This weekend was engulfed with people emotionally invested in the lives of fictional characters.”Avengers: Endgame” premiered on Thursday, April 24, which wraps up the 22 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Game of Thrones also aired their much awaited “Battle of Winterfell” episode, which is their longest episode to date.
People all over social media were freaking out about what happened in each cinematic realm, and there were more memes, inside looks and reactions than ever before. Passions were heightened and people were scrutinized for their love of these characters and media.
It’s severely overrated to constantly condemn and make fun of people for being passionate about things that bring them joy. Everyone in the world is different and we all like different things. We’re creatures of habit, so we flock to those who have similar passions and interests, but of course, we don’t always have every single thing in common with our friends.
Differences shouldn’t be discouraged or exploited. Just because someone likes something that may be considered “nerdy” or obscure does not mean they deserve to be berated for liking something different. It doesn’t matter how close someone is with the person they decide to insult for their passions, even if it’s the passions of a best friend, no one should have their likes attacked or questioned.
One recurring comment that came up over the weekend regarding the final Avengers movie was “You’re an adult, why are you so invested in superheroes?” Instead of assuming that there’s an age cap for caring about things, people should just ask why their friends are passionate about things. It isn’t a crime for liking things that make you comfortable or happy. You’re allowed to care about things that may seem weird or out of the ordinary.
That statement also rings true for people that are obsessed with HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” The sensational show is in the middle of it’s eighth and final season, and as you can imagine there are spoilers all over the internet and people proclaiming their love for the intricate series.
There was a two year gap in the series where almost every GoT “stan” either rewatched the entire series or got someone in their life to watch it for the first time. The build-up for this final season has been eagerly awaited and now that we are in the throes of what is happening in Westeros, people are revolting. There are millions of people that fall into the category of “Never seen an episode of Game of Thrones” and for some odd reason, those people love bringing that up every chance they get.
It’s not a personality trait to dislike things that other people like. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, their own passions and their own feelings. Bagging on someone because they like things that are different than what you like is lame. Embrace what the people you love are passionate about, or at least fake it until you make it.
Opinions expressed in The Nevada Sagebrush are solely those of the author and do not necessarily express the views of The Sagebrush or its staff. Jacey Gonzalez is a student at the University of Nevada studying journalism. She can be reached at jaceygonzalez@sagebrush.unr.ed and on Twitter @NevadaSagebrush.
