Is there really anything wrong with liking something because you've only recently discovered it via mass-popularity?
I used to get kind of upset when someone would say, "Oh, I love [so and so]!"
To which I would reply, "Yeah? Cool. What's your favorite interpretation of the series/character?"
"Huh? I've only seen the new one."
But isn't what's important that a new fan has been born? I don't mean fair weather fans or poseurs, but genuine fans. No matter how ignorant of the previous work, they are fans.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or is the stigma simply towards false fans?
New fans are always a great thing, i think longterm fans get uppity when those new fans remain ignorant to the history of the subject matter and declare the latest as the best.
I guess is because it kinda shows that they are not really committed fans,
I will give you an example
fake fan: OMG I Love the Dark Knight batman is so amazing Batman is my favorite hero
real fan: Oh so what did you think about Tim Burton batman movies?
fake fan: Burton? batman movies, what are you talking about
real fan: so you're not aware that both Burton and Schumacher made movies?
Fake Fan: really, well i dont care i love batman is my favorite character Nolan is GOD
real fan: well you know batman was not always as cool, he was really cheesy in the 60s, plus robin was cheesy too
fake fan: Who The F__ K is Robin? and why do I care, i love the new batman, period.
Now this is just an example for the sake of argument, a very generic example, is just to give an idea
but I honestly think this is what pisses off fans, when new fans have no clue about the character besides the new movie, and they dont even care,
this doesn't relate to me, I dont feel that way about stuff, BUT I have Heard some pretty retarded stuff coming from new fans of things,
they really do not even care to research where the characters come from, or anything, they barely know their names,
im not saying everyone has to be a walking encyclopedia Either, there is a lot about batman I dont know for example, But, I love batman so I read about him, I read about his villains,
there is nothing better than to talk to a new fan of something and that person knows his crap, for a hardcore fan, that is so gratifying,
It Does happen to me with Music, with Metal, when someone says they are big fans of a band or something, but they only know their singles from the radio, they dont even bother to know who is in the band, sometimes is like, superficial, feels superficial, That's just my take
some people are elitist and snobs and cant accept any new fans, but like i said, I LOVE talking to a new fan of something and they knew their stuff, that is really cool,