Very true. I’m sure we all know someone who talks a lot about their “collection” of what-have-you but you never hear them talk about what they DO with it. And hell, just talking about your collections all the time reads like you’re desperate for external validation. Even if you’re not doing anything but collecting shiny objects, you don’t need to get asspats from everyone around you for it.
I think you're onto something. I think it's also they have no one irl to talk about their hobby with, so they collect, post it online, then get approval without caring what's actually in the collection. The desperation for social attention is massive.
I think the desperation for socialization in general is a key issue for some. There aren't really in-person clubs anymore unless you enjoy things like bicycling. And even then those types of clubs are significantly fewer than a couple decades ago. Everything is online, everything is a solo endeavor in person. We don't have the social meeting spaces we used to. It's all online. If you want to be noticed online, unless it's a niche community forum (which also don't exist anymore really) you have to make an impression. Sadly you don't really make friends on places like reddit and twitter. And even then it isn't the same as in person socialization even for the most introverted.
Hallmark started peddling ornaments in my country a few years back. They're all just incredibly expensive, badly made and painted plastic. Most of the time I can get a handmade glass ornament for the same price (not including postage). The Hallmark ornaments cost cents to make, it's the fact that they're all pop culture shit that makes them sell, not because they're good.
Seeing Shoppy groveling warms my cold heart. It sounds like some incompetent, foreign underling trying to ingratiate itself with its new master. And failing miserably.
My nigga. I still cope by saying "The show was just too ahead of its time".
>implying it's not acually some indian pretending to be AI because that'll appeal to the masses more
Did you sink even lower to buy them? If so, you should consider killing yourself.And, yes, they even sunk low enough to have a whole line of Funko Pop ornaments for the last three years:
Yes, it's the Dead Boomer Stuff Event Horizon. That particular aesthetic is only popular with a generation who are either dying or HEAVILY downsizing. The very few younger people who like things like that (instead of say, Live-Laugh-Love stuff or pop culture kitsch like Funkos) can pick up all they want on Ebay. Ebay really did a number on the going rates for "collectibles" because it's clear that there's a glut of the stuff, and most of it isn't rare.
There are a few meetups still, if you like cosplay, you have conventions which I enjoy personally, but generally you're right. Unless you're doing something big, no one wants to leave the house to see your funkos.
Well, if you like doing nerd stuff, tabletop RPGs are still going strong. And if you like doing consoomy nerd stuff, Warhammer and Magic: the Gathering are right there!
The main difference between those and a funko collection I think is a personal touch. Those Warhammer minis are special because someone put them together and chose them specifically for that army. The average consoomer only collects random junk that can't even be used practically
as a kid of the 90s, I remember when cd collections were very important. And part of it was it show to others and a representation of who you were (not too dissimilar to book collections before), but i also played the hell oit of my cds. I loved the music. And i often did so alone. With the removal of physical media, the perceived value of music is basically null now.
I agree! And mini painting is definitely a skill. But if someone did want to combine nerdy consuming with leaving the house to meet people, there are hobbies that cover that.
I don't think I'd consider a convention, unless you're very personable and can make new friends easily in strange settings, any different than say going to the mall and calling that a social connection. Most people come there in a small group, or even alone, and stick to that group. Cosplayers maybe get a little more interaction, but from what I've seen as a complete outsider they tend to keep to small groups of friends as well, then pose for photo ops at the con itself.
I'll say this on the cosplay side; it's less about what you're getting and what you're giving. Your job is to be part of the con. People take lots of pictures, and generally, you need to act your part. It's exhausting for me because mine is a vehicle type cosplay, fucking big, plus side, people remember you. And then The fun part is bringing your friends and seeing what they can mash together last minute. It's a lot of work, you spend all year for one to three days of payoff, people don't ask your name, you're literally just your cosplay, but at the same time... it makes you feel high as a kite.
Eh. Really if you just have a few buddies like I did, it isn't much of a issue to get a game started.
