Check Yourself
Yesterday, I got sucked into reading the Something Awful forums because of this thread: Awesome things with HORRIBLE fan bases. Not just because it was funny, but because it immediately put me into an introspective mode.
Hilarious as it is, it left me with the realization that I am tremendously annoying. I would like to think of myself as better, but I have taken on the characteristics of the worst of anime, video game, Firefly, and music fandoms, among others. Not that being fans of any of those things makes you annoying, but immersing yourself into the fandoms can be like entering an echo chamber, quickly convincing you that you are both original and funny. (Spoiler warning: you're usually not.)
I have seen those guys in every online community I've been a part of. I have run into those guys at conventions. And left unchecked, I am quickly becoming one of those guys. To everyone who knows me: I'm so very, very sorry. I will try harder.
If you are reading this blog, you likely are part of some geeky subculture or another. Even if you think it's a respectable and mature geeky subculture, five or ten minutes in the thread probably couldn't hurt you.
Of course, my favorite response (of the 20-odd pages I read) was:
Everything.
Someone, somewhere, will ruin what you love. Every time, all the time.
Forever.
Still, someone hit me next time I reference Family Guy or Invader Zim.
(Before anyone gets too offended, this post is slightly tongue-in-cheek.)
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