“My tea’s gone cold I’m wondering why I
Got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window
And I can’t see at all
And even if I could it’ll all be gray
Put your picture on my wall
It reminds me, that it’s not so bad”
-Eminem, “Stan” (2000)
Since the dawn of celebrity culture, there have been super-fans in the crowd of every concert and sports event. From Beatlemania to Bieber Fever, passionately screaming crowds (often consisting of teenage girls) have annoyed parents for decades. And who doesn’t feel a little bit happier when they see a picture of their favorite singer, actor, or athlete? But now, with the nearly simultaneous emergence of “stan Twitter” and “cancel culture,” the fan has taken on a new role. Not only are Twitter stans expected to keep up with their idol’s every move, but they also must be able to defend their idol against “haters” if said idol makes a mistake. Posting controversial takes that may appear critical of the celebrity can cause a fan to lose followers, and therefore, social capital. That’s a lot of pressure to impose on teenage girls.
Fandom on social media can be intensely competitive; the most dedicated fans rush to be the first to post about a celebrity, or even campaign constantly in hopes of gaining a follow from the celebrity themselves. Some artists, such as Taylor Swift, have paired up with Ticketmaster to give priority ticket access to “Verified Fans”: those who have a record of buying the most Taylor Swift merchandise or watching Swift’s videos over and over. The fans who most catch Swift’s publicists’ attention (usually via ownership of a popular social media fan account) are invited to Swift’s house to meet her one-on-one. Not only do these policies imply that being an extremely dedicated fan is being a better fan, but they encourage Swift’s young audience to spend money so that they will have opportunities to spend even more money. Swift, meanwhile, was the highest-paid celebrity in the world last year according to Forbes.
And what happens when your favorite star does something despicable? Many fans are compelled to defend celebrities, feeling as though they know their character as a friend would. When one of my favorite singers, Mitski, was accused of sexual assault on Tumblr a couple of months ago, I found myself shaken to my core. Mitski would never do that, I thought to myself. I know her music, I know her lyrics. I’ve seen her live. She’s a good person. The allegations against Mitski were eventually proven false, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I would have defended potential horrific actions by someone I didn’t actually know.
So yes, it’s fun to be a fan. It can be a great way to meet new people with common interests. The Taylor Swift concert I attended when I was in fourth grade, my first concert ever, was a life-changing experience (even though I had to leave before she sang Love Story because I had school the next day). But don’t let yourself lose track of your individuality, morals, time, or money in the process. Celebrate and obsess over the art, not the artist. Can you really be so sure that a person you’ve never met is worthy of endless praise and adoration? Spend more time appreciating those you interact with on a daily basis instead.