No No No! This is not the fan that we’re talking here!
Today, we’ll discuss on the fan as in a fandom!
A fan (noun) is someone who admired and obsessed with a particular celebrity, band, star, film and TV show where they will get themselves involve in fandom or fan activism (Hills 2002).
Do you consider yourself a fan if you didn’t involve in fandom?
Why not? I can be a fan even if I doesn’t involve in fandom.
Fan clubs do exist on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube. Yet, you do not need to become an official member to be a fan apparently (Kleefeld 2017). For example, an individual wearing merchandise as in t-shirt, cap or bracelet proclaiming his or her fan interest such as “I’m part of this fandom. I’m an A.R.M.Y.” (BTS fans’ name), going to Shawn Mendes’ concert or participating in Lakers’ message boards, none of that is necessary to be a fan. With that said, there is no rules and no exact process to join or leave a fandom. On the contrary, Kleefeld (2017) noted that a person keeping his or her fan interest to his or herself, separated from others, then that person is not part of the fandom but still considered as a fan. Therefore, you are still considered as a fan even if you do not involve in fandom.
My own experience as a fan:
Everyone sure has an idol or a fan of a team or band, so do I!
I’m a fan of Taylor Swift. I’m a Swiftie since 2009. She’s gorgeous, she’s cute and she’s talented. She’s just like a sister to me that taught me many things through her songs. I was once a girl with low self-esteem, she taught me to be Fearless, taught me to Speak Now when I faced any difficulties in life to the person that I trust (my parents and confidant) and the latest song Lover taught me to care and love my beloved one more. In 2010, I bought the “Red” album and I bought the “Speak Now” album in 2012. I kept listening to the songs by looping it while I’m studying that time and that gave me motivation and strength to study.
Has fan activism gone too far?
It is so exciting to see your idol performing on the stage and have the latest album that you purchased signed; it is so motivating and entertaining when you can interact with your idol be it in person or through YouTube Live; you’ll always follow the current trend of your idol such as what brands your idol use, what type of fashion style they are wearing recently and what is your idol’s latest songs or newly released video about your idol’s life. Yet, what if an individual or a group of fan is too obsess with their idol? What will happen when fan activism gone too far?
In my viewpoint, being an obsess fan leads to the imagination that an individual is being in love with the idol, that he or she will start to think of the idol more often, think of touching the idol or search for the idol’s address, which in other words, stalking. According to Tiffany (2017), an obsessive fan will feel disappointed when the idol does not reply messages or does not agree to meet up, which then makes the idol feel irritated when an obsess fan keep on writing letter or text his or her idol until he or she gets a reply. When there is rejection, an obsess fan might not think rationally and even has no self-control. For example, sexual harassment, cyberbully that leads to long-term depression of the idol, or even killing of idol due to multiple rejection may happen when fan activism gone too far. As an illustration, the video below shows one of the K-pop star, Sulli’s suicide case due to depression caused by obsess fans.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIwoWyG7vyQ)
Hills 2002, Fan cultures, Online Research Library: Questia.
Kleefeld, S 2017, ‘Fanthropology: fans vs fandom’, Freaksugar, 4 September, viewed 19 November 2019, <http://www.freaksugar.com/fans-vs-fandom/>.
Tiffany, K 2017, I love you, Jake Gyllenhaal: what I learn from a year of obsessive fandom, The Verge, 3 November, viewed 22 November 2019,<https://www.theverge.com/2017/11/3/16576850/jake-gyllenhaal-newsletter-fandom-fans-essay>.