High Fidelity: Best representation of Fandom?

Patrick has been intently thinking about what it means to be part of the weird and wonderful world of Fandom and has come to one defining (in his opinion anyway) truth. That the movie adaption of HIGH FIDELITY is the best on screen representation of the Fanboy or Fangirl there has ever been.

High Fidelity (2000)

WARNING: SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!

 Okay, I hold my hands up and I’ll confess. High Fidelity is my favourite movie of all time and I could spend the whole of this article explaining why but that isn’t why I’m here. The movie adaption of the book of the same name by Nick Hornby (which I have read and is equally as brilliant, but I want to focus on the movie), is the best representation of what I means to be a Fanboy or Fangirl that has ever been put on screen.

Hornby as a writer has tackled the obsessive-ness of the male psyche extremely well in the book (did something similar in Fever Pitch), so to have that same trait realised on screen is a masterstroke from both star and writer John Cusack and from director Stephen Frears.

To the untrained eye it may seem like a movie about a guy trying to win back his ex, but it is a great window for people to see into the lives of a member of Fandom.

Character Traits

Most members of Fandom share common traits. These can be listed as the following

1. An obsessive love of something seemingly unimportant.

2. A stubbornness and unwillingness to acknowledge other people’s points of view on said obsessive love.

Rob (John Cusack) and the gang debating Musical topics

3. Immerse themselves in their love, e.g. taking a job that allows them to think of nothing else.

4.  Hatred of anything mainstream or that will affect their love and make it go mainstream.

5. Think of everything is affected because of said love.

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) ticks all these boxes:

1. Obsessed with music.

2. We see him fighting and unwilling to compromise his view on music even when his “friends” Barry and dick are arguing with him.

3. Rob works in and owns a store called Championship Vinyl. Rob, however unwillingly, has surrounded himself with his one and only interest, music.

4. Rob hates the musical mainstream. Evidence is seen when he exclaims: “Is that Peter fucking Frampton” as he hears Marie De Salle singing. He also complains to his ex Laura, about how she has changed “clothes, and hair and jobs”. Her response being “I couldn’t go to work with pink hair Rob”.

5. Rob poses the question at the beginning of the movie: “Am I miserable because I listen to Pop music? Or do I listen to pop music because I’m miserable?”. Rob feels like everything comes back to music and that is the way he lives his life.

Why Rob is the perfect incarnation of fandom?

There are a number of reasons for this:

1. First of all he has an easily accessible obsession: Music. Everyone loves music and therefore that love of music is easy to connect to. Unlike maybe fantasy writing or weird television, everyone loves music and has a taste in music. Not everyone reads or watches strange TV. Plus Music is on the cool end of the geek spectrum.

Barry (Jack Black) the militant side of Fandom realised.

2. He has a dead end job, making it easy for him to be invested in his love of music. Plus he works with “the musical moron twins” in Dick and Barry, who are equally strict in their fandom. Barry (played by Jack Black) is of the more militant variety; where as Dick (played by Todd Louiso) is much more moderate and a retiring wallflower of a musical geek. The scenes of them in the shop arguing and talking about music are both hilarious and intriguing.

3. Rob is endlessly ranking things. This is a trait that all fandom members have. “I think this is better that this” and so forth. Flame wars were started by people like Rob. His utter self confidence reeks of fandom. Example: He puts the Three EPs by The Beta Band on in the shop and when a customer says “this is good”, his response is “I know.” Utter confidence, pure reaction of a member of fandom.

Rob and Barry together in the store

4. Rob becomes infatuated with Marie De Salle, a night club singer. It doesn’t matter that she has no real fame or notoriety for singing other than in clubs but that doesn’t matter to Rob, he just loves that she is in on the creative side of what he loves. All members of fandom live on these fantasies, hell it’s these fantasies that fuel fandom.

Rob speaks an universal Fandom Truth.

5. Rob thinks like people from fandom: “A long time ago Barry, Dick and I came to one universal truth: it’s what you like, not what you are like. Books, films, music, these things matter. Call me shallow, it’s the fucking truth.” That is what being a fanboy or fangirl is in a nutshell, loving all these things and being unapologetic about that love.

Conclusion

There are lots of things that show Rob off in a bad light in the movie and the book but that is what makes him human and more realistic. He is the ultimate representation of what it means to be a pop culture geek. Watch or read High Fidelity, if something doesn't resonate with you then you obviously aren't a fandom member.