On fandom
// updated 2025-09-10 12:01
Fandom, in the form of spectator (i.e. un-interactive) entertainment persists in its appeal due to inertia, as a result of an introduction to this pastime from a young age ... this comes especially if a "victory" (or "inspirational moment") occurs from the get-go!
These can take on the form of:
- sports
- (most) musical concerts
- (most) theatrical performances
- television series
- movies
When not introduced to it from a young age, an adult looks at the form of entertainment with relative indifference! Worse, the adult might see fandom as:
- the one-sided reverence from fan to persona (or group)
- the persona as mere "idolatry"
- the group as a mere "cult"
- a cost rather than a chance
- increasing prices for tickets and merchandise
- increasing time commitment
- the creep of "subscription fatigue"
Occasionally, the entertainment provides just a source of relaxation and escape in a world where less and less makes sense; one still should seek an alternative to fandom, although inertia has its way with the fan!
Addendum with regards to fandom on social networks
On several occasions, the desire to run a "fan" account on the social network has largely met with dissatisfaction. The community usually consists of:
- a subjective rather than objective mentality
- opinions based on feelings over facts and statistics
- a focus on what might happen than what has actually happened
- "counting chickens before the eggs hatch"
- making all sorts of incorrect predictions in a sport filled with randomness
- a defeatist mentality if something "wrong" happens, thinking that the team is "finished" if
- star players get injured
- they lose a single game early in the season
- an idolatry towards a star player even if they perform badly
- one should not mention that the star player has "underperformed" out of fear of offending a "hardcore" fan
Trying to remain objective, especially with the randomness of the game, meets with hostility. Too much positivity and one risks looking like an overenthusiastic cheerleader. Thus, one would best reserve fandom to the comfort of one's own home. One can "post" by keeping track of statistics and standings (in the case of sports) using an offline spreadsheet, or even a paper-and-pencil journal (in the case of less numerical forms of amusement. Discussions about sports (and other forms of spectator entertainment) should instead "relegate" to in-person interactions.