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On fandoms, and how they shape ourselves
Nov. 3rd, 2021 08:38 pmJust putting some thoughts onto paper.
Today, it came to me this idea of how every single fandom I've been in has taught me something, and how they have, and they keep, shaping me as a person.
Will try to be as vague as possible, but those who know me well might be able to guess one or two xD
Fandom #1 has been a constant in my life; a safe place where I can always go back to. It opened my eyes to a world that was not longer limited to the boundaries of my home and school. Where there could be someone across the globe sharing the same passion that you have.
It also reminds me, from time to time, how people can get into annoying arguments no matter their age. Mature fandom my ass, fans will always be opinionated xD But I suppose such strong opinions are born out of deep love for something. I'll get back to this point later.
Nevertheless, despite getting on my nerves at times, this is my home, no doubt about it.
Fandom #2 taught me that it's fine to be nonconforming and intellectually curious; there will always be people out there willing to take fiction works seriously, and as worthy of analysis. No need to limit myself to "who's the best character / which is the worst pairing" kind of debate. It also made me try to overanalyze and find rational explanations about why people like certain things x'DDD A later fandom would teach me that this is a futile exercise, and love cannot be explained rationally...but it's still a fond memory. Anyways, this is just one example of how this fandom pushed me to crack out of my shell, even if it was just a little bit. It also pushed me to fully cross language barriers for the first time, a fact that the next fandom would upgrade to the next level.
Fandom #3 is a dear one to me, probably the one that has changed me the most as a person, for the better, and I'm so grateful for it. Above anything else, it taught me about tolerance. It showed to me how your beliefs and choices can lead to people to ridiculize you, even people you once trusted. It taught me to be true to myself, even when facing such circumstances. It taught me to be mindful, tactful and respectful of differences: be it geographic, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, religion. This is a small world, after all. While my argumentative side can still take over me quite often (especially when clashing opinions), I know I have to make an extra effort to be civil, at the very least.
And despite of its (quite unjustified, nowadays) terrible fame and the bloody shipping wars of old days, this fandom has a talent to spread positivity and enthusiasm in ways that no other fandom can match, especially when hyping their favs. This motivated me to stop being a downer. People out there have problems of their own, and they don't need my negativity on top of that. So I'll put an effort to share cute and happy things, and try to make someone's day better. It's the least I can do.
I'm so doting and protective of this fandom, seriously...people will always find ways to talk shit about it, and I'll be right there to stand up for it, if necessary. Always.
Fandom #4, the kingdom of salt. Well, what have these guys taught to me...the relevance of salt? xD
In all seriousness, I guess this one taught me that there's a moment for everything. This is a fandom that's painfully self-aware of how screwed up and masochist they are, for sticking up to this mess of a lore. Life can be as convoluted, or, as superficial as you want it to be, and the key is to find a balance between both sides. Sometimes, overthinking stuff is a fascinating exercise. Sometimes, it's fine just to chill out and have fun mindlessly spamming memes And why not, to try to find the positive side to your own misery.
As a wise man said once, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!". We're all deep into the salt together, let's enjoy the ride!
I'm still taking baby steps in Fandom #5, trying to find my standing on it. It's very different from any fandom I've experienced before, and while being a fandom veteran gives me some advantage, I don't think anything could have properly prepared myself for this.
It's quite unique: a broken fandom, literally speaking. One with a heavy emotional baggage to carry. While I feel guilty for not having joined before (and therefore, standing up with the fans on their worst), maybe this was the right time for me to join, after all. They're past their prime, trying to put themselves on their feet once again, and they need any help they can take. And I can provide that. Be it spreading awareness, putting money, sharing material, or keeping the ball rolling, this is something that I can do; for once, I don't need to compete against content creators for attention; instead, one well versed opinion can be all that's needed. And opinions, I have lots of them xD
As in any broken fandom, internal warfare is the law. Again, something to be expected from a broken heart. I feel blessed for being able to provide a different perspective, lighten up the mood and inject new enthusiasm. I'm not exactly "new" blood (given my age, lol), but I'm experiencing the importance of being in the right place, and the right time. Learning how to deal with this emotional baggage will certainly take longer, but I'm up to the challenge.
There's so much more I can say about other minor fandoms. Like Fandom #X, the one that taught me not to give up on things I love, despite any bad memory that might be attached to it. But I think that's enough for now, we get the idea xD
Until the next time. I have a ball to keep rolling.
Today, it came to me this idea of how every single fandom I've been in has taught me something, and how they have, and they keep, shaping me as a person.
Will try to be as vague as possible, but those who know me well might be able to guess one or two xD
Fandom #1 has been a constant in my life; a safe place where I can always go back to. It opened my eyes to a world that was not longer limited to the boundaries of my home and school. Where there could be someone across the globe sharing the same passion that you have.
It also reminds me, from time to time, how people can get into annoying arguments no matter their age. Mature fandom my ass, fans will always be opinionated xD But I suppose such strong opinions are born out of deep love for something. I'll get back to this point later.
Nevertheless, despite getting on my nerves at times, this is my home, no doubt about it.
Fandom #2 taught me that it's fine to be nonconforming and intellectually curious; there will always be people out there willing to take fiction works seriously, and as worthy of analysis. No need to limit myself to "who's the best character / which is the worst pairing" kind of debate. It also made me try to overanalyze and find rational explanations about why people like certain things x'DDD A later fandom would teach me that this is a futile exercise, and love cannot be explained rationally...but it's still a fond memory. Anyways, this is just one example of how this fandom pushed me to crack out of my shell, even if it was just a little bit. It also pushed me to fully cross language barriers for the first time, a fact that the next fandom would upgrade to the next level.
Fandom #3 is a dear one to me, probably the one that has changed me the most as a person, for the better, and I'm so grateful for it. Above anything else, it taught me about tolerance. It showed to me how your beliefs and choices can lead to people to ridiculize you, even people you once trusted. It taught me to be true to myself, even when facing such circumstances. It taught me to be mindful, tactful and respectful of differences: be it geographic, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, religion. This is a small world, after all. While my argumentative side can still take over me quite often (especially when clashing opinions), I know I have to make an extra effort to be civil, at the very least.
And despite of its (quite unjustified, nowadays) terrible fame and the bloody shipping wars of old days, this fandom has a talent to spread positivity and enthusiasm in ways that no other fandom can match, especially when hyping their favs. This motivated me to stop being a downer. People out there have problems of their own, and they don't need my negativity on top of that. So I'll put an effort to share cute and happy things, and try to make someone's day better. It's the least I can do.
I'm so doting and protective of this fandom, seriously...people will always find ways to talk shit about it, and I'll be right there to stand up for it, if necessary. Always.
Fandom #4, the kingdom of salt. Well, what have these guys taught to me...the relevance of salt? xD
In all seriousness, I guess this one taught me that there's a moment for everything. This is a fandom that's painfully self-aware of how screwed up and masochist they are, for sticking up to this mess of a lore. Life can be as convoluted, or, as superficial as you want it to be, and the key is to find a balance between both sides. Sometimes, overthinking stuff is a fascinating exercise. Sometimes, it's fine just to chill out and have fun mindlessly spamming memes And why not, to try to find the positive side to your own misery.
As a wise man said once, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!". We're all deep into the salt together, let's enjoy the ride!
I'm still taking baby steps in Fandom #5, trying to find my standing on it. It's very different from any fandom I've experienced before, and while being a fandom veteran gives me some advantage, I don't think anything could have properly prepared myself for this.
It's quite unique: a broken fandom, literally speaking. One with a heavy emotional baggage to carry. While I feel guilty for not having joined before (and therefore, standing up with the fans on their worst), maybe this was the right time for me to join, after all. They're past their prime, trying to put themselves on their feet once again, and they need any help they can take. And I can provide that. Be it spreading awareness, putting money, sharing material, or keeping the ball rolling, this is something that I can do; for once, I don't need to compete against content creators for attention; instead, one well versed opinion can be all that's needed. And opinions, I have lots of them xD
As in any broken fandom, internal warfare is the law. Again, something to be expected from a broken heart. I feel blessed for being able to provide a different perspective, lighten up the mood and inject new enthusiasm. I'm not exactly "new" blood (given my age, lol), but I'm experiencing the importance of being in the right place, and the right time. Learning how to deal with this emotional baggage will certainly take longer, but I'm up to the challenge.
There's so much more I can say about other minor fandoms. Like Fandom #X, the one that taught me not to give up on things I love, despite any bad memory that might be attached to it. But I think that's enough for now, we get the idea xD
Until the next time. I have a ball to keep rolling.