I appreciate Gravity Falls immensely - for many reasons, but particularly for the way it approaches weirdness. While Gravity Falls’ anomalies are often dangerous for the characters, the show and narrative still depict them as something to be observed and understood, not as manifestations of evil needing to be destroyed. Even the most vicious of the supernatural beings, Bill Cipher, is made a villain by the actions he’s taken - not by simply being different. In fact, Bill’s weird behavior is often played for fun by Bill himself, and he’s even shown as charismatic at times. When Ford enters in the second season, the message is made clearer yet. He may not always have been accepted by others, but Ford’s uniqueness, curiosity, and unabashed individuality are admirable traits. Out-of-the-box thinking, by the Mystery Shack rebels and ultimately by Stan and Ford, ends up being what saves the world. Gravity Falls celebrates weirdness from beginning to end, summed up by some of the last words of Journal 3 -
“Stay curious, stay weird, stay kind, and don’t ever let anyone tell you you aren’t smart or brave or worthy enough.”