By Lanton Worley
This title was offered to me, one of many to choose from. I asked for it immediately, because I am almost certain that there is nobody else who would say what it is that I have to say about the matter. Perhaps they would talk about the purchasing power fans have, with geeks being a major market since the MCU, the mainstreaming of anime and the growth of science fiction. Perhaps they would talk about the campaigns to renew cancelled shows that bring various levels of success. Or perhaps they would talk about the fandoms trying to influence the endings and narratives themselves. I don’t think that is the real power of fandoms though. I have been immersed in fan culture for almost a decade now. And I have a lot to say on the subject. But I think the most important thing I can say about fandoms is that it has saved my life multiple times, and it keeps doing so.
The thing that very few are willing to acknowledge when discussing the strange and unusual people who revolve their identities around one fanbase or another, regardless of how true it is, is that there is a loneliness that surrounds us. A person who is not lonely does not need fandoms in the same way. Oh, of course they’re probably entertained by it, but a person who is not lonely does not go to the extremes of, for example, holding a wedding ceremony between themself and Hatsune Miku. A fandom is an oasis in a cold and uncharitable world, a beacon of connection where the fan has none. I have met all of my close friends online, bar one, all through one fanbase or another. A fandom is a world in one’s pocket, a place where they are wanted, welcomed, and maybe even loved. The life of a hardcore fan is lonely, a profound sense of alienation follows them. They cannot connect with people in their life, be it because of neurodivergence or just lack of commonality, but with fandoms there will always be someone who understands.
I struggle deeply with depression. Trying to describe my loneliness, I use the metaphor of a spider trapped in a glass, able to see out but never to reach it. I cannot connect with people. Trying to has only ever given me mockery and pain. But with fandom, it becomes so simple. Even in the dead of night, when I am curled up reading by lamplight and trying to survive the weight of the world, I know there will always be someone close by who sees me. Even during the worst moments of my year, trapped in an airport or sobbing in the woods late at night, I was not alone. They were there, with stories, art and kindness I’ve never known anywhere else. There was always someone there. That is the power of fandoms. There will always be someone out there who understands.
Photo Credit to Pixabay on Pexels