Image Courtesy of The New Yorker Magazine
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines fanatic as:
It has both positive and negative aspects. A fanatic who joins other fanatics at a college football game, pulling for their team to win, is fine, but once that fanatic decides to poison the beloved trees of the rival college, it has crossed the line into problematic. A group of fans loving a director's vision for a character and cinematic universe facing harassment for loving said universe results in them becoming bitter and review-bombing a new version without the director they loved.
Fandom brings out the best and worst in people. I think we're seeing the devolving of everything in the world currently to fandoms. Team Trump vs. Team Anyone But Trump. Team Israel vs. Team Palestine. Team Dinner vs. Team Breakfast. We all must be members of a team, and if you're not, you're the enemy. You must choose an opinion about every issue, and if you refuse to, you just don't care enough and aren't a good person. It is exhausting. It's easy to lose hope in humanity and hope for a better day. We're just waiting for the next big thing to have an opinion about, and hoping that our friends and family agree with that opinion, or else we'll have to disown them because there is no room for nuance or compromise.
I admit, I have been beaten down by this narrative due to my experience in News Talk radio and Sports Talk radio. It is hard to develop empathy for your fellow man when you hate someone because their ideas, dreams, and lifestyles are different from what you are a fan of. I'm here to tell you it is bullshit.
People need to be friends with folks who are fans of different teams. We have to find a way to reach common ground. We have to find a way to try and understand our fellow man, or else we are doomed to a world that is searching for the perfect person who aligns with every team we're a part of, and if they don't, well, forget about them. I don't see that as a sustainable world.
I am an optimist who tries to find the best in everyone, even if they're a dick. Everyone is a result of their choices leading up to the moment you are interacting with them. Try to understand their point of view. I have moments of hope that keep me carrying on. A friend of mine from high school and college is a massive Snyderverse fan who faces horrible harassment for her fandom. She would defend Zack Snyder at every turn and receive vitriolic comments about her fandom, appearance, and life. She battled breast cancer and won. The Snyderverse movies helped her during that difficult battle and became a source of strength for her. She was and still is heavily invested in the Snyderverse, so much so that Zack Snyder himself asked her to come to a screening and gave her an interview at an event in LA. So you can imagine how she felt when the new Superman came out. People nah nahed her. People expected her to rip into it and not give it a chance. But you know what she did? She watched it twice and gave a fair criticism of the film with her podcast partner, who absolutely loved the film. It is a three-hour discussion of two fans from differing points of view coming together and breaking down the pros and cons of the movie without devolving into a First Take/Finebaum shouting match. It is music to my ears. It gives me hope. It is a true discussion that gets into the nitty-gritty and makes excellent points. All of this happens because they're willing to listen to each other.
I am not saying that we should be tolerant of intolerant people who are filled with hate and venom. But most of these people, filled with hate and venom have had life experiences that have led them down that path. We are all products of our circumstances, but that doesn't mean we stay that way. If we refuse to understand the opposite view, we're missing out on a potential friendship or life-changing experience. Trying to walk a mile in another person's shoes is something we have lost. Christians are called to be empathetic and love their neighbors as themselves. We have forgotten the second greatest commandment that Jesus gave us. And if you aren't a Christian, the Golden Rule is the standard.
Let's try to be better. I know it's difficult. I know it's hard to find empathy. But please do your best to find it. It's very necessary for us as a race. Be Kind. Be Patient. And Be Better.
