The downside of being a TMNT fan part 2

[TommyT]

So we all know about Michelle Ivy, and how they maligned her and her turtle love, painting her as a crazy person.
But I have to say, this here, this is next level. He's building a web series, and well, what do you think? Is this what our friends and family think of us when we admit to being turtle fans?
I keep it on the downlow, and don't exactly broadcast it, but I'm thinking the fandom has a bad rep, and things like this, I don't know if it helps or hurts. Is this too far, or maybe not far enough?

His facebook here if you'd like to follow him.
Dubois Barbour

The youtube channel:

[Powder]

Every fandom has its share of nuts & hostiles, but they're simply a vocal minority. Plenty of regular people are passionate about fandom stuff & know how to properly temper that passion publicly. As for this guy, if he's not doing anything to hurt himself or others, Cowabunga indeed, yo. Everybody needs an outlet.

[IMJ]

I've always viewed TMNT fandom as a hobby thats great for a few display pieces in a case, some comics in a long box and the occasional DVD set. From there, it's place as a hobby is basically fulfilled.

Certain IP's feature things you aspire to be (of course, the current generation doesn't have heroes because if something is better than they are, they'd argue that it's offensive, but that's another point entirely). Others are just reminders of fun times and periods of escapism. TMNT is the latter.

If I could be Iron Man and build armor and fly around, I'd think it was great. I never aspired to be a Ninja Turtle.... never. I own some of the 2012 toys MOC because the show was so strong that it had me enjoying the IP again; but the majority of my fandom is from the OG Fred Wolf cartoon and Archie books.

I have some tastefully mounted acrylic display cases of rows and rows of Iron Man, and a great setup of Indiana Jones stuff in cases, etc. But when I decide to display something from TMNT, typically the most iconic turtle toys that are available at that given moment will suffice. Right now that's the NECA stuff. Otherwise, all of my vintage TMNT stuff is nicely bagged and filed away in a drawer system along with about 1,000 other action figures in the 4" or 3 3/4" scale. Stored this way, they are out of sight, organized, and I can pull 'em out, look at them at-a-glance, and then put 'em back and close the drawer.

If IDW would ever release an Archie Omnibus set, those might wind up being the only Turtle comic books I'd own. Without that though, at this moment I'd say I've got maybe 4 longboxes representing TMNT comics going back from the original Mirage series all the way through issue 50 of the IDW book where I dropped that series because I am a completist and the variants were out of control. I wasn't reading it sooo....

I don't love being a turtle, but the Turtles are fun and the franchise has been entertaining when it's needed to be.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by IMJ

I don't love being a turtle, but the Turtles are fun and the franchise has been entertaining when it's needed to be.

As with anything don't obsess just greatly enjoy it as a main hobby.

[IndigoErth]

Eh, he looks rather young still, if he's just goofing off and having fun with it, then more power to him.

Wouldn't be what my friends and family think of, since I'm not that outward about it and keep it pretty tame. (With a rather judgmental parent you just kind of learn to keep stuff you're into under control early on.) As for this guy... well, some people just wave that fan flag around a bit more exuberantly than the rest of us. lol

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I've always liked TMNT fans as long as they'd provided us with fansites where fandom can be shared, like his community and all fan websites who were popular during the late 1990's and early 2000s.

I've never cared for people who play around as Ninja Turtles.

[TommyT]

So, who here has done Turtle cosplay?

I haven’t, not even a Hallowe’en costume, but I’m maybe not as big a fan as some of you.

[newfan]

Originally Posted by TommyT

Is this what our friends and family think of us when we admit to being turtle fans?

As pointed out already, every fandom has those who can take their passion for something quite far, people should just think that you like the Turtles, same as if you said you liked Star Wars for example. The only thing with TMNT, (I feel anyway) is it has more of the kid stigma, as the version I came in with is one of the kid versions I'm not really open about it off the internet.

[CyberCubed]

This feels like a subtle troll thread to be honest.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

This feels like a subtle troll thread to be honest.

-shrugs- Even if that's true, the material for it is right there in the video at the top of the thread, sooooo....

Just take it as it comes. Clearly not every TMNT fan is also a Furry.

[Andrew NDB]

I'm a big fan of people doing whatever they want as long as it's not hurting anyone else. Just don't expect me not to snicker at you, or make me out to be a bad person when I do -- it's not my fault.

[newhire13]

In both those fan’s defense, the turtles ARE pretty great

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I'm a big fan of people doing whatever they want as long as it's not hurting anyone else. Just don't expect me not to snicker at you, or make me out to be a bad person when I do -- it's not my fault.

This exactly.

[CyberCubed]

Be thankful the internet did not exist for most of the original TMNT fad between 1984-1995.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Be thankful the internet did not exist for most of the original TMNT fad between 1984-1995.

And why would that be?

[IndigoErth]

Probably because there is less record of childhood nonsense to look back on and feel embarrassed over, and what there is of it largely isn't online for the world to see. lol

[TommyT]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

This feels like a subtle troll thread to be honest.

Not trolling at all. There is a perception of fandoms that people like us are nuts. I think videos like this feed that perception, harmless as it may be.

We can rationalize it, but perhaps we shouldn’t.

[Roseangelo]

I have no issue with people being fans and expressing their fandom.

I started karate because of the TMNT. And while I keep that pretty low-key, my instructor knows and has fun with it here and there. If it comes up, I own it.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by Roseangelo

I have no issue with people being fans and expressing their fandom.

I started karate because of the TMNT. And while I keep that pretty low-key, my instructor knows and has fun with it here and there. If it comes up, I own it.

That's incredible. Because He-Man is what inspired me to always punch people in First-Person View and give a moralizing speech about what I'd learned today afterwards!

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by TommyT

We can rationalize it, but perhaps we shouldn’t.

The alternate is what though, try to be the fandom police? Tell people they can't do something because it makes some outsiders think all fans are weird?

Wasted effort since no one is going to stop them from doing their own thing, and wasted worry, because people who generalize all fans of a thing based on a few, just like people who generalize all people of any demographic, are the ones with the issue and aren't worth the concern.