By: Emma B.
“That’s weird.”
“Anyone who reviews kid shows on the Internet at 24 is
mental.”
“They’re just people who don’t have a social life.”
A lot of times
online when I am browsing through the Internet, I read things like, “Why are
people into that? It’s weird!” I think to myself, why? Is it weird because 34
year olds like a cartoon made for nine year olds? If it’s a good show then why
not? It got me to think, with so many people abandoning their interests because
they are being insulted or teased, how do we embrace our weird interests? How
do we find things in common with others who like what we do if they are hiding
behind the social customs of society considers “normal”?
Embracing the Things We Love
I’ll admit it. I love some pretty weird
stuff. Now don’t get me wrong, I do like the traditional “kid stuff” but it’s
not the only thing I am interested in. I am what someone would call a “Pegasister”
also known as a female “Brony.” You may be scratching your head, wondering,
what the heck is that? So, I’ll tell you, a Brony is a male, usually ranging
from tween-age to 25 who enjoys watching the show My Little Pony and a Pegasister is the female counterpart to a
Brony. We enjoy watching the show, writing about the show and drawing
characters from the show. We love it because it deals with, at times, some
pretty intense themes, which I think makes the show much, more appealing than
other cartoons around today. A lot of adults feel it is very weird for a grown
man to be called a “Brony” and enjoy watching a show that is supposedly meant
for little girls. However, the fandom is so big, that they even have several
conventions all across the globe and there is even a documentary on the Brony
culture on Netflix. It took several years of brave people, enjoying something
they like for the sake of it and ignoring social opinion. Therefore, they
embraced their somewhat “weird” interest and told the rest of the world they
didn’t care for their opinion.
So for those of us who might be into
something else that is what one may call “weird” how do we embrace our
interests and be true to who we are? It’s a tough question and it’s something
that a lot of people shy away from. I hope my thoughts on the subject will help
you change your mind.
Advice for Embracing the “Weird”
First, remember what your parents
always taught you, it doesn’t matter what other people say. I do realize how
incredibly cheesy that sounds but it is definitely true. Many people will find
certain things strange or weird that you find fascinating. This can possibly
result in others hurting your feelings by saying things that are mean or
sometimes, just down right awful. You have to remember that we are all human.
Sometimes people make fun of things because they may be scared to admit that
they like it too! If a person says something to you or criticizes something you
enjoy then honestly, ignore it. You never know, if you keep showing them that
it’s okay to talk about, they may start to enjoy it too!
Secondly, speak out! Your fandom won’t
grow and you won’t meet more people if you don’t speak out about your
interests. By telling people what you like, you meet people who enjoy your same
hobbies. For example, when I was in fourth grade I was probably the only female
gamer in my whole class. Everyone else was into makeup and dresses. I was so
bored of it. Many boys and girls in my school thought I was weird. Eventually I
began to believe that everyone thought I was weird. Then one day I spoke to a
girl in my class and it turned out she was a gamer too. We quickly bonded and I
found a brand new best friend. After that I was introduced to a group of female
gamers and after that, gaming suddenly became more popular amongst females in
our school. This was because my group of friends spoke about a thing we loved.
We weren’t afraid to express our love of video games and it turned into
something really cool! So talk about it!
Finally, enjoy it! When I was very young, I
never thought much of video games or movies or anything like that. I just
enjoyed the popcorn and the experience. However, in the second grade, I watched
my dad play the game Super Mario Galaxy
and I instantly fell in love! I would ask him to play more and more and then a
year or two later, I was a gamer girl who loved writing and enjoys lots of
books and anime. I love My Little Pony
and I enjoy the guilty pleasure on occasion of watching silly 90’s movies about
video games. It’s become a part of me that’s not going to change and I like it.
I write my own fan fiction and this experience has led me to where I am today.
I am a kind person who knows how to stay true to herself and enjoy the things I
love. I’ve even met some really awesome friends and hey, now look; I’m even a
writer!
It Is
Not Always Butterflies and Cupcakes …
It’s a fact, many people will find certain
things strange or weird that you find fascinating. In fact, unfortunately, many
times, people are bullied because they are into something that others may call
weird or strange. If you give them that power they’re only making your love for
that fandom weaker. So in response to this, I say try and fight it. If a person
bullies you or hurts you over something you enjoy then honestly (unless damage
is major) ignore it.
However if these people keep constantly
teasing you then tell a friend or an adult. I know it’s scary but you have to
remember, there are those of us out there who have been where you are and we
all know what it feels like. Chances are, the person making fun of you, had
someone make fun of them, who had someone make fun of them. It’s a vicious
cycle and it won’t stop unless someone says Stop!
In Conclusion…
In conclusion, our interests are our interests.
I heard a story once about a boy who hurt himself on purpose because he was
into My Little Pony. I wish I had
known him because I would have told him to ignore it. I would have been his
friend. Chances are if you like to collect bird houses or even if you just like
staring at live action versions of video games on a screen, there is someone,
somewhere, out there, not too far away, that likes doing it too. Embrace it! We
are allowed to like anything we want, that’s just part of being human. So if we
embrace the things we like instead of shoving them underneath our beds then we
are being ourselves. It’s not a crime and it is okay to like things you like. So
go out there and be the person that you are.
Thank you. I long for the day someone likes the same Japanese crap I'm into.
ReplyDelete