It’s Not Cringe, It’s Fandom.

Photo by Donald Tong: https://www.pexels.com/photo/four-person-in-naruto-costume-65767/

The term “fandom” in my experience, strikes three major reactions: confusion, disgust or excitement. Fandom is used to describe a space that shares a passion of the same interest. The word is mostly associated with the act of “fangirling” on the internet. When many people hear fandom, they think about the fans of boy-bands or actors they “freak out” about and share their love with likeminded individuals. 

Fandoms are nothing new. The term was created and used around the early 1900s, then skyrocketed in use around the early 2000s. 

The topic of fandoms currently exists in a semi-public-semi-private space. Discussing involvement in a fandom is a fact usually meant to keep to yourself or post anonymously online. It is deemed strange to be so involved with a piece of content. 

Being a part of a fandom is perceived as a cringe topic and an embarrassing thing to own up to.  Content like fanfiction is thought to only be crude and works of “fanservice” and fan edits are deemed low quality and lazy. 

Fandoms have also gotten their “cringe” rap from stereotypes that surround certain types of content like anime, manga and K-Pop. These are predominantly non-western forms of content that are often considered “weird” or “immature” to western audiences. 

What many fail to realize is that fandoms and their components play a crucial role for the content we love. 

When a piece of content is able to touch the heart of a viewer, many want to share the feeling of adoration to not only fellow fans, but to the creator(s) as well. 

Fanart is a common practice to pay homage. The point of fanart was to take the time to create free artwork that encompasses the love for a character or scene within a favorite piece of content. Fanart is also a way for fellow creatives to recognize one another, practice artistic skill and provide a gift to those that created the specific content. Types of fanart are not limited to drawings and paintings. Fans also go above and beyond through cosplay and animations. 

Fandoms provide a form of escapism and a safe space. Self-expression and creativity have no limits in fandoms. It provides a space for people to practice art and writing skills while also sharing their creations freely and at no cost. 

Fandoms also contribute to the practice of close reading and media comprehension. Many individuals develop close reading skills through character analysis and examining settings, themes and scenes. Discussions regarding these components with other people also expose each other to differing opinions and viewpoints. These discussions and close analyses strengthen comprehension skills in a fun and creative manner. 

But sticking to my word, I’ve decided to be “cringe” and share my favorite fandom and the art fellow fans created. It isn’t cringe to be passionate, it's cringe to hide your interests. 

Red Hood: Resurrection by Noah Beyer:

DC Studios is one of the most well-known film production companies with their success in both the comic and movie industry. 

Red Hood is a character within the stories of Batman that has captured the hearts of many fans. While his story is not the forefront of many comic issues any longer, fans decided to create what they wanted to see. 

Noah Beyer, a fan of Red Hood’s character, took it upon himself to plan, write, cast and film a free-to-watch Youtube series detailing and following DC’s character, Red Hood. Beyer and his team have dedicated their effort and time into forming their own show that is accessible for anyone and everyone to watch. 

Red Hood: Resurrection is also only funded by the team and whatever fellow fans donate out of the goodness of their heart for a fan series they enjoy. 

This level of dedication and adoration for a character has created its own fandom within a fandom. 

I found myself unsatisfied with the content and approach that DC took with Red Hood, and finding Red Hood: Resurrection scratched the itch I had regarding the approach to one of my favorite characters.

I was also able to witness the skill level of the production and acting of the team. Watching such love and dedication be put into a project that is free to view is a gratifying and exciting experience. 

Within the DC fandom, one of my favorite artists is instagram user @hiikeu. They are one of the most talented artists I have seen that creates many pieces of art ranging from Superman, The Teen Titans and Red Hood. 

Supporting artists and interacting within fandom spaces allows you to find and support not only the original content you enjoy, but also support talented artists that were brave enough to share free content and fanwork for your viewing pleasure.

It isn’t cringe to support artists and critically think about the content you enjoy. You may just find a community to interact with or a new artist to follow.