As Chapter 4 begins, we learn more about Tucker’s personal life and that he has a number of children with different women. We also see Tucker fret a bit about how to prove to Annie that the email was, indeed, from him. He notices that the fans think they know so much about him but they do not know about his children. Likewise, the fans believe that something profound happened in a bathroom in Minneapolis. This is the same bathroom that Duncan and Annie visited on their tour. When I read this part, I immediately thought about our band. Is that true for us as well? Is it that we think we know a lot about John, Simon, Nick and Roger, but, in reality, we are dead wrong or are missing key details? I think that is very likely to be true. We assume that we really know them because SO much has been written about them or by them. Plus, for many of us, we have been watching/observing them for 30 plus years. It would be natural to assume that we know them, but I suspect that there is much we don’t know. So, is this representation in the book a fair one? I think it is. I think it is also one we can benefit from learning and remembering.
Tucker, of course, does respond to Annie and tries to explain that there are a ton of myths out there about him. He doesn’t mind too much, though, because it makes him more colorful, more interesting. The more colorful, the more interesting, the more likely that fans will remain as fans, too, I suppose. When Annie receives his response, she believes it to be truly from Tucker. Of course, then, she has to decide whether or not to share all of this with Duncan and decides that she doesn’t want to share Tucker. Is this accurate in fandom? Again, I think it is. Some fans, after having had their moment or two with the subject of their fandom, become almost possessive. They don’t really want others to have similar moments. Please, understand what I’m saying here. I think this is a normal response. Heck, even Annie, in this book, who wasn’t a big fan doesn’t want to share. Thus, I’m not criticizing anyone. My point, really, is that this book is realistic. Annie decides like any of us would to respond to his email and struggles with how much to share about herself and how much to ask about him. I think most of us would respond in the exact same way. I know that I would.
Meanwhile, Duncan continues to be shaken by the unreleased album. He finds himself being overly emotional and feels like he has been altered. Again, I find myself relating to this. I have heard albums that have moved me so much and have resulted in me being emotional. Heck, I bet everyone reading this has had this type of experience. The new Duncan meets a new colleague and immediately plays the album for this co-worker, Gina. When she understands, Duncan finds himself in bed with her. Duncan, of course, was feeling distant from Annie after she responded to the album so differently and didn’t seem as fan like as he had hoped. Thus, after cheating, Duncan is up front with Annie and leaves her.
While the domestic drama is taking place, Tucker finds himself hanging out with his neighbor. This neighbor is the person that the fans think is Tucker himself since a fan saw this neighbor years ago and took a picture of him, near where Tucker lives. This neighbor looks rough with a “grizzly” look. Tucker believes that the fans want this person to be him as it makes him even more of a recluse, even more of a genius. Again, here, we can ask the question. Do fans make what they want true, even if the evidence isn’t there? Do we make assumptions in order to fit what we think of our idol(s)? I hate to say it, but I think we probably do. How many things have we convinced ourselves about the members of Duran, which may or may not be true? Let me give you an example. I would love to believe that the members were as frustrated by Red Carpet Massacre as many of us were, but were they? I don’t really know. Anyway, while Tucker is out with his neighbor, a fan spots them. Of course, this person assumes the neighbor is Tucker. The neighbor notices this and decides to get on stage to sing just to mess with the fan. How does this go down with the fan community? It goes exactly like what we would imagine.
The board fills with activity, especially surrounding the comments the neighbor mentioned to the fan. The neighbor said that he (Tucker) would be releasing new music soon but that it wouldn’t be like the unreleased album because that was a “piece of shit”. This response convinces people even more that it was Tucker. After all, he always used to put himself down in old interviews. When Duncan discovers this activity, he has two thoughts. First, he wonders why he wasn’t the first person involved in the discussion and realizes that he has been busy due to leaving Annie. He then ponders if this fits the idea that fandom happens when people don’t have lives. Second, he debates about whether he should or should not tell Annie about it because she would like that Tucker agreed with her thoughts on the unreleased album, which isn’t true, Duncan thinks, no matter what he said to the other fan. Again, here, we see this idea that fans convince themselves of things despite evidence to the contrary. On the other hand, Duncan really wants to share this news with Annie. Yet, he wonders if she would really get it, especially since she hasn’t “put time in” the way he has. Can anyone relate to that idea? I think we all could. We all want to share things with people who aren’t on the same plane as you, in terms of your fandom and wonder if they would get it. Again, this seems like a completely realistic portrayal of fans.
Duncan decides to share with Annie anyway, but is disappointed when she doesn’t seem as excited. He then decides to write to another fan online but admits that it isn’t the same. Annie, on the other hand, finds herself falling into a fantasy about the email communication with Tucker. Of course, she also notes that Duncan would be extremely jealous over this communication. Nonetheless, I found it interesting that even Annie found herself falling for the idea of Tucker even though she wasn’t a big fan. Wouldn’t we all? What will happen with Tucker and Annie? Will Duncan ever find out? That is all still to come.
As I continue to reread this book, I continue to be convinced that the author truly knows and understands fandom. It seems to me that both Duncan and Annie are realistic. Duncan, obviously, represents a die-hard fan and shows how fandom is emotional. The book also shows that not all behavior connected to that emotion/passion is good as he isn’t always nice and considerate. Likewise, Annie shows what it is like to be someone who didn’t seem to get it at first but how easy it is to fall as she begins to correspond with Tucker. I’m anxious to reread the last part of the book. I would also love to know if you all agree that these characters are accurate in their fan like and even star like behaviors. Does this seem like an accurate representation to you?
-A
Hornby, Nick. Juliet Naked. New York: Riverhead Books, 2009.
