To a casual observer, if you are sitting beside someone in a Spiderman outfit, and that someone is neither a child nor someone filming a scene for the next (in a very long line) of superhero films, you may fight the urge to roll your eyes and think, god, get a job.
There's a stereotype behind the words geek and nerd, that unfortunately television shows and films have played a big part behind reinforcing, which make you instantly think of socially awkward adults, who just happen to also wear glasses and are fluent in the language of technology, living in a basement somewhere, playing Dungeons & Dragons, and who also make superheroes their entire personality.
Here is why I think the words geek and nerd need a 2023 update.
To me, these words are synonymous with passion, a thirst to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, and community, all desirable qualities to possess or foster in an individual. So, why are these same traits in the context of fandom painted as being something to laugh at, even mock?
I have always loved conventions, Comic Con being the main brand you would have heard even if you have never partaken in one. Ironically, on television shows if fandoms are referenced, it's in a dismissive way, or in an obsessive way that paints all passionate fans in the same light. There are different degrees of liking something, the same way there are different ways you can regard another human being. None of these should be disrespected or made fun of, because everything we react to on screen or off screen speaks to our own experiences, our own hearts, and how we view the world, and no two people will ever share the same opinions on everything, which frankly is why humanity can both be brilliant and insane at the same time.
Conventions are places where community is the word, and it doesn't matter whether the show you're there to see has long since been cancelled, or has been ongoing since television was first on the spectrum of human consciousness, there is something for everyone there. That is the beauty of these events.
I have seen people go just to cosplay (the act of dressing up as a particular character, item, or concept associated with a particular show or film), rather than go to meet a particular actor or actress; I have seen people go just to reconnect with a friend they only see a handful of times because of how far they live apart from each other.
I am proud to say I have met some really good friends through television shows, Lost being the pivotal one. It allowed me to be part of a community that would often engage in online discourse, which was always respectful despite the differing opinions of the storylines / characters, as well as sharing their own fan art and videos dedicated to certain characters or plots. Some of these videos or art enhanced what had already been shown, whilst others allowed you to enter an alternate universe and imagine what else could have been had the writers gone down a different path, or taken their characters another way.
Conventions give fans a safe space to enjoy the fandoms they have connected with for one reason or another. You may have the perfect life, you may have had a royal flush in the game of life, or you may find that loneliness is something that creeps into every crevice of your world, and you need an escape more than the world needs a break from all the evilness that befalls it every day, either way once you step into the world of a convention, whether it is a Comic Con or another brand of convention, you can find a place where you belong.
In a world that tries to pull us apart and divide us, isn't it a joy to find things that connects us? Why isn't this celebrated, and encouraged? You can be a cold hearted cynic, someone deeply embedded in the political landscape, or you could be someone that detaches completely from all of life's worries, who finds joy in every little thing; in that moment, it doesn't matter your affiliations, you are united by a love of that show or film that made something inside you spark into life.
Theatre is widely talked about as being something that people find joy and connect to, so why can't it be a more mainstream thing to talk about conventions with the same energy and enthusiasm? I can tell you almost all of my happiest memories on my travels have been around conventions, or in the fandoms I've found, because this is where I've found people who have shaped the person I am, in one way or another.
The mad thing is everyone is part of a fandom, whether they know it or not. You will have had conversations with relatives, friends, even bosses and teachers, where they have mentioned enjoying a show or film, and even if they don't share your exact thoughts or go as deeply into the matter as you may do, if they enjoy it they are a part of that fandom, and I think sometimes that needs to be recognised more.
In short, our time on this earth is limited and precious. Anything that inspires us to feel more deeply, create, or connect with other people should be celebrated. Conventions do this extremely well, and even the most introverted of us can find something to enjoy in this environment. I will advocate for conventions just as strongly as I do for theatre, because it's in this place I found myself, and it's a place where I like myself, and I think in a world where it's easy to hate yourself every day, we need to find ways to love ourselves, and each other.
I can't count the amount of people I've been inspired by at these conventions, not only for the amazing costumes I've seen people create, but also because I've seen people who are so shy and so withdrawn, come to life, and ask questions in rooms filled with thousands of people, and blossom. Confidence forms in communities, and the more we find people we can relate to and enjoy life with, the better people we become, and the better this world becomes.
To paraphrase a famous biblical quote, the geeks shall inherit the earth, and we will make it beautiful and be our own superheroes. Let's face it, if anything needs a reboot right now, it's earth.
