i was just thinking about it and realized i never new the origin of it.

In the 1990s, Prince told an interviewer that he never like the term "fan" because it was short for "fanatic" so he called his fans "fams" instead which he considered short for "family".

But when you think about it, if a fan is sooooo obsessed with Prince that they would call themself a term like "fam" that Prince made up instead of "fan" which is known to the rest of the world, then the "fams" are really the ones that are the fanatics.

And you don't kick your family out of their own house.

Maybe he should of called us: PIMMFOO's

People I Make Money From on Occasion!

vainandy said:

In the 1990s, Prince told an interviewer that he never like the term "fan" because it was short for "fanatic" so he called his fans "fams" instead which he considered short for "family".

But when you think about it, if a fan is sooooo obsessed with Prince that they would call themself a term like "fam" that Prince made up instead of "fan" which is known to the rest of the world, then the "fams" are really the ones that are the fanatics.

Well said! And oh so ironic!

CallMeCarrie said:

vainandy said:

In the 1990s, Prince told an interviewer that he never like the term "fan" because it was short for "fanatic" so he called his fans "fams" instead which he considered short for "family".

But when you think about it, if a fan is sooooo obsessed with Prince that they would call themself a term like "fam" that Prince made up instead of "fan" which is known to the rest of the world, then the "fams" are really the ones that are the fanatics.

Well said! And oh so ironic!

After a while, it started being used against people as an insult.

chocolate1 said:

CallMeCarrie said:

Well said! And oh so ironic!

After a while, it started being used against people as an insult.

remember, this was the at the time of Crystal Ball and the first round of suing his fans..... er, I mean his "fams"

muskiediver said:

And you don't kick your family out of their own house.

Maybe he should of called us: PIMMFOO's

People I Make Money From on Occasion!

I like it!

http://prince.org/msg/7/3...?&pg=1

What was funny was Prince went out of his way to mention this fan fanatic thing at each and every turn. It was like he was a fanatic about it.

stillwaiting said:

stillwaiting said:

What was funny was Prince went out of his way to mention this fan fanatic thing at each and every turn. It was like he was a fanatic about it.

For a point, he was really into breaking down the prefixes of words...

He didn't want "contracts" between him and Larry Graham and Chaka Khan because the

prefix is "con"...the relationship starting on bad terms right there...

I blame Larry.

[Edited 3/11/11 16:37pm]

Revolution said:

For a point, he was really into breaking down the prefixes of words...

He didn't want "contracts" between him and Larry Graham and Chaka Khan because the

prefix is "con"...the relationship starting on bad terms right there...

I blame Larry.

[Edited 3/11/11 16:37pm]

The 90's really was Prince's Charlie Sheen era. Words like "con-tract", and "fams" are really not that different than the "Winning" and "Tiger-blood"

And at the time, Prince also had the same blank gaunt look that Charlie has. And had I always wished someone would have smacked that lollipop he loved to suck in public right off of his face. Or in Charlies case, his Marlboro's. Both also sabotaged their careers. Hopefully Charlie can bounce back like Prince did.

It wanst Larry's fault. Could just be mental issues, or drugs.

[Edited 3/11/11 16:59pm]

It was simply a method of control.

Call them family, and they feel special. Fact is, all he wanted was for that "family" to sign "CONtracts" that promised nothing, but took the money.

FAM is a nagative term now because it flushes out the sheep.

V10LETBLUES said:

Revolution said:

For a point, he was really into breaking down the prefixes of words...

He didn't want "contracts" between him and Larry Graham and Chaka Khan because the

prefix is "con"...the relationship starting on bad terms right there...

I blame Larry.

[Edited 3/11/11 16:37pm]

The 90's really was Prince's Charlie Sheen era. Words like "con-tract", and "fams" are really not that different than the "Winning" and "Tiger-blood"

And at the time, Prince also had the same blank gaunt look that Charlie has. And had I always wished someone would have smacked that lollipop he loved to suck in public right off of his face. Or in Charlies case, his Marlboro's. Both also sabotaged their careers. Hopefully Charlie can bounce back like Prince did.

It wanst Larry's fault. Could just be mental issues, or drugs.

[Edited 3/11/11 16:59pm]

Cosign the above. I had a chuckle thinking about that, it so true. P took a swan dive off the deep end for a minute there.

Ok, thats all I wanted to say. Carry on.

A 'fam' is a 'fan' who takes the 'M' for 'MORON'.

...and they usually have a sore tongue tip because of licking Prince's arse.

....and they post everything in Princebonics.

...and take Prince's side in any dispute.

...but enough about laurarichardson.

Spinlight said:

...but enough about laurarichardson.

Prince gave a televised interview with Chris Rock with regards to his Emancipation "Come Back".

Remember, the one where he's wearing that fuzzy crush velvet lime green jumper of an outfit

but trying to wax "street vernacular" in his versace shades---sort of like Tupac meets Bobby Trendy.

Prince said, that none of his albums were do or die albums, and that he had plenty of fans who

would support him.

He then quickly stepped back and said, "I call then Fams, short for family" and continued that

"fans" is "short for fanatical".

This was during a period of time when Prince was playing games with words even moreso

than his normal levels. Remember "CON-tracts" and all of that silliness? Nevermind that

half of the things were related to JW, a Christian sect, based on a bloodlust religion of

the Mesopotamia river valley that wasn't even written in English, making those silly

word games pointless anyways.

But, I digress, it came from that Interview.

He was stating that his fans were family.

But I challenge any of you new power buttpuppets to email Prince and see if you

can drop in for Thanksgiving dinner sometime. You know, sit down, have a few laughs,

sit, eat, pray, and discuss matters of the heart together....cause you're family and all.

Shit, I'd challenge any of you motherfuckers to even ask him for an autograph.

Fams indeed. Crazy, stupid motherfuckers.

SagsWay2low said:

Prince gave a televised interview with Chris Rock with regards to his Emancipation "Come Back".

Remember, the one where he's wearing that fuzzy crush velvet lime green jumper of an outfit

but trying to wax "street vernacular" in his versace shades---sort of like Tupac meets Bobby Trendy.

Prince said, that none of his albums were do or die albums, and that he had plenty of fans who

would support him.

He then quickly stepped back and said, "I call then Fams, short for family" and continued that

"fans" is "short for fanatical".

This was during a period of time when Prince was playing games with words even moreso

than his normal levels. Remember "CON-tracts" and all of that silliness? Nevermind that

half of the things were related to JW, a Christian sect, based on a bloodlust religion of

the Mesopotamia river valley that wasn't even written in English, making those silly

word games pointless anyways.

But, I digress, it came from that Interview.

He was stating that his fans were family.

But I challenge any of you new power buttpuppets to email Prince and see if you

can drop in for Thanksgiving dinner sometime. You know, sit down, have a few laughs,

sit, eat, pray, and discuss matters of the heart together....cause you're family and all.

Shit, I'd challenge any of you motherfuckers to even ask him for an autograph.

Fams indeed. Crazy, stupid motherfuckers.

You deserve some kind of award for this post.

If I had a GIF of a slow clap I'd post it but i'll shall just have to make do with one from youtube

Revolution said:

For a point, he was really into breaking down the prefixes of words...

He didn't want "contracts" between him and Larry Graham and Chaka Khan because the

prefix is "con"...the relationship starting on bad terms right there...

I blame Larry.

[Edited 3/11/11 16:37pm]

Yes, Prince's ramblings on language were a particularly sorry affair! I remember him talking about 'contracts', and how he wanted to change every 'CON' to a 'PRO'. Quite apart from the fact that the prefix of 'contract' has nothing to do with the meaning of a 'con' derived from the description of someone as a 'confidence trickster', it had some results that he hadn't quite thought through. I remember someone on here remarking that, if we followed his linguistic rule, CONstitution would become PROstitution!

SagsWay2low said:

Prince gave a televised interview with Chris Rock with regards to his Emancipation "Come Back".

Remember, the one where he's wearing that fuzzy crush velvet lime green jumper of an outfit

but trying to wax "street vernacular" in his versace shades---sort of like Tupac meets Bobby Trendy.

Prince said, that none of his albums were do or die albums, and that he had plenty of fans who

would support him.

He then quickly stepped back and said, "I call then Fams, short for family" and continued that

"fans" is "short for fanatical".

This was during a period of time when Prince was playing games with words even moreso

than his normal levels. Remember "CON-tracts" and all of that silliness? Nevermind that

half of the things were related to JW, a Christian sect, based on a bloodlust religion of

the Mesopotamia river valley that wasn't even written in English, making those silly

word games pointless anyways.

But, I digress, it came from that Interview.

He was stating that his fans were family.

But I challenge any of you new power buttpuppets to email Prince and see if you

can drop in for Thanksgiving dinner sometime. You know, sit down, have a few laughs,

sit, eat, pray, and discuss matters of the heart together....cause you're family and all.

Shit, I'd challenge any of you motherfuckers to even ask him for an autograph.

Fams indeed. Crazy, stupid motherfuckers.

the funniest thing about his break down of the word "CON-tract" is that the "con" part that he was singling out actually means "with" or "together" and the whole word means "to draw together"

what a doofus.

Spinlight said:

...but enough about laurarichardson.

SagsWay2low said:

Prince gave a televised interview with Chris Rock with regards to his Emancipation "Come Back".

Remember, the one where he's wearing that fuzzy crush velvet lime green jumper of an outfit

but trying to wax "street vernacular" in his versace shades---sort of like Tupac meets Bobby Trendy.

Prince said, that none of his albums were do or die albums, and that he had plenty of fans who

would support him.

He then quickly stepped back and said, "I call then Fams, short for family" and continued that

"fans" is "short for fanatical".

This was during a period of time when Prince was playing games with words even moreso

than his normal levels. Remember "CON-tracts" and all of that silliness? Nevermind that

half of the things were related to JW, a Christian sect, based on a bloodlust religion of

the Mesopotamia river valley that wasn't even written in English, making those silly

word games pointless anyways.

But, I digress, it came from that Interview.

He was stating that his fans were family.

But I challenge any of you new power buttpuppets to email Prince and see if you

can drop in for Thanksgiving dinner sometime. You know, sit down, have a few laughs,

sit, eat, pray, and discuss matters of the heart together....cause you're family and all.

Shit, I'd challenge any of you motherfuckers to even ask him for an autograph.

Fams indeed. Crazy, stupid motherfuckers.

Indeed.

So the word "fam" was originally meant in affectionate context but then became contaminated by the fanatics view, that supporting Prince too much was a bad thing. Interesting.

Bohemian67 said:

So the word "fam" was originally meant in affectionate context but then became contaminated by the fanatics view, that supporting Prince too much was a bad thing. Interesting.

it was tainted from the minute he said it because at the time he was actively turning off his fanbase with his own actions (Crystal Ball, the Love4OneAnother.com collective, the cease & desist letters to fan sites, etc.).

the ironic thing is that only a true fanatic would call themselves a "fam" instead of a fan, just because Prince preferred it. and he inspired more true fanatacism by those people saying that we were his "family"

Bohemian67 said:

So the word "fam" was originally meant in affectionate context but then became contaminated by the fanatics view, that supporting Prince too much was a bad thing. Interesting.

It was fucked-up Paisley newspeak from the start - we're NOT family, we ARE fans.