Tom Petty's #1 Fan -- Or, "When does a fan go too far?"

[aimeeandbeatles]

Probably will be known unofficially as "Groan, ANOTHER PETTY THREAD!!"

But I thought this would be an interesting subject, so if you're going to be critical please go away before reading more.

So anyways, in the late 1970s, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were just starting out, a lady named Margo Taylor heard them on the radio. She claims that even though she didn't even know who the singer was, that they were going to be big ... And she set out on a mission to become Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Fan Club President. I'm not going to go into all the background, but here's two articles about her, both PDF format, from a magazine and newspaper:
http://www.mediafire.com/?soh3daubji6bhwr
So anyways, she did become the fan club president for a short time.... She put out an 8-page newsletter (take a look). But then she was informed that her services would not be required anymore.... She failed to save it, then down the line sold her entire collection to another fan... Including all the "business corrospondence." That includes multi-page letters to the Heartbreakers among other things and pitches to create Tom Petty haircare products (don't ask).

To put it simply, I was talking to someone else about her, and they said, "She makes you look almost normal."

So let's discuss this. When exactly does a fan go too far?

 

[NovaKart]

Sure you can normally find someone more extreme but I think if someone devotes a significant amount of their time to interest in a celebrity and seems to have little other significant interests it's a bit too far. On the other hand, there are worse things people could do with their time and I suppose they might gain some knowledge about other things by proxy.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I think Mark David Chapman is an excellent example.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Sure you can normally find someone more extreme but I think if someone devotes a significant amount of their time to interest in a celebrity and seems to have little other significant interests it's a bit too far. On the other hand, there are worse things people could do with their time and I suppose they might gain some knowledge about other things by proxy.

Well, I try to keep it balanced (although it's hard to tell at times). I like playing computer games and web design. And I suppose going through all those newspaper archives, figuring out how to find things, would be useful on a resume.

 

[NovaKart]

That's why I didn't want to specifically refer to you because I don't know what you do in your free time and you do post about other things sometimes.

I am really curious about the Tom Petty hair care thing. I was also wondering why the term is pettyologist because it makes me think of proctologist but I suppose it sounds a lot better than pettyophile.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I don't know much about the haircare products. The woman who now has Margo T's collection mentioned she was trying to pitch one, but didn't go much into detail. Some promotion thing.... She was also trying to pitch Heartbreakers dolls.

The Pettyologist thing is a joke. Someone called me as a joke that and it stuck. I tried Heartbreakerologist for a while but it doesn't look quite as right. My friend calls herself a Pettyphile.

 

[Silurian]

When it becomes the only thing in a persons life.

 

[Heretic_Cata]

When he or she makes thousands of threads about that particular thing on forums.

Moderator Action: Infracted for trolling - no need to make this personal.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

 

[azzaman333]

When you're primarily known for being a fan of thing, you've gone too far.

 

[Tee Kay]

When you're primarily known for being a fan of thing, you've gone too far.

Yep. It's healthy to have a range of interests. You don't need to necessarily be an all-rounder. So if you're a big fan of, say, Michelle Branch, but you're also an awesome person with other interests like sport or history, that's perfectly fine. Obsessing over one thing or a very limited number of things all or almost all of the time is not healthy and probably the point when I think said fan has "gone too far". We haven't even begin to touch on things like obsessive hording or spending (when "unhealthy" becomes "financially ruinous") or things like stalking or bodily harm (when "unhealthy" becomes "criminal").

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well I don't think I consider myself a stalker although one time I did manage to find a satellite image of TP's old house on some online map service. (There's no corners!)

Though I have been known to do some irrational things..... Nothing life-ruining though.

 

[Cynovolans]

Well I don't think I consider myself a stalker although one time I did manage to find a satellite image of TP's old house on some online map service. (There's no corners!)

I'm afraid you're dancing around the line between fan and stalker there.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I'm afraid you're dancing around the line between fan and stalker there.

Well, except for the fact that I know at least 10-15 other people who have done the exact same thing I seem to remember on the old TomPetty.com boards (they're gone now) a thread where someone posted about it and there were a bunch of "I did that too" posts.

 

[LightSpectra]

Well, except for the fact that I know at least 10-15 other people who have done the exact same thing

So, you're not a stalker so long as multiple people fit the definition of "stalker" for the same target?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

And the fact that it's his old house. He doesnt even own it anymore.

EDIT: Also, the circumstances of how I found it. It came in a Google Alert. Curious, I clicked on it. Who could blame me.

 

[azzaman333]

And the fact that it's his old house. He doesnt even own it anymore.

EDIT: Also, the circumstances of how I found it. It came in a Google Alert. Curious, I clicked on it. Who could blame me.

Having flimsy justifications for your stalking doesn't mean it isn't stalking.

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Probably will be known unofficially as "Groan, ANOTHER PETTY THREAD!!"

Yepp, that's when you know you've gone too far. At least you're aware of it.

 

[Plotinus]

This is probably going too far, although everyone seems happy.

 

[Silurian]

And still happy

From the Independent by Holly Williams Saturday, 20 August 2011

My greatest regret... It's corny, but it's that I met my wife Gemma quite late in life. I wish I had met her 20 years before: my life would have been 20 years happier.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/my-secret-life-gary-numan-musician-53-2339354.html

 

[Abaddon]

When you're primarily known for being a fan of thing, you've gone too far.

This.