I will be the first to admit that I am a huge nerd, but I think a good definition of the word “nerd” would be by author John Green when he said, “Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like, jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can't-control-yourself love it. When people call people nerds, mostly what they're saying is, 'You like stuff,' which is not a good insult at all, like, 'You are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.” This is also a good definition for the word “Fangirl.”
When most people think of a fangirl, they think of the 13-year-old at a One Direction concert who is bawling her eyes out because she is in the same room as her favorite band. Although there are fangirls like that, I am not one of those girls.
For me, I am just a 20 year old I-cant-even, internet-living person who supports the content that I love. I am the one who appreciates the hard work and effort that someone will put in to a project. I get excited to see the people who inspire me succeed.
For the past two years, I have attended VidCon, a convention for people who love online video, and honestly, it’s one of the coolest experiences you could have as a fangirl. To be in a place with 20,000 people who are just as enthusiastic about creating and viewing online content. I got to be in the same room as people I have looked up to and watched for years. I got to meet and interact with people who taught me important life lessons. I got to meet up with fans like me who reminded me that I was not alone in the fandom world.
There is not a better feeling in the world then meeting the people you look up to. I have met people like Lilly Singh, who reminded me that the only way I was ever going to achieve my dreams was to work for them, and Hannah Hart, who taught me to “Practice Reckless Optimism,” a quote that I now have tattooed on my back. They are people who know they can make a difference with what they say, and they use that voice for good.
Fangirls have existed long before we care to admit. Before fangirls there were groupies, people who attended concerts that the older generations didn’t approve of. Judge me if you want for embracing the fan inside of me, but before you do that think about the last thing you were excited for whether it be concert tickets to your favorite artist, a movie that you have been dying to see, or your favorite author came out with a new book. Being a fan isn’t a bad thing, it just means that, in the words of John Green, “you like stuff.”
So to the girl who is just enthusiastic about stuff, I applaud you. Without fans like us, some of the things we love might not be a success without it.
