Fanboy

"Fanboy" is the term used for obsessive fans of a particular activity that goes a bit too far onto the creepy side. Unlike fangirls (which usually refers to women obsessed with characters and their relationships with either other characters or themselves to the exclusion of the rest of the elements of the canon), the term "fanboy" is usually reserved for antisocial people with a self-inflated ego over their knowledge and/or mastery of the topic in question, often parading it around and belittling those around him.
A major difference between fanboys and fangirls is how they approach South Park. Fangirls are usually more attracted by the characters (both their looks and their personalities) than by any other aspect of the show, whereas fanboys often become obsessively attached to the show's creators. South Park fanboys can barely get a sentence out without repeating the phrase "Matt and Trey" six times over. Fanboys are consequently much more attracted to the authorized than the unauthorized, because owning authorized items gives them a feeling of connection to the creators who authorized them and because spending money on an item means to them that the item has some value. This attitude sometimes leads fanboys to mock and disrespect traditionally female fan activities such as writing fanfiction (after all, if you don't have approval and you don't pay for it, it must be worthless, right?), but it also leads them to spend precious money on vastly overpriced items simply so they can have that official, authorized connection to the show and its creators.
The Fanboy is usually the first one to belittle, put down, and mock anyone who suggests that there might be slash in a series, even if it was deliberately put there by the creators. Shockingly, he generally reacts quite differently, and more favorably, to any possibility of femslash. One could say this was due to his own crushing insecurities, but it might just be that he expects a gay character to be different. At any event, he's the one who writes articles disproving ships and who whines about "brain bleach" - and of course he'll never notice even the most blatantly obvious subtext, or he'll hotly deny that it exists after it's pointed out.
With the term fangirl having come into prominence, fanboy is starting to see itself get used in the same way. It is not always a pejorative term; some people use the term "fanboy" to mean nothing more than a male Nerd — that is, a fangirl's legitimate male counterpart. A man or boy describing himself as a fanboy is not necessarily a cause for alarm.
Category:Fandom