About

About Blogilow:

Welcome to the new Blogilow! The old Blogilow was a fan blog devoted to Barry Manilow, hence the name, Blog – ilow. The new Blogilow is intended to be a less fannish and more scholarly (or at least quasi-scholarly) place to discuss the concepts of fans, fandoms, and celebrity. While those of us doing the posting (right now Terry, Joanne, and Suzanne) will sometimes refer to fandoms we’ve participated in, Blogilow is not intended to exalt or bash any particular fandom or celebrity.

A word to the wise: All comments will be moderated and I won’t be allowing the flaming or immature crap that goes on in some of the fandoms. If you want to have an adult conversation about fans, fandoms, and celebrity, you’re welcome to participate. If you just want to act like a pit bull and attack people left and right, there’s plenty of fandoms where you can get your jollies. Just go away and leave the adults alone. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with us. It just means you have to express your disagreement in a mature, intelligent fashion.

About the Bloggers

Terry

I started Blogilow several years ago when I was making monthly (and sometimes bi-monthly) visits to Las Vegas to see Barry Manilow perform. I wasn’t a fan at first but I became one. I considered myself a fan from January 2006 to December 2007. I continued Blogilow even after I ceased being a fan because I was anticipating a big event I had planned for a friend. Unfortunately, Mr. Manilow kept cancelling our meet-up and eventually my friend could no longer leave her elderly father at all and so could not come to Las Vegas for the event. At that point I’d had enough and shut down Blogilow, removing all the reviews and the thousands of concert photos I had put up.

Part of my disenchantment with Manilow World was other fans. I met some wonderful people. I also met some real whack jobs, and that started me thinking about what it means to be a fan; why do fans behave the way they do?; why do fandoms have distinct personalities?; what must it be like to be a celebrity and be the object of fan adulation? I started posting about scholarly articles I was reading on these issues and some fans took it personally and went into attack mode. Others found the subjects just as fascinating as I do and engaged me in interesting email conversations. I’m hoping more of those people will step up and participate in the new Blogilow.

I’ve participated in only a few fandoms: Star Trek (before the Internet), Hawaii Five-O (both before and after the arrival of the Internet); The X-Files (Internet only); and finally Barry Manilow (Internet and real life events). I had briefly dipped my toe into the fandoms of actor Tim Curry and John Munch (character on Homicide: Life in the Streets and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit). I didn’t stay long because I lost interest in Curry and Munch before I got very involved. I consider myself to be a fan of the late actor, Robert Preston, but there was never really a fandom to participate in, though I did meet a few nice people, including Mr. Preston’s nephew. Usually I remain a “fan” of something even after I leave the fandom. That isn’t true with Barry Manilow. I’m no longer a fan and don’t listen to his music or buy tickets to his show. I do, however, still watch Star Trek, Hawaii Five-0, and the X-Files on DVDs.

Of the fandoms I’ve participated in, I found the Hawaii Five-O fans to be the nicest, most cooperative bunch. The X-Files fans are such a numerous and diverse bunch that they’re impossible to describe. The Manilow fandom is by far the most rigid, dictatorial, ‘our-way-or-the-highway’ of the fandoms I’ve participated in. The star’s management also meddles in his fandom far more than the producers of the TV shows ever meddled in those fandoms.

You’ll notice that the fandoms I’ve been involved in were primarily media fandoms. Mr. Manilow’s fandom was the first I participated in significantly that was celebrity-oriented. I was never a particular fan of the actors of any of the televisions shows I’ve mentioned; rather I was a fan of one or more characters in the shows: Kirk/McCoy/Picard, Steve McGarrett, Walter Skinner/Monica Reyes/John Doggett. I think there might be a big difference between media fandoms and celebrity fandoms and I hope that’s something we can explore on Blogilow.

About me: I’m a middle-aged woman with two cats (Jazz and Reggae). I have an undergraduate degree in political science; a law degree; a master’s degree in college student personnel; and a master’s degree in information sciences. I practiced law for several years in the 1980s and mostly handled construction law, zoning, real estate development, finance, and other boring things. I was a college professor for twelve years and now teach legal research in a law school.

I read voraciously, follow the Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Tech Hokies football teams (that’s where the two master’s degrees came from), and swear allegiance to the Baltimore Orioles, though I can’t even name anyone on the team anymore. It’s hard to follow a baseball team that’s on the other side of the country. To me, the Orioles will always be Brooks Robinson, Mark Belanger, Andy Etchebarren, Dave McNally, Jim Palmer, and so forth. I’m also interested in the history of military schools, the history of higher education, and in a number of academic legal issues.

Suzanne

I have always been a fan of music celebrities throughout my life. As a teen, I vehemently followed Bobby Sherman. I had every magazine, photograph, album, interview and collectible imaginable. At the same time, I followed fervently the career of Barbra Streisand, collecting and cataloging every album with great care and precision. While I followed both of these celebrities with passion, I never ventured into the fan world.

Throughout the years, I have had many such admirations. However, it never occurred to me to seek out other members of their fan communities or communicate with them regarding the celebrities I admired. In 2002, I attended my first Barry Manilow concert in San Antonio, Texas. I noticed, with great interest, the fans at this concert. They seemed to know each other and they were all wearing items with his picture on them and talked with what appeared to be great authority regarding his career, and even his personal life. At this concert, I merely observed. It did, however, peak my interest and cause me to wonder what it might be like to know some of those people who apparently had my love for his music in common. I did not know about the online community of fans or anything about their existence.

In 2006 I attended a show in Las Vegas and through a series of rather odd coincidences ended up on the front row of the stage seats. Since it was my first Manilow show in Vegas, and I did not know of the pre-planned fan interaction with those seats, I was surprised to be the unknowing participant in that interaction. Instantly, after the show, I was mobbed by fans asking me questions: What was it like? What did he smell like? How did it feel to have him talk to you? Are you ever going to wash that cheek? (I received a peck) The questions continued out of the showroom, into the casino, and even on to the monorail. Strange behavior in the least, but I brushed it off as everyone was so excited to see him interact with a fan.

At that same show I met a young lady my daughter’s age that had been a lifelong fan herself. She introduced me to his extensive catalog of music and we scheduled a return trip to Las Vegas, also planning to attend the 2007 Convention together. It was on that trip that we encountered true Manilow fandom. The 2006 Convention had just ended and they were all lingering around to attend the rest of the shows that week. My friend was lucky enough to dance with him the night we attended the show and the same behavior I had received came to her ten-fold. Except, the jealously that occurred because of it was astounding. We both decided at that point that we would never be attending the Convention if this was what the fans were like.

Later that month, my friend introduced me to the online fan community (which she only dabbled in) and this began my love-hate relationship with Manilow fans. I jumped in feet first and throughout the course of the last few years have experienced some of the greatest fan friendships and also some of the most vicious personal attacks imaginable from these other Manilow-obsessed fans. I began writing a Blog back in December of 2006 and have continued it. The subject matter has always been about the music and the fans. As of late, my postings have been about the fans and how their behavior continues to astound me.

I am extremely interested in exploring the correlation between the internet and the gang mentality of celebrity fans. I’m also fascinated with exploring how celebrity adoration turns into celebrity stalking and obsession—where does the admiration end and the obsession begin?

About me: I am a mother of two (son-30, daughter-27) and two rescue dogs (Brutus and Pearl). I have been married for 36 years to my high school sweetheart. I have two miniature dachshund grandpuppies and no grandchildren as of yet. I supported a husband and two children through college and graduate school. I am an entrepreneur graphic designer with no formal education of any kind past high school. Most of my knowledge regarding graphic design is self taught and garnered from on-the-job experience. I am also a self-proclaimed writer and am working on two non-fiction books: one on advice from the women in my life, and the other on my personal experience with breast cancer.

I have two loves in life other than my family: Boston and the Boston Red Sox. I am an avid fan of both and hope some day to live there and become a part of the city and experience Red Sox Nation firsthand.

Joanne

I am a 51 year old female living in the UK. I am married with 3 children, one daughter, 21 years, who is about to fly the nest and 2 sons, 12 & 13 years, who keep me very busy!! I am a social worker by profession, have been all my adult life, it was something I wanted to do since I was 14 years old, not many kids are that certain but I was. I don’t know, I think its my protective instinct about those in need and those who can’t help their circumstances. My career took me down the path of working with children and families although I have had experience with all groups of people including those with disabilities, older people, people with mental health problems. I know I have come across some of the most harrowing things that happens in society through the years and I know colleagues who have been through worse. My heart is still as strong as ever and I know I will always stand for humanity and the need to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our world are heard and felt. My career took me into Learning and Development which is my other love, to teach others. In my profession it is vitally important that when we allow people to practice as social workers that they are as good as they can be. My bottom line in my assessments are if I would mind if this person was working with me or my family, and if I would mind then they are not good enough! Tough I know but we are licensing people to practice and make decisions about the most vulnerable people in our society!!

I was brought up during some of the worse violence in Northern Ireland which probably accounts for my strong stance in being non religious. Too many people across the world do terrible things in the name of ‘religion’ and then hide behind it like a shield and take no responsibility for their actions. In my early teenage years I listened to music but was very far removed from the notion of being a fan or following anyone. I was also brought up with the music of Sinatra, Martin, Sammy Davis Junior, Tony Bennett and I have always loved musicals. When I was 16 years old I heard someone called Barry Manilow singing ‘Mandy’, I liked the song and loved the singer. Then I heard ‘Could it be Magic’ and it blew me away, I was hooked! But I lived in N. Ireland so the records, radio and Top of the Pops on TV was my lot. I never saw any artist live when I was young, they wouldn’t come to N. Ireland, don’t blame them it wasn’t safe!! It wasn’t until a few years ago when my brothers heard I was going to Vegas to see Barry Manilow that they both said they remembered how much I loved him back then, they have better memories than I have!

Anyway my career and family was my focus for many years to come. I now know I seemed to lose me and who I was over those years. I moved to England and settled down. I went through many traumas with my Mum being ill for many years and eventually passing away suddenly on the 24th February 1998. I became very ill in October 2002 and got a big wake up call regarding my health and my life. I spent the next 2 years getting my health back on track and then looked at my life. I found Barry again and it was then I realized how much of me I had left behind all those years ago. That shouldn’t happen just because you become a wife and mother but it does just too many times. I began to listen to his music, found e-bay and bought all the stuff I had missed out on. Then I planned to go to Vegas to see him live for the very first time for my 50th birthday, this was 18months in the planning for this trip. My family thought I was mad but went along with it, they had no choice really! I ended up going on my own when my friend couldn’t go, then everyone thought I was mad, but I was determined!

I went to Vegas and met some wonderful people including Terry and Suzanne, other bloggers on this site. I met a couple of friends from the UK who have stayed long time friends now. The shows were out of this world, he did more than I could ever have imagined during those 2 weeks. The guy who manages the UK site, Mark, said they will bring me back as I was a good luck charm for the shows. Apparently Barry did songs he hadn’t done for a long time. I did a platinum meeting which was okay but I knew it was staged, but it salvaged my conscious for spending so much money on myself to give to Barry’s charity. However the night that changed my life forever was my 2nd ever show when Barry asked me to dance, that was magical and so special and I don’t think he will ever realize just how special.

The other thing I then observed was the phenomenon of the ‘fan world’!! If I hadn’t seen some of this for myself I would never have believed it! Why do grown women behave in this way, I still don’t understand it! Why do 16/17-year-olds behave in this way over a man old enough to be their grand-father (sorry Barry) I have still to understand! Why do some people sit on the front row of his shows at every single show he does no matter where in the world he is, I don’t understand! Don’t get me wrong I love the man and his music and I know how he makes me feel but I know I would never, ever behave like this. I feel I have too much self respect and too much respect for him to do it but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy myself and get involved where I can. I find reading about different opinions about it all fascinating. My psychology background makes my senses rise when I talk to people, I find human beings fascinating. I love to know what makes each individual ‘tick’! How does one person react in one way and someone else completely different.

My work prevents me from getting as involved as I’d like to be and certainly prevents me from reading anything other than social work texts! This is a long ‘about me’ and I think I got slightly carried away but maybe some who read this will get a sense of where I am coming from. I’m complex and maybe not easy for others to understand but I still think I’m trying to find who I am and where I’m meant to be. It’s a journey not yet finished.

Carpe Diem

Carpe_Diem is the pseudonym of a middle aged mother, grandmother, aspiring entertainer and ‘recovering’ celebrity worshipper living in the Western US. When it comes to going overboard in fandom, she’s been there, seen it and done that. So now “Carpe Diem” is “seizing the day” by developing non-entertainment industry based hobbies in real time, and reconnecting with friends and family offline. She’s interested in doing her part to help people in a variety of fandoms achieve balance in their lives, and exploring ways one can enjoy their favorite art and artists and keep perspective at the same time. Hence the reasons she participates at Blogilow.