A (hopeful?!) thesis on 2025: I think this might be the year fandoms turned back to the light side

I've been kicking around a thesis about the last forty years of fandom, as a set of cultural behaviours and trends. I think fandom as a phenomenom broke containment and wreaked havoc on society for the better part of my adulthood.

It infected everything from media to politics for the worse. And I haven't figured it all out yet, but for me at least, 2025 has been something of a vibe shift...and I think (I hope!) nature might be healing...

We're talking politics and media, Sinners, KPop Demon Hunters, and Heated Rivalry and how pop culture is actually making me feel hopeful for the first time in a long time. Case studies include Taylor Swift (stay with me on this) and my surprising new favourite straight men over at the Empty Netters podcast .

Join me for one last unscripted descent into media and pop culture in #2025 and let's talk about how fandom has been weaponised against We, The Audience. But also why I think we're starting to push back.

Gay hockey truly may have saved the timeline.