Why It's Okay Not To Watch Every Movie Or Show In A Fandom
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We are living in an era of massive fandoms. From Star Wars to The Lord of the Rings, to Marvel, the pop culture world can feel overwhelming. As fans, many of us feel compelled to watch everything and buy anything made with our favorite labels. We are obligated to consume it all like a religion or just a special attachment to support our beloved fandoms. How can one claim to be a Star Wars fan if they do not buy all things Star Wars? While is this correct, is this something we have to do?
Now, of course, if fans of these properties are enjoying the works that are coming out in their name then who is to stop them from watching, reading, or buying it all? However, when it comes to intellectual property (IP), fans should not be compelled to buy it just because it is part of that IP. Who are we really helping here if not the businesses and companies who make these products? What kind of message are we sending if we blindly buy everything? Not only that but are we as a consumer really have to buy it all? Should we?
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Fan Loyalty And Brand Loyalty
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Fans always have the urge to support our brand. Nerd culture has become very much like sports in recent years. If something has the name Star Wars or Star Trek, we have to buy it. A Vader toy, buy it. A Star Wars comic, buy it. However, there is a bit of a difference between these two examples. A toy is a toy or an excellent collectible to put up on the wall. It is different when it comes to comics or any type of fictional work.
When it comes to reading or watching books, comics, and movies, not only are we giving the organization that made it our hard-earned dollars but we are also, by extension, endorsing what they are writing. If a story makes a big profit, then we, as fans, are supporting the overall direction of the story by signaling we want to buy it. This goes doubly true when we buy a direct sequel to the said storyline.
How much we put into a fandom should be left to the individual, not necessarily because it is part of a brand. It is fine if someone wants to check it out, does not like it, and decides to stop. However, it is a problem if someone feels like they are wasting their time with an ongoing story yet continues to buy its sequels, be it a comic or movie series. You are basically telling creators to keep doing what they are doing even though you do not agree with where they are going storywise. By buying up these stories, we are just signaling to the companies and makers that we do approve. We are also wasting our precious time on things we don’t need to be reading or watching in the first place.
Vote With Your Wallet
Image Source: JoBlo
It is a cliche to say “Vote with your wallet.” However, when the end goal of many of these companies selling Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, etc. is to make money, then what makes a profit does matter. As customers, we have the right to voice our opinions. At the end of the day, we as buyers decide what we do not want to spend our money on.
Many fans may consider this a betrayal of their favorite franchise if we do not consume it all, but these big franchises are not going to die just because you as a consumer stop buying its products. They will survive, even if they have a quiet moment. People will always return. Sometimes a franchise needs a reasonable rest period as it allows them to regroup, rethink, and maybe come back fresh. The constant content stream will eventually dry up as a franchise spins its wheels. How can they learn and grow if they know they can rely on their fans and customers to just buy their product without any sense of recourse?
Most importantly why would you keep buying something that you actively hate? You could be missing out on discovering and enjoying other fandoms. The sky is the limit. All it takes is for you to put it down, walk away from it for a bit, and find some new greener pastures.
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