Chapter 2: Discussion (Draft)

Chapter 2: Discussion

What are the boundaries of being a fan?

I. The Culture of Fandom

     Fandom has been known to the society for years and the number of fans around the world continues to increase, especially if it is related to the music industry. Different people, no matter where they are, what country they came from, or even though they do not share the same language, they come together as one. Fandom has brought a new era to fans; they became stronger, loyal, and unite; because fandom gather fans together. Idols do not only show their skills and talents to the society, fans also notice what is inside them; the little things that other people do not see in them. Fans will always be the people who will love them unconditionally. 

"Etymologically, the word 'fan' derives from the word 'fanatic' and means an enthusiastic devotee... with personifying the word fan comes a certain mentality, a psychology."

- Katie B. Davis

     Fandom has different outlooks in the society; such as individual point of view. At most times, there comes different types of fandom, depending on the reaction of the fans themselves. Every fan traces a story behind them; reasons, the influence, the attractions and such. Fans and idols also have also the kind of bond that other people will not understand.

II. Overview of the Issue

     Being a fan has a lot of possibilities: They can interact with other people, form a new friendship between them, they can socialize more, and most of them are inspired by the idols they look up to. Yet, there are times that they would show such inappropriate behavior, the kind of behavior that may lead to misunderstanding issues, unexpected harmful situations, and may show the society the fandom that the fan is included. In a fandom, once someone has done something inappropriate, there is a chance that the other fans will be affected. Because of these kinds of individual issues happening in the world of Fandom, fans should also respect the privacy of their idols.

     Most issues regarding the fan's misbehavior and the things they do for the idol results to negative things. People might think, "Isn't it going too far?" Also, some fans have a habit of following them or at the same place as their idol, are something that people might thought of. Some fans tend to go overseas to attend their events and to meet them personally. But, fans should also keep in mind that some idols prefer to avoid those situations; they might dislike it. It somehow depends on the idols themselves if they want to interact with fans, especially if they are on vacation with their family or friends.

III. Personal Privacy

     When talking about privacy, it mostly includes personal information and activity of the idol. There are times that the idols have their time with their family, close friends, relationships, and other special occasions that they attend to. With the help of social media, fansites, and interviews, fans can have all the access to know every bit of information, schedule, tour list, and others of their favorite idols, including other people outside the fandom.  Nowadays, most fans have known every single detail about their idols, including the basic information; birthday, height, hometown, schools they attended, and even previous and recent relationships. But, idols are people too, they also need their own personal privacy; they do not need to reveal everything.

   According to the researcher's findings, in the articles from previous years, there has been a time when a lot of fans crowded the whole area because their idol is present. It was back in 7th of June, 2012 when Justin Bieber was recording and approximately 300 young girls invaded ITV's studios to meet the idol. Despite the crowd of hundreds of girls, it was said that there were only few security guards handling the situation. According to the media, one also said:

"It was genuinely scary. They're only teenage girls but they were hysterical and had just one thought on their minds to see Justin Bieber. It was pandemonium." 

   Idols have their different schedules, and they are always doing the best they can to remind their fans to follow the orders of the police. The safety of their fans is their first concern, especially when they held concerts and such. There are situations that fans are hard to please. Idols need to have their privacy. They have their schedules that they need to follow and fans should lower their misbehavior. They may have the excitement to see their idols but they should also keep in mind that they have their own business; they should not ruin it. 

"I know that your idols are your source of inspiration, motivation, and even personal satisfaction. But of course, do not get overboard; do not invade their private lives, because if you do, they cannot perform to the audience well. Try to attend to the other important matters or aspects of your life, like for example, studying. Just be yourself and just have a balance."

- Mr. Mark Christian Francisco, Guidance Counselor of San Beda College (MYX Forum: Fandom vs Obsession, 2012)

A. Positive Effects

Inspiration

     When fans know more about their idols, most will probably watch numerous videos on youtube, or search the facts about them, fans will be inspired. Because every idol is passionate about their career, fans will be motivated to do their work. Their performance will increase, they can socialize more, they will be motivated to do extracurricular activities, and they would try to do new things. This leads to a whole new start for them. The idols can make their fan's lives complete and make them better persons.

     Many fans have improved their lives by only listening to songs, reading different quotes, and others. When other people try to do other extra activities, for example, learn how to play an instrument, another person will also be willing to try it without any hesitation. A lot of idols have achieved that goal as an artist to inspire other people to do the same thing as they do. Fans will add another chapter of their lives wherein they tried something new and live out their dream similar to their idols.

“… Because, at its heart, fandom is about building community.”

-          Allison Ehrich Bernstein, Working Group Member

Popularity

    

     Surely, if fans can socialize more with each other or talk about their idols, more people will join the fandom. All these things, they might seem simple to other people, but to fans, it is a big thing. Being a fan is not something you show to the society, being a fan is at heart that lies upon each and every fan there is. The society will only have the attention of what the fans do for their idols if they act upon it. People will know more about them, and eventually, their popularity will increase once many people will talk about them, or see them on television or in the internet.

Each of us are always willing to share our thoughts and ideas to the rest of the community, making life easier to understand. Our voices may be small in the fandom community but we still happen to stand up and speak out to the rest of the crowd which every once in awhile, will gain a new fan to add to our fan lists.

-          NoLoser-cret, The Supernatural Fandom

     Social media is also a big part of the increasing popularity of idols. Most fans post a lot of things related to them, and at the same time, they become updated on what is happening in their idol’s lives. They would know when the next music video will be released, or the next album, when will be the next concert be, and other related information that they will know. Every idol’s popularity increases every year because more fans are joining the fandom. Sometimes, it depends if their career will be successful as an artist. They can hit the charts, be on the number one spot on the lists, but all of those things will not be possible without the help of the fans. Information is not only about their personal things, it could also be about what would be the result of their career as artists.

Unity

     Fandom unites everyone as one. It builds friendship, trust, community, and love between fans and their idols. Once fans know about their personal privacy, even the basic information, it would already be a big help for them. People inside the fandom will do even the little things for their idols and show them how much they love their idols. Even birthdays, just by knowing their idol’s birthday will be a huge thing for them. Fans can do video messages, or songs, or other things that will amaze their idols and appreciate it.

“It’s incredible to have people show their support when you’re doing something you love.”

-          Louis Tomlinson, One Direction

     Fans and idols have the bond that no one could ever replace. That is why idols share their personal information to them because they also act like family. Without the fans, they will not reach their goals as artists. Idols are different from each other. Not all of them may reveal what is happening in their lives, but most of them share it to their fans. Even by posting a single photo in the internet can make the fans wild; but, it is a kind of interaction between them that only people in the fandom could understand. As this goes on, the unity between fans will grow.

     From the recent findings of the researcher, since Korean fandom is becoming popular in the music industry, it is considered as one of the amazing fandoms. They fill the whole venue with light sticks depending on the color of their fandom, they build slogans for the idols, and they create fan chants that they will shout when the idols are performing on stage and a lot more. Last March 30 there was a Super Joint Concert in Thailand where various Korean idols attended. Fans of Girls’ Generation planned an “AYO GG” Project during the concert. They showed brighter light sticks and formed “AYO GG”, catching the attention of everyone, at the top sits of the venue. The girls were really happy when they saw that and gave them more energy to perform for them on stage. Fans show a powerful vibe once their idols perform and they give love and support many times back.

“Some may misunderstand me because they don’t know me, but you fans are always trustful of me in any situation. I know we understand each other so well. Let’s continue to make great memories. Together. You are truly the best.”

- Choi Sooyoung, Girls’ Generation

B. Negative Effects

Distraction

   Once fans will be more interested in spending time learning about their idols more, talking about them, sharing their music and videos, supporting them, watching their videos on sites or on television, they might as well forget about other things that are more important. Fans might lose track of time without noticing it and forgot about attending other important matters, for example, studying. Things might be too much for them to spend time about their idols, mostly on the internet. Sometimes it could be a distraction for them.

Fan’s Reactions

     Fans react to certain things that are happening to their idols. This includes news, issues, and most especially relationships; or if it is in a movie or television program, an example is when a character dies. If their idol is dating another idol and they dislike him/her, they could say bad things. It would be worse if the time comes when both of them will have a break up. There times that fans get too attached to the current things happening to the idols/characters. There is a connection between them that will let the fans have massive reactions. It could be sad, depressed, excitement, and others.

Emotions are things that shouldn’t be toyed with and because ours have been pulled in so many directions over the years, we are more pronged to be emotional.

   There have been cases that the fan’s reactions towards their idols gathered some attention. Even on little things that are happening such as seeing them in person or buying the merchandises in stores, they will have huge reactions towards it. Idols themselves also pay attention to these kinds of situations because they also want to know about what fans think of. There was an article saying that the fans are having huge reactions and unexplainable feelings and a member of a new rising boy band said:

You can see girls getting too excited and they start crying or worse. In a lot of gigs to go to, so when they get to see their favorite artist, they take full advantage of it.

-          Niall Horan, One Direction (Hollywoodlife, 2012)

Society’s point of view

     Society might see fans in a negative way. Most people would say that if you are a fan of that particular idol/character, they will call you obsessed, because you know every single detail about him/her and other things related. Society might judge fans once they saw them reading fan fictions, following them on twitter, reading news, listening to their music, or even watching them on TV. Of course, when fans do those things, the fan likes that particular person; which results to people will have a different outlook on what fans do. Most people will thought that fans are all the same when it comes to that artist/character.

“We’re fans. We’re not ashamed of telling people we like something, and if we really like something we don’t mind obsessing over it. And it’s such a good feeling when you realize someone else feels you’re worthy of being a fan of.”

-          Eleanor Musgrove

     When fans do a certain thing, whether good or bad, society could see it differently. Not all of us have a similar point of view. Fans, no matter what they do to show their support and love for their idols or favorite characters, they will not be ashamed of it; that is why they are a fan. They may know many information about their idol, but that is because they care about them. Yet, it still results to different observation to other people outside the fandom.

Fans are “loopy” and “obsessive”, they “waste too much time” following TV, and so “miss doing anything.” This range of discourses may strike readers as being extremely familiar ‘lay’ critiques of fandom and television: “Television watching can be a touchy subject, precisely because of its association with a lack of education, with idleness… and its identification as an ‘addiction’.

- Matt Hills, Negative Fan Stereotypes

     Being in a fandom does not automatically mean that fans are obsessed. It is true they spend time on watching television when their idols are present, they spend time browsing sites in the internet, reading information about them, collecting their photos, and such, but it is their way of how they support the idol. Every fan has their own way of having fun and does all the things related to their idol. Same as addiction, it depends on the fans. Not all the fans are the same; they have different levels of being a fan of that particular idol/character. They may have the same reaction, same love for their idols, but they have different things on how far they would go. Others tend to attend every event they have, others will go frequently. Some fans will collect hundreds of photos of the idol, but the other will only have two or four of it. Keeping the only the ones they like. Fans are also normal people. Fans also have their own differences even though they are in the same fandom.

Misbehavior

     Fans might show misbehavior and harmful situations might occur. If fans will know where know that there would be a special event happening for example, they might attend and show a misbehavior. It would also affect the idols themselves as well as the other persons present. Fans might not notice that they might invade the privacy of the idol.

   Way back last May, 2012, an incident happened during an artist’s performance. It was reported that more than fifty teenage girls were injured and taken for emergency care because they mobbed the streets to see the artist perform. Even though no one was seriously injured, fans should also be careful on what they do. Once they show an inappropriate behavior and be impatient, then eventually, unexpected accidents may occur. Artists always consider their fan’s safety as their top priority when having exclusive events, especially in public places.