The Fangirl Experience is a monthly column suggested by Jaime Heller, featuring contributions from both our staff and our readers. Everybody has those moments when being a fangirl feels like the world has become perfectly balanced. It's those moments when you feel a stir in your heart that maybe you've made the right decision in falling down the fandom vortex. When, in the words of my good "friend" Zachary Levi, your "unbridled passion for something, or things, defines who they are as a person without fear of other people's judgment." It's that moment you want to share with the whole world, scream to the rooftops, about what happened. Maybe it's a small moment, maybe it's a big one. But every fangirl has one--or will have one--and we would like to share ours with you. Because our Initiative would be nothing without the Experience. 

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By Amanda Horn

“Every man has his daydreams

Every man has his goal

People like the way dreams have

Of sticking to the soul

Thunderclouds have their lightning

Nightingales have their song

And don't you see I want my life to be

Something more than long....”

As a person who has loved Broadway and the theatre for a long time, I’ve been wanting to go see a Broadway tour for a while.

On February 21st, 2015, I saw the Broadway tour of the musical Pippin.

As a girl who almost lives under the stage lights, I was looking forward to this for months. It had been my birthday present in the summer, but this show didn’t come on tour nearby until almost six months after, so it was a long wait.

But the day finally came! The first stop we had to make was to pick up my brother from school, but then we were on our way to the theatre. We ended up getting there quite early, so we found some stores downtown to walk around for about a half hour and then we headed back to the theatre. We were in the theatre district, so we passed other theatres around there as well.

But we FINALLY got to go in and find our seats. We were close to the back, but we were on the main floor and I think the balcony went quite a bit farther back.

We only had a few minutes to wait until the overture started and the house lights went down. I think my mouth was open during the whole first song and scene. It was properly dazzling and, quite honestly, a dream come true. All of the dancing and acrobatics and singing and acting quite took my breath away and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Pippin is a story within a story. A troupe of circus performers (this is why there was crazy acrobatics) are putting on a show about a king’s son named Pippin and his search for fulfillment in life. Not a complicated plot by any means, but that doesn’t take away from the show at all.

This show was very special-effects heavy. There were several moments where I was thinking, “Whoa! How did they DO that?” There was a running joke involving fire throughout the show and when they finally brought out the pit of fire at the end, it was AMAZING. (I promise that all of the fire had a point and it wasn’t just there for the sake of having fire.) Technical brilliance.

But what I really loved most was the acting. The current Pippin, Sam Lips, really embodied the spirit of his character with a lovely simplicity. That’s the kind of acting I want to do someday. Not dazzling or showy, but simple and real.

For me, seeing Pippin was a dream come true and I’m so glad I got to go. It made me want to be on a stage even more than I did before, if that’s possible. Hopefully this will be the first of many Broadway tours and shows that I have the privilege of seeing.

“Rivers belong where they can ramble

Eagles belong where they can fly

I've got to be where my spirit can run free

Got to find my corner of the sky”

Of course, The Fangirl Initiative wouldn't be complete without the help of you, our readers. We want to hear and feature your stories and tales. If you have a fangirl experience you'd like to share in this column, let us know!

Spoilers.

About a month ago, I started watching a quirky comedy called 30 Rock. Featuring a brilliant and wonderfully varied cast of characters, I was hooked!

Liz Lemon’s an INTP.

But Liz Lemon stood out to me. She’s the head writer of a live sketch comedy show (of questionable quality) and she’s definitely not your normal woman in show business. She does it because she loves it and even though it frustrates her to no end, she still loves it.

Liz is a strong and admirable woman. Even though she really doesn’t have any idea what she’s doing…ever, she still does it with an enviable confidence and sense of snark as she rules her own odd sphere of the world.

And it IS odd. She has to keep her entitled stars under control, she has to make sure her writer’s staff keeps writing (they are insufferably lazy), she has to deal with being mentored by the one and only Jack Donaghy and on top of all that, she has to find a way to have a personal life. Her life is crazy and hectic and nobody else would be able to manage it.

Lemon has always had trouble finding love. She’s had a string of boyfriends over the years including a doctor who was insanely good-looking, yet horrible at everything; an airline pilot; a pager salesman; a British guy she despised; a man who moved away to Cleveland of all places; and finally, a hot dog salesman.

But she never gave up in her search for love. Even when Wesley, the afore-mentioned British man, told her that they should be each other’s “settling soulmates,” she only gave in until she found someone, just a short time later, who she thought she could love and be with for a long time. This someone was Carol, the airline pilot.

Even when her relationship with Carol broke, she still didn’t give up. This time the guy she found was here to stay. 

Enter Criss Chros, hot-dog salesman. This is a guy who will finally love her for who she is and all her weirdness, like her cheese addiction and weird foot problems. Only with Criss has she been able to get rid of her fears of commitment and get married.

And I think that’s a beautiful thing.

Spoilers, as always.

Shawn Spencer is an ENTP.

Ever since I started watching Psych, Shawn stuck out to me. He’s always been a fascinating character. He’s constantly shoving other people off when he’s hurting and denying that he has any emotions other than happy, but he feels everything very deeply. I want to take a closer look at this misunderstood man today.

Shawn is insanely intelligent. He’s always connecting the dots in ways that other people wouldn’t think of and finding a way to fit it all together so it makes sense (at least in his mind). But Shawn doesn’t want to be seen as smart. Shawn will do anything to not be seen as uncool. Despite his nearly photographic memory, he tries to make it seem as if he doesn’t know anything and, as a result, gets a lot of criticism from people.

Shawn loves to have fun and do crazy things. He’s always thinking up new ideas or solving crimes with his best friend Gus and going elaborate lengths to solve a crime, such as auditioning for American Duos or thinking up words for a spelling bee.

Shawn is afraid of commitment and strong feelings or emotions. Despite that he hardly ever knows what he’s doing (he mostly just does stuff on the spot), the fact that he doesn’t know what he’s doing in romantic relationships scares him and so he backs away from that and distances himself. He’s deeply in love with Juliet (or Jules, as he calls her), but he’s afraid to act on that and tries to bury those feelings by going out with Abigail. This doesn’t work and he ends up being just as much in love with Juliet as ever. 

ver.

By the end of Psych's 8-season run, Shawn learns to own up to his fears and imperfections and becomes a better man without losing his brilliant sense of fun and mischief. Shawn will be never be an ordinary man, and for that I am grateful.

Love isn't just limited to the screen--there are lots of songs about it, too. We gathered up several members of the Initiative to talk about our favorite love songs.

Amanda Horn

1. One of my favorite love songs is "The Scientist" by Coldplay. It's not a happy song by any means, but it's a lovely and tragic song. It also reminds me of Daniel Faraday and Charlotte Lewis from Lost. Daniel loves her so much and I think this song accurately conveys his thoughts.


2. I'm a big fan of musical theatre and one of my favorite songs from a little-known musical named Side Show is called "I Will Never Leave You." Side Show is the story of a pair of conjoined twins in the 1920's. They sing this song near the end of show, when they realize that though other people may leave them, they will always be there for each other.

Izzy Stevenson

When I think about Valentine’s Day, my memory takes me back to the very first day I became interested in boys. That, of course, was the day the holiday first made sense to me on any kind of level, and I still remember it well. It was right near Valentine’s Day, in fact. 15 years ago, and I was around nine or ten. The same song kept playing over and over on the television as part of a special Valentine’s Day commercial. Today I still associate that song with the excitement of young love.


As much as we love our OTPs, I think we can all admit that the best kind of romances are the ones that take place in the real world. My favorite thing about the song “My Idea of Heaven” is the music video, in which the singer, Leigh Nash, has some of her personal married friends write on cards about what their idea of heaven is.

Jaime Heller

There are many songs I like to listen to that invoke a sense of “love” or romance. From Disney songs (yes, cheesy but adorable) to mainstream music (if I can find any that are good enough) to even old classics, there are plenty for me to enjoy and daydream while listening to.

Here are a few I’d like to share with you:

“The Bird and the Worm” by Owl City: This song—and many of his others—are just cute and whimsical. Owl City is the perfect artist to listen to if you’re in a daydreamy mood and want an adorable playlist to listen to. Specifically, “The Bird and the Worm” is beyond cute with the play on words and the energetic melody.


“Laughter Lines” by Bastille: I happened upon this song by accident via my tumblr shenanigans. I was immediately smitten and poured over the lyrics trying to figure out what it meant. I decided it had to be about love in some matter. Overall, I think the song is beautiful and has a story to tell.


“Let Me Call You Sweetheart”: This one is an oldie—like 1910 old. But I cannot help but love it. The lyrics are so… romantic and there’s just something about old music that cannot be matched with new tunes of today. In addition, it was used as the song Anne and Gilbert Blythe danced to at their wedding in the Anne of Green Gables movie. :)

Mirriam Neal

Superheroes – The Script

This is one of my favorite songs. (I don’t think any of these are exactly ‘love songs,’ but to me they’re highly romantic. Bonus points since I can apply them to my OTPs.) This song is about two people struggling to become better people and working together. Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power – if lyrics are going to turn me on, this is the way for them to do it.


King and the Lionheart – Of Monsters and Men

This song is beautiful, and is also one I’m planning on playing at my wedding. I adore songs about two people taking on the world together, and this is a particularly gorgeous example.


Can’t Hurry Love – Dixie Chicks

This is a song about love, but it’s a song about waiting for the right person. Whenever I’m feeling lonely or missing that certain someone, I turn on this song, kick back, and realize that you can’t hurry love, no; you’ll just have to wait.

Rica Wiersema

     There are sappy hopeless romantics who listen to Celine Dion while stuffing their mouths full of chocolate.

     There are bitter people who reject cliché love stories with every fibre of their being.

     And then there are the select few people like me who fall under both categories at the same time.

     I had the blessing of being raised by two parents who were (and still are) very much in love. They just celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary, and my mother’s parents before them reached over sixty anniversaries. Watching those relationships function and blossom has taught me for years about what real love is — not just romantic love, but parental love and family love and sibling love and beyond. I’ve learned that you need more than just roses and chocolates to support your relationships… but I also know that a little happily-ever-after isn’t so impossible as modern skeptics might think.

     That said, allow me to present my top three favorite love songs. I of course have a whole iTunes playlist of Footloose and Howard Shore… but these are at the top.

     1. “Love is a Good Thing”

Artist: Andrew Peterson

Album: Resurrection Letters: Volume II

     Peterson is not only one of my favorite authors, but seeing as I have every album he’s ever made, he’s also my favorite musical artist. This song is his gentle, acoustic reminder that half of love is the passion that makes the promises, and the other half is the resolve to see those commitments through no matter how feelings change.


     2. “What Are Words”

Artist: Chris Medina

Album: What Are Words

     If you haven’t heard the story behind this hit single yet, you need to get onboard already; this song was written by American Idol contestant Chris Medina, after his fiancée received permanent brain damage in a car accident, just two months before their wedding: instead, she was in a two-month coma. Now she needs 24/7 assistance, and he became her caretaker.


     3. “Gone, Gone, Gone”

Artist: Phillip Phillips

Album: The World From the Side of the Moon

     This song just makes me want to dance, and I’m hoping to use it in a friend’s wedding video very soon. Even though, when you reeeally listen to the lyrics, the relationship is conditional (“Give me reasons to believe that you would do the same for me, and I would do it for you,”) it’s still a nice modern version of the sappy romance that we all know and love… and makes me start reaching for the chocolates.

Sarah Munson

So Close by Jon McLaughlin: I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it in the movie "Enchanted" and it feels magical to me every time I listen to it. I think it's beautiful how it blends both love and loss in the lyrics. Not every relationship works out, and the words, "So close, so close, yet still so far," really capture that for me. Sometimes we love but experience loss, but it's an essential part of life. this song also reminds me of an almost-couple in the novel I'm writing, so I've listened to this song several times writing their scenes.


A Thousand Years by Christina Perri: No, I do NOT like Twilight. I've never read or watched it, and have no plans to. However, this song came on my Pandora station one day and captured my heart. I think the melody is captivating, and the lyrics are so sincere and heartfelt. It's the sort of song that would be perfect for a wedding, if only people didn't think of Twilight first. Ignoring that last fact, it's also a song that fits with several of my favorite OTP's. It fits a couple from my own novel, two pairs from the River of Time series, Captain America and Peggy... I could go on and on. :)


All About Us by He is We with Owl City: I'll admit, I tend to gravitate towards soft, melodic, somewhat melancholy songs of the heart. This is not one of those. All About Us is such a fun, upbeat, yet heartfelt song. It makes me want to dance and laugh, and reminds me of bright smiles and summer days. If I actually knew how to dance, I would seriously consider this for a wedding song. Since I can't dance, and I'm not planning on getting married any time in the near future, I'll just keep blasting it while I clean my room. As for OTP's, it reminds me a bit of Flynn & Rapunzel and also of Adam & Belle.

Sky Destrian

1. Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran.

This is one song that never fails to make me blush, but in the best kind of way. The pure innocence of it is so beautiful and it tells a story in my mind every time. (However, Ed Sheeran is the king of love songs in my opinion. Runners-up include "Thinking Out Loud," "Shirtsleeves," "Give Me Love," and "Kiss Me.")


2. Be Okay by Oh Honey
This isn't explicitly a love song, but it's got such an upbeat tune and makes me feel so happy. And, I might argue, it is a love song, because it's a song about being in love with life.


3. I See the Light by Mandy Moore & Zachary LeviThis hearkens back to our Disney OTP collab, but I couldn't leave this one out because it's made me tear up on many occasion. As we've discussed here, Flynn and Rapunzel's love is real and innocent and true. And it's very, very strong. This song reminds me of their bond with each other and the potential bond I'd like with someone else. It's so gorgeous. 
4. Shut Up and Dance with Me by Walk the Moon
I'm cheating by adding a fourth, but this is honestly one of my favorite love songs of all time. There is no way to listen to it and not smile. Also, I believe this one tells a story as well, and songs like that are just beautiful. But don't take my word for it:


Honorable mentions: On My Way Home by Pentatonix, Wake Me Up by Avicii, and Stay with Me by Sam Smith.

What are your favorite love songs?