If you think that there's no worse thing than a lunatic obsessed narcisistic and egocentric girl, you're wrong. There are her fans. And, please, read carefully: I've said fans, not friends.
Fan is a short form for fanatic and, according to the dictionary, "a person who is too enthusiastic about something". The words "too enthusiastic" are the key.
There are lots of different kind of fans, but the worst ones are undoubtely teenage ones. But don't get me wrong, I'm talking about just a bunch of teens. Internet plays a strange fascinations towards them. It's like a night home without their parents. They feel they could do everything they want. Or else they feel they are the head of the house and that gives them a sort of legitimate power.
They generally love things which are popular at that moment, because this give them the opportunity to join a community of thousand of other teens like them. The object of their "love" is what make them popular and beloved in those communities so they want to defend their position, I mean, idols. They fight against everyone who doesn't share their point of view. They don't like to argue (words are not their strong point as you will see) because they think that their ideas are right and untouchable. Their goal on every quarrel is to silence their interlocutors.
Like a lone soldier guarding a fort, shooting at everything in sight without thinking too much, if you pass me the simile.
One very recent case of that "fanatism" could be found in the fans of "Eragon", the book written by Christopher Paolini. Mr. Paolini became famous because he claimed to have written that book at the age of fifteen. A teen genius, as someone addressed him. You know that the media love this kind of things. So Paolini was interviewed, honoured, praised.
Teen fans love him because he's one of them (forgetting that he was fifteen in 1998. He's more than twenty, today) and most of all because he is one of them who made it, who reached success.
One thing they don't know and they keep ignoring, is that Mr. Paolini actually copied the entire Star Wars plot, scene by scene. And he robbed The Lord of The Rings too, using the charismatic races Tolkien invented, such as Elves, Dwarves and Orcs, without adding anything new.
Mr. Paolini is also a poor writer. He used a lot of purple prose and made obvious mistakes (like creating a vegetalian female Elf characters who wears a leather armor, for example).
But his teenage fans don't accept such criticisms. If you try to say something like that in one of the forum dedicated to the subject, the following is a good view of what you could ecounter.
The most probable answers you will get would be that you're jealous of his talent or his success; that you should get a life and not waste your time hating him; that you are a pathetic stupid brat who likes attacking others. Not to mention loads of swearing a teenager could know (internet is a good place to learn, I suppose).
You could answer them, reply politely, showing your reasons. But you will remain a stupid jealous slacker.
Branca also has lots of fans. And a lot of them are teenage fans (DeviantArt attracts teenage artists like honey attracts bees). She calls them "friends", but what Branca ignore is that most part of them follow her only to share her popularity. It can't be helped, it's how DeviantArt works. I watch your gallery so you're going to watch mine. I say to you that you are good because I expect you to say the same to me. And when you publish a journal asking for "a shoulder to cry on", I shall come and pamper you, because it costs me nothing (they are just words).
Branca's teenage fans are no exception. They close their eyes, ears and minds and they rush against criticisms headlong. They don't fight, they just carelessly kick and puch. They don't argue, they just shout insults.
Branca's success doesn't come from her talent. If it was the case, she wouldn't be so popular on DeviantArt, because there are lots of more talented Gorillaz' artists than her. Branca's success comes from her blind and loyal fans. Like Paolini's success. Like every mediatic phoenomenon's success.
Branca create fanarts. And fans create Branca.
Now that you know what I'm talking about, let me show you some of the nice comments I've received for what I did the first time I've opened my "Fernet" account on DeviantArt:
spicynoodle666 (13 years old) says that "this bitch sucks", calls my works "shitty comics" and also calls me a "stupid whore who is jealous";
Catya (19 years old) says that "Fernet sure is a bitch......peolpes like that deserves to be banned" and also that what I'm doing "shows pretty much that peoples who does it,has no life";
2dismine (15 years old) says that everyone who attack Branca "are just jealous" of her "wit" and "talent";
Moon-Ottsel (12 years old) says that Fernet is "either just nasty, or shes really jelouse" of Branca'a talent;
DemonDaysChild (16 years old) says that I'm "just an idiot";
RedHeadWolf (13 years old) says that Fernet "'s jealous";
italiancowgirl90 (16 years old) just says "ughh... what a bitch.... some people are just too jealous for their good XP";
fluffycrazynoodle (13 years old) says that "fernet must die *stab*" and also that fernet "dosent have any friends on dev.. ;P she sucks.." and that "she's jealoss" of Branca and her "brilliant art work".
xxpunkgrlxx (16 years old) says that what I do is "immature and Childish". She says that I'm "probally just jelous" of Branca's talent. She says that I'm another "overly obsessive 2D fan" and that I'm "just jelous, or just immature and looking for attention".
I didn't report other enlightening comments of some people because I didn't know their age. But looking at their gallery I guess they're probably less than twenty.
What can I say?
I'm not absolutely jealous of Branca's talent or success. I like what I do, but I don't expect other people to like it as well. Branca do;
I think of being, if not intelligent, at least a logical and pragmatic person. And I think that if I was a stupid person I wouldn't write the way I write;
I don't think I've offended anyone with my works, because they are just parodies. It's not my fault if they haven't any sense of humor;
And I live my life with hope and joy. This month I went to cinema with my boyfriend four times... five if I count today.
If you want to have a look at all the comments on your own, you can watch the original journal Branca made the first time I arrived on DA:
Branca's journal against Fernet on DeviantArt
I've also received other personal comments I won't report here for a matter of space, but I shall put them on a page on their own soon.
Fernet LeBlanche
