If you have ever started liking something after it became popular in the mainstream, you might have been called a fake fan.

If you have ever not known a very small detail about something you have said you’re a fan of (especially if you happen to be a woman) you may have been called a fake fan.

So what exactly is a fake fan? From my own experience online, a fake fan is what someone calls another person who doesn’t know as much trivia about a given topic than they do. Be it bands, TV shows, comics, or sports, it seems that certain people must know every bit of information about the thing to be allowed to like something.

Now why am I writing about this? Why do I feel the need to inflict my opinion on this particular subject ok the world? Because I have been called a fake fan (and a fake geek girl but that’s a whole different can of worms) and let me tell you, it’s not fun. It’s never enjoyable to have people question you and how you feel about something, especially when it comes with a side of condescending to you.

Being someone who does like things that have intense fanbases, I know how it can seem a little intimidating when you first start liking something. Sometimes you’re just late to the party, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Liking something from the beginning doesn’t make you inherently better than somebody who saw an article about a show during its eighth season and started watching then.

Some people seem to think that not only is there a threshold for knowledge about a certain subject, but that somebody must also own a bunch of merchandise related to that subject. That’s just absurd. While yes, buying a t-shirt is a great way to support a band or sports team, that is not the single best way to show that you’re a fan.

There is also, in my experience, a sexist element, especially when it comes to sports. Sometimes when a woman expresses interest in a specific team or a sport in general, others immediately jump to the conclusion that there is an ulterior motive to that person liking that specific thing. Some people assume the only reason a woman would like a football team is to impress others, not just to enjoy the game.

You know what? I get it. I get wanting to validate your own affection for something to the world, but that doesn’t mean that others have to enjoy something the same way you do. Your love for Supernatural is not any more valid than mine, no matter how long you’ve been watching the show, or how many shirts I own, or how many cons we’ve been to.

In the end, you only need to prove something to yourself. Nobody can take away how you love something. Be enthusiastic about something that you just found out about. Start watching a show that’s currently in its sixth season.

If you do like something, wouldn’t you want more people to enjoy it? And if you don’t, maybe you should take a good, long look at why you want to be the only person to like something.