My Four Favourite Fandoms

I am a geek. I’ve considered myself to be a geek since I was about twelve years old. I came home from school one day, and my mom was home sick. She was watching Star Trek The Original Series. I watched a couple of episodes with her and I was instantly hooked. Here I’ll be talking about four of my favourite fandoms, and why I love them so much. To be clear, these are in no particular order, and I love many more fandoms than are included in this article. If I were to list all of them, we would be here a very long time.

Star Trek

It only seems right I include Star Trek, as it was my gateway to the world of fandom. I personally love The Original Series and The Next Generation. I’m the kind of person who likes to keep in mind when something was made, so that I can properly appreciate it. Seeing as it started out in the sixties, I have always loved how forward thinking and inclusive Star Trek has been. Many people don’t know this, but they were the first television show in North America to have an interracial kiss on screen. This was in 1968, and some stations in southern states actually refused to air the episode. A quote I’m personally fond of is, “Leave any bigotry in your quarters. There’s no room for it on the bridge.” I’ve also loved that, at its best, Star Trek shines a light on topics and issues that we don’t always talk about. It draws parallels, and makes us think about those things without directly shoving them down our throats.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings and the world of Middle Earth is arguably one of the most famous fandoms out there. People love it for all sorts of reasons. From its rich history and storytelling, to the vivid images Tolkien painted in your mind. Personally, I love it for its characters. They are all imperfect heroes. They all have doubts, insecurities, and allow themselves to be emotionally vulnerable. The underlying message that even the smallest, and seemingly insignificant person can make a difference is a great one. It tells us that anyone can make a difference, anyone can effect change. I also love that although there are only a few female characters in the story, they are all strong. They all have their own talents and skills, and speak their minds to the men around them.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I got into Buffy the Vampire Slayer when I was fourteen. I had just had back surgery and was stuck at home for six weeks. With not much to do but sit around, my mom bought me the first season of Buffy. I blew through those first twelve episodes in two days. I loved seeing a teenage girl as the hero who could hold her own against vampires and demons. I also loved that she was relatable too. She had school and teachers to deal with, she had relationship troubles, and she had friends who had their own issues. Buffy’s best friend realizing she was a lesbian is just one great example of how this show treated its female characters. They were all well rounded and three dimensional. They didn’t fall into stereotypes or basic gender roles. I feel like no matter what kind of girl you were as a teen, you could relate to at least one of the women on this show. I personally started out relating to Willow, and wanting to be more like Buffy.

Disney

Like most kids I grew up on Disney movies. Some I watched so much, I’m sure it drove my mom crazy. As I’ve grown older, I’ve gotten to appreciate them even more. In particular, I’ve loved the direction that Disney has taken its female heroines. When I was little, strong female characters were only just starting to appear in Disney movies. Now they’re in every movie Disney puts out. Of these newer characters, I think my favourites would have to be Tiana, Merida and Moana. They each have characteristics and goals that young girls should aspire to. Whether it’s a strong work ethic, or pushing back against tradition to make positive change. These are the kinds of female role models we all need right now.

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