For the most part, I’ve been pretty unashamed of being a nerd. If someone was to look at my Instagram page, they’d pretty clearly see that I’m really into anime and manga. In real life, I don’t shy away from talking about my interests and hobbies. Naturally, my closer friends get a more in depth view as to what I like, but I’ve never seen the point of totally hiding that part of me. It’s just who I am. The people that find it weird will stay away, and the people who can relate will gravitate towards me. So far, it’s worked pretty well for me.
That being said, I completely understand why people would want to hide their interests. Although nerd culture is becoming more mainstream and accepted, cringe culture is also becoming more and more prevalent. I think people, especially on the internet, like having something to cringe at. We’re all guilty of that at least some point in our lives. It’s easy to look at someone getting a little “too” passionate about something and laugh.
I don’t mean to sound like a gatekeeper, but I do think that some people accept nerd culture only if it meets a certain criteria of cool, or is palatable for people outside the fandom. A famous celebrity says that they like anime: cool. Someone with minimal artistic talent draws a self-indulgent original character: cringe. The costuming in a music video references a video game character: cool. Someone creates a hand-made cosplay with cheap materials, or with items from their wardrobe: not cool. Someone’s a fan of a piece of media that you find cringe, but is overall harmless: even more not cool.
I’m making a lot of generalizations here, and at the end of the day, these are all valid fan expressions. The point that I’m trying to make here is that people are far too scared of what they consider to be cringeworthy. Not in the sense that it would make them uncomfortable or unsettled, but because cool has always been a source of social currency. People just don’t want to give that up, which I understand. Even after proclaiming my openness about my nerdiness, there’s still plenty of times where I shrink myself in fear of judgement, or worry about being the uncool person in the group. I’m not immune. You, reader, are not immune either.
But here’s where my experience with GalaxyCon Richmond comes in.
I’m still very new when it comes to conventions. This year is my third GalaxyCon Richmond event in a row, my first one being in 2024, and I’m a long way from going to larger events such as Anime NYC or San Diego Comic Con. Still, despite my inexperience, I’ve quickly become comfortable being at GalaxyCon Richmond. It may be crowded, and the food may be overpriced, but stepping into the convention center felt like…well, I’m struggling to think of a perfect analogy here, but to put it simply, it felt very rewarding and exciting.
It’s an environment where I don’t feel as much pressure to be at least somewhat cool. I can laugh at corny stuff. I’m not embarrassed when I stumble over my words because I’m so excited to explain why I love a certain character. I can call over to someone and say “I LOVE YOUR COSPLAY” and we both smile. I will never get over how it felt to be stopped and recognized from a Saturday event, and being told that my energy while trashing on Omni-Man from “Invincible” was appreciated. Then there was watching someone slowly join in on the laughter despite having originally entered the panel with not a single clue what was going on.
I could really just be myself without the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I’m putting someone off. Even amongst the strangers, I felt a sense of belonging. It really is difficult to express how happy it makes me, and how thankful I am to have been able to go to an event like that. It squashes the little voice in your head that tells you how annoying you are, or that you’re the only one who’s like you. When everyone gets to be a little lame or cringe, I feel free to just be myself, like I can return to a sense of childlike whimsy and confidence. You know, the type that made you go up to that random kid in kindergarten and ask to join their game.
I’m not trying to say that conventions are paradises without any problematic or mean behavior, nor am I saying that GalaxyCon Richmond is the best convention out there. My appreciation for GalaxyCon Richmond is less about the event itself. You don’t need to pay $75 to go to an event to get that sort of safety. You get that safety by surrounding yourself with people like you, who don’t judge you for the smallest things and are willing to engage with your interests. They don’t have to proclaim themselves to be nerds, or have the same interests as you. They just have to respect you. After all, there’s nothing worse than a friend who always finds time to insult what you enjoy.
With that being said, I think people should become a little bit more comfortable with being cringy.
We’re all nerdy about at least something. If you can rattle on about your favorite sports team or singer, I (don’t) regret to inform you that we’re cut from the same cloth. And I mean that genuinely, not in a “go, sportsball!” type of way. Aside from anime and manga, I’ve gotten nerdy about singers, subcultures, and authors. At the end of the day, it’s not about how en vogue or mainstream your interest is. It’s about how much fun you have while participating in it. And if you’re having fun, I’m having fun, and everyone’s day is a bit more positive.
My piece of advice? Check out GalaxyCon Richmond if you have the time and money. But also, put yourself out there. Be open about your interests. Stop trying to be cool all the time. I can’t say that people won’t judge, but you’ll find your people. I certainly have.