Why are fangirls so obsessive? Why do we write fanfictions? Why do we have an ‘OTP’? Why do we buy fandom merchandise? Why do we have fandom marathons? Why do we dress up like our favorite characters? Why do we squeal so freakin’ often and so loudly?
Because we are in love. That love is a deep part of us and it makes us complete in who we are. We are dedicated to someone, something, even if it doesn’t really exist; whatever it is, it has shaped us in some way.
When I was little I read the Harry Potter series. I pre-ordered it months ahead of time and waited at Borders until midnight to pick it up on the night it was released. I remember holding it in the car on the way home, my eyes eagerly scanning the inside cover and the first few pages by the glow of my small flashlight. I remember reading through the Percy Jackson books in three weeks with my friends and all going to see the movie together (despite its disappointing lack of plot-consistency) in our personally made Camp Halfblood t-shirts. I watched 7 whole seasons of Doctor Who in about a month followed shortly by Psych, Supernatural, Sherlock, Monk, Bones, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. All of these things have given me new perspectives on life. New things to look at, new ways to handle situations.
I’ve become emotionally attached to the characters. What happens to them affects me on a personally emotional level. Through these various fandoms I have learned to empathize, sympathize, love, care, and hope for another human being even though they’re not real. They have furthered my relationship building skills and taught me random (surprisingly helpful) facts. They have furthered my language skills and vocabulary, along with my ability to process and store information.
But mostly they’ve taught me that you can care for another person so much that when they finally get together with the person they belong with, and they’re finally happy after all of their trials, and you know they’ll be okay in the future…you can let go. All the pent up suspense, anger, heart-ache, emotion, and hurt just disappear and this rush of happiness fills your heart and there’s nothing you can do. Nothing can let all the darkness out and replace it with joy like a good long squeal. Because finally everything is right, if only for a little while.
It’s the same with life. When everything settles down, if even for a short time, after a period of heartache, a little squealing is deserved.
groundlingsup 