Brigade
| Synonyms: | |
| See also: | fan club |
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Brigades were first created by Star Trek fans in order to express their appreciation for specific celebrities.
Brigades began in 1993 with the creation of Siddig El Faddil Estrogen Brigade. Shortly afterwards, Patrick Stewart Estrogen Brigade (PSEB) was formed. [1]
Early brigades had a focus on actors. Later brigades also included characters. The term "brigade" was also incorporated into the names of many early online fiction archives.
History
Brigades, at least in title and history:
- The Ladies' Sewing Circle & Terrorist Society
- Starfleet Ladies' Auxiliary and Embroidery and Baking Society
- Star Trek Women's Terrorist Task Force
Brigades and Gender
Although brigade members were almost overwhelmingly female and the objects of their admiration tended to be male, fans were not required to be of one gender. A fan in 1994 said: "Despite the naming conventions the DDEB and GATB do NOT discriminate based on gender." [2] This caveat, however, was more for show than reality. Most brigades were generally made up of women, and were originally devoted to a (male) actor. "Testosterone Brigades," whose members were mainly males appreciating female actors, were less common. One very rare example of a brigade that did not fit the usual mold was the Mitch Pileggi Pheromone Brigade.
Shortly after Gillian Anderson married in 1994, a fan mentioned their attempts to maintain boundaries regarding celebrities' personal lives and their professional work: "There is now talk of forming a DSTB (Dana Scully Testosterone Brigade) in deference to Anderson's marital status...." [3]
Brigade Examples
Celebrities
- David Duchovny Estrogen Brigade (X-Files, created in 1994)
- Mitch Pileggi Estrogen Brigade (X-Files, created in 1995)
- Siddig El Faddil Estrogen Brigade (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, created in 1993)
- Patrick Stewart Estrogen Brigade (Star Trek: The Next Generation, created in 1993)
- Gillian Anderson Testosterone Brigade (X-Files, created in 1994)
- Marcus Cole Estrogen Brigade (Babylon 5, created in 1996)
Characters
- The Qui-Gon Jinn Estrogen Brigade
- Darth Maul Estrogen Brigade
- Darth Vader Estrogen Brigade
- The Lone Gunmen Estrogen Brigade
- Luke Skywalker Estrogen Brigade
- The Xanatos Estrogen Brigade
- Harry Potter Old Lady Smut Brigade
- Mulderwear Brigade & Marita Death Squad
- Lone Gunmenwear Auxiliary Brigade
- Scullywear Auxiliary Brigade
Archives
- Methos Boxer Brigade
- The Panty Brigade
- The Smut Brigade (2000, Star Wars: TPM)
- The Obi-Wan Kenobi Estrogen Brigade Fan Fiction Archive
References
- ^ Note: many get this wrong, and recount PSEB as the first. It was not. See alt.startrek.creative, post by Maria Lynn Jason Rightley, September 29, 1993.
- ^ "Weekly Post: Acronyms explained!".
- ^ "Weekly Post: Acronyms explained!".