Two Cents
One of the traps that people in the public eye sometimes fall into, is to categorize others as "fans"- rather than as colleagues, friends and peers- people who simply understand, appreciate and admire their work.
For example, a successful plumber, pilot, business venturer or carpenter has customers, clients and others who appreciate their workmanship, but he/she would never think of referring to them as "fans"...
It is with this mindset that I wanted to post this e-mail from a New Hampshire woman. I get lots of unsolicited input (sometimes complimentary and sometimes critical) and this one seems grounded and objective:
From: Nospam@aol.com
Subject: General wandering thoughts
Date: August 19, 2006 8:05:58 AM HST
not a "fan" letter:
Comments
I DO think it was a fan letter. She just seems "normal". She was rather complimentary and honest. There are many out there who feel the same. We may not stalk the well known people whom we enjoy being entertained by, however we do sometimes let them know we are there. The quite, normal folk still exist. You meet them everyday.
Posted by: F | August 22, 2006 7:48 AM
Thank you Kathy- you have no idea how much you validated the scripted works of myself, Lance Noris and Bob M. who labored day after day, year after to year to make the anrdroid formerly know as "Chuck" sound like a real person on the radio; we often had to have his pet Gator "Chompie" ferry our scripts across his moat (and you know how painful that can be), so that he could practive talking like a "real person".
Posted by: cmdywrtr | August 22, 2006 9:47 AM
I agree with you, F. I just would rather call it a "friend" or "listener" letter rather than a "fan" letter. Again, if she were writing a complimentary letter to her carpenter or to her doctor for a job well-done, it would not be a "fan" letter. Semantics.
Posted by: Charles Laquidara | August 22, 2006 9:58 AM
fa·nat·ic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (f-ntk)
n.
A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, as for a cause.
admirer
n 1: a person who backs a politician or a team etc.; "all their supporters came out for the game"; "they are friends of the library" [syn: supporter, protagonist, champion, booster, friend] 2: a person who admires; someone who esteems or respects or approves
Yeah. Sounds more like the latter than the former.
Posted by: Merriam Webster | August 22, 2006 12:26 PM