LotR and subgroups

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by alatar

Careful there. Hate to add "prideful boasters" to the subgroup list, and my ego is already overly inflated as it is...

But really, most Tolkien-fans I know are academic people.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

But really, most Tolkien-fans I know are academic people.

Meaning?

And, it also would be safe to say that most Tolkien readers are literate.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

The "typical" Tolkien fan may vary from one country to another. Here in Germany, people of my age and gender are not usually fans of fantasy/science fiction. When I get together with fans, which isn't often, as I don't know many in my area, I find that many of the Middle-earth fans are fairly young and often male. Not that I'm complaining, mind you!

I'm a classical musician, so I don't share the musical taste that many of you mention, and I'm only interested in my computer when it functions satisfactorily. However, I have always loved to read, though more historical books than fantasy/SF. I love language, and that could be a common factor among Tolkien fans - meaning book fans more than movie fans.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

I find that many of the Middle-earth fans are fairly young and often male.

That's a bit strange - in Finland I'd say most of them, or at least a half of them (us!!!) are female. At least in my age group or at the age group of people a bit older than me.

[Lalwendë]

I have noticed that a lot of Goths like Tolkien, though more the 'trad' Goths than the cyber types, as they tend to be more into extreme comic books. But I found when I was at Uni you could always rely on a Goth to have a good Tolkien discussion with. These days though, young Goths are probably more likely to be into the Matrix and Sandman.

I've also noticed that a lot of alternative 'crusties' (which is not a very nice term, but UK Downers will know what I mean) are into Tolkien, and have to wonder which came first, the environmentalism or the being into Tolkien?

As for metal fans being into Tolkien - some are, some most definitely are not!

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

The "typical" Tolkien fan may vary from one country to another. Here in Germany, people of my age and gender are not usually fans of fantasy/science fiction.

I'm a classical musician, so I don't share the musical taste that many of you mention

I have always loved to read, though more historical books than fantasy/SF. I love language, and that could be a common factor among Tolkien fans - meaning book fans more than movie fans.

You raise many good points, methinks.

I still like led Zeppelin, but if I would have to select just a couple of records of music to a deserted island, my choices would more likely include Satie, Fauré, Beethoven, Debussy, Strauss (not "the waltz-Strauss" ) - and maybe some Kate Bush to add on them... So we also do have manysided musical interests.

But I think the kind of miracle with Tolkien is, that he addresses so widely different kind of people at different times (see eg. the cases of myself and Alatar as an example of same time, different people).

And I duly think you are right in claiming, that people loving Tolkien seem to share some common love for language, stories and history - these of course can then be yielded to different purposes outside their birthright area of concern: the critique of technology and the enlightened ideas of secularization & "progress", escapism to a fantasy wonderland, individualistic society's aspiration for communality and honour & care, market-economy driven youth fan-culture (the movies f.ex.), and whatever.

But for something to be able to arouse all these different interpretations, there must be some substance first. And that I think Tolkien really had.

And in someway, that is no wonder: he has literally drawn from our "common memory", from myths and legends of so many people.

[Elu Ancalime]

From simple observation and experiment, there are 'caste systems' (in public grade schools, if any older members have forgotten the days of the goths and geeks. This is based off of ninth to twelfth graders, so ages 13-18. Excuse the "terms," but this is what you get in a high school. Try and keep up. I'll say how interested they are.

I am a band nerd/non-partisan

I have a friend who is non-partisan (i think he's 'forum' material)

I know one kid who feel under the "popular" status last year, and is now in the "sub-popular/jock" range. (interested outside of the LotR and TH, but not 'into' it) Along with him two others who are of same status, and were pretty interested about the books and TH, but arnt 'self-motivated' The person above is another one who was in this "group", but he stayed interested. They al kinda read the books together.

Two friends who are band nerds, and they are typical fans-seen the movies, read LotR, and we talk [humorously] about LotR sometimes

One friend who is sub-jock, and he plays the video games, but has extended knowledge (knows who Glorfindel, Beorn are)
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This is a typical American High School in Tolkien. Not really anything distinct; most of the....um...trying to think how to word this....."chronic literature and fantasy infactuaters" are mostly things more along the lines of Harry Potter and the Leagacy of the Drow series. It seems that anyone in the American youth counter-culture can learn Tolkien; all they have to do is pick up the book.



EDIT:

I also like Zep

YEAHYA, mah brah.
________
Cb500 Twin

[yavanna II]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

But really, most Tolkien-fans I know are academic people.

Then you don't know much... My dad is a Tolkien fan, but he ain't academically smart... more like street-wise he is....

In the Philippines, most Tolkien fans are people who go to the section of the bookstores that nobody else visits. Few city and national science school scholars know Tolkien, except when they're referring to the movies or comparing him to JKR and Dan Brown and George Lucas (They kill me whwnever I say Star Wars is somewhat based on LotR.). And science scholars are considered the pride of the cities as they are the most intelligent people their age...

Of course, in the city where I live, science school scholars are considered smartest, but I disagree because of two things:
1) I'm one of them, but I don't consider ourselves that academically smart;
2) There are only three city science scholars that appreciate Tolkien, including me.

[ninja91]

Here in the US, most people who like LOTR alot are considered nerds, but only if you go to school with your Dungeons and Dragons game hanging out of your backpack and the One Ring replica around your neck. Then people are like "that kid has no life". But if your like me here in Michigan, LOTR is the best, just it starts getting nerdy once you don that elf costume!

[Rockin_tha_Casbah]

Originally Posted by yavanna II

Then you don't know much... My dad is a Tolkien fan, but he ain't academically smart... more like street-wise he is....

Throw me in with this group here; I don't necessarily think intelligence determines fanbases; it might help out and lead you to a certain genre or author, but it doesn't guarantee what you will or won't like.

I've noticed that where I live (eastern Kansas, in case that means anything), there is not a very big fan-base of Tolkien. If I want a Good 'n' Geeky (tm) Tolkien discussion, the only group where I'm almost assured of getting it is with the Drama Geeks. (Which presents no problem; I'm a theatre nerd myself).

Many of my friends (at least many of my intelligent friends) do not like Tolkien's work. The reasons that they put out are fairly good (not so much 'Dude...look at the size of that book..."), and I even agree with some of them, but for some reason I love his books and they don't.

One of the reasons people are drawn to Tolkien may be because it's a continuation of their interests. Thinlómien, you mention something about computer geeks. Well, most of the comp nerds I know are heavily into sci-fi, and reading LotR might just be following the path they laid out for themselves. I mean, sci-fi is just fantasy with numbers and chemicals, right?

I really can't say anything about metalheads (a term of endearment from me and my friends) and hippies; I don't have that much personal experience.

Besides, I'm not sure if there really is a factual answer to this question.

[Volo]

As a friend of Thinlómien it is logical, that I side with her. But that isn't the reason I agree with her thought, here in Finland it seems to be as Thinlómien said. I really like hard rock and metal, spend much time on the Internet reading stuff, think of myself as a hippie of somekind and plan to go to university. Same holds for my neighbour, who is also a Tolkien-fan.

Though it might be that I don't discuss about books with people that aren't like me... But I doubt it.

[Holbytlass]

Thinking long and hard about subgroups, I propose that I'm a "wader". It means that I'm not fully immersed in anything that one usually thinks of a LOTR lover, now or even when I was in school.

I love to read, see movies, listen to music-a little of everything.
I only finished high school.
I played one year of baseball, softball, basketball.
Computer nerd-emails and a couple of websites are it for me!
Video games-do have a PS2 but only 3 games of which FOTR is one (only got to Helm's Deep)

So why am I here? I love a great story and LOTR is definitily one of them.