My Life in Fan Culture
Image Courtesy: That Fangirl Life
Fame is a direct result of the fans. Without us, Taylor Swift, BTS, One Direction and many others would simply be regular folks with a hobby. We pay their bills, we support their art and we make them icons. Everyone has someone special to them and many have grown with their chosen favorites.
Fangirl culture existed long before Beyonce broke away from Destiny’s Child and became “Queen Bey.” Girls passed out from screaming at Elvis concerts in the 1950s and showed up at airports just to get a glimpse of The Beatles during “Beatlemania” in the 1960s.
But my first fangirl experience came with Justin Bieber in 2009. I saw myself as the “One Less Lonely Girl,” while being obsessed with him and his music. I consumed any media appearance he was on, bought his CDs and eventually saw his movie. Everyone in the theater suspended their belief and stood up with our hands in the air as if we were really in his presence. Even when “Baby” was one of the most disliked videos on YouTube, I continued to support. As I grew older, I found new fan groups to belong to and “Bieber fever” became a childhood memory. Merchandise was donated and others replaced his space in my heart.
Middle school and high school were consumed by making myself feel unique, listening to artists I told everyone were small and assured them they had never heard of them. The 1975 crept into my rotation as I would have done anything to see them live. At one point during their 2016 “I Like It When You Sleep” tour, my best friend’s mom went to the concert and bought me a T-shirt. I had convinced myself that Matty Healy himself had touched the shirt (he did not) and refused to take it off. When I finally was able to see The 1975 in October 2022, my 14-year-old self felt whole again. Listening to songs that comforted me all those years ago brought a comfort back that I didn’t know I had missed.
I was also a LANY fan around that time. Unfortunately I was unaware of the allegations that would later come out about their lead singer, long after I had spent far too much money to support them. Being a major fan of a canceled band is painful, anyone who has been in this situation probably feels a bit of shame or embarrassment themselves. I had seen them in concert three times, spent hundreds on merchandise and streamed their songs a couple thousand times. I could no longer support a band that was stained by cancel culture so my T-shirts were left on the shelves of my hometown Goodwill.
Image Courtesy: Emily Paul
College me decided to become more worldly with my music choices. I began consuming K-pop and everything that BTS had to offer. Despite the language barrier, their music and content gave me a sense of hope and a place to belong. I found local events hosted by the ARMY, the name of our fandom, and got to meet other people with a shared interest. BTS introduced me to other Korean groups like Tomorrow by Together, who I saw live in 2023. I have never been happier in fan culture than I am right now. I have shared stories of dark times that were brightened by a new album or music video. Dedication is a term I would use for my love for K-pop, spending hours consuming content and wearing out my credit card with probably too much adult money.
I wear the fangirl title with pride, despite the negative connotations of the word. Many make us out to be crazy stalkers, obsessed with knowing every small detail of a celebrity’s life, but there are many parts of fan culture that those naysayers don’t see. Some fandoms have used their community to better society, making philanthropic efforts in the name of their artist or celebrity.
The community created by fan culture spans far and wide, with social media serving as a connection tool for fans worldwide to share their love for their chosen idols. Many fandom connections have moved from the screen to real life, with local events, concerts, listening parties for new albums, book clubs for new written material and more. Concertgoers spend time building elaborate outfits and connect with other fans that have done the same. Following Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour through the many TikToks that showed fans exchanging homemade friendship bracelets and sharing their favorite era of Swift made me proud to be a fangirl. Attending my first K-pop show last October and receiving fan-made freebies of my favorite members was so special.
Those shared connections between fans and artists have a very deep meaning to me, as someone who has trouble feeling like I belong. So whatever fandom you are a part of, I hope you find the connection and acceptance that you absolutely deserve.
Strike Out,
Writer: Emily Paul
Edited by: Nina Rueda and Olivia Wagner
Orlando
Emily Paul is a content writer for Strike Magazine Orlando. A Strawberry Shortcake enthusiast, she spends her time thrifting for unique and fruity pieces to decorate her home. She enjoys attending local K-pop events celebrating her favorite groups, TXT and BTS, and meeting other fangirls! You can reach her at artistemily21@gmail.com .
