Your Costume Is a Battlefield
The 501st Legion has about 20,000 members worldwide. That’s a lot of people with strong opinions about plastic armour. Friction is inevitable. But what turns normal disagreement into toxic conflict? …
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I’m Not a Cosplayer—I’m a Costumor.
The word “cosplay” comes from Japan in the 1980s, a blend of “costume” and “play.” It started as a playful, interpretive art form—and for many, it still is. But in …
Fandom Hierarchies Keep People Out
I referenced Flynn’s Fandom Pyramid, which, in my opinion, oversimplifies fandom as a linear journey from casual to superfan. My experience reveals that the superfan top tier is much more …
Has the Digital Age Killed Our Escape?
Jean Baudrillard talks of hyperreality, where representations of reality become more influential than reality itself. In this context, online discourse has a greater impact on shaping perceptions of the fandom …
When Fandom Turns Mean (And What We Lose)
The boundary between our real and digital lives has disappeared—and I’m not sure we can get it back. As a small business owner in this community, I’m constantly balancing my …
Fandom As a Factory for Outrage
Fandom used to be simple. You loved something, you bought the toy, you maybe wrote a letter to a magazine. Today? It’s a global, digital machine—and we’re all cogs in …
Fandom As a Para-Religious Culture
Fandoms have evolved from loose gatherings of enthusiasts into vibrant communities that often resemble religious organisations. This transformation has given rise to a form of para-religious culture. In these circles, …
“From a Certain Point of View”
In Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan says: “Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.” That line meant as a retcon for a …
Fandom Turned Fandamentalist
Dogma is a set of principles laid down by an authority, not up for reinterpretation. In Star Wars, that authority used to be George Lucas. Now it’s Disney. And the …
The Grand Convention Pilgrimage
During last Star Wars Celebration in Japan, over 120,000 fans showed up—not for a premiere, not for a sale, but for what can only be described as a pilgrimage. We …