FANS

Q: What are MSTies?
A: Fans of MST3K refer to themselves as MSTies (pronounced MIS-teez). Also variously spelled MiSTies, Misties, Mysties and Mistees.

Q: What makes MSTies special?
A: MSTies come from all walks of life and every part of the country and from every niche in the political and social spectrum. Despite this vast diversity, most truly devoted fans do seem to have some things in common. With the obvious caveat that there are exceptions to every rule, here are some of the things we've noticed after meeting many, many MSTies:

MSTies are funny. They laugh easily and comedy is an important part of their lives. And, despite a culture that tends to discourage women from having and displaying a real sense of humor, female MSTies are every bit as funny as their male counterparts -- or more so.
MSTies are nice. The show itself has a very positive worldview -- one that BBI says is intentional -- and it tends to attract people who are sweet, easy-going and easy to like. As friends, MSTies are loyal to a fault.
MSTies are smart. You'd have to be to love a show with references to everyone from Nietzsche to Heisenberg to Shakespeare, and they are invariably intelligent, well-read, thoughtful and erudite.
But MSTies are NOT all sweetness and light. They can be cynical, hyper-critical and impatient. They do not suffer fools easily, they tend to question authority and can be downright harsh when confronted with anyone or anything they deem mediocre, stupid and/or pompous. The flip side of their loyalty as friends is that they can be tenacious opponents.

Q: With the intense nature of the fandom surrounding this show, it would hardly be surprising if Best Brains staffers acquired the occasional stalker or spooky correspondence. Did they?
A: BBI insiders say that these situations were remarkably few and far between. They consider this a testament to the fact that, although many fans follow the show intensely, they still remember "it's just a show." Indeed, throughout the history of the series, the cast members have always lived remarkably normal private lives and have felt very little need for extra security precautions. For example, it was only in 1995 that BBI staffers thought to take their names out of the Minneapolis phone book, take their addresses and phone numbers off their checks, and things like that. "99 percent of the fans are sweeties," said one BBI staffer. Although there have been a few troublesome cases, they've all been more of the "nuisance" variety; none that we have heard about have been of the "imminent bodily harm" variety.

Q: Which cast members got the most unwanted attention?
A: From what we hear, Joel seemed to get most of the unwanted attention during his tenure. After his departure, what little oddball mail, etc., BBI received was about equally divided among the cast members.

Q: I've heard that a rock band recorded a cover of the theme song. Is that true?
A: Yes. The band Man Or Astroman (currently on extended, perhaps permanent, hiatus) did a cover of the Joel-era theme on its album "Destroy all Astromen." The band's members are reportedly big fans of the series and also report that the audience response whenever they played the song live was overwhelming. In 1997, Joel himself made an appearance at one the band's concerts and sang lead on their rendition of the song, as the audience went wild. Joel also mentioned them in his return appearance in episode 1001- Soultaker.

Q: Are there any other famous MST3K fans?
A: Plenty. Among the most notable, who have sung the show's praises either in verbal coments or in print, are Keith Olbermann, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Al Gore, Neil Young, Miles O'Keeffe, Beverly Garland, Kim Catrall, Paul Schrader, Time film critic Richard Corliss, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Emilio Estevez, Neil Patrick Harris and the rock band Rush. Now-deceased musicians Dan Fogelberg and Frank Zappa were also fans.

Q: What's this "Troops" thing, and what does it have to do with MST3K?
A: "Troops" is a short, homemade parody of the Fox TV show "Cops," presented as if an episode of that show had been filmed following the daily routine of some Imperial stormtroopers on patrol on the planet Tattooine (from the movie Star Wars). It features a brief cameo appearance by our own Tom Servo. Check it out here.

Q: I've heard that some fans have created their own homemade versions of the show! Is that true?
A: Yes. Perhaps the best known was a group based in Seattle who, in 1992, filmed themselves pretending to be Joel and the Bots as they riffed on "Star Trek V." They followed it up in 1995 with a riff of "Highlander II." A few other similar groups have sprung up around the country.

Q: I really want to see some of these homemade versions of MST3K, but I don't know where to find them. Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of central database of fanvid information?
A: Check out this site. Note: Most of these efforts are in violation of a whole slew of copyright laws and we at Satellite News neither support nor condone such activities.

Q: I've also heard about an X-rated parody of MST3K! Is that true?
A: Several New York City residents report that this much-rumored short film, in which some mechanical sexual devices are seen in theater seats commenting on a porno movie, does exist. The reports say it appeared on "Midnight Blue," a low-budget, pornographic version of "Entertainment Tonight" hosted by Screw Magazine publisher Al Goldstein, seen on Channel 35, one of Manhattan Time Warner Cable's public access channels. Reports say it has been shown several times. According to one correspondant who claims to have seen it: "The segments are pretty short, no longer than five minutes, and aren't very funny. The three "bots" basically say things like, 'Look at those hooters' and so on."
We here at Satellite News would like to make it clear that we are shocked--SHOCKED!--that this sort of thing is going on. (Pssst! Can anyone out there get us a copy?)