LotR and subgroups

[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.