From: "Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@ascpl.lib.oh.us>
Reply-To: thewho@igtc.com
To: "'thewho@igtc.com'" <thewho@igtc.com>
Subject: Post Traumatic Entwistle Death Syndrome
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 15:05:44 -0500
> Since the band is not recording or touring right now,
> you can't expect the lists to be as robust and thought
> provoking as this summer.
Plus, after the 2002 tour many listers on the various Who lists
decided to pack it in, so to speak, & quit the lists.
I think a lot of it had to do with Entwistle's death. It's like,
after the tour, many fans gave a big sigh & said, "OK, that's it.
I'm done. I've had enough. I'm mentally drained."
I think Entwistle's death put a lot of things in perspective &
made our little list discussions (and arguments) seem puny & ir-
relevant.
Sadly, after the tour, for many Who fans on the internet, it was
the perfect time to end their own personal "tour" - their handful
of years spent discussing Who minutiae on a daily basis. Many felt
the need to move on.
I unjokingly refer to the situation as "post traumatic Entwistle
death syndrome." A jolting shock so great that many hardcore fans
felt they needed a break from their Who freakdom.
Maybe many returned to their pre-internet, personal relationship with
The Who; a private relationship we all have on some level where Who
joy is experienced alone, without the need to testify to others.
Yet I still feel the need to discuss, argue, & testify. When I think
back to my pre-internet days of Who freakdom it seems like I was is-
olated. Of course, I knew there were other Who freaks out there; I
just didn't have the opportunity to converse with dozens of them any
time I wanted.
It was a very ideal relationship back then: just me & The Who. Un-
cluttered. Simple. Pure & easy. But better? No, not for me. I
can't go back. I've met too many interesting people & have learned
too many fascinating things.
So while others may have felt the need for a type of closure, I seem
to have become addicted to the group discussion "thang." I think I
like it the way it is. ;-)
- SCHRADE in Akron