Proud to Be Fandom

Someone told me something today that, at first, really hurt my feelings. I was essentially told that I shouldn't talk about my "fantasy games" (aka Pokemon) with anyone else except "kids."

Previously, I have discussed that I understand that some people find things that I like to be weird or even ugly, and I get that the things I like are not for everyone. Not liking something because of it's artistic style, content, or storyline is something that I can understand, but let's take a moment to appreciate that I was being told that certain conversations, such as my "fantasy games" (I don't think I'll get over that phrasing), were not fit topics for adult discussion. I may always be young at heart, but I do take offense to the implication that my interests are not up to snuff on what others consider "mature."

Because you cannot hear my tone through this keyboard, I will tell you that I quickly progressed from hurt to mad in less than thirty seconds. In fact, I'm currently seething. It wasn't just a reflection on a game choice, it was a reflection on my hobbies, interests, and life outside of a work context. Although I am sure that the comment wasn't meant to be taken as a slight toward what I consider my identity, the fact remains that I do consider life in fandom a huge part of who I am.

Let's consider, for a moment, that what I had been talking about was a sports team instead of something fandom related. Would I have gotten an eye roll? Maybe just a general look to convey lack of interest? Most certainly not the suggestion that what I liked was somehow inappropriate or embarrassing to the general adult population. Because sports fans are allowed to be rabidly energetic, and it's somehow socially acceptable for them to wear body paint to a stadium but not acceptable for me to cosplay at a convention.

This is in no way a rally against sports fans--they're a part of their own intricate fandom without calling it such. Even though I am not a fan of a particular sport or team, I still enjoy being around sports fans. They are enthusiastic and unashamed about what they love, and I want other fans to have the same courtesy of not being considered socially impaired for being a part of a fandom that they enjoy.

Maybe you're a fan of something, something I'm not a fan of, but that's O.K. In fact, that's great. You know why? Because if you're a fan of something, of anything, I can respect your passion as fellow fan. We don't have to be on the same ship to know that other fans are our lifeboats. 

Once again, I will post this quote from John Green, sage master of words and pizza: 

"Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like, jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can't-control-yourself love it." - John Green