I recently recieved an email from a great new site I'm following entitled The Boleyn Project. Several master's degree students are making video interviews of scholars, researchers and fans of Anne Boleyn to glean vast opinions on her. In her interview, historian Alison Weir (author of The Lady in the Tower and many other Tudor history books) stated that "virtual fan clubs on the internet" are "obsessive" and "have gone too far from objective research", and that an emotional engagement with an historical character "can distort your view" (See the video above for the full interview)
I think Weir's views are somewhat distorted; as a historian and super fan of Anne I am definitely emotionally engaged in her life. This engagement constitutes more than superficial interest, it makes me want to read more, the research deeper and to question everything I see or hear about her. Despite my admiration of her, I still recognize Anne's inherent faults, which are entirely human. What do you think? Can super fans be objective?
I think the biggest difference is education. You have a degree in history and understand the importance of research and truth, while younger fans might not have that same experience.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting thought...I hadn't thought about it that way. Thanks for your input!
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