Are you tired of being lumped into groups that generalize you as a fan or being told you hate a particular character simply because you openly express your liking for another? If you can answer yes to any of the above then please take a moment to read this thread.
Hi, for those of you who don’t know, my name is Kat and I go by the name of ForeverSG1 here on Gateworld. I have been a fan of Stargate SG-1 since its inception and only became involved with fandom in February 2005. When I joined GW, I did so because I had recently purchased all seven seasons of Stargate SG-1 on DVD and I found myself completely intrigued by the actors who portrayed the characters of SG-1. Before this time, Stargate had always just been a show I enjoyed on a weekly basis, nothing more. I did not spend hours pondering what was going on with the characters once I turned off my television. I simply used the show as a means to escape reality for one hour each week. However, after watching the behind-the-scenes commentaries on the DVD’s, I found myself enchanted by these witty people who I had been watching for seven years. I fell in love with the wonderful family atmosphere the show seemed to have and the genuine friendship the actors seemed to share. I found myself longing to see more of their humorous bantering and thus began my search of the internet and found Gateworld.
Before joining Gateworld, I had never really thought of myself as a part of a clique. I had never watched an episode of Stargate and thought to myself “God I hope they have a lot of Sam in this episode” or “Damn, why do they have so much Teal’c in this one?” To me, SG-1 included four characters: Teal’c, Jack, Daniel and Sam. RDA may have been the star by title, but I think over time the writers really did a fair job at trying to incorporate all the characters into the show and to really show SG-1 as more than just a group of people who had exciting adventures through a Stargate. Over time, they became a family and I came to love each of the characters as individuals as well as a team. I enjoyed seeing their relationships grow and evolve and though I may not have enjoyed every episode as much as another, I never felt as if I had totally wasted an hour of my life watching the show.
However that all changed when I joined Gateworld and became a member of Stargate fandom. Suddenly I was pushed into situation where I felt I had to draw lines and identify myself in terms of who my favorite was. Either I was a shipper or an anti-shipper. Either I was for or against Daniel. Either I liked Sam or I hated her. Suddenly this great ensemble show that I had enjoyed watching for seven years had been reduced to nothing more than a popularity contest. Just where did the ‘I’ and ‘Me’ come from in SG-1? Stargate has never been about just one character. It has always been about the team. The writers have made it a point to allow each of the characters to show their love and concern for one another throughout the years (although things did seem to become a bit clouded over the past few years ).
I just don’t understand why we must choose a side in order to be a fan of Stargate. Just because I like Sam as a character, does not mean that I automatically hate Daniel. One of the reasons I don’t frequent most of the character threads is because in most cases, the character isn’t being discussed, they are being lusted upon and while I find most of the actors on the show to be very attractive, I do not have a desire to spend my time online discussing how great an actor’s bum is. This is not to knock those fans who choose to do this. You all have the right to do as you wish, but for me personally I didn’t find it desirable, but this does not mean I like an actor any less than someone else. I personally have taken a stand for Sam because I feel as if she is the most controversial character on the show. She is condemned repeatedly and while I can understand that people do not like the storylines that have transpired over the years, I still personally enjoy watching the character and I’ve always been one to root for the underdog.
So my question is why do we as fans have to be lumped into a group based upon who we like or dislike? Why does it seem as if we must hate one character in order to enjoy another one?
Aren’t there any fans out there that actually enjoy all of the characters? I may not enjoy all of the new characters as much as the originals, but that’s only because I do not know these characters as well, nor do I feel as if some of them have been written well thus far. However, this does not in any way, shape or form mean that I hold any ill will towards the actors who portray these characters.
Are there any fans that actually miss the team interaction: the camaraderie and the friendship? Or has Stargate become more about the ships, technology and jokes, and less about the relationships of the characters? Or maybe it was always about the ships and explosions and I was the odd ball who thought it was more?
If you are a fan of SG-1, ALL of SG-1, and if you miss the relationship the characters had and yearn for more than a weekly trip through the Stargate? If you are tired of feeling as if you are being forced to choose sides or being lumped into one group or another then feel free to post your comments here. I’d love to know I’m not the only one out there.
Kat
Hi, for those of you who don’t know, my name is Kat and I go by the name of ForeverSG1 here on Gateworld. I have been a fan of Stargate SG-1 since its inception and only became involved with fandom in February 2005. When I joined GW, I did so because I had recently purchased all seven seasons of Stargate SG-1 on DVD and I found myself completely intrigued by the actors who portrayed the characters of SG-1. Before this time, Stargate had always just been a show I enjoyed on a weekly basis, nothing more. I did not spend hours pondering what was going on with the characters once I turned off my television. I simply used the show as a means to escape reality for one hour each week. However, after watching the behind-the-scenes commentaries on the DVD’s, I found myself enchanted by these witty people who I had been watching for seven years. I fell in love with the wonderful family atmosphere the show seemed to have and the genuine friendship the actors seemed to share. I found myself longing to see more of their humorous bantering and thus began my search of the internet and found Gateworld.
Before joining Gateworld, I had never really thought of myself as a part of a clique. I had never watched an episode of Stargate and thought to myself “God I hope they have a lot of Sam in this episode” or “Damn, why do they have so much Teal’c in this one?” To me, SG-1 included four characters: Teal’c, Jack, Daniel and Sam. RDA may have been the star by title, but I think over time the writers really did a fair job at trying to incorporate all the characters into the show and to really show SG-1 as more than just a group of people who had exciting adventures through a Stargate. Over time, they became a family and I came to love each of the characters as individuals as well as a team. I enjoyed seeing their relationships grow and evolve and though I may not have enjoyed every episode as much as another, I never felt as if I had totally wasted an hour of my life watching the show.
However that all changed when I joined Gateworld and became a member of Stargate fandom. Suddenly I was pushed into situation where I felt I had to draw lines and identify myself in terms of who my favorite was. Either I was a shipper or an anti-shipper. Either I was for or against Daniel. Either I liked Sam or I hated her. Suddenly this great ensemble show that I had enjoyed watching for seven years had been reduced to nothing more than a popularity contest. Just where did the ‘I’ and ‘Me’ come from in SG-1? Stargate has never been about just one character. It has always been about the team. The writers have made it a point to allow each of the characters to show their love and concern for one another throughout the years (although things did seem to become a bit clouded over the past few years ).
I just don’t understand why we must choose a side in order to be a fan of Stargate. Just because I like Sam as a character, does not mean that I automatically hate Daniel. One of the reasons I don’t frequent most of the character threads is because in most cases, the character isn’t being discussed, they are being lusted upon and while I find most of the actors on the show to be very attractive, I do not have a desire to spend my time online discussing how great an actor’s bum is. This is not to knock those fans who choose to do this. You all have the right to do as you wish, but for me personally I didn’t find it desirable, but this does not mean I like an actor any less than someone else. I personally have taken a stand for Sam because I feel as if she is the most controversial character on the show. She is condemned repeatedly and while I can understand that people do not like the storylines that have transpired over the years, I still personally enjoy watching the character and I’ve always been one to root for the underdog.
So my question is why do we as fans have to be lumped into a group based upon who we like or dislike? Why does it seem as if we must hate one character in order to enjoy another one?
Aren’t there any fans out there that actually enjoy all of the characters? I may not enjoy all of the new characters as much as the originals, but that’s only because I do not know these characters as well, nor do I feel as if some of them have been written well thus far. However, this does not in any way, shape or form mean that I hold any ill will towards the actors who portray these characters.
Are there any fans that actually miss the team interaction: the camaraderie and the friendship? Or has Stargate become more about the ships, technology and jokes, and less about the relationships of the characters? Or maybe it was always about the ships and explosions and I was the odd ball who thought it was more?
If you are a fan of SG-1, ALL of SG-1, and if you miss the relationship the characters had and yearn for more than a weekly trip through the Stargate? If you are tired of feeling as if you are being forced to choose sides or being lumped into one group or another then feel free to post your comments here. I’d love to know I’m not the only one out there.
Kat
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