{"id":5896,"date":"2026-04-29T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/?p=5896"},"modified":"2026-04-28T15:56:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:56:35","slug":"fandom-spaces-have-died-why-fandoms-arent-fun-anymore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/index.php\/2026\/04\/29\/fandom-spaces-have-died-why-fandoms-arent-fun-anymore\/","title":{"rendered":"Fandom Spaces Have Died: Why Fandoms Aren’t Fun Anymore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Em Powell, Social Media Intern<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Most people have been a part of fandoms, big or small, whether they\u2019d like to admit it or not. Fandoms have been around for as long as communities and interests have existed. Fandoms are communities of individuals who are passionate about a certain subject. The earliest well-known fandom is \u201cStar Trek\u201d or Trekkies from the 1960s. Fandoms have evolved throughout the decades, with recent fandoms being Marvel; however, recently, fandom spaces have hit a decline. These spaces have become a community where new members walk on eggshells and limit their imaginations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, pre-internet fandoms would gather at conventions and share their enjoyment of their specific interest. These conventions were small compared to now, but had a lasting impact on the people who went. People would also write fanfiction, which are fan-made stories surrounding a specific character or media, or draw fan art in their free time. People\u2019s imagination would soar and be shared within the community in their local areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the late 90s and early 2000s, we would still have these activities, but now with access to the internet, people could share outside of their area. There were now fandom forums, video posting websites, and the beginning of social media for fans to connect more easily. On top of the internet blossoming, media such as anime were growing in America. The rise of anime would be a gateway for different international media to gain a U.S. audience, starting as a niche interest socially. Conventions would start being just anime with multiple fandoms within. Cosplays would become common at these events, and these cosplays would be handmade. They wouldn\u2019t be perfect, but it was all about fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cosplay at Wizard World Chicago 2011.| GabboT (Wikicommons)
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the 2010s, the internet was growing with sites like YouTube and Tumblr becoming the major platforms for fandom spaces, while forums were slowly fading out of existence. Cosplays were just beginning to pop up on sites like Amazon, and conventions were growing. In my own personal experience, this was around the time I would delve deep into fandoms, starting with \u201cHetalia\u201d and working from there. Conventions were lively and had a healthy mix of homemade and store-bought cosplays. People would have fandom meetups and connect, taking group photos and making new friends along the way. While conventions were happening, there would also be some negatives. Around this time, major discourse between fandoms occurred, such as the rivalry between the \u201cHetalia\u201d and \u201cHomestuck\u201d fandoms, and shipping wars would stir on Tumblr. However, the state of fandom culture wouldn\u2019t reach where it is now until 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, the world went through the COVID-19 pandemic, which altered and isolated everyone in one way or another. A lot of people were stuck inside, craving for something to help distract from the chaos at the time, and a lot of that would be reading, watching TV shows, or doomscrolling on TikTok. A lot of these people would be new to international forms of media like anime, manga, or manhwa. Many would be young and shift fandom spaces to become PG and just slightly immature. This would end up shaping what fandoms look like now. Lockdown was also loosening up within a year or two, and with that, conventions would start back up. This would be the first time for the people who got into fandoms during lockdown to go to these events, however the convention experience wouldn\u2019t be the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An
Anime-Con 2022 @ Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru, Bukit Mewah, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia | Chongkian (Wikicommons)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The people who would push their own ideas onto others online would now behave this way in public. People would shame others for their cosplay not being accurate or being from a fandom they find cringe. Others would go against other attendees\u2019 boundaries. An infamous example is a TikTok creator known as @Wholeweatpete chasing and tackling attendees who cosplayed Nezuko from \u201cDemon Slayer.\u201d Behavior like this would get him banned from many major conventions, such as Mega-Con, but unfortunately, not every convention has banned this kind of behavior. Another negative change would be the lack of respect towards artists in the artist alley, a place where artists sell their work. One report of this behavior comes from Nicole Brennan on TikTok @nicolebrennan.draws, who states that when she was at a convention in Miami, Florida, in 2024, selling her artwork, she would have attendees come up and say rude comments. Some statements include, \u201cYou need to draw Ariana skinnier. She doesn\u2019t look like a skeleton. You need to change that,\u201d when referring to a piece showing Elphaba and Glinda from \u201cWicked\u201d, and \u201cWhy Deadpool and Wolverine?\u201d while looking in disgust at the art she drew of them as a pairing. Many issues have made casual fandom spaces die and become the way they are now, but these are the main issues at fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we know the problem. How do we fix it? That\u2019s a very good question with numerous answers, but the big solution is etiquette. We need to relearn the etiquette not only in public spaces, but online as well. A few things to remember are that no matter in cosplay at a convention, out-and-about, or online, you are interacting with a human being with interests and dislikes just like anyone else. Don\u2019t shame others for how they engage in their interests or call someone cringe for enjoying something that you might not particularly enjoy. I\u2019ll put out my own personal experience by saying I was shamed for enjoying anime in high school, to the point where I hid what I enjoyed until years later, when I didn\u2019t care what people thought. Now I have the confidence to express what I enjoy, even though some might find it cringe like enjoying specific ships or obsessing over series like \u201cHazbin Hotel.\u201d The main solution to reviving casual fandoms from the dead and making them fun for everyone is to just have respect and be open-minded to others who share the same community as us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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