Writing About...Weezer

by Travis Rocha

We all have a unique love for something that we just can’t seem to get enough of. For some, it might be hockey, others the news, but, for me, it’s the California rock band Weezer. I’ll be the first to admit they have a spotty discography, but, frankly, that’s never stopped me from loving the band for what they are. They were the soundtrack to my four years of high school and this definitely continued into college when I listen to, at the very least, one Weezer song a day. While normally this is a leisurely activity, this week, it turned academic.

In my Media Audiences course, a communication elective, we were assigned an essay prompt. Despite being a communication major, I actually detest long-form writing. I procrastinate too much and distract myself which makes what should be a two-day paper into a two-week paper. The prompt was on understanding fandoms as subcultures that express themselves in a unique and private way to one another that is totally separate from the mainstream. Immediately, this piqued my interest because I thought of Weezer and the odd way Weezer fans communicate with one another (for an example, just check out “Saturday Night Live’s” recent Weezer sketch).

I spent the whole week researching fandoms, but also scanning through Weezer interviews, articles and histories in order to paint a full, clear picture of my thesis with accurate examples and argument. It was honestly the most fun I have ever had writing an essay. Not to mention it was fairly easy given all the knowledge I already had regarding the band. Weezer is never something I would have imagined having the opportunity to write about, and I am so excited that the opportunity finally presented itself. Christopher Newport gives me the chance to truly be an individual and mold my academics toward my own interests which allows me to get excited and truly engage with the material.