One of the things that makes Jojo so special and unique is that it's really a huge goodie bag of culture. It's thoroughly infused with things Araki was influenced by and which he admired.
It's a fantastic gateway into the world of art, music, movies, and fashion for someone who hasn't previously dabbled into it much.
And yet all of this, all this massive, fascinating cultural range that was so lovingly fused together by a man who truly loves these things, gets reduced to a "jojo reference" by a lot of Jojo fans and to be honest, it's kinda frustrating and disheartening to see that.
A Jojo reference is when a modern post-Jojo show inserts a known Jojo pose, stand-like thing, or Araki's art style as a gag. A Jojo reference is not something that was referenced in Jojo.
Many of the latter are important for the culture and/or history in their respective genres, and it's worth learning at least a bit about them before you decide to reduce them to a meme that the fandom at large seemed to completely miss the point of.
Understand why King Crimson is important to music history. They are largely seen as the first true prog rock band, and the complex music they made in the 60s and 70s was unheard of before them.
Understand how Gianni Versace was hugely influential to the fashion world not only with his theatrical bright and flashy designs, but also as the first designer who realized the recognition that was gained by having celebrities wear his designs.
Lastly, and damn this one really gets me, please understand that JJBA is an Antonio Lopez reference, not the other way around.
The big men, colorful clothes, and dynamic poses that Araki depicted early on (particularly in parts 1 and 2) are all heavily, overtly, and unabashedly inspired by the fashion illustrations of Antonio Lopez. His Illustrations in Tales from the Thousand and One Nights also greatly influenced some character designs from part 3.
Those are just three examples of many more cases in which Jojo fans would talk about Jojo references in regards to things that came way before JJBA, and even directly influenced it.
The comment section on any song mentioned in Jojo is nauseating. Every time I've seen an Antonio Lopez piece on twitter, at least one comment would mention its "JoJo vibes".
If you question why so many people are annoyed by JJBA and its fans, the answer is plain and simple; they are frustrated by the unintentional disrespect many fans show to original sources, the willful ignorance that's often displayed that way, and bluntly put, the obnoxious behavior many fans express while making their jokes.
I think that, in a way, that lack of cultural curiosity also distinctly goes against the spirit of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which is fundamentally built on Araki's own appreciation of so many different things.
Please be more open to learning about culture beyond your animes!
blakekathryn
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