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alchemicinkChallenge #5
Talk about what has improved in your life thanks to fandom.
As much as I enjoy fandom, this was a hard one to come up with something immediately. Well, at least something with specifics. But after some thinking, I did have one particular thing that came to mind.
I have learned so much thanks to fandom!
What I love about fandom is that you're getting to enjoy things with a group of people. And that often means you're all sharing headcanons about characters, theorizing about worldbuilding, analyzing themes that pop up in stories, making silly jokes together, and more.
Because of that, I get to learn about so many different perspectives on whatever I'm watching, reading, etc. Everyone sees things through their own lens, influenced by their own lives. Something I might not think anything about may hit different for someone else. And when they share their perspective, I get to consider things in a different way than before.
One example: I've read a lot of My Hero Academia fanfic over the years, and I remember a popular headcanon about how Bakugou's explosive quirk may cause him to suffer hearing damage. I came across many fanfics that would include this detail in their stories, and it always got me thinking a lot more about resources for hard-of-hearing people, learning sign language, etc.
Another example: here is a fascinating tweet thread talking about the idea of restorative justice in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. (Lots of spoilers if you haven't seen the series.)
A lot of people might be familiar with that old meme about the Gundam franchise where it's easy to just say "hey cool robot" while you're watching and not engage in the larger themes in the story they're telling. And I think without access to fandom and seeing other people's different thoughts on the series, I would probably watch these shows on a more surface level only too, without thinking too deeply about them.
One last example: Occasionally, I like to listen to the Women at Warp podcast, which is a Star Trek franchise-focused podcast that explores "intersectional diversity in infinite combinations," as the hosts say. They look at how the Star Trek universe portrays a wide range of topics as well as analyze different characters and episodes. It's interesting and thoughtful commentary that always makes me want to go back and rewatch old episodes and consider something new in them.
(I also learned from this podcast that I've been pronouncing "hegemony" wrong for years 😂)
So, yes, fandom has improved my life in many ways (like helping me connect with lots of cool people and providing an escape when things are tough), but, to me, the aspect of learning from others has been the most rewarding so far.
Talk about what has improved in your life thanks to fandom.
As much as I enjoy fandom, this was a hard one to come up with something immediately. Well, at least something with specifics. But after some thinking, I did have one particular thing that came to mind.
I have learned so much thanks to fandom!
What I love about fandom is that you're getting to enjoy things with a group of people. And that often means you're all sharing headcanons about characters, theorizing about worldbuilding, analyzing themes that pop up in stories, making silly jokes together, and more.
Because of that, I get to learn about so many different perspectives on whatever I'm watching, reading, etc. Everyone sees things through their own lens, influenced by their own lives. Something I might not think anything about may hit different for someone else. And when they share their perspective, I get to consider things in a different way than before.
One example: I've read a lot of My Hero Academia fanfic over the years, and I remember a popular headcanon about how Bakugou's explosive quirk may cause him to suffer hearing damage. I came across many fanfics that would include this detail in their stories, and it always got me thinking a lot more about resources for hard-of-hearing people, learning sign language, etc.
Another example: here is a fascinating tweet thread talking about the idea of restorative justice in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. (Lots of spoilers if you haven't seen the series.)
A lot of people might be familiar with that old meme about the Gundam franchise where it's easy to just say "hey cool robot" while you're watching and not engage in the larger themes in the story they're telling. And I think without access to fandom and seeing other people's different thoughts on the series, I would probably watch these shows on a more surface level only too, without thinking too deeply about them.
One last example: Occasionally, I like to listen to the Women at Warp podcast, which is a Star Trek franchise-focused podcast that explores "intersectional diversity in infinite combinations," as the hosts say. They look at how the Star Trek universe portrays a wide range of topics as well as analyze different characters and episodes. It's interesting and thoughtful commentary that always makes me want to go back and rewatch old episodes and consider something new in them.
(I also learned from this podcast that I've been pronouncing "hegemony" wrong for years 😂)
So, yes, fandom has improved my life in many ways (like helping me connect with lots of cool people and providing an escape when things are tough), but, to me, the aspect of learning from others has been the most rewarding so far.
