With Pokemon Go in full swing, Twenty One Pilots on the radio, and actors from the early 2000's in popular shows, there is a sense of recognition and pride that goes along with knowing the artist, actor, or game before the masses knew them. More and more often it's "like this if you knew all the original Pokemon before everyone started playing Pokemon Go," or "I knew them before they were on the radio," and "I knew her in "That 70's Show" before you saw her on "Orange is the New Black"." While there's nothing wrong with being proud of your knowledge, it more often than not seems to come with a sense of snobbishness and possession that shouldn't be there.
None of us own the actors, artists, and games that we treasure. We appreciate them in everything they do, and we enjoy watching them progress from what we once knew them from, but we don't own them. Telling someone that they're not a true fan because they can't name every song from their original album or because they "didn't like them two years ago" is just creating an unnecessary disconnect. Being a fan of something is about its effect on you personally. It's about what made you love them and cherish their work, not about keeping them to yourself.
Every time you tell someone that they're not as big of a fan as you because they can't name little facts or haven't been to every show or game, you're essentially saying that their commitment is wrong. Instead, share the song that made you love them, or tell them to watch your favorite episode. Being a true fan of something is all about sharing your passion with others and comparing favorites. In doing so, you're spreading your love and they're spreading theirs instead of competing for "true loyalty."
If you like someone and see them slowly gain popularity, that should make you feel good, but it shouldn't make you think you're somehow above others because you "liked them first." The thing about games, musicians, and actors (just to name a few) is that just because you grew up with them doesn't mean others did. They can't be faulted for not loving the same things at the same time as you, especially when they're a fan now. When something suddenly gains popularity it's only natural that there will be more people into it, and if that angers you because they didn't like it before, you're not much of a fan at all, but rather a possessive individual who claims their favorite things as theirs and theirs alone.
When it comes to being a true fan, you can't claim that title if you exclude new fans. Every song, show, team and game has a different effect on everyone. There are individual differences in why people like the things they do, but what makes fans special is the ability to share their love and find new reasons to love something. If you can't accept the fact that others will like the same things at different times, then you're not a true fan at all. For things that bring you joy, you should want nothing more than to share it with others, especially if they're new to it.
