I cannot describe the visceral level of aversion I have to mainstream shit. It doesn’t matter if the show is the best thing on earth, if the general public knows about it (And I don’t mean the internet I mean the general public) then I refuse to watch or partake in it. I have no idea why and it genuinely kills me to be like this and I have no idea why.
It prevents me from joining most fandoms nowadays unless the fandom is super niche. Things like Hotel Hazbin, Star Wars, The Office, K-pop (in general), Kpop Demon Hunters, most popular anime… WHY. WHY AM I LIKE THIS?? Is anyone else like this? Even people just mentioning “Oh yeah I love One Piece, you should watch it sometimes” makes me go “Oh fuck nah I’m good” as if the damn show was a personal insult. I feel like a stuck-up prick when I do this but I genuinely can’t control it, why???
Maybe you could approach it slightly differently. K-pop demon hunters maybe a fine show, or movie, or whatever it is, but there are other ones just as good, maybe even better, that haven’t received worldwide publicity. Don’t reject the popular mainstream things, but intentionally seek out gems that haven’t got a media empire behind them.
I haven’t been to a large concert for many years, but I am absolutely delighted to attend concerts by local and indie artists. The intimacy of a small show, and the ability to talk to performers before or afterwards, makes it a very different experience. A large concert is more of the group think, ecstatic evangelical experience.