PHILOSOPHER’S NOTES: Jimmy Wales defines a ‘fandom’ (a portmanteau consisting of fan [fanatic] plus the suffix -dom, as in kingdom) as a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest.
With the rise of social media, the life force of the Power Rangers fandom at large has made it clear that all of us see this story in different ways, absorbing different values, obsessing over different gadgets and vehicles, and partaking in the different trials and tribulations of various characters; for some of us, it’s easier to lock down what we like just for ourselves, but others are able to tap into the universal elements of the show that have affected us all even today. This is an interview with one such citizen of Ranger Nation, who made a big impact on myself and others at Power Morphicon 4 with an emotional response I won’t soon forget. It was not a reminder or a sign of something I had forgotten, or some opinion that I’d never heard, but rather, I witnessed her encapsulate the spirit of the show’s long-lasting effect within 30 seconds. As the Ranger Philosopher, I’ve tried to bring you the reasons why Power Rangers is important, but where I have tried to use observation and words, she let it show through her heart.
What is your name, where are you from, and what do you do?
My name is Amanda Devonis. I’m a Rhode Island college student. I hope to soon start a career as a motivational speaker directing my efforts toward middle and high school students. Anti bullying is the platform. It is my belief that education is the way to tolerance, when I got my online bachelors degree not only did I earn knowledge but I also learn to be patient with myself.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: hobbies, special talents, interesting factoids, extra toes, anything else?
I have so many hobbies. In school I’m in the music and theatre clubs. I participate in an annual review called Hello Broadway. As you may have guessed we showcase scenes from various Tony Award winning musicals. I’ve been singing since I was eleven it is certainly a passion of mine. I’ve been singing in choirs since I was eleven. I started acting when I was seventeen, in high school. Aside from participating at school I am also part of a local film group. We make short films some of which have been entered in independent film festivals. We are currently in the process of making a documentary on living with autism. I also like to take pictures in my spare time. I love doing still photography because I like to see and document people and animals living their lives.
What was life for a young Amanda like?
It was hard growing up. I was diagnosed with autism when I turned three years old. Being different didn’t sit well with me. I was picked on all the time. Being called a lot of names and I even had my life threaten one time. To make matters worse my dad was diagnosed with bi-polar when I turned seven. It didn’t get that serious until I turned nine. My dad turned into this violent person there was a certain amount of mental abuse on his part. I also remember times that he was unable to control his illness and lashed out physically. I didn’t tell anyone what happened until I turned fourteen. Mom divorced him after that. I used to cry all the time. Asking question like why did God make me this way or why doesn’t anyone like me? In a way I told my family and myself bunch of times that I wished I never existed. Then one day a television show changed everything for me.
Tell us about your history of watching Power Rangers: when did you start and how long did you watch? Was there ever a time when you stopped watching or exiled for a time?
Well that is a bit of a mystery to me. One time my mother told me I started watching it when it first came out. I was two years old when it came out, but I have no memories of it. However there is a photo of my older brother and me at a live show for Power Rangers and that was taken in 1995. I remember starting to watch it in 2000 when Lightspeed Rescue was on Fox Kids. After that there was never a time where I couldn’t go without watching Power Rangers.
How much of the franchise have you seen? What are your favorite seasons?
I’ve seen the whole franchise of Power Rangers. I have five favorite seasons because these are the ones that shaped who I am today as a person: Lightspeed Rescue, Wild Force, In Space, Samurai + Super Samurai, and Time Force.
What kinds of things did you enjoy on the show when you were younger?
Besides the helping others aspect of the show I think I love the action, storylines, and romance that are presented. Martial arts taught me that it was developed as self-defense and should never be used for personal gain. I love how the storylines are at the right pace for kids to understand. There are times where the writers will put in some things to entertain the older fans but that’s okay. As for the romance I think that came about in the season of In Space. The chemistry between Andros and Ashley helped me to understand what love is all about. Love is not just about feeling, it’s about doing the right thing for the person that you love.
What do you enjoy about Power Rangers now, as an adult?
I’m happy to see that Power Rangers is still setting a great example to kids all over the world. I heard it mentioned via a bonus feature on one of the Power Rangers DVD sets that some of the Power Ranger fans who serve our country have cited the positive influence of Power Rangers as one of the reasons. Because they said it showed them how to have honor when fighting for what’s right. Actually some of the Power Rangers actors/actresses have gone on serve their communities. Andrew Gray started Inspyr to help people find their inner strength. Tim Difilippo and his brothers want to start a foundation to help kids with autism. They are heroes in their own way.
What is your fondest memory from the franchise? Any favorite moments?
My fondest memories are the life lessons I learn in different episodes. Like in, A Face from the Past (PRLR), Carter explains why he trains so hard, it’s because he wants to be just like his hero. But then Mitchell said that even heroes are only human. Which made me think that maybe there’s a bit of heroism in everyone’s heart. Then in, Trip takes a Stand (PRTF), Trip lashes at Eric for wanting to destroy a mutant simply because he was different. It made me think back on the days where I got bullied. Trip took a stand and showed me that being different is not always a bad thing. Lastly in, Sticks and Stones (PRS), Emily told her story explaining why she is always so hard on herself. She was picked on at school and didn’t have friends. Her sister was always there for her until she got sick. So she needed to be strong for her older sister. My brother and I would argue as siblings do but he always wanted to know if I was okay after school. I remember when he was about to leave for college in Florida he got very emotional when we said goodbye. He felt like he was abandoning me but he knew that I was a strong person and could get through anything and it was time for me to spread my wings. So with my brother at college I had to be strong for my family including my mother. It was hard but when I reached eleventh grade I finally stood up for myself and for those around me. Till this day my brother says he’s proud of me.
In high school, in what ways did you stand up for yourself, and what against? What motivated you to do so?
In 11th grade I tried out for a school musical and that helped me to get out of my shell. Being on stage helped me in the process of discovering who I was as a human being. One of the things that it taught me is that I should not be ashamed of who I am because of my autism. So one day a bully came up to me and I stood my ground. For the first time I felt proud about myself. I knew then that I wanted to be a person who helps others plus to do it on a stage. So that’s when I decided to study communications to become an inspirational speaker.
Tell me more about your volunteer work and your drive to help others.
When I was growing up I never felt confortable for who I was. Mainly because I was autistic and everyone always bullied me. So I thought to myself if people are going to be rotten in the real world why should I care about others? My family taught me to be a bigger person and let me do some random volunteer jobs over summer vacations. It wasn’t until I volunteered at a nursing home that I realized how bright people were. I worked in the Alzheimer’s unit for a total of five summers. It hurt me to know that there is a disease in people’s brains that makes them forget memories. There were times where I cried during a shift. One patient looked at me and said I was a lovely girl and asked to sing them a song. After that I felt this powerful emotion where I finally said to myself its not all bad. I asked my mother if I could volunteer for different companies after that. I’ve never felt more happier helping people than to never have at all. Recently I volunteered at Gotta Have Sole where we donate shoes to kids in homeless shelters. Anything to put smiles on people’s faces brightens up my day.
Who is your favorite Ranger?
Carter the Lightspeed Rescue Red Ranger. He was my role model growing up. I’m who I am today because of him. Plus Carter and I have a lot in common. We’re both serious when it comes to helping people and we’re always by the book when it comes to rules.
When did you begin to connect to Ranger Nation and the fan community at large?
I didn’t become part of the Ranger Nation until after PMC3. I met a guy named Nathan Fournier and he wanted to know if I wanted to do live video group chat every Sunday. Today we call the show LR4. However I’m not always up on everything going on in the ranger community. The reason to that is because outside the ranger community I take time to be part of events to help those in need. I’ve enjoy fundraising. Not only do I help causes I also volunteer in my free time. In the past I have volunteered at a nursing home working with patients suffering with Alzheimer’s, many church functions, walk-a thons, different projects for causes, etc.
Are you a collector of any merchandise? Have you kept any toys from the past? What Power Rangers paraphernalia have you bought recently?
I used to collect the toys when I was younger but I don’t do that anymore. However at the last PMC I purchased a lot of scripts, morphers, and autographs from the actors. I still have them and show them off from time to time. I do collect the DVD sets. So far I have all of the seasons. Hopefully Shout Factory will release the next box set for Samurai to Dino Charge.
What do you think of Power Rangers now? Have you been watching Dino Charge?
I have been watching Dino Charge and it’s a great season so far. I love the storylines that the writers came up with. It’s their own and not copied like from Super Sentai. I hope to see more Tyler and Shelby scenes as the season roles by. It’s not rushed and I like it at its current phase with them. In the future I want to see Power Rangers to continue to keep setting great examples for kids. Hopefully when they get older they will understand how to accept people based on who they are on the inside not outside.
At Power Morphicon 4, you shared some personal insight at the Lightspeed Rescue panel. Could you recount what happened?
Well it was the last day for PMC and I knew that this was going to be the last time I hung out with my friends and the actors. I remember sitting with a friend of Scott Page-Pagter, the ADR director for PR, her name was Sidney. Over the weekend I got very close to Sindey, Scott, and some of the actors from the season of PRLR. They made me feel welcomed in and they were just truly nice. I still talk to them to this day. So I told Sidney I wanted to go up and say something but I got scared. She asked what was I going to say. I told her that I wanted to say how much Lightspeed Rescue changed me for the better. She told me to go up and they’ll love to hear what I have to say. So I put a brave face on and went into the line waiting to be the next one to speak. When I got up there Ron Rogge (Captain Mitchell) started to joke around with me like he was doing over the weekend. So after I laughed I started to say how I was about to give up on life and then one flick of a television show changed everything for me. At that point I just started crying my eyes out. What happened next was a surprise to everyone in the room. The actors got up from their chairs, came down and started to hug me one by one. Then I could hear people clapping and applauding for me. I will always remember what Alison MacInnis (Pink LR) said to me after I was done: she told me I was beautiful and thanked me for watching, she thought no one liked their show. Everyone laughed at that part. I went back to my seat and Sidney said that I did great. However while the panel was still going on I went through two tissue packs. I couldn’t stop crying. So I put two tissues on my eyes to make it stop. Everyone got a laugh out of that. After the panel I spoke with Scott and Sidney about what happened and then Sean Johnson (Red LR) came from behind and hugged me and that put a huge smile on my face. Then fans started to come up to me and thanked me for telling my story. To them I was their voice. I was in awe after that.
What brought on such a strong emotional reaction? What do you take from the Lightspeed Rescue season today?
I think what made me react the way I did was the fact that if I hadn’t watched Power Rangers then I wouldn’t be who I am today. I wouldn’t be as strong or brave as I am now. Because of Lightspeed Rescue I can reach for my dreams and study to be an inspirational speaker. To help tell my story and hope there will be no more heartaches or tragedy in young lives. I don’t know if they feel the same way but I consider them my friends. We have a bond that can never be broken.
How do you feel about the reaction of having told your story and affected so many other PR fans now, half a year later?
Even if time goes by the affect will always be with the people I helped. Just like how Power Rangers helped me I want to lend my voice to those who need it. I’m hoping that by telling my story that many people with struggles will come out of the shadows and feel accepted in society. I feel blessed to be helping PR fans with disabilities by doing this interview. Plus because of what I did at PMC4 last year so many people have accepted me. The actors, producers, and the fans. I never thought that anything like this could happen but I can call this a blessing in disguise. One that I’m proud to have and cherish for the rest of my life.
What was your Morphicon experience like in general? Any other nice moments you’d like to share? What would you like to see at PMC5?
I was at PMC3 and PMC4. I loved being at PMC4 better because I got to bond with some of the most amazing people in the world. Plus I got to hang out with friends I met at the last PMC. We all care about each other. To me this whole ranger community is like a family. We share a common interest and I feel safe sharing with them. Plus I tried to prank Ron a few times because he would always find time to prank me and everyone else there. I’m also known for a few incidentals one being that Andrew Gray said my name at the beginning of the Super Megaforce Q&A. Another time for starting out an intro wrong at the Forever Red panel. Thankfully Sean saved me that day and I got to start over. Surprisingly everyone in the panel had a good laugh about it afterwards. Lastly the fan that gets emotional at some panels like the Lightspeed/Lost Galaxy Panel. I’m surprised no one has made a joke about that yet. I’m saving up to go to the next PMC. I would love to see everyone there again.
How has Power Rangers affected your life today? What kinds of things do you carry with you from the show?
Power Rangers affected me in so many ways. I can look at myself and see me as unique instead of different. I’m more open with my feelings because I know that my family and friends accept me for who I am. I help others in my spare time and that brings happiness to my heart. What I carry from the show is five words: pride, acceptance, kindness, loyalty, and bravery.
Any final comments or additional prose to add?
I would love to say thank you to everyone in the PR community. You guys accept me for who I am. I want the next generation of Power Ranger fans to have kindness in their hearts. Use the knowledge from past, present, and future Power Ranger seasons to help others in need. Hopefully one day I would like to help shape lives as Power Rangers did for me. Plus you guys can visit my sites I have that are on helping others. Thank you all.
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