The Crushing Disappointment of Fandom

A long time ago, in a WIRED office far, far away, a colleague once said, “There are a million and one ways to be a geek.” In a newsroom full of people with obsessions—science, movies, gadgets, math, etc.—the meaning was clear. Everyone’s a fan of something. Part of that fandom is attachment. When we really, truly admire someone, whether they’re an Avenger or Anthony Fauci, there’s a tendency to mimic their personality, even their morality. Media theorists call these bonds “parasocial relationships”; parents of kids with one too many Star...