Hi everypony! Today I had a pretty interesting couple thoughts! What has happened to fandom?
When I was a kid, I remember being online and seeing all my favorite fandoms full of interactive community. It was nice, of course not without its own dramas and callout posts as any fandom has.
People would draw fanart, write stories and fanfic, and roleplay in forums. It felt more like a family to me.
When I was 12, I found out about Undertale. Before that, I had already been very interested in indie games. (Like FNAF, which I still love to this day.) And since growing up slightly troubled, I found a lot of my friends at the time through communities. All of us all interested in the same thing, the characters, the story. Undertale truly made me a different person, it changed a lot for me when it came out! My sibling showed me gameplays of it in the same amount of excitement at the time. Nothing could beat that feeling of community truthfully. Nothing like a bunch of kids raving about a few skeleton characters. Our little group was full of weird kids, it was like a little haven for what little time it existed.
Fandom has changed, perhaps in my opinion, not for the best.
Community feels scarce, and finding similar fans to interact with has become difficult.
You could say, its just how the internet has changed, or society, or whatever. It could be a mix of those things. But the truth is clear...
Fandom is detached, from what once was community and what felt like family. Now feels like when you're forced to talk to your bully from your 5th grade math class years later.
It honestly feels like a crude shell of what it used to be. What happened to the awful cosplays and cringe roleplays? What happened to the inside jokes that only you'd understand if you were on tumblr?
It's all a ghost. And maybe it is dramatic to say that, I know. But you can't blame me!
We were cringe, but happy, but free. I used to have so much fun online, and now I feel like everything is too boring or the same each time. Nothing feels original. I remember watching undertale con vlogs in like 2016 and thinking, "Wow...I can't wait until I can go to conventions too!" But what I didn't know is, time doesn't stop and stand still.
Conventions lack the character it truly needs now. Sometimes I catch myself wanting to go to a con, but stopping and having to remind myself. That no, it won't be like the cons I used to watch on YT.
I don't think this sorta thing has only effected fandom either, but art and creativity as a whole. And I don't know what or why.
Cosplay can't be a hobby for people anymore apparently, art always has to be monetized or you're apparently doing something wrong. No room for mistakes or growth, because you're expected to be a crazy good artist right off the bat, or give up if you aren't. You need to know how to do anatomy right out the womb, or your art is bad. To have to make the best most accurate cosplay, when taking creative liberty is so much more fun. Being a beginner is not something you can skip.
The point to create and withhold is not to rush, or to create the best possible thing. Its to experience all it has to offer. Like the times I have done sewing projects as a kid and not understanding how to cleanly sew seams. I look back at those times and go, "Huh, I sew better now." Because I took time over, "I need to get this done efficiently." There really is no reason to rush.
There is much love in making something badly but having fun, than to make something good and not having any fun while doing it.
If anyone reads this, it is truly no fun listening to social pressures about how you should create. Just do shit and have fun while doing it. That is all that matters.
We're all weird out here, don't be afraid to shine that weirdness because I'll let you in on a little secret...
Its actually authenticity!
That is the end to my ramble, thank you for reading. <3
but i went to a party the other day!!!!
