Obsessions - Unhealthy, but Fun

Obsessions are different from addictions....an addiction is caused by a chemical something-or-other in your brain, where an obsession is something you really really like and don't have the desire or willpower to avoid thinking about all of the time - no chemicals here. Nerds seem to be especially adept at it, too; we have "an unnatural ability to obsess and focus when others would be content with 'letting it go'" (yes, I'm quoting Chris Hardwick's The Nerdist Way again - page ix). Later in the book, Chris goes on to write that "a 'Nerd' is someone who homes in on a topic to an almost quantum detail, much of the time at the expense of healthy social interaction. Nerds get caught up in minutiae because there is a tremendous and fulfilling sense of control in understanding every single detail of a thing more than any other living creature" (p4). So, really, our obsessions actually define us as nerds! Think about it - there are Star Trek Nerds, Science Nerds, Book Nerds...all named after the subjects they obsess over. I refer to myself as a nerdy fangirl because I belong to several different nerd groups...I'm a Book Nerd, I'm a TV Nerd, I'm a little bit of a Movie Nerd...so, to include everything that I enjoy and am a fan of, I'm a nerdy fangirl. I've discussed some of my obsessions on this blog before, so I'm just going to go through the highlights...

My nerdiness first manifested when I was introduced to Buffy in 1998. I began watching in the middle of the second season, and have been obsessed with Joss Whedon's work ever since. I have seen the Buffy movie, the entire Buffy series, the entire Angel series, all fourteen Firefly episodes, Serenity, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog, both seasons of Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, and I will even count Captain America: The First Avenger (barely - Joss had final rewrite and edit rights) and The Avengers. I am not a major fan of horror movies - mostly the gory ones, I just don't understand the need for everything to be covered in blood and guts - so the only reason I even thought about going to see The Cabin in the Woods was that I heard Joss Whedon had co-wrote and produced it (and Drew Goddard - a writer/producer on several of Joss's shows - co-wrote and directed it). I am one of the diehard Whedon fans who will buy/see anything he does, because I know I will enjoy it.

Once I was hooked by Joss Whedon - and had the Lord of the Rings trilogy for my bedtime stories as I was growing up - I started exploring more scifi/fantasy. Supernatural, Doctor Who, Misfits, The Vampire Diaries (the show and the books - which I consider separate universes), the Inheritance series (the books, NOT the movie)....they are all thanks to Joss Whedon.

I do have to talk about my latest obsession, which I don't think I have mentioned before. Earlier this year, I discovered TeeFury.com...it was the best and worst thing to happen. The best, because I now have a pile of awesome, nerdy shirts, but worst because of the impact has on my wallet - sure, each shirt is only $12 (shipping included), but eventually that adds up. I have to try to space it out across paychecks (which I can do now that I have a job again!!) I would recommend it to you, but honestly, you may not thank me for it ;)

A sampling of my collection

"Whovian Crest" by WinterArtwork, "Galactic Battle Crest" by Bamboota,

"Imagination Mash-up" by MightyRain, "Bride" by khallion