Why Fangirls are NORMAL

[Kate Miller]

Jen’s reasoning as to why Fangirls are perfectly normal!

[/u]

What is normal?[/center]

Normal can be defined in one of four ways. Or Abnormal anyway. So I am going to prove once and for all, that Fangirls are as normal as it gets!

Statistical Infrequency

This basically means that if the ‘disorder’ is 2 statistical deviations outside of normal, it is classed as abnormal. The Fangirl world is eff-ing huge. Ergo – NORMAL

Deviation from Social Norms

As we are such a huge ‘race’ or ‘cult’ we can not possibly be seen as abnormal by society standards. Okay by those who don’t understand the world of the fangirl, but those who do, are Fangirls themselves. Lots of people. Mmkay?

Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

In 1953 Jahoda came up with the 6 critera for ideal mental health, these were:

1. Positive self-attitude/self-esteem

i. We have great self-attitudes
ii. When things are going well for our character we celebrate
iii. When it doesn’t we get depressed.

2. Personal Growth and self-actualisation – fulfilling one’s potential

i. Fic-ers and graphic peeps are continually fulfilling there creative potential.
ii. Picspam-ers rock

3. Resistance to Stress

i. This is where we flaw, when something bad happens we get very worked up about it
ii. Life starts to revolve around those areas
iii. Ergo we get very stressed.

4. Autonomy – being independent

i. We depend on our characters/ships to get us through
ii. When they go wrong life takes a slight down hill for a while!

5. Accurate Perception of reality

i. Dreams of fandom
ii. Occasional beliefs that it is real
iii. Again here we flaw XD

6. Mastery of the environment – ability to love, to function at work and with interpersonal relationships.

i. Ability to love – our characters and ships!
ii. I fuction at work by people smiling and talking to me about Hood for 5 mins then I will work XD
iii. Interpersonal relationships –with characters and people that like our fandom

We’re very normal people see!

Failure to Function Adequately

Failure to fuction adequantly basically means that you can not cope in real life. The fandom would get in the way of work, other peoples understanding of you, etc etc. Fandom can sometimes do this if you talk in abbreveatins or actor names… But most of the time, we’re fine here.


It has been establish from this that:

a. Jen needs to get out more
b. Jen doesn’t suck to bad at psychology after all
c. Mr Fennell will be proud of her
d. FANGRILS ARE PERFECTLY NORMAL!

[Allan A Dale]

XD Excellent reasons, can I add one?

Most people secretly fangirl over something. We're just the loud ones. Ergo, we're normal. (I had an hour long conversation with my friend about men who would look good in leather because she'd seen Guy; I was staunchly defending Joe while she was insisting Elijah Wood would look better. XD That's the person she fangirls over, but she doesn't usually say it anywhere~)

[jakeplatt]

Haha, I have to say, I think Jahoda would class us all as abnormal XD But then again, Jahoda's model is so flawed, its just her opinion, and way to western - autonomy is not nearly do important in colectivist cultures, and fangirlism is a) clearly a culture of its own and b) definately colectivist XD Woo, AS psychology is all coming back to me!

And Alsa is so right, everyone fangirls [or fanboiz] over *something*. But whats more intersting is the use of fangirl as a verb XD Aha, you can tell I'm an english student -.-

[Allan A Dale]

Lol! SAME! *_* English is so awesome!

Fangirl can be used as a verb (fangirling over something) or as a noun (either as the name of the group or the name of the language).

Yes Fangirl is a language. I know; I speak it fluently~

[jakeplatt]

A language, eh? I suposee "squee" would be part of it? Yeah, I think I know that one. It's probably better than my English [blasphemy!]

I think "having your own languase" really doesnt count in our favour on the normality front XD

[Allan A Dale]

Sure it does!

After all, if the Tolkein fans can speak Elvish and the Trek fans can study Klingon at uni, why can't we speak Fangirl?

ANOTHER STRIKE AGAINST INSANITY!

[jakeplatt]

Hahah. I guess you're right. Plus, if having your own language is a sign of insanity, that would make anyone who spoke any language insane. Hah. Yet again, I am proved wrong.

Then again, theres an argument that tolkein fans and trekkies are insane XP

[Luke Scarlett]

Bah they're not insane! Just slightly more obsessive than the rest.

*glomps* Doood you're awesome~ *squee*

(Yes this is still Alsa >_>)

[jakeplatt]

Hah, all these multiple accounts are going to confuse the hell outa me XD

Well, most of them are sane. And surely over-obsession is a sign of abnormality? Heh, Psychology was never my subject. My coursework was on stress -.-

*glomp'd*

Well, I can't say that's ever happened before!