# What was the loudest fanboy howl of outrage? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810 "2005-09-09T13:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/41 "2005-09-09T17:17:09Z")
When it wasn’t a fan_boy_ howl but when they killed off the Daniel Jackson character (and let the actor, Michael Shanks, go), there were thunderous, mighty fangirl squeals of pique. The fan outrage spanned a website, [SaveDaniel Jackson](http://www.savedanieljackson.com/history/home/home.shtml), a variety ad, and royally pissed off the SciFi network who had just purchased the series from Showtime (and they liked the show _because_ it has a relatively high female audience for a science fiction show). And the fan reaction produced results. The show brought the character (and same actor) back… ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/42 "2005-09-09T18:04:06Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > Yup. We have a winner. Nope. Go further back than Arthur Conan Doyle to Shakespeare. Death of Fallstaff, then, at royal urging, the re-writing of him into Merry Wives. Royal fan-girl, but still a fan-girl. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/43 "2005-09-09T18:33:11Z")
Hey, movies aren’t the only genre infested with f@nboiz… My own personal outrage is Brian Herbert’s Dune prequels supposedly based on Frank’s notes and outlines. It is basically the annoying whiny characters from Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time set in space. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/44 "2005-09-09T18:43:24Z")
Series finale of _Farscape_, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/45 "2005-09-09T18:50:59Z")
2 words: I. Robot. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/46 "2005-09-09T19:07:04Z")
Not quite in the same league, but I still see people complaining, like it matters, about “The Lying King.” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/47 "2005-09-09T19:19:04Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > Greedo shooting first I think should be the top one. Not just because it was a silly decision that cheapened one of the cooler scenes in the movie but because it was inarguably poorly done. > > Even people who don’t like Star Wars who see the scene, such as my girlfriend, can see how stupid it looks: what with Greedo missing someone he had a gun trained on from over a very small table; the way they made Han apparantly jerk to the side to dodge the shot looks even dumber as he’s very obviously not doing it. I think the thing that really upset fans, though, was that the justification for the change constantly shifted and proved so contradictory (to the point of intelligence-insulting) to so much else going on in the series. If Lucas had just outright said, “Because I want to–deal with it”, I think fans would’ve just accepted it (begrudgingly). But with the party line and rationale always in flux, it’s the revisionism that angered people so much. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/48 "2005-09-09T19:26:32Z")
For the Transformers fans out there: RIBFIR/RIRFIB. 😃 (Too complicated to explain to the non-fans out there, methinks. But this has been going for 20+ years now…) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/49 "2005-09-09T19:43:18Z")
> [@Innuendo Hunter](#): > > **The Scouring of the Shire** > > or > > **Tom Bombadil** > > Take your pick > > I still loved the movies, however. I disagree with both of these. A lot of people were disappointed that the scouring got cut, but most recognized that it was simply unavoidable - it would have added another hour, minimum, to an already far-too-long movie, and played merry hell with the pacing. Hardly anyone was _outraged_ by it. And the reaction to cutting Tom Bombadil was, overwhelmingly, one of _relief_. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/50 "2005-09-09T19:43:34Z")
There was a huge outcry from Trekkers when word got around that Spock died in **Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan**. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/51 "2005-09-09T19:52:53Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I disagree with both of these. A lot of people were disappointed that the scouring got cut, but most recognized that it was simply unavoidable - it would have added another hour, minimum, to an already far-too-long movie, and played merry hell with the pacing. Hardly anyone was _outraged_ by it. > > And the reaction to cutting Tom Bombadil was, overwhelmingly, one of _relief_. I wasn’t disapointed by cutting the scouring one bit. I hated it in the books, too. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/52 "2005-09-09T20:00:47Z")
A couple of years ago an early script for the next **Superman** movie was [reviewed on AICN](http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=13350). The script included the following revisions to the franchise: [list][li]Krypton doesn’t explode.[/li][li]Supe’s powers are in his suit.[/li][li]Jimmy Olsen is gay[/li][li]Lex Luthor is from Krypton and has super powers.[/li] The talkback following the script review is hilarious. It also resulted in an online petition to keep the script from being shot. This was a case where the explosion of fanboy outrage may have actually stopped a travesty from happening. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/53 "2005-09-09T20:23:58Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > It also resulted in an online petition to keep the script from being shot. This was a case where the explosion of fanboy outrage may have actually stopped a travesty from happening. Yeah, like when they were filming FOTR and people found out they were planning on having Arwen accompany the fellowship… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/54 "2005-09-09T20:52:34Z")
Miller has some good points re the Peter Jackson LOTR movies. The Rankin/Bass and Bakshi cartoons were outrages all around. Where there’s a Whip There’s a Way, indeed. I think the biggest Fanboy Outrage regarding LOTR came from 1) "No Elves at Helm’s Deep and/or 2) “What have they done to Faramir?” 3) “Where’s Christopher Lee?” [ROTK] After that it was down to quibbles: “What ? No Houses of Healing?!” “Where’s Denethor’s Palantir?” etc. A lot of fans - including the book’s author - were outraged by the recent TV movie version of Wizard of Earthsea ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/55 "2005-09-09T20:54:36Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I wasn’t disapointed by cutting the scouring one bit. I hated it in the books, too. Can I ask what you hated about it, if it’s not too much of a hijack? I always thought that the Scouring had been a rather important part of Tolkien’s point. A lot of LotR is about evil, and Sauruman going to do something just to _hurt_ those meddling ki- I mean hobbits made a **lot** of sense for the overall work. Not particularly enjoyable to read, but not the full-stop and WTF moment that the visit with Tom Bombadil had been for me when reading LotR for the first time. Mind you, for a movie version of LotR, I can’t imagine how they’d even try to fit it in. It **is** an epilog, not really part of the central story. I just think it’s an artistically and philosophically valid epilog. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/56 "2005-09-09T21:15:32Z")
Probably not the biggest… I think Jar Jar takes that prize… but loud howls nontheless… Kenny G playing his lameass crap all over Louie Armstrong’s music. Keanu Reeves as John Constantine. Rob Halford coming out of the closet. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/57 "2005-09-09T21:43:36Z")
Metallica cutting their hair apperently caused a ton of consternation amongst the faithful. For me, the **X-Files** without Mulder was inconcievable…and bad. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/58 "2005-09-09T22:01:56Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I think Ellison’s been proved right, over time. I am curious as to what he’d say about Firefly, mind you, but you can’t really do SF on TV that well. Too darn boring. > Even B5 isn’t really hard SF. > > The Rubber Batsuit was a bigger outrage than Keaton, as I recall. > > But the biggest fanboy howl? Ever? > > Crisis. And Byrne’s Superman. Even more the latter than the former, but it was like adding insult to injury. Killing Supergirl. Awful. Tossing the whole multiple-reality thing that had been so much of DC to that point. Then some weird revisionist version of Superman, that was _younger_ than the other heroes, & that had _played football_ in high school. Great Scott! After a while, though, I got to like much of Byrne’s take on Supes. Green Lantern from Crisis on is pretty horrifying, though. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/59 "2005-09-09T22:03:54Z")
> [@vl\_mungo](#): > > Rob Halford coming out of the closet. [This Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Halford) says his coming out was mostly pretty well received. But just looking at the picture, I have to ask: people were _surprised_ by this revelation? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810/60 "2005-09-09T22:19:12Z")
> [@OtakuLoki](#): > > Can I ask what you hated about it, if it’s not too much of a hijack? I always thought that the Scouring had been a rather important part of Tolkien’s point. A lot of LotR is about evil, and Sauruman going to do something just to _hurt_ those meddling ki- I mean hobbits made a **lot** of sense for the overall work. Of course you may! I should have gone into more detail, anyway. I did like the part where Merry & Pippin fought them off, but the Scouring itself seemed to me to be too much of an injection of real life into a perfectly good story. It was like, “Well, that was the fairy tale - here’s what really happened.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-loudest-fanboy-howl-of-outrage/320810.md?page=4)