If you fall somewhere on the birth timeline between 1997 and 2012, chances are you’ve heard of the terms “Disney adult” or “Potterhead.” Chances are that you have either used these descriptors as insults or scrolled through comment sections with people doing the same thing. Millennials seem to be Gen Z’s biggest social target; the embarrassment Gen Z feels when their Millennial older sibling opens their mouth to talk about their beloved “fandoms” is far from unique.
Millennials and their fandoms…
The idea of adults repetitively spending thousands of dollars to vacation at one of the Disney or Universal parks instead of having a lavish vacation on the Amalfi Coast is widely considered to be absurd. The cringe really sets in when Millennials take to social media to share their adventures as fully-grown adults, fawning over sweaty teenagers in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse costumes or arguing whether Draco Malfoy (a literal child) is hotter than Harry Potter…also a child.
This “cringe” (which I will continue to reference throughout this article) is like an instinctual bodily reaction to seeing an almost-forty-year-old woman make her own rap about how Gen Z is trying to “cancel” Eminem (something I have never once heard Gen Z care about). The skinny jeans, the side parts, the whole “bestest doggo” and “goodest pupper” language, the ridiculous obsession with Taylor Swift. It’s honestly too much to handle. I mean, there’s even a hashtag that describes what I mean: “#millennialcringe” has its own WikiHow site.
Where does this behavior come from?
I could go on and on about what makes the Millennial generation insufferable, but that is not the point of this article. The point is to ask why. Why is it so common for this generation to revert to their childhood shows/universes/fandoms and make them their entire personalities? Calling this phenomenon is cringe doesn’t tell us anything new; we need to understand what exactly it is that sets Millennials apart from the rest of the world. Maybe then, and only then, can Gen Z begin to socially reconcile with them.
Let’s jump back to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, remote schooling and work, isolation from everyone except your fellow household members, essentially, we spent a lot of time alone. Our imaginations are most active when we are by ourselves because we feel free to be as crazy as we want without others’ judgmental eyes glaring us down.
There has to be a correlation between the isolation of the pandemic and the strong resurgence of the fantasy genre: Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Twilight, Dune, Avatar, The Hunger Games, and Disney, Disney, Disney…the list goes on and on. All of these different universes were put back into the spotlight because, well…people were bored. They were also desperate for adventure and fun without the worry of being deathly ill or, worse, dead.
A time was had!
Series/sagas like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games were some of the prime forces of media that Millennials grew up with. Their childhoods consisted of new and exciting media constantly popping up within the new and exciting era of technological advancement. Calling your friends on your new iPhone 4S to go see The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 on your local theatre’s opening night is an experience I can honestly say that I envy. Seeing how popular these film series still are today, I cannot even imagine the excitement my nerdy 36-year-old brother felt walking into his neighborhood AMC 15 years ago.
An outward influence
Now, fast forward to today. The world around us is still in shambles. Innocent people are being taken off the street and sent God knows where, men are (still) controlling women’s bodies and even sentencing them, along with their doctors, to death for undergoing/performing medical procedures, and the US administration is actively trying to send us back to Jim Crow times. It’s impossible not to feel an overwhelming sense of dread every time you open your phone. Pictures of mutilated martyrs who will never reach their first birthday aren’t the happiest way to start your day.
It’s honestly no wonder people would take any opportunity to jump into their favorite mythical universe when the world looks this way. Unfortunately, however, these opportunities only exist in the form of words on a page or visuals on a big screen. People indulge in fantasy media because it is the only option for a desperate escapee to find happiness now, especially when the cost to actually escape (travel to new places) would cost you a couple of months’ rent.
Perhaps it is the nostalgia of simpler times that fuels the repetitive resurgences of these otherworldly film adaptations. If we could relive times of great happiness, we would constantly be living in the past. So what is the next best alternative?
Takes one to know one!
The resurgence of the fantasy genre isn’t limited to Millennials. In fact, Gen Z is arguably the main reason why filmmakers are pumping out remakes and why Hot Topic stepped up its merch game. Gen Z has the same fandom mentality that Millennials once had, but the way we celebrate our fandoms is what sets us apart and why series like Harry Potter and Twilight are becoming popular again.
Gen Z rules TikTok, as we all know; therefore, they rule TikTok trends. In fandoms such as the ones previously mentioned, the trends spotlighting fantasy series are all generated by creative teenagers/young adults with too much time on their hands. A couple of examples of trends are POV videos, cosplaying, and, most importantly, fan edits.
From an outsider’s perspective (i.e., a person who does not consider themselves to be a part of any of the previously mentioned fanbases), this type of Gen Z social media content is just as cringey as the content Millennials create. The only difference between the two is the fact that Millennials are old enough to have multiple kids and pay a mortgage.
Why do we label joy as cringe?
So why are we, as Gen Z, so quick to judge Millennials when we, too, are desperate to get away from the outside world? Sure, they can be incredibly cringey, but is being a Disney adult or a Potterhead really that bad? Indulgence in fantasy is something we all do from time to time, especially since January 1st, 2026, so why is it that we view it as childish and embarrassing when Millennials publicly embrace their methods of escape?
Furthermore, why is it that when someone, anyone, is expressing joy in the ways they feel best represent their interests, Gen Z labels it as cringey? Is it simply because we are afraid to be vulnerable in the ways that Millennials are? Is letting out our inner cringe too real for our liking?
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never stop making fun of Millennials, and neither should you, but maybe this newfound understanding can lessen our judgment of the adults parading around in their yellow and red striped scarves or outrageously overpriced mouse-eared headbands.
We’re all humans trying to navigate our lives in a world that actively works against our well-being. If someone wants to express themselves through novels and film adaptations, let them. And let your own imagination run wild! Buy the merch that you’re too embarrassed to wear in public! Take a step back before you judge someone, and embrace your inner cringe.
