Fandoms

fan·dom
/fandəm/
noun: fandom; plural noun: fandoms
-the state or condition of being a fan of someone or something.
-the fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc., regarded collectively as a community or subculture; includes cosplay members.

A fandom and fan has evolved and transformed from holding a foam finger to binge watching marathons, creating fan fiction and creating other forms of art.

Fandoms have grown so large and influential it even has its own slang and terminology. For example, “shipping” is when one wants for two characters to be together. A “canon” is when a “ship” has some form of proof from the original source. An “OTP” is one true pair or partner. Another is “crossover” which is the mixing of characters from different shows, films, novels or  other art. There are also fan theories that are ideas a fan can have about a certain character’s backstory, plot, setting or other element. Last but not least “fanfiction ” which is exactly what it sounds like, creative works or different versions of a show, books, films etc according to a fan.

There are also so called dark sides to fandoms. When someone becomes all consumed and addicted to a work. Also when someone takes a work and changes it to something the original author did not intend. This can lead to copyright issues or other less serious problems.

These works can also pull a one’s heart strings and cause “feels”. Some of the works by fans are amazingly well done and imaginative. There are even some cases of work being taken up by original authors and blended into original works or somehow influencing them. On the flip side there are also times when despite all the pleading from fans and the great following their ideas and wants are shot down or not even considered. In any case fandoms have helped shape the entertainment, media and trend aspects of our lives into that which it is today.