Genuinely getting concerned at how often I'm starting to see legitimate media analysis get brushed aside as "fandom shit," and how often I see people act hostile toward media analysis in general.

Film history, critique, and analysis--specifically in regard to animation--are massive special interests of mine. I fucking love getting into the guts of something to see why it does or doesn't work. I do it at a hobby level, but all of it is part of genuine academic disciplines that people pay money to study.

Same goes for literary analysis. It's a field of study that people spend their careers on. But meanwhile here on tungl dot hell, I see people rip others to shreds for "posting cringe" and "wasting time on fandom shit" when they post any analysis at all of something deemed "stupid fandom garbage."

And then they make "lol blue curtains" jokes and wonder why it seems like folks' ability to critically analyze media is declining.

My therapist just told me my problem is that I need to write more fanfiction.

This sounds fake but the logic behind it is actually really interesting? She said obsession with a new fandom triggers quick dopamine release when we consume all this related content--it's easy and addictive.

What we're NOT getting is that 'slow dopamine' that's more sustainable and engaging. That's the kind we get from DOING things that take effort but are ultimately rewarding.

So like, she suggested that writing fic and making fanart are ways to balance the quick dopamine of watching a show/reading fic with the slow dopamine of working at something that takes effort.

Moral of the story is you should engage in the process of creation around your favorite things. You'll feel better for it.

Oh.

OH.

No offence but I feel like some people got a little too comfortable with telling people to touch grass and swung all the way round to just straight up shaming anyone who might have a less active social life than them to feel better about themselves. “She should be at the club” was a really funny meme until people started acting like fucking middle school bullies towards people who don’t go out with their friends a lot. All those drinking/drugs/sex milestone polls were fun to engage with until it became a wierd circlejerk making fun of people who haven’t done those things before. People on twitter are once again dogpiling someone for wanting queer social spaces that don’t revolve around alcohol or loud music and telling them it’s their own fault for not having friends.

Like I get that nightclubs and sex have strong ties to queer culture and are often the first targets in the hellscape of respectability politics. It’s important we remember our roots and protect these spaces from conservative scrutiny. I mean that. They are important. But just on a surface level it seems like people are starting to see having an inactive social life as some kind of moral failing which…it’s not. I feel like an insane person for feeling like I have to say this on the fucking queer autism website but like. You aren’t inherently a bad person if you don’t have friends. You aren’t “falling behind” if you haven’t had your first kiss in your 20s or never done drugs. The real world isn’t a movie. And if you see someone who doesn’t go out much and instinctually think “wow what a terminally online loser. I bet their social life sucks because they’re a sheltered creep and not because of systemic barriers beyond their control” you need to have a long hard look at why you feel that way.

There are very real barriers that prevent isolated people from finding community and connection. Do you think you’re superior for being able to breach them? Time, money, sobriety, accessibility, none of those factors were a problem for you, so it shouldn’t be for them, right? Right?

This is never going to be the popular opinion but it will always be the correct one

And that's not even getting into the discussion around covid protections and the way that nobody gives a shit anymore. I had to get into a screaming match with someone in a union meeting to even get them to CONSIDER basic safety measures like masks and an air purifier. The local pride center told me they refuse to require covid safety measures because "Ron DeSantis said we can't require masks anymore," as if that shouldn't be a call to action instead of apathy. As if they couldn't have made Pride 2023 a "mask up for safety" protest instead of yet another a glorified vendor fair with cops and Wells Fargo booths.

How am I supposed to have healthy social outlets and connections when nobody is even willing to wear a mask?

Why am I supposed to throw caution to the winds and go to the club in a plague if I want to maintain a social life?

Sigh.

Another reason to stop ‘cringe culture’

I’m a teacher. Today I was covering for a grade 9 science class. Decent kids, if a bit rowdy, and didn’t want to do their work. Wtv, it was textbook work. Not the point.

1 girl (reminder that these kids are, like, 14/15) was doodling bust portraits (head & shoulders) in an art book. I had a squiz and asked her if they were her characters. She said they were and excitedly told me she had so many characters for this one story of hers. I laughed about how I wished I could draw mine, and moved on.

Later in the class, I hear her enthusiastically telling her friend all about her main OC - a gay kitsune prince with a tragic past. It was so, pure, classic Deviant Art: my first OC. And you know what? I loved it. I was just sitting there half overhearing, smiling to myself and glad that her friend was engaging and interested in her story and characters.

This is a girl who will become a creator. She will draw and write and imagine, get better and better. She’ll probably move past this stage and start making more nuanced characters (she was already lamenting she didn’t have enough girl OCs). But this is where she started. This is where so many of us started. I had a tiger catgirl, goth witch/sorceress OC in high school. I found my original design for her recently. Look what I create now.

Let kids be kids. Let them explore and invent and go wild and be cliche and make overpowered OCs. Let them have their anthropomorphic animal OCs. Let them try everything before they settle into maturity.

For fucks sake; let them have fun.

Y'know what I hate more than anything? Cringe compilations

Literally 99% of the videos on these compilations are just people expressing themselves??? Like, just say you don't have enough confidence to express your gender, or dress differently, you don't have to attack the people that do. Leave them the fuck alone

Not only that, but the people that put together these compilations thrive off of neurodivergent people being themselves. I can't tell you how many times I've said or done something "cringe" because I can't interpret social cues as well as other people can.

"oH nO! tHis pErson is uSing fRog/FrogSeLf pRonoUns???"

Cope bitch

SAME!!!!!!!! I will die on this hill that cringe compilations are just really really not worth watching or interacting with. Like. If you want humor? watch a damn comedian. why are you cringing at unique people? you're cringe, not the people in the compilation. (general you)

to be perfectly honest, my mood when it comes to fandom creations these days is basically:

I don't care if it's good. I don't care if it's finished. I don't care if it's cringe. I don't care if someone else did it first. I don't care if no one else cares at all. What I care about is whether or not I cackled with glee while making it.

"I hate fandom, it's everywhere on this site," Sir (gender-neutral) this is Tumblr, aka the Denny's parking lot at 3 am of websites.

Of course, fandom is everywhere. Their tagline on the app store used to be "the home of fandom." You're the one who walked in here, you can walk yourself right back out.

I’ve never tried to fully erase my weirdness, but during my teens and 20s I definitely tried to downplay it. It’s amazing how much I stopped downplaying my true self once I finally accepted myself, and stopped caring what others thought.

Check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/autiebiographical

Since I just saw a post on this and since I work in food service now:

Guys, being a regular and ordering the same thing every time you come in is absolutely fine.

Literally no one is going to be side-eyeing you. The fact of the matter is we have other stuff going on.

That’s not a put-down or anything. I try to make sure all the customers who interact with me feel like they’re our most important customer. However, we are busy and often people just sort of slip by unnoticed. 

When I do think about regulars that come into the store, it’s not usually: “Oh my God, I can’t believe they come to Panera every day. Yikes, so cringe.” It’s usually: “I wonder how John is doing. I hope his coffee was alright. I had to get it in a bit of a rush today because of all the to-go orders.”

And I really want to scream this from the rooftops because I had a guy just a couple of weeks ago say how embarrassed he felt for always ordering the same thing. That he felt ashamed of being so predictable. Meanwhile, I’m just glad he didn’t order something we don’t have (looking at you Panera wraps) and that he’s not yelling at me. 

You know what’s cringe? Getting snippy with Panera employees because we don’t have the thing you wanted. You know what’s cringe? Complaining about the prices to me when I can’t afford to eat at this restaurant without the associate’s discount. You know what’s cringe? Yelling at Panera employees because you’ve had a bad day and they made the mistake of working in retail. 

That’s cringe. Eating the same sandwich every day? Not a problem. If you get noticed for it at all, it will be: “Oh, thank God, I know what to do with this one and have a low probability of getting yelled at.” Most of the time though, it’ll be the barista trying to remember everything you ordered, double checking the receipt to make sure they got it right, and then handing you the order before moving on to the next one. Because, let’s face it, you’re the twenty-sixth person to order a bagel with plain cream cheese this shift and the orders start blurring together after about the fifth one.

It seems like not everyone sees these sorts of things as bullying. They’ll say that they’re so nice, and accommodating towards autistic people and then actively ignore our boundaries, and mock our behaviour.

Check out my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/autiebiographical

Tumblr users: We support autistic people!

Tumblr users: Unironically liking any media is cringe oh my god stop having such Weird interests you fucking freaks why can't you just like things like a normal fucking human being oh my god lmao why do you cringe freaks all type so fucking Weird oh my god why do you care so much about this insignificant thing you crazy freaks like oh my god freak go outside just be a normal fucking person you freaks

people on this site are all for accepting autistic people

until we don’t get “obvious” jokes

until we like “cringey” things or have “embarrassing” special interests

until we miss “obvious” social cues

basically until we show any signs at all of being autistic, and honestly i’m getting sick of it

Please please please, if someone is talking about their special interest/hyperfixation with you, don’t tell them they’re being annoying or cringy. They love something so much and they want to share that love and happiness with you. I know it might be hard to listen to someone talk about something you may not be interested in, but please don’t do that. 

it’s not cool or funny 🌈

no offense but the sooner you all realise cringe culture is like, thinly veiled superiority complex and targets almost exclusively young people or people who aren’t neurotypical, the better

Another reason to stop ‘cringe culture’

I’m a teacher. Today I was covering for a grade 9 science class. Decent kids, if a bit rowdy, and didn’t want to do their work. Wtv, it was textbook work. Not the point.

1 girl (reminder that these kids are, like, 14/15) was doodling bust portraits (head & shoulders) in an art book. I had a squiz and asked her if they were her characters. She said they were and excitedly told me she had so many characters for this one story of hers. I laughed about how I wished I could draw mine, and moved on.

Later in the class, I hear her enthusiastically telling her friend all about her main OC - a gay kitsune prince with a tragic past. It was so, pure, classic Deviant Art: my first OC. And you know what? I loved it. I was just sitting there half overhearing, smiling to myself and glad that her friend was engaging and interested in her story and characters.

This is a girl who will become a creator. She will draw and write and imagine, get better and better. She’ll probably move past this stage and start making more nuanced characters (she was already lamenting she didn’t have enough girl OCs). But this is where she started. This is where so many of us started. I had a tiger catgirl, goth witch/sorceress OC in high school. I found my original design for her recently. Look what I create now.

Let kids be kids. Let them explore and invent and go wild and be cliche and make overpowered OCs. Let them have their anthropomorphic animal OCs. Let them try everything before they settle into maturity.

For fucks sake; let them have fun.

:^)