SCAN MAGAZINE
CRINGEMAGEDDON
FALL 2023
Seven fandom moments the internet pretends to forget about
As people, it is inevitable that we’ll grow into new phases of life. And we’ll continue growing until we swing back around and must revisit our past selves. For some that will be fun memories of playing outside, family vacations and maybe even the blossoming of first romances. But for others, those of us who live in fear, all that lays ahead is a forgotten avalanche of compulsive fangirling, angst and blossoming romance with fictional men. This is that avalanche, this is that cringe, this is nine fandom moments the internet pretends to forget about.
Twilight Mania When identifying who is responsible for the practices and rituals that are now viewed as common in fandom, no other name but “Twilight” comes to mind. While “Star Trek” is responsible for the birth of this behavior, and “Harry Potter” is
responsible for spreading it, but the fans of Twilight were the ones who perfected the modern “crazy fangirl.” They were the first group to stop traffic to stalk actors from the airport to their hotels. The first to cling to the idea of retelling moments of the original stories from the love interest perspective. And most importantly, they were the first to make the “teen paranormal” genre look tantalizing to investors. You don’t get “Hunger Games” without Twilight fans publicly going buck wild every time Edward moans or Bella looks confused. Twilight is mother, Twilight is love, Twilight is life. Time to move to Forks.
Sonichu We often have conversations about removing the art from the artist, but phenomenon like Sonichu adds a chicken or the egg element to the arena. Starting in 2004, and lasting up until 2019, the comic explores the adventures of the titular Sonichu, a hybrid of Sonic and Pikachu who must protect the residence of Station Square from the Perfect Chaos Monster and other evil.
