Geeks + Gamers/Friday Night Tights 2025 Orlando Meetup

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This past weekend brought the ever popular Megacon back to Orlando, Florida, with the All-Star panel of YouTubers we all know and love—well, maybe more like a gaggle of IDOTs who have been yelling at computer screens for the past eight years or so, let’s be real here. The panel was aptly named “Return of the Fandom” for the subject matter on which it was focused—the fandom. An honorable mention of Gary (Nerdrotic) was made by our very own Jeremy (DDayCobra) since he, unfortunately, could not attend this year’s panel due to a family death—condolences to his family. But he was certainly there in spirit, particularly when our favorite fig played a few bars of Gary’s favorite band, Bon Jovi, or as Dan Vasc calls them, Bone Javi, because he cannot for the life of him speak proper English—oh wait, neither can Jeremy or Beardo. Also on the panel were Geeks + Gamers own Ryan Kinel (also of RK Outpost); Eric July of the mega-successful Rippaverse Comics; everyone’s favorite fan, Star Wars Theory; and the legendary Critical Dinker. If you’d like to check out the pre-recorded panel, watch it here! 

In all seriousness, for the past near-decade, Hollywood, and entertainment in general, have been producing utter slop, expecting fans to consume without questions or complaints. Many of us have complained, but not typically to an audience, always just to friend groups or even family members. It’s a much different story when one can turn on a camera and begin their passionate rant to express displeasure with what the entertainment industry has been doing to beloved franchises. Even the traditional publishing industry has been producing garbage for over a decade now, yet it was under the radar until people began to notice the fall in quality and actually talented authors being chosen for publication by these well-known publishing houses, giving out six-figure deals for merely checking a diversity box. 

It was not until after the past decade that people began to grow weary of anything in the entertainment sphere; therefore, several people who otherwise never would’ve done so created their YouTube channels—and the rest is history. 

Many in the Fellowship and 199 have been inspired by Gary and others to begin their journeys in content creation, to be able to voice their opinions in the public square of the internet, regardless of any pushback. There’s always an audience somewhere, and once they find you or you find them, it all falls into place. 

Friday was the big Universal after-hours event for those attending Megacon, which was honestly the best for me. Being my first time at the park, and in Florida in general, it was magical—particularly when I walked through the Leaky Cauldron to emerge through the hidden passage to behold the glory that was Diagon Alley. I won’t bore you readers with my geeking out over all things Harry Potter (my friends had to put up with that enough), but it was truly one of my favorite parts of the trip. 

Saturday night also brought the 2025 G+G/FNT meetup once again at the Red Coconut Club in Universal Citywalk. The club itself was open not only to fans but also to the public, so it filled up rather quickly, adding to the loudness of the music within. It was themed for the upcoming holiday of Mardi Gras, so the club was indeed popping—no pun intended, and get your heads out of the gutter with those throwings of the beads! 

Anyway, each meetup following any of these conventions seems to grow larger every year as more people are able to attend and even more fans are created after however many years of feeling alone in their dissatisfaction with Hollywood’s current-day refuse, finally finding like-minded people to make new friends with. Even I, a lowly chat mod, had people recognize me and say hello, a truly humbling experience, quite frankly. Though, truthfully, as fun as it is to see the YouTubers again, say hello, and chat for a bit, the best part of these meetups is seeing friends again—friends we’ve met in the chat from various walks of life, yet we hold a similar passion and desire to express thoughts on the fandoms we love, or even begin creating our own channels, writing that novel or finally getting around to painting. Whatever the case, art in its many forms is the greatest way for humans to express themselves, something that, for a while, has been scoffed at as silly, something that won’t lead one to success because it “doesn’t pay well” or the typical response, “isn’t a real job.” 

No matter the case, it doesn’t have to be the best-paying job or bring in a huge audience; if the individual pursuing their true passion finds joy in their profession in the arts, that is success. More good, decent, passionate people need to step outside of their comfort zones and fill these spaces with beauty, dispelling the ugly and putrid that has filled them since those decent folk who once sat there at the drawing board were cast out for untalented hacks and activists. 

So, let us take back the culture, take back our beloved fandoms from the clutches of the activists, and restore order and peace. Do not fret; polite discourse is obviously allowed, just as it was in the days of old when people could disagree yet remain good friends, regardless of good or bad takes, because that’s what fandom is all about at its core. 

Hail the Fellowship, 199, and the GCA! 

(Pictured from left to right and front to back: HoodieD, Lady Medea, MoZamboni, Alec Baldwin’s Finger, Nagirdnal, me, and Hayden Wayne)

If you attended the Geeks + Gamers/Friday Night Tights Orlando meetup, let us know how you liked it in the comments!

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If you want to know what kind of political leanings movies have or just talk about cinema, check out the movie ratings community Criticless.

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