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[THE FANS]

In an October 10, 2002, the New York Times made the statement that The X-files "may have been the first show to find its audience growth tied to the growth of the Internet." Many fans of the show, known as "x-philes", do not believe themselves to 'have been' one of the first fandoms but rather the first fandom to utilize the internet - thus creating and paving the way for the modern 'fandom experience' which can be found attached to many television shows today.

Producers, workers, and writers on the show communicated almost exclusively through the Internet; relaying new episode information and production notes via the official FOX website - thus so the internet is where fans gathered. Early on, X-philes met on FidoNet (an early message board) weekly to discuss plot points, observations, and character development. Many philes begun to review episodes on unofficial fansites while X-Files centric communities and web rings formed through Usenet newsgroups and listservs.

In a 1995 interview with Sci-Fi Magazine writer-producer Glen Morgan states he would "come in on Monday and find all these comments from the Internet that you could directly apply to the next episode... What we found out on The X-Files is that there is an intelligent audience that's out there who doesn't want TV to just wash over them. They want to talk about things." Philes went on to influence writers' terminologies, character names, and even to the extent where common topics of internet discussion carried over into the show its self - from major plot points to inside jokes. In 2001 a reoccurring character named Leyla Harrison aired. Leyla commonly bombarded the main characters with questions on minutiae details and inconsistencies; a in-show manifestation of the x-phile internet community. The character herself was created and named in memory of a leading x-phile and popular fanfic writer who had died of cancer on February 10, 2001.

The X-Files fandom claims to have birthed fan fiction and fanlistings. While neither such claim can be verified, one can: As the show grew in popularity subgroups of philes developed, such as "relationshippers" hoping for a romantic or sexual partnership between Mulder and Scully. The word "shipper" was first used in this context by online X-Files fans on the popular newsgroup alt.tv.x-files. The term has since infiltrated fandoms of practically all mediums (television, books, film).

[THE TERMINOLOGY]

One of the things that makes The X-Files fandom so definitive, fun, and really ******** confusing is the insane amount of terminology, abbreviations, and acronyms which fans have created out of the show so as to speak of the show. Here is a list I've compiled of the most common (and not so common) terms in the X-Files fan base that can be handy to know when conversing with an x-phile.

XF / TXF - Abbreviation for X-Files or The X-Files.
M&S - Mulder and Scully (Reversing the order to "S&M" is a long running joke)
The Mytharc - Episodes within the X-Files that has to do with the continuing government conspiracy in regards to alien life.
MOTW - Monster Of The Week; a term that refers to stand alone episodes outside the mytharc where a monster (human-esque or not) is plaguing Mulder and Scully's investigation, such as Eugene Tooms in the episode Tooms or Big Blue in Quagmire.
TLG - The Lone Gunmen; the characters of Melvin Forhike, John Fitzgerald Byers, and Richard Langly.
WMM - Well Manicured Man; the older British gentlemen who was apart of the first syndicate.
CSM / TCSM - Cigarette Smoking Man/The Cigarette Smoking Man, AKA the character of CGB Spender.
Cancer Man - Another term for the Cigarette Smoking Man AKA CGB Spender.
TSM - The Smoking Man; yet another term for the Cigarette Smoking Man AKA CGB Spender.
Ratboy/ RB – nickname given to the character of Alex Krycek.
Weasel-Boy or Ferret-Boy - Agent Jeffery Spender
TFO - The Fowl One. A nickname for Diana Fowley
Oilien The black-oil alien virus / form.
EBE - Extraterrestrial Biological Entity; a term used by Mulder in the episode E.B.E.
EIHPs - Enemies In High Places; used to express the presence of people higher up in the government/syndicate who can manipulate Mulder and Scully.
FIHPs - Friends In High Places; used to express the presence of people higher up in the government/syndicate who help Mulder and Scully.
ADBB - All Done Bye Bye; the message Mulder sees on his cell phone in the episode Blood (use to be used at sign offs and at the ends of posts, not as common nowadays).
ABH - Alien Bounty Hunter, the shape shifting alien assassin played by Brian Thompson throughout the series.
MMBH - Mighty Morphin' Bounty Hunter; refers to the character of the Alien Bounty Hunter.
SRE - Scully Rational Explanation; any explanation Scully comes up with that almost make Mulder's theory seem more plausible, such as the swamp gas explanation found the in the episode E.B.E.
The Magic Circle – A term that expresses Mulder's and Scully's inability to trust anyone other then each other, forcing them to rely exclusively on one another for friendship.
CC - Chris Carter
DD - David Duchovny
GA - Gillian Anderson
MP Mitch Pileggi
X-Phile - A fan of the X-Files.
Philedom - The state of being an X-Phile
PhilosoPhile An X-Phile who enjoys discussing the X-Files philosophically and/or analytically
YKYAXPW - You Know Your An X-Phile When…
Fan Fiction / Fan Fic - Fiction written by fans for other fans about the fandoms that they like. Usually the author takes the characters and/or the setting of the fandom and writes a new or continuing plot.
Shippers - X-philes who want or like the idea of Mulder and Scully having a romantic relationship.
NoRomos - X-Philes who do not want or like the idea of Mulder and Scully having a romantic relationship.
Quasi-shipper or Fence-Sitter - A semi-shipper, who knows that M&S love each other and enjoys the UST but is cautious about the effects romance might have on the show.
Intellishipper - A shipper who believes in happy endings but delights in unresolved sexual tension.
Finis shipper - A shipper who wants to see M&S get together, but not til the end of the show
Partnershipper - A shipper who believes in Mulder and Scully's role as partners as the most important aspect of their relationship.
Skipper - A Phile who wants Scully and Skinner to hook up.
Dripper - Where Shippers are fans of the Mulder/Scully paring, Drippers are fans of the Doggett/Reyes paring.
UST - Unresolved Sexual Tension; refers to the undercurrent of romantic and sexual attraction between Mulder and Scully which is the bases for many shippers' beliefs as it is they who see particular actions/words/even looks between Mulder and Scully as romantic/sexual.
Non-USTers - Those who do not see/believe in UST.
MIJ - Mulder in Jeopardy
SIJ - Scully in Jeopardy
MSR - Mulder/Scully Romance; a term that relates generally to X-Files fan fiction and a subsection of the fan base.
RST - Resolved Sexual Tension; a term that is often used by fan fic writers to describe their works.
Slash - X-Files fanfic that involves Mulder or Scully becoming romantically involved with someone else, other than each other, usually of the same sex (i.e male/male or female/female pairings).
Slasher - Someone who either likes slash fanfic or advocates a slash relationship on the show
GTM - Gratuitous Tactile Moment; a term used to describe any physical contact between Mulder and Scully that is not absolutely necessary.
IDDG - Intellectually Drop Dead Gorgeous, used to describe Scully during a scene of "scientific verbal splurgage."
ISS - Infamous Speedo Scene; refers to the scene in Duane Barry where the entire world witnessed Mulder in a red speedo.
CITC- Conversation In The Car; the "iced tea / must be love" scene in Tooms.
CITDBTB - Conversation In The Dark By The Bed; in the pilot episode the scene where Mulder explains about his sister and his beliefs in extraterrestrial life.
DDEB - David Duchovny Estrogen Brigade; the DDEB is an email chat group who are fans of David Duchovny.
DDTEEN - David Duchvny Teen; another chat group like DDEB except for teenagers.
GATB - Gillian Anderson Testosterone Brigade; identical to the DDEB, except for fans of Gillian Anderson.
MPEB - Mitch Pileggi Estrogen Brigade; a group just like the DDEB and the GATB
Duchovnik - Term used for a David Duchovny fan (not used as often anymore).
OBSSE - Order of the Blessed St. Scully the Enigmatic; a fan site for Scully fans.
Snoggers - Fans of a relationship (theoretical/future, or one that already "occurred") between actors Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.

I know der is other x-philes in the guild. Show your selves. mad

In other news, I got the ultra mega huge X-Files box set for my birthday. It is the most awesome thing ever. I can now watch the entire show in order for the first time ever.

So. Excited.

'Cept I'm gonna skip the episode 3. That's a stupid episode. xp

I don't know what to think about that...I'll have to see the picture O-o.

I'm so excited for the movie! We were even thinking about being mega dorks and cosplaying but I dunno if we actually will...

TEHY BURN MAH HANDSZZZZZZ!!!!!!
THE PAIN!!!!
TEH PAIN IS LUV!!!!!

Looking forward to it. :3

The Blessing Way : Initial Thoughts

What a way to start watching a series. I have this image in my head where I am the young boy being taken to the lake with my father to learn how to swim. My father (or rather sexy mother) in this case is Kristie and as soon as we're out on the lake and she's telling me how awesome swimming is - BAM! - next thing I know I'm in the lake. No experience, little knowledge, practicly nothing.

All that being said, while this probably isn't the best episode to start The X-Files with, it's what I got. I don't mind being thrown into something mid-story but I'm thinking a look back at the start of the arc that makes up the last bit of Season Two and the first bit of Season Three will be something I will do sometime in the future. I'm guessing that at this point in the story there's not as much need to present a mysterious atmosphere because the balloon has already burst and I arrived just in time to see the results. A secret organization that shapes the future, something about aliens that were speaking English and being gassed (killed?) for some reason; Agent Mulder being found (along with an alien) by Navaho Indians and going through the Blessing Way ... all interesting little tid-bits amidst a longer story that I know little to nothing about.

It had it's moments of (for lack of a better term) QUALITY, but I'm more than interested in continuing because I have already deduced one thing - the writers did their homework when it comes to mystical/mythical/spiritual matters and even figured out a way to present these matters on (I would presume) a tight budget. (plus this was filmed in a time not at current, so that makes what they did a little more impressive)

I'll be finishing up this particular multi-episode story, but it looks like I won't be able to really lay down actual thoughts on an entire story until the third episode of Season 3.

twisted



Yeah, I worried about starting with season 3 - this is when the whole conspiracy balloon really lifts off and it's the first season opener thats part of a mini arch. I'd go about explaining it, but it wouldn't help; I promise. Plowin' through the mytharc episodes won't be bad, its not too hard to piece together, I wouldn't even worry about it (not that you're worrin').

The Blessing Way:

I was never a big fan of this episode, although I know a lot of people that are - and while it's not a favorite I like it for it's later relevance in the series and especially its birth of the character Albert Hosteen whom I have a soft spot for.

And OMG, this really is a bad episode to start. So many references: Deep Throat appears, a lone Frohike wanders to Scully's house, we've got a Mrs. Scully sighting, a Malissia Scully sighting and Mulder's father and a Tina Mulder bit - even the whole syndicate appears. PLUS we've got Scully's implant which is a huuuuuuuge plot device later on. Haha, sorry... sweatdrop

And oh; hypnosis. So much hypnosis within this series in general. Scully's hypnosis scene is the first bit of info she herself gives the audience about her "abduction"; and the reoccurring theme of Scully's ultimate fear being powerlessness is yet again reinforced.

One of my favorite scenes in general is the Skinner/Scully conflict in Mulder's apartment. The Skinner/Scully relationship dynamic has always been terribly interesting to me. Poor Skinner, he's such a good guy - his life just sucks.

AND WAH WAH OH NOES MISSY GET KILLEDZ. Hah, I forgot about that being in this episode. The guy who killed her is Alex Krycek; I tell you because he's a favorite character of mine. :B