Hey guys, I know I haven't posted on here in awhile but I recently moved to Italy and it feels like life has gotten ahead of me. I have so many half written posts that I haven't gotten around to finishing. I'm hoping to be finishing up those soonish. For now, here's a quick thought I'd like to share with you.
When I was younger, just starting this blog over three years ago, I was convinced I was the only person in the world who loved toasters. I didn't know about the toaster fandom or the toaster conventions or the makers, the artists, the collectors. But now I know that I, we, are not alone in our toaster journeys.
It took me getting a kind comment from "the gay toaster" to realize this. They reached out to me saying that they have found their people on this blog. That meant a lot to me and got me thinking about how far I've come. And none of it could have been possible without you, every single one of you.
To all of you, even those who could care less about toasters, please remember that no matter how weird or niche you think your hobby, passion, or obsession is, you can still find community, support, and understanding.
So thank you all so so much. The toaster fandom continues to grow thanks to you. You all mean more to me than I think you realize. Thank you.
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Avocado Toast; What does it mean for the toaster fandom?
Hipsters, aesthetic teens, health junkies, Millennials. Many people enjoy avocado toast though it's reputation has been rocky over the years. While many hail it as healthy and tasty, others say it is overpriced and disgusting. But what are the repercussions of this snack on the toaster community?
Photo source: dishmaps.com
For one, the toaster community is a very global one and the phenomenon known as avocado toast is found mostly in the United States and Canada. Toaster fans from less metropolitan areas are probably not familiar with the breakthrough known as avocado toast. It originated in the 1950's but was not politicized until the 2010's when it began to take on a meaning associated with the frivolous spending habits of Millennials and Gen Y'ers. (source: Wikipedia)
The hate from the media and older folks that avocado toast gets is just another form of Ephebiphobia, fear of youth, young people, and teen culture. (source: Wikipedia) There's nothing inherently bad about avocado toast as a food but the associations it has with problematic young people garners it a lot of bad reputation.
Secondly, avocado toast is very overpriced because it is now deemed "trendy". In some cafes, especially in large cities, a single slice of avocado toast can cost 10 or even 15 dollars. This is another key reason that lots of people dislike avocado toast. This dislike is justified because there is no reason for it to be so expensive. However, some people that hate on avocado toast simply because of the price may not know that when one makes the snack at home, it is reasonably priced and a very delicious food choice.
Enough about avocado toast itself. What does its rise mean for the toaster fandom?
Like most things in life, there are both positive and negative outcomes of this trend. While it does foster the creation of a new generation of toaster fans, the hate it receives reflects negatively on this community. This question is rooted in another, more vital one– Who qualifies as a true toaster fan? If someone only owns a toaster to make avocado toast and is only a part of the fandom for avocado toast, is their "love" of toasters legitimate?
My answer is yes. So long as someone has a genuine love, enjoyment, and appreciation for toasters and what they represent, they are welcome in this fandom. In a greater sense, I would like it if fandoms would stop making people prove if they are "fan enough". I find it takes away from the sense of community when people focus too much on the "fake fans". This is of course just my opinion and I completely understand when others believe that a fandom should be full of a few die-hard fans. It can be frustrating when someone joins a fandom just because it happens to be popular. But trust me, no one is a part of the toaster fandom to be more trendy. We all are here because we love toasters and this community!
I know I digressed from the original point of this, which was to talk solely about avocado toast. But as the internet's official unofficial toaster fandom blog, I felt this was important to talk about. Everyone has different opinions on this matter. Please leave a comment to tell me yours. Thank you for your continued support! :)
The hate from the media and older folks that avocado toast gets is just another form of Ephebiphobia, fear of youth, young people, and teen culture. (source: Wikipedia) There's nothing inherently bad about avocado toast as a food but the associations it has with problematic young people garners it a lot of bad reputation.
Secondly, avocado toast is very overpriced because it is now deemed "trendy". In some cafes, especially in large cities, a single slice of avocado toast can cost 10 or even 15 dollars. This is another key reason that lots of people dislike avocado toast. This dislike is justified because there is no reason for it to be so expensive. However, some people that hate on avocado toast simply because of the price may not know that when one makes the snack at home, it is reasonably priced and a very delicious food choice.
Enough about avocado toast itself. What does its rise mean for the toaster fandom?
Like most things in life, there are both positive and negative outcomes of this trend. While it does foster the creation of a new generation of toaster fans, the hate it receives reflects negatively on this community. This question is rooted in another, more vital one– Who qualifies as a true toaster fan? If someone only owns a toaster to make avocado toast and is only a part of the fandom for avocado toast, is their "love" of toasters legitimate?
My answer is yes. So long as someone has a genuine love, enjoyment, and appreciation for toasters and what they represent, they are welcome in this fandom. In a greater sense, I would like it if fandoms would stop making people prove if they are "fan enough". I find it takes away from the sense of community when people focus too much on the "fake fans". This is of course just my opinion and I completely understand when others believe that a fandom should be full of a few die-hard fans. It can be frustrating when someone joins a fandom just because it happens to be popular. But trust me, no one is a part of the toaster fandom to be more trendy. We all are here because we love toasters and this community!
I know I digressed from the original point of this, which was to talk solely about avocado toast. But as the internet's official unofficial toaster fandom blog, I felt this was important to talk about. Everyone has different opinions on this matter. Please leave a comment to tell me yours. Thank you for your continued support! :)
Saturday, January 27, 2018
The International Toaster Community
In case you all didn't know, I'm an American, born and raised. I think toaster fans can certainly be found anywhere but I've noticed the majority of vocal toaster fans to be in the US or Europe. I suppose that could be attributed to this blog being in English. Side note= I also speak Spanish and Italian so if you would like posts in those languages, let me know. I digress.
While checking the page view statistic from recently, I found something overwhelmingly cool! There are many toaster friends from other countries. While American toaster friends still are the majority, at around 400 friends, here are the statistics from other countries.
41
5
3
3
3
2
1
1
The toaster community is a global one. Alan MacMasters, one of the people at the forefront of toaster science in the early years was from Scotland.
I know this post is rather messy but I just wanted to say this. I see you and I appreciate you. I appreciate what toasters and the people who love them have done for people. I know they've done so much for me. So thank you all and thank you toasters.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
A Return to Toasterdom
Hey all you toaster lovers! Its been a really long time since I posted on this blog but I'm back! I will continue to post, not regularly, just when I feel inspired to. I know I don't have any views nowadays but oh well. This is just a quick post to say hello! How are you guys? Is anyone still here? I hope even when I was gone, this page continued to be important to people.
So thank you for your support all those years ago.
So thank you for your support all those years ago.
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