPN if it hadn't been for extenuating circumstances, and what would my life be like now if I hadn't??? I shudder to imagine.

So glad we're here in fandom together. It took me a lot longer than you and than most to get here, but I'm so glad I did. <3 <3

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the podcaster was so in love with the show and enthusiastic that I could no longer resist watching and seeing more myself what was so special about this little show. Ironically, they and the other podcasters gradually fell out of love with SPN and their reviews become more and more negative as I was falling ever deeper in love with Sam and Dean until I was wondering if we were still watching the same show. The final straw was an ep, (I can't remember which one but it was only a couple of seasons ago I think) that one of the guys said Sam could easily be written out of the show and it would be better with Dean and Cas. That made my blood boil and I haven't listened to their podcast since, even though they also covered a lot of other shows that I like and introduced me to some other favs. No-one puts Sammy in the corner, darn it!!!

I was initially very bi-bro and really liked both Jared and Jensen equally. One ep I'd be rooting for Sam, the next one for Dean. Then I saw Skin and Sam tied up and BAM it was almost like Dean who????

Don't get me wrong, I love Dean and Jensen to bits and if Jared wasn't there, then I'd be a massive Dean!Girl but I fell in love with Sam and Jared. There's just something about him both on and offscreen that captured my heart and soul in a way no other actor ever has. I immediately had to see every other show and movie Jared has been in and I hunted down every con vid I could find just to see Jared.

[septembers-coda.livejournal.com]

Beyond my character preference I feel the same about Jared, as you probably know, and the same about Jensen-- he is wonderful and truly an amazing actor, but his appeal doesn’t compare to Jared’s for me. In fact, when I very first dipped my toe into online fandom, I was truly surprised to see that Jensen was apparently more popular, and especially regarded as “the hot one.” Now, I certainly don’t mind looking at him, but he has never particularly turned my crank—not like Jared, who is essentially perfect, and seems to get hotter every season. (I’ve long since given up deciding he’s hit his peak—every time I decide that, I’m proved wrong.) He just has EVERYTHING I WANT. Sexy, beautiful, sweet, goofy, smart and loveable. And SAM is sexy, shy, super-smart, tragic and angsty, nerdy and awkward and BAMF and… and and and! All good things.

Interesting—Skin was the episode for me, too, where I realized I was really gonna love this show! And also the one where I had that spark of understanding about their relationship, and Sam’s character in particular, but both of them.

Oh hell no, I would not be able to listen to a podcast that slammed our Sammy, either. I used to get quite upset about some of the Sam-bashing that goes on in fandom, but I learned to just not read those posts, and I don’t have anyone who feels like that on my flist. That said, I hate Dean-bashing almost as much. I think they’re BOTH essential to the show, and their differences are what make their relationship so interesting. It’s a far more realistic depiction of brotherhood (uh, you know, aside from all the monsters and apocalypses) than I’ve ever seen on TV.

I, too, had to stalk Jared once I got into fandom! I feel sad that I can’t watch a horror movie, so I had to forgo House of Wax and Friday the 13th, but I have to admit, I loved that silly Christmas Cottage movie. Jared in scarves and goofy sweaters… sigh… the movie was better than I thought it was going to be, really! Smarmy of course, but man, Jared just WENT for it with the heavy emotion. His crying scene was fantastic! I WANTED TO CUDDLE HIM. (But when don’t I?)

So glad you’re here to share the obsession with me. BI-BRO SAM!GIRLS FOREVER! <3 <3

[matchboximpala.livejournal.com]

A great story -- thanks for sharing that.

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

Ya welcome.

[wings128.livejournal.com]

What an adventure! And it is still continuing :D
I cannot imagine where I'd be now, if I hadn't discovered the fandom world and all the amazing people within. ♥

[vyperdd.livejournal.com]

It is indeed and I hope and pray that it (and our show) continues for many years to come. Plus, I've made friends that I will keep in touch with long after SPN does end.