Catching up on a helluva lot of posts here…
This from Allyson stuck out from way back in the thread... towards the start of the wonderful discussion of m/f roles in fandom (and fan campaigns):
What was interesting to me is that in my limited experience, it is women who tend to organize and run fan campaigns, though the common stereotype is the pimply-faced, overweight, socially inept boy as scifi/fantasy fan
Pimply faced? Nope
Overweight? Yes. Good old-fashioned British Beer-Belly.
Side effect of extended joblessness.
Socially inept? See below
Scifi/Fantasy fan? Hell yes!
It has become most apparent to me that over the last few months my social life has taken a back seat to fandom fun and spending more time online. Likewise, if I am partying a lot (or have the good fortune to meet cute girls worth dating), fandom takes a back seat to my RL social life.
While I am by no means socially inept, extended activity in fandom certainly seems to cause me to become…. not so much socially inept, as socially impotent. Recently I have been finding that when I am out socialising... people bore me, and I possibly bore them. I think this may have a lot to do with the fact that I a) they are unable to have conversations with me on so many things that I love (The Whedonverse, The Minearverse, The Abramsverse etc.) and b) I am unable to have conversations with them on the things that they love (celebrity gossip, reality TV, sports).
Interestingly, a common ground I am finding is discussion of LOTR and Star Wars. Which is great, but while I love those films, it's more of a "Yoda with a Lightsaber! Cool!" thing than a, "I really love how the cinematographical essences of the third act of The Two Towers really brings to life Tolkien's world."
My RL social activities involve people preoccupied with looking cool and being seen, rather than talking about interesting things. As I am currently not looking very cool, and care not if I am "seen", my social skills are weakening.
I lack balance. Periods of extended social-butterflying equate to a period of little or no fandom activity, where active participation in fandom becomes a passive pastime. Extended active participation in online fandom results in the socialy butterfly's wings being clipped somewhat. Its a lose-lose situation, and I can't decide whether I'd rather be a social freak or an online geek.
What does this all mean? I perhaps simply feel the need to express and come to terms with my lack of balance before Allyson's fabbo party next month, where I suspect my social and fandom worlds will quite possibly collide with wonderful effect. *veg*
As for how this places me in fandom demographically, I haven't a bloody clue. Does it matter? I'm still reeling from that Paper on spoilerdom that awarded Male vs Female sexual stereotypes to areas of spoilers vs speculation. Made my brain hurt did that.
Oh and this:
With my parties, you'll notice a hugely disproportionate number of really hot women in pretty dresses.
This is true, and am hoping to find that the Lost-Loving-Ladies are equally as cute as the Whedon-Worshipping-Women.
ETA:
I am VERY excited about The Inside!