I think it's an awful term. The idea that we need a label as such is silly and, indeed, fandom survived perfectly well without one for years. It was only when America started getting a fandom that they decided they needed a label and, unfortunately, this silly vacuum-cleaner-sounding one stuck.
Personally, I say "Doctor Who fan". At a push, I'd go for "enthWhosiast", although saying it out loud does make you sound like you've got a speech impediment.
When Colin Baker was on Blue Peter back in the day, he was asked what fans of the show were called and his answer was "I don't know. Who'ers?" Given that he's from Manchester and has something of a sense of humour, I'm certain that this was not an accident on his part.
I think it's an awful term. The idea that we need a label as such is silly and, indeed, fandom survived perfectly well without one for years. It was only when America started getting a fandom that they decided they needed a label and, unfortunately, this silly vacuum-cleaner-sounding one stuck.
Personally, I say "Doctor Who fan". At a push, I'd go for "enthWhosiast", although saying it out loud does make you sound like you've got a speech impediment.
When Colin Baker was on Blue Peter back in the day, he was asked what fans of the show were called and his answer was "I don't know. Who'ers?" Given that he's from Manchester and has something of a sense of humour, I'm certain that this was not an accident on his part.
Colin's great. A thread on Showbiz (not that I go there much. Honest.) about people you've met is turning into a bit of a Colin Baker Appreciation thing! I've contributed.
I've never been referred to as a Whovian or anything like that, really, and am not bothered. Might've been called "The geek who likes that stupid programme" a few times, but never to my face.
To me it's just a weird little tag only used by the media. Never have and never expect to hear it in the real world. Even some of the media themselves often just say 'doctor who fans' in article's
To me it's just a weird little tag only used by the media. Never have and never expect to hear it in the real world. Even some of the media themselves often just say 'doctor who fans' in article's
I don't think it's at all common in England. Much more so in the US.
Well it's better than what I've been called in the past. I do remember this awful skinhead at school who was like our version of Gripper Stebson ripping up my novelisation of the Horror of Fang Rock as he considered it gay and weird. Like walking around and snarling racist abuse and hitting people was normal.
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If I ever was and it was used non-ironically, I wouldn't go as far as to be offended or even annoyed but I wouldn't encourage it
Personally, I say "Doctor Who fan". At a push, I'd go for "enthWhosiast", although saying it out loud does make you sound like you've got a speech impediment.
When Colin Baker was on Blue Peter back in the day, he was asked what fans of the show were called and his answer was "I don't know. Who'ers?" Given that he's from Manchester and has something of a sense of humour, I'm certain that this was not an accident on his part.
Colin's great. A thread on Showbiz (not that I go there much. Honest.) about people you've met is turning into a bit of a Colin Baker Appreciation thing! I've contributed.
I've never been referred to as a Whovian or anything like that, really, and am not bothered. Might've been called "The geek who likes that stupid programme" a few times, but never to my face.
I don't think it's at all common in England. Much more so in the US.