I really hate that Les Miserables has become the new cringe fandom flavour of the month. Not only because I hate cringe culture with the burning power of a thousand suns, but because it all seemed so important back in 2013, all these kids looking at one of the world’s most famous books with a critical eye, celebrating the sympathetic portrayals of those still even now downtrodden in society, talking about history, talking about Victor Hugo’s perceptions of gender and race, seeking to fix them…
All gone now, gone in favour of “lol, remember a few years ago when everyone was really obsessed with some dumb book” sort of things. I don’t know if it’s people frantically seeking to disavow whatever their younger selves were passionate about, because passion is uncool; or the same strand of I’m Not Like Other Girls -ism that lurks in every corner of every fandom. But I wish it’d go away.