Essentially on the surface we're talking about the same thing, just a variance of degree. A stalker can be considered an extreme follower. They'll follow you through thick or thin, through the grocery store, the mall, while you're picking up your kid at school, watch you from afar when you're spending quality time with your significant other. Hell they may even start stalking her, or at least offer a few tame death threats. We're talking about a combination of admirer, swimfan, and freak basically. Anything 'extreme' has a level of psychosis attached to it after all. Look at Extreme Rock Climbing, uh huh, I thought so. Case closed on that.
However this is a much too general of a brush with which to paint this topic, so I will offer some core differences. I owe this much to you, since you'll never get this ten minutes of your life back. It's a done deal.
A 'Follower' is someone that appreciates what you do professionally and/or artistically. This is generally some type of admiration. Maybe one follows a teacher that helped shape their life during a formative period, a fireman that rescued their kitten from the tree their little brother stuck it in when you weren't looking, or a musician whose music they like and can identify with perhaps. The recipient of this attention is generally grateful, although when they achieve a certain amount of recognition and fame they may become downright dismissive (in which case I'd stalk the self-absorbed prick myself, but that's just me.) At any rate, these are normal people that most of us that endeavor to do something interesting quite value.
A 'Stalker' is also someone that appreciates what you do professionally and/or artistically. Oh yeah, and they also want to bear your children and will attempt to kill any other bitch that dares try. (I don't mean to be gender specific here, but hey I'm a dude, okay??) They also will purchase your works like a normal fan, but you'll also see things like your song titles tattooed on their bodies, full size posters of candid shots of you at Costco on their walls, their children and pets all named after you, etc. They will come to shows and offer prolonged eye contact that will give you nightmares, send you emails that would make Rob Zombie frightened, and randomly allow themselves to be seen by you at numerous points of the day on street corners, nightclubs, and nail salons (forget that last one, that was ONE time!) Basically it's Play Misty For Me mixed in with Deliverance. Not a good trip at all.
So I guess we all want followers because they validate what we do, whether we help those in need or create beauty. In other words they are fans of our work.
We do NOT want stalkers because they creep us out, pretty much ruin any chance we have of being involved in a romantic relationship, and they make us fear taking showers. In other words they're Facebook friends.
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