A Short Divergence From Spirituality....The Oddity of Fandom

So my feathers are a little ruffled for a number of reasons in regard to FANDOM.

I posted some of my angst as a status update on Facebook:

Who do celebrities go to if they want an honest answer? So many "fans" are such fucking yes men/women. I expect for some of these celebrities, their yes-men fans feed their overgrown egos. Some of them like hearing the same bullshit over and over. Perhaps the celebrities who actually appreciate someone being real and not a yes man/woman will also tend to live an authentic life themselves. 

There is a difference between trying to see the positive versus wearing blinders to the reality. A person CAN see the reality of a shitty situation or a shitty person and see how positive can come from it, but a person who wears blinders never wants to see the truth that is staring them in the face.

The first part is about celebrity fans in general. I follow a few on Instagram and on Facebook. The celeb posts a picture and the response from fans is pretty predictable:

I love it!

I love you! Come play blah blah blah!

Looking great!

Please follow me! 

*emoticon, emoticon, another pointless emoticon*

I love exactly what you love (not really but I am going to say that because I am going to say what I think you want to hear).
 
Dear Sum 41 fans on Instagram, this observation isn't just about Deryck and Sum 41 fans. Even some of the people I talk to without bodies (aka spirits) have a fan base that wear blinders and only see what they want to see and not the truth. When you look at someone without objectivity, you do yourself a disservice by not thinking for yourself.

How many times have I heard within the Channeling Erik community "Well Erik says...blah blah blah" as though his word is gospel. I know this will be shocking for some of you, but even Jamie has filters, Even "Erik" gets it way off sometimes. Even Elisa is only sharing her VERSION of the truth. There is a saying...three sides to every story...yours, mine and the truth. We ALL have our own versions of the truth according to our personal perspectives. We ALL have filters. Every medium, every channel, every psychic has some sort of filters. Instead of believing everything and nodding like a bobble head, use some discernment. Don't blindly follow ANYONE. Stop and ask yourself how something feels.  Does it resonate? Do you actually give a shit about that sport that some celebrity is doing recreationally in a photo outside of that celebrity's participation? Don't compromise and pretend to be anything you are not. If who you authentically are is to always follow and like everything another person likes, I guess you are kind of fucked, but I have faith that the majority of people out there have the ability to be REAL and demonstrate that they are as unique as a snowflake.
 
I like Sum 41 music but wouldn't call myself a "fan". I love Dan Reed as a friend and think he is a talented musician, but I don't always agree with his views and I don't love every album he has put out. There is always a large percentage of fans who do nothing but say what everyone else is saying. They agree with everything the "celebrity" is saying. Why? What do you suppose the number one thing is a musician hears when they meet a fan? "Dude, I love your work!" What if, instead of saying the same thing that a million other people have said, we get creative and start having REAL dialogue and not just what we think the celebrity would like hearing? 

Fan, fan, me. lol

Maybe I am an oddity myself because I can't look at celebrities as being anything other than a soul wearing a skin suit just like you or me. When the body craps out and we exit the fleshy vehicle, WE ARE ALL THE SAME...light beings/energy. And if we take it one step further, we are all part of the ONE and therefore EVERYONE is another aspect of you.

Edited to add: The discussion on this topic is continuing on my Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/oktobre/posts/10152696167630428
The post is public, so anyone should be able to read it.

These are some of my comments on the Facebook discussion:
All I am saying is that if they are actually another aspect of me, I would like to see fandom become more intelligent. Lol I am begging my other aspects of myself to please don't be a mindless bobble head sheep.

With being more mindful and intelligent in your fandom, people will be more respectful of the personal space of a celebrity. Less time can be spent on useless chatter and spent on actually saying something real. If you look at celebrity as just another job....one living life in a Fishbowl with everyone watching you...then maybe we can step back and not spend so much time gazing at the fishbowl.
I don't think myself above the fans or the stars. I think myself an equal. I have been that screaming 14 year old fan for Duran Duran. Shit man, I named my dog "Rio" so that when people asked me what her name was I could sing, "Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand...." I have BEEN that person who altered who I am to try to make myself fit and be more like the star or more like the herd. I started smoking to be more like my favorite band. I have been a "super fan". I am not talking from a place of superiority. I am speaking from a place of FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE.

I have hung out with countless bands....some known and some unknown. I never met Duran Duran so couldn't tell you how I might have reacted had I met them back in the height of my love for them. I might have fainted and been at a loss for words. I know well what they go through with fans and the demand of their time. Although, without the "fans" they have no job. So if you don't spend a little time paying attention to the fans, chances are pretty good you will wind up being someone who used to have a following but you can't get anyone to come to your shows anymore. The fans are the ones who can help you keep doing what you love but there needs to be BALANCE on both sides.

I have heard those in the music industry whinge about there just not being the kind of money there used to be for artists to create music. They lament that there just isn't the funding that there used to be. I would challenge them and suggest it is a GOOD thing there isn't the money or means to frivolously piss away millions either on excesses for addiction or ridiculous material things. Now they really have to focus on using the money wisely in making the best product that they can with what they do have available to them. So the fuck what that the execs and stars can't piss away millions on parties and sports cars or whatever. We have become a culture of wastefulness and excess and that needs to stop in all areas of life.

When I started learning about food, I started caring about where is came from. At least in the Pacific Northwest, we actually care about buying LOCAL and supporting local farmers. "Is it local?" is a question I have found myself asking which is pretty funny if you have ever watched Portlandia. I really do think that music and other forms of performing arts could end up being something that is kept alive by keeping it LOCAL. Why not support the amazing musicians you have right there within your tribe? Why does there ever need to be some mega-famous band that is internationally known? If we start really caring about the art that you have right there in your own back yard, you might discover some amazing talent. Who the fuck cares that they will probably never be a millionaire? If they are supported well enough so they don't have to also have a shitty day job, I think that is a great thing!

I really do think that the way Dan Reed is doing things is the future of music. Reaching out and asking people to help fund projects through various online means is a great way to get things up and running. Dan has seen both sides of the coin...so to speak. Dan Reed Network experienced some pretty nice success but have also been humbled and had to start over again. Michael Schaerer and Richard Fortus have also experienced the fickleness of the music industry. Michael has kept it local and still does what he loves. Richard has gone on to perform with many big names. I think he might still be the guitarist for Guns'N"Roses, but the only project of his that shows in my feed right now is The Dead Daisies.

My perspective is that of the consumer. I really had no idea this response would get so long. hahahaha

The age of digital music has definitely changed the playing field for sure. You can either adapt and adjust and create something new or your can become obsolete, a fossil or a novelty of days gone by. I have confidence that with all the changes will emerge something new. I have confidence in our ability to adapt and adjust. Just because not everyone will like it doesn't mean it isn't a good thing. I only just threw away my whole cassette collection. I still like my physical CDs and Amrik laughs at me for that....yet he likes to buy CDs at shows and have them signed. lol The way we consume music is changing and, yes, it will make it harder for anyone to become bloated, giant and internationally huge. I don't see that as a bad thing. Just wait until star people (aka aliens) hit the scene. THAT will shake shit up in a way we have never dreamed. How cool will it be to say you are going to see this musical artist from the Pleiades? You think I am kidding, but I am not. lol