You Could Be in a Cult, You Just Don’t Know it Yet

The destructive nature of fandoms.

“I don’t like Beyonce’s new album”

YOU’VE JUST BEEN REPORTED.

Every time I go on Twitter and see an unpopular opinion, that person gets reported like crazy and kicked off the sight by rabid fans who don’t have anything else to do.

Either people don’t know how to take constructive criticism these days, or it’s amplified more because of social media. I get it, being attached to a celebrity you like it’s bound to happen.

But can that criticism turn into hate? Are people right to love everything someone does? Are we all just fucked up in the head?

Well, I can’t really answer that last question, but here’s the answer to the first two.

Fandoms are cliques with celebrities at the top of the food chain.

I’m not denouncing fandoms here. You can’t help but be in at least one.

When you get down to the core of what fandoms are, they’re really just cliques that obey their ring leader (the celebrity). It’s a small subculture in which fans learn the fandom name, every past work the ring leader has done, buy all the merch under the sun, and communicate with every fan page to know what's going on.

I used to be in the nerdy band clique in high school. People knew who we were by how we dressed, how we acted, and how we did in academics. They could see our instrument cases from a mile away.

There’s a difference between cliques and cults.

Here’s the difference: Cliques are allowed to defy the ring-leader whenever they want, but cults aren’t.

There’s obviously no rulebook for cliques and cults, but for my band clique, I’d defy the ring leader if he did something I didn’t like. We even changed ring leaders sometimes because it ultimately depended on who we liked the best that day.

There’s an unspoken rule in cults that you can’t do anything to defy the ring leader or you’re kicked out automatically. It reaks of a dictatorship whereas cults are more like an aristocracy. Both suck, but one allows more leeway for objections.

If a fandom turns into a cult, that’s when it becomes destructive.

I have an uncle that’s been in a cult-like religion for almost 20 years now. I don’t want to say it’s like he’s lost his soul, but he has in a way.

He’s been following some Reverend around the country for my entire life. He doesn’t speak to anyone in the family unless it’s on a holiday over the phone. He won’t listen to anything the family tells him about it.

Being in a cult removes your sense of logic to where anything someone else says about it is offensive.

Criticism isn’t hate because you’re coming from a good place.

“This is my least favorite album by this person because of this valid reason…I hope they can fix these problems because I want to see them prosper in the future.”

“I hate this bitch, she’s beyond annoying and I hope she gets hit by a truck.”

We all know which comment is criticism and which is hate.

Real fans know how to have an opinion. Sure, you don’t have to care about their opinion, but their opinion on the celebrity gave them a following in the first place. If someone gave me constructive criticism about my articles, I’d take it in a heart-beat.

Cult followers don’t understand the difference between those previous quotes. All they see is “negativity” so they shut down without reading the full comment.

Takeaway

Can criticism turn into hate? Are people right to love everything someone does?

The answer to both questions depends on whether you’re in a cult or a clique. Some people genuinely love all of Beyonce’s albums — fine. I’m just saying that your opinion is dependant on what you think you’re a part of.

If you’re in a clique, you’ll feel comfortable enough to give your honest opinion, whereas cults are given no leeway. No one else has your opinion. You’re entitled to say it if you want. Cult or not, you’re not a mindless zombie.

Say what needs to be said. It’s a free country.