my much loved friend is giving me the ick!

[packratandproud]

I love her very much and can NEVER talk about this in real life as she's in a senstive place at the mo,but she has become obsessed with Heated Rivalry- so far , so meh but she's fallen down a rabbit hole of watching loads of Youtube and tik tok videos - and then telling me all about the actors as if she knows them - using their first names only and saying things like " Jack (can't remember their real names) was really funny because when he met John he said ......and John said ...."
I know I'm being mean and like I said, my lips are sealed in real life- as each to their own and all that- but it makes me cringe inside out
It's definitely become her obsession over the last few weeks and she's talking about it loads and it's reminding me of a teenager! We are in our forties by the way!

i dont think the whole "3 things" has to be dismissive or controlling - it can actually be warm and friendly and infused with laughter!
ive got ADHD and can get into a hyperfocus, im not devoid of self awareness or humour though! its fair enough for a mate to call you on it

Hopefully it's a phase that will pass and you are absolutely OK to change the subject when it's getting boring.

Keep an eye out though. I know someone who went from fandom, to imagining they were in a relationship with a young actor. Turned out to be psychosis. Happens surprisingly often with women around menopause.

I was about to say, I bet you’re feeling relieved that she’s not going on about K-pop bands, after previously being obsessed with Harry Styles, but maybe not if this is her first rodeo…

I get it, listening to someone talking about something and never switching the subject could be quite irritating. You're a good freind for letting her talk about it all she wants, and she'll step back from her fandom in some time, I think the only thing you can do here is to wait.
In the meantime you can use her fandom as an inspiration for gifts if there are birthdays and she's still a major fan. Would be a nice thing to do.

How is your friend OP?

by the way to the posters saying they went through a perimenopause Rip obsession…I hear ya!

She's good. The obsession has died down a bit. She's now really into a set of books so not as much hysteria

But a friend at the yard would do this about Eastenders and we'd all be telling her we don't watch it so had no idea who she was going on about. It didn't stop her. I think away from the group of friends, she had a very narrow life.

It is, ime, very linked to autism is some but not all cases. Some of my asd students have very particular obsessions.