Being a fangirl means being absolutely obsessed with everything your fav does and yelling “mother” aggressively because it perfectly encapsulates that feeling of awe. As someone who has had a stan list since middle school, I know it’s just harmful fun. Of course, there are definitely stans who take stanning way too seriously. Stanning a celebrity or fictional character should not be something that takes away from your personal life and mental health. Yes, that means ignoring that 14-year-old with 5,000 followers on Twitter when they call your fav a flop or really anything that pertains to personal taste. If you like something, you should find enjoyment in it, and if you find yourself stressed out because social media is toxic or you are made to feel bad for stanning, it’s time to log off and refocus on yourself!
Now, what is a stan list? According to Urban Dictionary, the word “stan” is an “overzealous and obsessed fan of a celebrity/band/cast of a tv show or movie.” Now, because we all have a healthy relationship with internet culture, we can just ignore the “obsessed and overzealous” part and focus on the fan culture part. So a “stan list” would be a list of said celebrities, cast members, etc., whom a stan or fan, loves and is a big supporter of.
When I consume media, I tend to be attracted to celebrities and fictional characters that I admire. I’ve got a separate stan list for my K-pop faves, but my main list, filled with amazing Black women, are celebrities who I seriously admire and think are amazing in every way. Since these women are especially BOSS and because I feel like the appreciation of Blackness and women should not be regulated to one month, here are the four women on my stan list!
- Ice Spice
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If there are 1,000 Spice Cabinets, I’m on one of them, if there are 200, I’m still there, if there are zero…well you get the point! I’m personally rooting for Ice Spice because anyone who can make the Internet mad over some silly lyrics and keep pushing with new music releases and performances regardless of the hate, I seriously respect. Not to mention she’s a Capricorn and Gen-Z, which is an automatic ‘like’ since I too am a Capricorn and a member of Gen-Z. I also love how committed she is to her branding, and from a public relations major perspective, I think it would be a dream to be her publicist or work on her public relations team. She’s great at ignoring unnecessary hate and working on her craft, and it might be the Capricorn in me, but I love that! A plus is that her music is great, especially “Princess Diana”.
- Megan Thee Stallion
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I am one of Megan’s biggest supporters, not only because I think her music is innovative and perfect, but also because I support Black women above anything else, I’ve even made it a point to write a piece on how I hate the way she has been treated by the media. Regardless of the unfortunate violence she had to go through at the hands of a criminal, she’s still on top! Dark-skin representation across all media is incredibly limited, so to see an authentic artist be celebrated with awards and celebrated for changing up the rap game for the better makes me feel so proud. Put on a Megan song and watch your mood instantly go up!
- Olivia Pope
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Now I’m only on season 2, so this could end up changing at some point if she disappoints me, but as someone who is studying crisis comms in my classes, I find the ultra-dramatized actions of Olivia Pope to be so exciting. When she struts in her black boot heels with a coffee in one hand and her Blackberry in the other it’s a struggle not to yell “ICON”. What I like about Oliva is her love for her family and her ability to get any job, while still retaining that fresh pink lip. She’ll keep you out of federal prison and look good doing it!
- Beyoncé
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It’s the mother of mothers, does she need any explanation? Not only is she a legendary global superstar who continues to release beautiful works of art every blue moon, but regardless of if you are a fan, you have to respect her work ethic, and the fact that she has remained relevant for the past 26 years. She could have retired by now, but her releases and involvement with the next generation of pop stars show her commitment and dedication to making sure quality music and visuals get made. Now, if the Renaissance visuals don’t drop by the end of the year, I’ll have to put her on a three-day suspension!
For me, stanning is fun! It’s just me supporting artists who I think are good at what they do, while also having a great time consuming the media they produce. Not creating a parasocial relationship with said celebrities is important, but as long as that healthy boundary exists, I will continue to scream “MOTHER” whenever I see Olivia Pope in her silk press and power suit on my screen.
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