Fan confessionals

WEEKEND staffers share their own personal fan passions:

I think everyone knows I love television, but despite my amateur critic status, one of my favorite shows is the CW's "Smallville." The show has been on for way too long at this point -- 9 years! -- but I still convince myself that it's good. Even though it's probably never been "good." The writing is haphazard half of the time, the characters are either stagnant or wafer-thin and there's been more retcons in the last few seasons that even some of the comic books this Superboy series is based on would be embarrassed.

But you know what? I don't care. I don't care that critics haven't paid attention to the series since 2003, when it was still semi-relevant and actually, seriously good. I don't care when people say lead Tom Welling cannot act or it's ridiculous that an origin story has taken nine years to develop. Because at this point, the characters are like family. I've seen every episode aside from the newest season at least three times, I make random references from mediocre episodes that only a few people would ever get, have the theme song on my iTunes library and still spend a good 30 minutes on the message boards each week talking about the series.

These things might make me a horrible critic without credibility, but I don't really care.

-- Cory Barker

I've never been someone you'd think of as a "gamer." The last time I played a console game was in middle school when I was obsessed with "GoldenEye007," and I've never even tested the waters of new-fangled things like MMORPGS. But there is a series of online game that I absolutely love: "Submachine."

The "Submachine" series currently consists of eight Flash-based games by Polish artist Mateusz Skutnik. Each is a little different and more difficult than the previous one, but the basic premise involves collecting clues that unlock different parts of the labyrinth that is the Submachine, a nebulous device that (from what I’ve experienced so far) is a series of underground time machines. The ultimate goal is to escape for good and finally learn what the hell the Submachine was made for.

They’re not very stressful games, which is part of the appeal to me. There are no penalties for clicking on the wrong thing, and no timer that needles you to work faster our you’ll lose. I’m a very stress-phobic, non-competitive person, something that turns me off from the rules and conventions of regular video and computer games (and most games in general). All you have to do while playing one of these point-and-click games is explore the surroundings, find the clues and solve the puzzles. It’s cerebral but not too intense

The artwork is also very minimalist and eerie, with a soundtrack of whistling wind and bumps-in-the-night that hearkens to my love of Gothic fiction and old horror movies. Wow, I am such a dork.

-- Megan Clayton

Long before I was reading Pitchfork or penning mediocre music reviews for WEEKEND, I spent my middle school bus rides discussing music with my classmates, always lauding my tastes over theirs.

What’s ironic is the genre that was then the victim of all of my diminishing remarks and pretentious opinions has now become my most oft-listened brand of tunes, hip-hop. The one person I can point to for this change is Kanye West.

It was hearing “Jesus Walks” during my freshman year of high school that would forever change the way I listen to music. That sounds melodramatic, however there is a lot of truth to it. And while my love for that music has certainly grown, my loyalty to Kanye has never faded.

Sometimes it’s not easy being a Kanye apologist; his antics are often inexcusable. But as a fan who regards the man as something of a genius, it’s much easier for me to see Mr. West as a misunderstood artist who’s just got maturity issues rather than the “international asshole” that so many view him as.

Opinions aside, it’s utterly refreshing to see someone invariably willing to bear their heart on their sleeve the way Kanye is and appreciate so much of what the world has to offer rather than the diplomatic money-making machines that many musicians are these days.

To me, Kanye’s drive derived from his passions and his love of life make him a role model. His missteps and his sometimes-monumental mistakes, well, they just make him human.

-- Adam Lukach

I must admit that growing up I never was interested in seeing "Rocky." It seemed so cliché to me. The guy gets beat up, finds motivation, and then always wins in the end. Where’s the excitement in that, right? Wrong. Since I started college and decided to give these movies a chance, I am a huge "Rocky" fan, my friends would say nearly to the point of obsession.

Perhaps a big reason these movies mean so much to me is my ability to connect with the main character. I have never boxed in my life, but I have been poor and felt the frustration of wanting to keep from being “just another bum from the neighborhood”.

The more I watch these movies I realize they aren’t as predictable as I once thought. Rocky’s life follows a unique path, and I found myself very surprised with where it all ended. The boxing scenes may be a bit predictable, but they are still exciting to watch.

Another aspect that makes these movies great is their ability to capture the spirit of the time period. The first two movies have a strong 70’s feel. The next two capture the heart of the 80’s, with "Rocky IV" even having strong Cold War overtones. Even "Rocky V" is reminiscent of the early 90’s.

It isn’t easy being a fan of movies over 20 years past their prime, but the "Rocky" series means a lot to me. Rarely can films determine the spirit of your life.

-- Derrick Naylor

When a show really makes me laugh out loud, I don't stop watching for a while. Eventually the comedy loses its flavor and I lose interest. But while some comedies have come and gone from my list of favorites, one just seems to hang on and not let me go. "The Office" - witty, sweet and catch-phraseable.

The real life situations turned upside-down are hysterical, and the writers (who based the show off the British version) just seem to know how much I enjoy dry humor. Sometimes, I feel like the show is tailor-made to my specifications.

I started watching "The Office" after the first two seasons had come and gone, but after seeing the first "Pilot" episode I had to Netflix-order the past seasons and watched each episode diligently.

And how could I not? The shows writers and Michael Scott creates situations that make me cringe from the level of awkwardness. Some things that happen are almost impossible to watch, and the cast of characters like Creed, Kelly and Andy are unstoppable. Add on the cute romance between Jim and Pam (as a girl, that was a plus) to the gross Dwight-Angela saga, you have it all. The perfect witty comedy.

-- Meg Ely