Why Are We Getting Back Into Fandoms?

Being stuck inside has lead to some weird coping mechanisms. For many of us, we ended up staying back in our childhood homes when lockdown happened, leading to an inevitable session of reminiscing about childhood. This could have been stumbling over your high school yearbook, however, for many it took the form of diving head first back into teenage obsessions. 

One of the best ways this manifested was on Tiktok; sometimes it feels like you can’t scroll five posts down without coming across a Twilight themed post. Now, don’t get us wrong, the Twilight films are the pinnacle of culture – but why are they making a comeback now? Are we really that bored? The diehard fans amongst us would disagree, but it wasn’t just the Twilight films that have had resurgence during the ongoing pandemic.  

The ever-popular Harry Potter series is another example, though this fandom was active pre-corona, many have found themselves re-watching and listening to the stories. A spike in interest could also be attributed to J.K. Rowling’s controversial comments on transgender people, with many choosing to part with the series as a way of not supporting the transphobic comments. Some gave the hope-filled stories a last watch and bid them goodbye, leaving their childhood obsessions on a sad note. 

It can be argued that clinging to the nostalgia of old pop culture can comfort us in troubling times. Why watch something new, when you can watch something where you know what happens? This has a calming effect; there are no shocks, just a happy ending. Fandom provides escapism for those scary moments, but using it as a constant coping mechanism and not addressing other areas of your life could lead you into unhealthy habits. Always remember to reach out to loved ones too. Self-care comes in many shapes and forms. So, if you do need cheering up in these uncertain times, put on that My Chemical Romance album and pretend Gerard Way still has bleached hair. We won’t tell anyone!