We hope all fans are enjoying our latest series of posts that have a particular focus on ‘discovering’ Aaron Paul, and how to cope with this new found awesomeness.
In this post we are going to focus on ‘fans’, the supposed ‘cult of fan’. I proudly call myself a fan, I am a fan of many things, and have lost count of the sheer number of things I claimed to be a fan of in my lifetime. My partner in crime, Caroline (@aaron_paul_fc), a little less so by comparison. Through our many chats I have deduced that she’s been waiting all her life for the one thing to be a fan of, and that became Aaron Paul, it’s really quite sweet!
The name of this website really says it all, our focus is on fans of Aaron Paul, when we post anything on this site its talking to fellow fans, not the man himself (although we’re not above posting little shout outs now and again, in the hope he might catch them and at least smile).
Fan-Tastic
It’s fair to say fans do tend to get a bad rep. There is a thought that to dedicate time, passion and energy into someone you don’t even know, might never meet, is a ridiculous waste of time. It’s also considered a childish act, to take interest and mildly obsess over a ‘person’ who you only ever see on a screen.
I have learned in some ways to feel a little sorry for people who think like this, who don’t understand what joy the creative arts can bring to people. Actors, TV Shows, Live Theatre, Films, Performers, Musicians, Artists – these collectives can move you, enrich you, enlighten you, make you think, take you to new places, make you feel emotions you might never experience in your real life and yes, all of these can literally change your life in either a big or small way.
The point of this post is to reach out to new and older fans alike, and hopefully convey the message that you are not alone, you are not a freak, and it’s perfectly ok to be a ‘fan’ of something, either casual or passionate – just don’t beleive the hype that to be a fan makes you fanatical, strange or weird – it’s all complete lies invented by those who will never understand.
My greatest passions in life, those extra special things I obsess over, and proudly claim to be a fan of have come off the back of very difficult and troubling times in my life. This is not a coincidence.
The Comfort Zone
When you discover a TV series that gets inside your head, provides you with a welcome escape and truly takes you on a journey – its a wonderful thing. There are some series that you watch and enjoy, and it provides a temporary escape, but you might not always re-watch, happy enough with the one time experience. Then there are those TV series that grab you, shake you about a bit, demand a rewatch, and becomes that one thing you only talk about for a moment in your life.
Sometimes, an off-shoot of these discoveries whether it’s the one time experience deal or a full-on obsession, one character stands out enough that before you know it you’re looking at IMDb, and that’s only the start.
The Aaron Paul effect
Jesse Pinkman (Breaking Bad) is likely the main reason people discover Aaron Paul, but I’ve seen more than one example of Todd Chavez (Bojack Horseman) and Eddie Lane (The Path) providing the source. The character an actor plays can naturally draw fans in, and those attributes can vary, it could also be their humour, their looks, their moves, their emotions or a number of these factors. In Paul’s case, the fact his characters tend to struggle, are hard done by, and you just want them to have a happy ever after seems to be the main driver for fans to develop.
In discovering Aaron Paul, you can also discover some great dramas and some really interesting indie films but most of all you begin to trust him as an actor to deliver a character you will be invested in – and that’s a gift, and why you become a fan of ‘him’ as an actor and a person. You come to trust that if you need to escape your own reality for a bit, he’ll be there with a character thats usually got as much, if not more, issues to deal with to help you de-stress and reset.
Never Under-Estimate A Good Thing
Sometimes it seems like actors do not grasp the passion of fans. They appreciate fans, understand that they are an important part of the process, it’s a nice thing to have but so many still don’t quite understand why people are fans. I’ve not had the privilege as yet to meet Aaron Paul, naturally I hope to one day, and my instinct will be to simply thank him. There will be a part of me that will suspect he might not understand the thanks, but likely will be gracious with it.
There’s a saying ‘never meet your heroes’ and I can understand this sentiment. I can think of nothing worse than discovering the actor behind a character that helped you escape some dark times turning out to be nothing like you hoped. It is important to seperate characters from the actors, understand and appreciate it’s their job to act the way they did that first got your attention, but the reality will always be that they are not that charactor in person. This is important, read this paragraph again, understand it clearly.
At the same time it’s nearly impossible for any actor to truly appreciate how that job they do can sometimes be that one bright spot during rough times. That one film, one character in a TV series can provide a needed escape. The same goes for those characters you can relate so hard to, for your own reasons.
And that’s the thing, everyone has their own unique reasons why a particular character or an actor’s consistent skills and ability to always allow you to enjoy their work. No matter what character they play, they can always provide that needed escape that is enough for them to call themselves ‘a fan’.
The Truth Behind Being A Fan
Sometimes all you can do is just say ‘I’m a big fan’ and somehow it never truly explains the process by which that one phrase has come into being. Whether you say it online, in person to the actor themselves, to other fans or even to complete strangers (I really must stop bothering strangers like that!) the important thing is that that statement will mean the world to that fan to say, and so few people, even some actors fail to understand the big deal.
I’d like to think that Aaron Paul, through interviews talking about things he’s also a fan of, does understand it a little more than most actors. It’s a statement to embrace and never be afraid of. Being a fan is a wonderful thing if you understand why you’re a fan, and why being one makes you so happy.
It’s important to note that like with anything there is a dark side, an element that seems hell bent on ruining the fun for every one else. (boo!) Whilst for the most part the Aaron Paul ‘fandom’ seems a friendly one, I’d be surprise if there hasn’t been some ugly over the years, and it’s always a shame but let’s not dwell, we’re only here to celebrate the talented actor, his amazing characters and welcome fans new and old to our little corner of the web!
So to end, all that’s left to say is…
I am a big fan of Aaron Paul
Jilbo
