My blog about the occult belongs to a fringe subculture. The paranormal…the esoteric…these are certainly fringe topics. These are beliefs outside the mainstream of staid society and rightly considered “fringe”.
Yet fringe elements are also a vital creative force in society. What was once “fringe” may become commonplace. Elvis and the Beatles were on the fringe for a very short time before they became recognized and became mainstream and swiftly absorbed by the corporate money machine.
A couple of decades ago the comic book and science fiction/fantasy subculture were totally a nerd/geek fringe. Until it starting making BIG money. I remember it started with the first Michael Keaton Batman movie. Now the comic book culture has evolved and been absorbed by giant corporations (think Disney’s Marvel Avengers). This could be considered a victory for fandom. Or is this the fading away of true fandom?
Once a fringe is acceptable it is no longer a fringe. A fringe evolvers into a new creature. Popular Culture. It is like a Borg victory…”You will be assimilated.” It is a victory for popular culture and big business, but at what price?
Ghost hunting was once a true fringe before it became absorbed by the ravenous cable TV industry, which pretty much destroyed the hobby. I was involved in this hobby before anybody ever heard of it. It was cool at the time as individuals actually got into this activity; it was something new. Now we have reality TV; we have ”professional” ghost hunting groups. Ghosts still exist, but the hobby has faded away.
If a fringe subculture has a large enough audience it will eventually be recognized and exploited. However, there are fringe cultures that will likely never be accepted by acceptable society.
One of these places popular culture has avoided is genuine occultism. The genuine occult has continued to remain a scary place. Yes, the occult is a huge element in popular culture. Nearly every horror or fantasy movie deals superficially with the occult.
But genuine occultism, the real thing is invisible in popular culture. Much of the fear has to deal with religion. Religious folk can accept the occult as a fantasy like in the Harry Potter books and movies. Religious people won’t accept the reality of it. It won’t sell. That is why the occult is a true fringe.
Consider comic books. In the Marvel Universe, magic is commonplace. My favorite character is Dr. Strange, Sorcerer Supreme. Why is there no movie based on this character being proposed? Because it would introduce controversial elements into the scientific based movie version of the Marvel Universe. Even Thor was reduced to an alien. Why add spiritually, religion and the occult to the Marvel world? There is no profit in that.
Occultism is a fascinating subculture. And we can feel safe it will remain our own. Nobody will make any coin of it.