Anyone else sick of fandoms?

Try lasting a month in the transformers fandom.
A large percentage of them hate everything and complain about the dumbest little details. It's unbearable.

 

I think it all started with the rise of "tech" in the last decade or two. People have seen the economic impact "tech" has and now it's "cool" to like "fandoms" because "techies" like "fandoms" and want to be like the next Zuckerberg or release the next startup whose description is "the über of [insert anything here]". So, now that geeks/nerds have clout, people want to emulate their (supposed) likes and traits and now it's "cool" to like "techie/nerdy/geeky" things and wear it as a badge of belonging to the supposed select group of people. Plus, celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon (I bet almost every in-depth interview has a celebrity dropping hints of how they're really "geeks" or "nerds."). So, now the arcane world of stereotypically "nerdy" and "geeky" things (of which fandoms are a part) is no longer arcane, but the latest and hottest trend that is being bottled, packaged, and sold to a craving public (think: Marvel/Disney).

 

The more specific they are, the more annoying they tend to get, from my experience. I'm part of the furry fandom, but that's a very, very broad thing, and includes everything from cartoons, anime, costumes, design, art, fiction, role-playing, and is pretty much open-ended and imaginative; it's hard for me to imagine being say, just into something like the Frozen Fandom, or worse yet, the Transformers Fandom!

In my mind, there's too many rigid little niches of fandom without a lot of room to stretch out in.

 

Comic book fandoms are hit or miss for me.

While I'm glad they finally broke out enough, to where they'll be advertised and handled, meaning movie and animation deals, with some games and other comics, there's the concern they'll be tainted. Also, as AlamoCity said, there is a rise in people riding the geek bandwagon -- look at Big Bang Theory. I dislike that show, because it tries to be intelligent, but sounds like somebody is reciting from a middle school play, or just reading off a Wikipedia page. It feels like a stereotype of a stereotype, and it shows.

Getting back to the comic book fandoms, my main issue with them is the coat tail riding. Heath Ledger as the Joker is one example of this. So many "cool kids" want to be seen as edgy, so they clung to that. Now, Ledger was the most entertaining part of The Dark Knight, but he wa-- actually, no, I'm not going to address that right now. Anyway, what I miss about the 80s and 90s was, while comic book films were starting to find their niche, they still were underground and made you feel part of an actual, interested community.

Now, it feels like a cog in some fabricated machine. But, if this is what lures somebody to go further, to the source material, then by all means. I know many individuals would have never touched Watchmen if not for the film, same with the Marvel or DC films and their respective libraries too.

 

I will not rest until Phan (Dan and Phil) becomes a thing.

And 'Phanfic" is quite catchy :lol:

 

I was part of The Mighty Boosch fandom!


One of only a few US members.

 

One of the worst band fandoms is easily My Chemical Romance. Unfortunately, most of their audience is screaming young teen/preteen girls who obsess over the band's looks more than anything else. They are over dramatic about everything and think that their middle class suburban lives are terrible. MCR helped me so much through my questioning period, and I never acted out like these wannabes!
One of the worst things is when they start hating on the band members wives (as in, legit hate mail) just because they somehow think they're gonna end up with Gerard Way (He's almost 40 for crying out loud!)
Also, they still are crying over the band's break up, which was 2 years ago and happened because Gerard was relapsing on alchohol. The crazy fangirls want them to get back together despite this. A little respect for him?
It's so frustrating that a genuinely good band with good messages imo has to be shat upon by these disgraceful fangirls. /end rant

 

Fandom is a really hit and miss thing for me. Fandoms can be great places to enjoy something (whether it be music, tv shows, books, etc) and discuss it/meet friends/share opinions, art, etc, but it is true that sometimes it goes too far, and there will be people who unapologetically take it too far and cross a line.

Just as an example I've seen people defend cast members/band members unconditionally and unthinkingly in really questionable contexts, and lash out at any others who disagreed with them. Inevitably, things escalated rapidly, and not nicely at all.

Fandoms are great if there's a general level of respect and decency towards each other, and also fans critically and healthily enjoying something. That doesn't always happen but that is just my ideal of it.
I am lowkey part of a few fandoms and it's generally not a good or bad thing, it all depends really.

 

There are some great fandoms out there. But there are some horrible ones as well.

 

I liked The Mighty Boosh - but never realised a fandom existed. It's pretty obscure.

Oh, and I am sick of the Frozen hysteria as well. I don't remember anyone getting that excited when Shrek was released 14 years ago. :tantrum:

 

Yep, a fandom existed, but it was just me and my mate =p

 

Some fandoms annoy me but it's more due to certain people than the actual fandom. I don't bother with them. Though I admit to being a bit crazed myself at times. I enjoy being part of something I love. Especially when people in my everyday life (my mom) thinks it's weird.

 

I'm generally not in contact with any fandoms.... I don't do social media. So no.

Otherwise I don't mind generally. I'm fangirling some stuff... I just never join a community for it or anything lol

 

I absolutely detest the Darren Criss fandom. Does that count?

 

I can't stand fandoms. I know someone who's a massive Dr Who fan, and it's figuratively all she ever goes on about. Nowadays I try as far as possible to stay out of fandoms because they cause so much negativity and are often just stupid.

 

I don't associate with any 'fandoms' so I'm not really sick of them. It's nice to be part of a community that's united under one thing but I'd rather just talk about the things I like with my own friends.

I wouldn't really judge anything based on it's fanbase. It's true you can sometimes make an educated guess on what a movie, song, etc will be like from looking at it's main audience, but I just don't think it's fair to say, "I don't like the Lord of The Rings because the fans are annoying." That isn't the movies' fault.