Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Fandom.



I love everything about this. I love fandom and I love love.

Also bonus points for how Scott Pilgrim inspired this is. My favourite movie.

Made me realize that there's something about growing up being part of a fandom (or even growing up on the internet) that you can't get elsewhere. Even the title of this film is worth loving. Every time I've used the expression "I ship it" irl I've had to explain what it means. And people still don't get it. They just give me inquisitive looks. Shit, even the term "irl" is something I have to explain. And then people think I'm weirder than they originally thought I was because I feel the need to differentiate between things that happen online and in real life. But really, I'm just this girl that likes to read and browse and immerse herself in worlds that have expanded far beyond she'd ever imagine.

We all know and love Joey Richter because of A Very Potter Musical, and then we fell in love with Mary Kate Wiles after seeing her fun and quirky portrayal of Lydia Bennett on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. And we all love wizard rock because it's cheesy and awesome and fun to raise your wand up and dance to. And because for maybe a few minutes it takes you away from the real world and all of a sudden you're at Hogwarts, snacking on pumpkin pasties that you bought at Honeydukes last time you visited Hogsmeade... and wow, a lot of places in the Potter universe begin with H. And we make up expressions like "I ship it" and "headcanon" and "OTP." And we write fanfiction, read blogs, listen to podcasts, and watch YouTubers, and follow the creators of said blogs and podcasts throughout their careers.

I'm just having one of those nights where fandom amazes me. How I probably wouldn't be writing this blog without it. How I don't even know if I'd have a blog because one of the main reasons I became "addicted" to the internet at 12 years old was because I went on HarryPotter.com and was active in their forums. Which then led me to make a lil Harry Potter website, which led me to learn web design, which got me into graphic design, which got me the career I'm currently working towards. Like I said, fandom and the idea of it... they really amaze me. But I guess they shouldn't. I mean, that's how most religions work, right? Like, "here, read this book and live your life by it."

On a slightly related note, I found this other video because of "I Ship It" and loved it. I've been reading "Fangirl" and it just hit me in the right spot. In a cute sorta nostalgic yet glad-it-got-better sorta way. Maybe I'll save that book review for later.