shadowy_blue
Senior Member
*s_b in fairly serious mode*
*cough*
Being a fan has different levels I suppose; from little to big. There are some who have just seen the movies and like them, or maybe have even read the books. Hard core fans I believe relate Middle-earth to reality. They begin to see things in our world that relate to Tolkien's. Some may think that's weird but only the true fans can understand I guess.
I think realizing the beauty of Middle-earth and the depth of Tolkien's works is a major part of being a true fan. You don't necessarily have to know each and every thing about Middle-earth (but it would help! 😉 ), you simply have to love the books and/or movies.
A true fan does not only drool over the hot guys/gals. They certainly can (can’t help it! 😉 ), but it's not all they do.
A true fan at the very least makes an effort to read the books. They don’t necessarily have to read UT and all the HoME series, they don’t necessarily have to kill themselves just to finish The Silmarillion, but at least have the desire and try to read The Lord of the Rings book if you claim that the movie made you a fan. At least have some basic knowledge of what’s going on.
But let me get deeper than those I’ve mentioned above.
A true fan is not the person who can fill their house with the most expensive Middle-earth merchandises. I remember a couple of years ago, I had a limited amount of money for the month (my cousin framed me up, mom grounded me, but that’s a different story), and I spent the last of it on a tatty, second-hand copy of Unfinished Tales, because I desperately wanted to read the book and understand some of the early history of Middle-earth. And I treasured that book above all my other non-Tolkien books. I'm not saying that buying the best copy available makes you a lesser fan, but if you care enough about the material inside, it doesn't really matter what condition it's in.
Of course, the most important thing is to truly appreciate everything Tolkien has written. I'm most certainly not a Tolkien scholar, I am not an expert, or at least I don’t think so, but what I have learnt so far, I have taken to heart.
I don't know if this would really count, but in my opinion, a true fan should be able to understand and appreciate another person's love for The Lord of the Rings, even if they don't agree with it. And I am talking about Peter Jackson. He may approach LOTR from a different artistic direction, but he's just as much of a fan as a hardcore book fan is. I'd like to think that a true fan could understand him better, and not bicker endlessly because he might see some parts of the story in a different way from others. Hate him by all means, but I'd like to think that more people could see where he's coming from, if you get my meaning. I’m not saying that you have to love the movies whole-heartedly to become a true LOTR fan, but I’d like to think that a true fan would be able to understand and appreciate all the respect, time, and efforts given and spent to make the movie a decent one compared to any others. I’d like to think that a true fan wouldn’t only focus at the negative sides of the movies, but also at the positive ones. They shouldn’t only whine because of all the omissions, changes and the non-canon additions that were made for the movie, but I’d like to think that they would also try to regard, not overlook, all the things that the movie kept and got right from the book. Everything isn’t negative, whining about it all your life wouldn’t make you feel better as a fan, or as a person. Appreciate and be grateful for the positive ones. It also took time and effort to put them in there. They were there for you. They were there because PJ and the filmmakers respect Tolkien, his book, and the fans.
I suppose a true fan is not the person who owns the most, or reads the books the most. If they absorb even a little piece of Tolkien, and take it truly to heart, that would make them a fan. Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to know everything and collect everything Tolkien-related; that might even make you more of a fan. 😉 But I don't think that makes you a fan on its own.
The most important thing is, you need to really love what Tolkien is putting across. If you feel you can disappear into Middle-earth and appreciate the underlying spirit and dedication that has gone into its creation, I suppose you can call yourself a true fan.
2 cents. 😉
*end serious tone*
😄