The Fall of Individuality, and The Idea of Cringe

Or; it's only cool when I do it

If there is one term that was a constant familiar amongst my peers growing up it was cringe. Often used liberally for anything the general populace doesn't enjoy, whether it be a certain style of dress, a person's interests such as various fandom spaces, or even what you liked to draw in art class, it seems that everyone at some point was called cringe.

However, at some point things changed. Suddenly the same kids who made fun of fans of various media such as Five Nights at Freddy's, Anime as a genre, and more, were sitting beside them in the fandom spaces. For a brief time, it seemed like we were all on the same page. So what happened?

When the 2020 pandemic hit and we were all inevitably forced inside and isolated from the real world, everyone took to the internet to stay connected. Many people who would never find themselves otherwise doing so, began interacting with online communities, fandom spaces, forums, and more. Many people began experimenting with their styles, gained new interests, and new friends.

What many of these fandoms and subcultures are built on however is that they were never really meant for mainstream popularity. Am I complaining more people have been able to find their niche in these spaces? Absolutely not! As a self-proclaimed goth, and a fandom frequenter of nearly 10 years, I love getting the opportunity to introduce my favourite things to people. But the issue that underlies here is the one that underlies everything: Capitalism.

I know, I know, but put your conspiracy theorist accusations aside for a moment and bear with me. What I am referring to in specific, is as more people were drawn to fandoms, and especially subcultures such as goth, emo, scene and others, the corporations saw this, and they quickly became trends.

The fast fashion beast in the last few years has made many things into trends, something you can easily put on for a season, and then toss out when the next new thing comes along. This is causing a bit of a rift in subcultures in recent years, as styles that were once primarily DIY based are no longer so.

This is where we really get into the thick of it my lovelies; how does this tie back into the aspect of cringe? Well I am so glad you asked.

As fast fashion sinks its teeth into various subcultures, commodifying them and making them the Next Big Thing, we begin to see what I jokingly call "fashion assimilation". Suddenly gothic dress is no longer about dramatic makeup, long flowy outfits, and big hair; it's wearing all black workout clothes and a slicked back hairstyle. Now, can that be a goth outfit? Well I don't see why not, especially in a subculture that focuses more on music than anything. But what happens when that becomes the "norm" and suddenly the very people who once called it cringe are yet again calling that out, only this time from within the house they used to throw rocks at? What occurs when the places once meant to be safe spaces to be as unique as possible, are suddenly no longer places to do that, as they become yet another list of expectation to meet?

So within all this rambling you're probably beginning to go; " Well Jazz, since you're here complaining, what do YOU suggest?" Possibly said in a slightly sarcastic tone, eyebrows quirked in bemusement, but YES bear with me, I'm not complaining just to complain!

My solution is one that I learned very early on, and one that I continue to live by: So what if I'm cringe? It can be terrifying to do anything that may isolate you from your peers, but is it worth it to hide your interests? I think not.

Something that amazed me after returning to my hometown one summer after two years of being away for university, was as I was picking my younger sibling up from her theater rehearsal, she informed me that many of her peers there spoke to her about me. They were just young enough that as I was in my senior years of highschool they were beginning the first years of junior high. And as the resident weird kid in my graduating class of 100, (wearing mini tophats, cosplays, steampunk goggles, and one one occasion a cloak to school) I had inspired a few of them to be braver about expressing themselves in school, even as the foe of insecurity reared its ugly head. I would be lying if I say I wasn't shocked, and I would be lying even more if I said I didn't nearly cry.

At the end of this rather rambly post, what I would like to bring to the forefront is, what I think matters the most, is that even when being faced with the possibility of maybe not fitting in quite right, I am a strong believer that being true to yourself is always more important. As the saying goes "I may be cringe, but you're mean, and that is much worse".

I would also like to thank you for reading through my first official blog post! Let it be the first of many. If you have any recommendations for further topics you want me to discuss, or if you simply want to find me elsewhere, feel free to reach me at my Bluesky or Tumblr! One of these days I'll get a dedicated email set up to contact me at, but they will do for now.

Until the next time!