C2E2, Chicago’s regional version of the famous Comic Con, is coming back this weekend. C2E2, and conventions in general, serve as places for many pop culture fans to cosplay, meet other fans, buy awesome merchandise, and sometimes even meet the creators behind so many beloved franchises.
These popular conventions celebrate all types of media, but the most hardcore fans are usually found in panels catered towards more niche media such as independent video games, anime, comic books, or even some tv shows and films with cult followings.
These fans are devoted to the media that they love, but unfortunately, they tend to be laughed at or ridiculed for enjoying what they love. Many times, they are labeled as “nerds” or “lame”, but these niche interests make up so much of a person, and there’s nothing lame about having personality.
As we navigate life, we discover movies, tv shows, or any other media that has a strong impact on us. It’s hard to explain why sometimes, but it just does, and we end up becoming big fans of it.
A lot of people who are big fans of something tend to join online communities, typically called fandoms, where they can see content related to whatever it is that they love. They can even post their own original content relating to it and chat with people online who share the same interests.
Without even realizing it, the media someone loves becomes a big part of their life. It can be a tv show that one day, many years from now, you’ll hear the theme song of again and suddenly be transported back to the time in your life when you first watched the show. Maybe your favorite video game helped you through such a dark time in your life that you decide to get a tattoo relating to it so that you always have a piece of it with you.
These pieces of media become a part of us. We can find relatability in a character who then helps us understand more of ourselves in real life. We listen to the songs from a certain soundtrack when we are down, or we even just watch our favorite movie to get through a tough day. There’s nothing about that which should make anyone feel ashamed.
Our varied interests shape us as human beings, so it’s no wonder that people want to express their love for whatever it is that interests them. The real shame is the people who tease others for what they love and for expressing themselves. Those are the real “nerds” or “losers”: the ones who are so insecure about themselves that they find joy in making fun of others for freely expressing what they love.
The truth is that life is too short to care what anyone else thinks. So go ahead and wear the shirt that has your favorite anime character on it, listen to your favorite video game soundtrack in front of your friends who have never heard of it before, and dress up in an impressive costume to go to some “geeky” convention where you can meet other people that love the same things you do.