Have you ever had an interest or hobby that some may view as “weird” or “cringy”? I know I have, and I know I’m not the only one. While some people might be embarrassed by their interests, to me, being cringe is the equivalent of being free.
We are all unique, with various personalities and interests. We all have and enjoy different experiences, especially in college.
One of the first “cringy” hobbies that comes to mind is that some people associate band kids with being weird or unpopular.
But why must we make this assumption? If marching band members enjoy playing their instruments, why do we label them cringe? They’re expressing their creativity through the outlet of music.
We are all creative in some capacity. We all have ideas that we want to share, and there are different outlets for these creatives. Music and theater are two common versions of these creative outlets, but some people’s creativity stems from their interests in pop culture or internet culture.
Everyone has interests, and that‘s what makes us human. We like to do things with friends or even alone in our free time. Hobbies can also help us meet more people and make new friends, which is an important part of social life in college.
Some people may be interested in anthropomorphic animal characters, while others may be interested in various anime or manga series. These might be considered strange to the general populace, but where is the harm? If someone likes something, we shouldn’t shame them for that.
I understand why people think these things are odd, and in a way, they are odd. But just because these niches differ doesn’t mean we should scold those who belong to these groups. They’re still human, and they aren’t causing anyone harm, so what’s the problem?
I wanted to test my biases against these “cringy” hobbies, so I attended an LSU Furry Club meeting. As fully grown adults piled into the room in full costumes, I expected myself to try to hold in my laughter.
But I found out that this community is a tightly-knit one. When I walked in, I didn’t get one odd look from anyone or feel any judgment. I was welcomed with open arms, literally, and sat through the entire furry club meeting. I talked to a few members after the presentation ended, and chatter commenced.
The Furry Club members are some of the nicest people I’ve found on LSU’s campus. In fact, I’ll be the first to say that the Furry Club at LSU is probably the safest place to be on campus.
It’s a completely judgment-free zone where people openly discuss their characters. Artists drew their characters during the meeting, and smiles were felt all around. In a place as vast and intimidating as LSU, it was nice to be able to relax and talk to people.
I went in with a preconceived notion that I would have to sit through a grueling presentation and deal with unsavory people because that’s what I was told furries were. I was told they were all weirdos who were purely deviant in nature, but what I saw completely blew away my biases.
Similarly, I recently watched an anime series, “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.” I picked this franchise because I had already played the games it was based on, and I really enjoyed them, so I wanted to see how the universe was expanded.
And when I tell you I binged the whole series, I mean it. I stayed up until 3 a.m. watching as many episodes as I could legally find. It was awesome; it helped expand on plot points that were kind of messed up in the game.
It made me appreciate the game and the legal system more, although the one used in the series is not based on the real U.S. legal system. However, it expanded my horizons and allowed me to try something new, which is not something I do often.
Nevertheless, my takeaway from this whole experiment is that it’s okay to have interests that seem weird to other people. Don’t let that inhibit your creativity, and don’t let it prevent you from trying something new. You may just find that you’ve found your people or even a new hobby, and you shouldn’t let other people’s opinions take you away from that.
At the end of the day, just because something isn’t mainstream doesn’t mean that it loses value or causes harm to anybody. Plus, some people may find our culture of tailgating and football to be weird, but that certainly doesn’t stop us from having fun.
Knowing that you can express yourself without judgment is a freeing feeling. Don’t let societal norms stop you from having fun. Embrace your cringiness, and you will be set free.
Andrew Sarhan is a mass communication freshman from Baton Rouge, La.