BE MORE CHILL to open at the Lyceum in February 2019 — Page 5

perfectlymarvelous said: "Just so all of you know, this vitriol toward teenage fans of a show isn't new. I'm in my late 20s so for me the shows were Spring Awakening and Legally Blonde and Wicked (and a little later on, [title of show] and Hair and Next to Normal), but the language people are using to describe fans of Be More Chill and Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton now is basically exactly the same. And yeah, some people were out of line and it definitely brought out the crazies, but most of us grew up and remain theatre fans and a lot of us are now professionals in the industry ourselves. From what I've heard, the kids at the show have been mostly respectful and enthusiastic, which isn't a bad thing. I haven't seen the show but ultimately, anything that gets people excited enough to become the next generation of theatre fans and ticket buyers is good in my book - it's what will keep the industry going and birth the next generation of writers, performers, directors, administrators, etc."

I love everything about this post.

YvanEhtNioj said: "Bwayfan292 said: "Apparently, fans are upset because he has a girlfriend, and they shipped him with George. So they are attacking him and his girlfriend. What the actual f***"

I’m a ****ty Millennial - what does “shipped” mean?"

Shipping is usually done in a fan base between two males (yaoi) or two females and occasionally two people of any gender where they state the two people should get together... Long story short, they want Gerard, a straight male, to date George, an uninterested gay man.

Stan is the name of Eminem’s stalker in his song “Stan” lol. That’s where the term originated from - an extreame fan.

In the song, Stan writes fan letters about killing him, his girlfriend, and other crazy **** over his love for Eminem.

Updated On: 9/11/18 at 12:02 AM

On the word "stan" and its use:

Before this message board began using the term left and right, I always found that people used it with a hint of irony. People would use it in reference to themselves, but there was a slight tongue-in-cheek exaggeration to the way it was used.

Also, while it's definitely valid to use it as a noun to describe a person, most of the uses I've seen of it outside this board were as a verb. As in "I stan [actor name]." And usually when people said that, they just meant they follow their work very closely. As in, you were "stalking" their career, not the person themself.

Of course, the lines become blurry with live theatre, because the actor is physically there, so in order to "stan" someone's career, you DO have to physically go where the actor is. Also, I'm not saying that many young fans aren't guilty of stalker-ish behavior. But I always find it a little funny when people sincerely use the term "stan" in association with that behavior, when I've always viewed it as a kind of jokey, ironic term.

Some people definitely do use the term to pejoratively or judgmentally - it's not just people on this board. But I think it's interesting to examine how different group use it in different contexts, and how the medium of live theatre sort of imbues the term with new meaning. Because if someone says they "stan" Jennifer Lawrence, they probably just mean that they watch all her movies and maybe her interviews too, which is fairly harmless. But when there are real-world interactions going on, it may be easier for lines to be crossed.

YvanEhtNioj said: "perfectlymarvelous said: "Just so all of you know, this vitriol toward teenage fans of a show isn't new. I'm in my late 20s so for me the shows were Spring Awakening and Legally Blonde and Wicked (and a little later on, [title of show] and Hair and Next to Normal), but the language people are using to describe fans of Be More Chill and Dear Evan Hansen and Hamilton now is basically exactly the same. And yeah, some people were out of line and it definitely brought out the crazies, but most of us grew up and remain theatre fans and a lot of us are now professionals in the industry ourselves. From what I've heard, the kids at the show have been mostly respectful and enthusiastic, which isn't a bad thing. I haven't seen the show but ultimately, anything that gets people excited enough to become the next generation of theatre fans and ticket buyers is good in my book - it's what will keep the industry going and birth the next generation of writers, performers, directors, administrators, etc."

I love everything about this post."

^^^^ So do I. Honestly as long as they don't harass actors (Like some of the fans mentioned in this thread), they are good in my book as well!

I've also been on the internet for...a while, and shipping and stan were around before I was.

Say what you want about the show, but I think "Michael In the Bathroom" is a KILLER number. No matter how many times I see George Salazar perform it, it still thrills me.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/VIDEO-Watch-George-Salazar-Take-On-Michael-In-the-Bathroom-in-Rehearsals-for-BE-MORE-CHILL-20190123

qolbinau said: "I find it a little weird that someone who looks like a Middle aged man is playing a teenager."

I second this.

qolbinau said: "I find it a little weird that someone who looks like a Middle aged man is playing a teenager."

You must find nearly every movie musical made pretty weird, then...