On Why I'm (NOT) in a Fandom

I've been asked the question many times. "Do you read/watch/listen to/like __________?" Most of the time, the answer is no.

-You all know I love (read: vehemently adore) reading, but I don't prefer to read many modern books or book series. 

-I criticize nearly EVERY SINGLE MOVIE that I watch. (I think everyone hates me for that!)

-My TV watching has been basically non-existent since I began my senior year. (And my criticizing is the same as with movies.)

-I listen almost exclusively to Christian music. (Musical theater is basically the only other genre I will listen to.)

This leaves me in the dilemma of being asked the "Do you like __________" question A LOT, and I don't have an answer. I'd rather someone asks me what I think about __________, because that's just the way I work. I think, rather than feel.

One time a girl asked me what "fandom" I was in. For those of you who don't know, a fandom is a group of people who follow (often to an obsessive extent) of a book series/TV show/movie/artist/actor that they watch/read/listen to. When I was asked this question, she had already asked me the "Do you like _______" question about five times. She wondered what people who didn't belong to a fandom did with their lives! (My answer: Schoolwork)

I stuttered for a minute and settled on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which wasn't exactly true. I really enjoyed reading the book series, because I think that Tolkien's writing is an art form. I wouldn't ever consider myself obsessed with it though. I haven't even seen all of the movies, and I don't know that much about the trilogy. I began to worry that I didn't have a "fandom" I could truly belong to, so I searched for one.

I started watching the TV show "Sherlock" and tried to fit into the fandom stereotype. However, there were too many issues for me in the shows, including language and inappropriate dialogue. I then switched to an obsession with Frozen. You probably know that I LOVE that movie. I spent hours on Pinterest for both of these, reading Tumblr theories and watching funny gifs. The more time I spent on these obsessions, the emptier I felt. 

I decided that I didn't want to be in a fandom. It wasted my time and left me feeling empty. Worse, I was pretending to be somebody that I wasn't. I've never really fit in with girls my age, and I decided that I was okay with that. After all, Jesus never told us to fit in.

Here are the five main reasons I'm not a part of a fandom:

(PLEASE understand, I am not trying to target anyone or to tell them to not be in a fandom! I LOVE all of my readers and all of my Pinterest friends who post fandom-related material. This is just my personal, humble opinion on the material, not the people. You're always welcome to disagree with me!)

• In Exodus 20, (the Ten Commandments) God tells us to not make idols for ourselves. When I thought about the hours I spent on the computer, compared to the few minutes I spent every night reading God's Word and talking to him, I realized that I was putting him second in too many places in my life.

• Many of the TV shows/books/movies I love contain only earthly treasures. Jesus tells us that "moths and rust" can destroy those things, but I found that those treasures are often the moths and rust that invade and corrupt my mind and heart!

• I don't want to pretend to be someone I'm not. That's pretty self-explanatory. I know that I need to be me, and that's enough. By telling friends what/who I liked and trying to fit in with others, I was putting on a false impression and caused a lot of hurt for myself and others.

• 1 Corinthians 10:23 says, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." I'm not saying being in a fandom is wrong, I'm saying that I don't need to be fulfilled by something of this world. 

• Many fangirls admire their favorite actor/singer from afar. Instead of wasting my time pining for someone I'll likely never meet, I can "waste my time well" on building a close relationship with the one true God, who loves me and knows my name! That's more than most fangirls could say of their favorite person!

Again, I love all of you who read my blog! This is just my opinion on an issue that I wanted to share about.

If any of this makes sense or changes your mind about the issue, maybe God's trying to get to you! Who knows? I know God let me make some bad decisions and I had to learn the hard way. 

If you agree or disagree on the subject, please leave a comment! Thanks for reading! See you next time!

-M.