Because I keep seeing my corner of the TMA fandom worried about some kind of “TMA is cringe” backlash:
Ignore them.
I’m serious. I will be 40 in four months or so, I have been around fandom for pretty much my whole life. I have watched my oldest fandom (Star Trek) become “cringe” and then revive with a new generation. I have had niche interests and I have had “oh you’re only into that because it’s popular.” I was originally a Doctor Who blog and I quickly got into BBC Sherlock and Supernatural, so I was briefly a Superwholock blog. I have things I have loved deeply (Harry Potter) ruined by the bigotry of the author, and I have re-examined things I once loved and found them wanting in terms of inclusion and dignity (Dragon Age, sadly), and I have dropped them. I have let people bully me out of fandoms I genuinely loved
That last is the only one I regret.
Don’t let anyone tell you that your interests are silly or cringe or ridiculous. A key part of this is not taking yourself too seriously--sometimes the things we love are kind of silly and ridiculous! And that’s okay! And sometimes the things we love turn out to be less wonderful as we grow older and examine them, especially if they’re soaked in racism or misogyny or homophobia, and that’s okay too. But don’t let someone else make you feel bad for loving whatever you love.
I love The Magnus Archives. Genuinely, wholeheartedly. I have been writing more fan content for TMA than I have written in years. It has reconceptualized my view of the world. It has inspired me to write horror, which I’ve never really tried my hand at before. TMA has its flaws, don’t get me wrong, but it’s good. That’s not just me talking; it’s won several awards. I will probably be here loving TMA long after everyone else has gone and I’m just sitting in the shell of a burned-out Archive or whatever.
Whoever you are--you can stick around with me, or you can move on, but that should be up to you and what you love. If you move on from TMA fandom that doesn’t make it any less of a valuable thing in your life.
It’s normal for people to move on from a thing once it’s over, and it’s also normal for people to trash a thing once it’s over. And it’s telling that people feel okay trashing TMA fandom, which is centered around a small, independent, deeply queer podcast whose entire five-year story arc is (among other things) an examination and criticism of capitalism and power.
If TMA was your gateway to horror, then welcome. If TMA is just your comfort podcast of gay tragedy... welcome. ;) If you’re like me and TMA is just the culmination of several trends in your interests over your life... awesome, let’s talk!!
But especially to young people and teenagers: welcome. Welcome. I wish I could say this kind of thing is new, but it really isn’t. What got me through was people telling me that it was okay, so I will do the same: it’s okay. You’re okay.
