Fans or Fanatics?
We all have expressed our admiration for a celebrity at least once in our entire lives. Be it towards a famous music artist, actor, author or sports athlete, humans are not shy when it comes to showing our passion towards the talent of others. Fandom, as its name suggests, is a community made up of fans that show the same interests in a certain topic. A.R.M.Y, a fandom of the popular K-pop group BTS, is an example of a fandom that is heavily devoted to defending their favorite boy band. They come together to support the group’s success, defend any attempts to scrutinize them as well as celebrate their idols’ achievements. Fandoms are basically 'hubs' of superfans.
According to Later (N.D), a “fandom” refers to a community of fans who are deeply passionate about a specific form of entertainment, like a TV show, movie series, book, video game, or music group. On social media however, “fandom” describes a group of fans who bond over a shared enthusiasm for a specific person, franchise, celebrity, TV show, movie, book, or other forms of entertainment. More specifically, the word “fan” in “fandom” is derived from the word “fanatic”, which usually carries a somewhat negative meaning (Iyengar V., 2022). The word was initially used to refer to people who were passionate about sports, however, the term slowly changed its meaning and came to describe people with an unrelenting interest towards pop culture-related topics.
The formation of fandoms can be attributed to humans and history. We as a species have evolved to thrive in groups, seeking a sense of community and identity with others. According to Team MindPeers (2023), the idols we look up to, the stories that connect with us, and the collective people of fandoms we share experiences with all play a role in shaping our personal narratives and, ultimately, our identity. Other than just connecting with others, fandoms allow us a break from reality and the routine of everyday life (Team MindPeers, 2023).
The significance of fandoms in today’s society is immense, and it begs the question, who is more prone to join a fandom? Temming M., (2022) notes that people with empathy are more inclined to fall in love with fictional worlds or become a superfan. Empathy allows them to connect emotionally to the fictional characters, topics, or celebrities more often than others and these people tend to put themselves in the situations of others. Another characteristic of fans that determines their likelihood of joining fandoms is how easily they connect with the story (Temming M., 2022). The immersion of a fictional story can change the perspective of an individual and can in turn, foster a fandom.
An aspect of fandoms that people usually shrug off is the ability for fandoms to carry out acts of solidarity, support, and sometimes, even activism. “Directioners”, fans of the popular English boy band One Direction, helped raise 2 million pounds for Red Nose Day, and this paired with various other fundraising efforts by the fandom lead to the creation of “Action/1D”, One Direction’s very own charity (Lavelle B., 2024). It’s not just music fandoms that have used their power for good of people, other fandoms such as the anime and manga fandoms have their writers participate in events as well. These writers will create custom work based on the good acts of charity to Palestinians by fans (Lavelle B., 2024).
However, more people means more opinions, and in big fandoms where the number of people is vast, there is bound to be high volatility and many disagreements. Some fandoms may even come together to spread their dissatisfaction on someone or something, and this act of hate can lead to disastrous consequences. The term used to describe this phenomenon is “toxic fandom”, a dark side of fandom that the majority of people generally associate with fans. Most of these negative acts are carried out online in websites or forums such as Twitter and Reddit, although they can also be observed in physical meetings or conventions (Vinney C., 2023). An infamous example of toxic fandoms carrying out their repulsive acts is in 2016 when a segment of the “Ghostbusters” fandom opposed the reboot of the original movie and directed racist and misogynistic tweets at star Leslie Jones (Vinney C., 2023).
All in all, fandoms, while often celebrated for their passion and dedication towards their shared interests, are complex communities that can bring good and harm to others. The sense of identity and belonging that these communities provide further notes their importance in our society. Ultimately, the power of fandoms lies in the hands of those who are in it. As fandoms around the world continue to evolve, it is essential that we acknowledge its capacity for both good and bad, and that we can approach it with an open-minded perspective.
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References:
Fandom, Later, viewed 13th November 2024, https://later.com/social-media-glossary/fandom/
Iyengar V., 18th July 2022, What Is the Psychology of Celebrity Fandoms?, Psych Et Al, viewed 13th November 2024, https://www.psychetal.com/post/what-is-the-psychology-of-celebrity-fandoms
Lavelle B., 18th September 2024, How fandoms create communities and support larger causes, IndigenousX, viewed 13th November 2024, https://indigenousx.com.au/how-fandoms-create-communities-and-support-larger-causes/
Team MindPeers, 3rd August 2023, Behind The Screens: Unraveling the Psychology Behind Fandoms, MindPeers, viewed 13th November 2024, https://blog.mindpeers.co/behind-the-screens-unraveling-the-psychology-behind-fandoms
Temming M., 10th November 2022, Why fandom feels good – and may be good for you, ScienceNewExplores, viewed 13th November 2024, https://www.snexplores.org/article/fandom-fan-psychology-comiccon-marvel-fiction
Vinney C., 28th November 2023, What Are Toxic Fandoms?, VeryWellMind, viewed 13th November 2024, https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-toxic-fandom-5214499


















