One of the great joys is my Sunday night ritual of watching
the ABC show Once Upon A Time with my youngest daughter. We’re both Disney
fanatics so this series that brings such characters as Snow White, Prince
Charming, Captain Hook and of course the Evil Queen to life in a unique way,
was right up our alley. This past weekend I took my girl to a convention that
celebrates all things OUAT. Now, I’ve been going to conventions since I was a
teenager, I love them. I love feeling like I belong. If like me, you have a
teenager, feeling like you belong can be a real struggle. What separates this convention from some of
the bigger ones is the fan-talent interaction. Credit to Creation
Entertainment, the company that spearheads the convention for creating such an
environment.
As my daughter and I sat in the main room waiting to listen
to each actor/actress come on stage for a 45-60 minute Q&A panel, we see
the lines on both sides of the stage fill up quickly with fans. It’s an
incredible way to get to know each one on a more personal level. It was through
this very intimate setting that I realized the true magic of this fairy tale
series. As much as I wanted to talk about the incredible writing, acting and
messages each episode provided, the true strength here clearly belongs to the men
and women behind the roles. For myself, I learned a lot about perseverance, humility and acceptance of who I am. As a man
and as I father, I am perfectly imperfect and that’s ok. As a dad I watched as
my teenage daughter absorbed every spoken word from these inspirational women
of different backgrounds. Such women like Jennifer Morrison, Lana Parrilla,
Rebecca Mader and Karen David shared a common thread of what it feels like to want
to belong. What it feels like to struggle with self-image and dealing with bullies
because you’re different.
The reason why characters like Emma Swan, Regina or Zelena are so empowering, is because the women who portray them give a part of
themselves into these roles. When they addressed the fans, they shared their
struggle and their insecurities and in turn, fans did the same. It takes
incredible inner strength to talk about such things in a public setting. But
when you’re part of a community or fandom like this one here, you are NEVER
alone. As each talent and fan shared their story, we all shared in the triumph of
overcoming our obstacles. There is no doubt just how much they love their fans,
affectionately known as Oncers, and how much the fans love them. The weekend started
with my daughter saying this would be her last convention. As the final meet
and greets drew to a close and autographs were signed, she turned to me and
talked about returning in 2018. Yes, it was a magical weekend indeed.
James the SuperDad
Follow the adventures of James the SuperDad who uses his knowledge of the Force and all things pop culture to help raise his teenage, fangirl daughters to Live Long and Prosper. When not being a SuperDad, his other superhero persona is as The Dork Knight, an entertainment site catering to movies, television and comic convention reviews. You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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