From allegedly licking the bathroom seat of Ok-pop celebrity Jimin to the disgruntled Beatles fan Mark Chapman tragically killing John Lennon, the world of fandom could be a unusual and disconcerting place.
Taking a fast look at fandom on City Dictionary solely provides to this bewilderment. The phrase has variously been outlined as:
"An harmless title for an enormous cult of over-obsessed web addicts and sleep-deprived freaks."
"The satanic cult that can destroy you and all the pieces you're keen on."
"A gaggle of people that willingly have their souls devoured by an obsession."
(And these are the well mannered ones).
However what really is fandom? And are some folks proper to be fearful about it? Euronews spoke to 2 consultants concerning the topic to seek out out extra.
'The fun of being a fan'
Away from the murky world of City Dictionary, fandoms are a gaggle or neighborhood of people that share a standard curiosity in a band, online game, ebook, movie, TV present or particular subject - you title, there's a fandom for it.
A lot of fandoms organise themselves each on-line or in particular person, whereas others rework their passions into fan artwork or fiction.
Based on Dr Lynn Zubernis, a scientific psychologist at West Chester College who has printed 4 books based mostly on her analysis on the psychology of being a fan, fandom is rooted in human evolution, which hardwires us to hunt repeated experiences and like-minded individuals who share our passions.
"Our brains are constructed to grow to be deeply linked to outdoors entities," she advised Euronews, explaining the mind's mesolimbic system - which releases dopamine - features to bolster what we like and what we would like.
In different phrases: after we like one thing, we would like extra of it.
"[This] system developed to assist us discover our subsequent meal, not anticipate our subsequent live performance, however after we like one thing loads, we would like it once more as quickly as attainable," says Dr Zubernis, who additionally chairs the Stardom and Fandom group of the Southwest Common Tradition Affiliation.
A number of the major positives of fandom are that it gives folks with a way of belonging, identification, and may encourage creativity. And, as simplistic because it sounds, a significant good thing about fandom is enjoyable.
"Attending a live performance of a favorite band, for instance, provokes intense emotion," says Dr Zubernis. "Music stokes the mind's pleasure centre - some music followers describe going to a live performance in virtually non secular phrases, full with tears and pounding hearts and feeling like no phrases can adequately seize the expertise."
Analysis additionally means that fandom permits folks to experiment with identification and categorical themselves extra freely, reminiscent of by pursuing artistic actions like artwork, writing or costuming.
Different teachers have argued that creating relationships with fellow followers and celebrities (even when distant and one-sided) can contribute to a way of belonging.
'Followers are human, in any case'
But there's a darker aspect to fandom.
As the sooner examples indicated, fandom can create alarming - if not poisonous - behaviours amongst some.
"Teams are partly outlined by having some enemy to hate and by defending your personal in-group," Dr Zubernis advised Euronews. "In fandom, that is generally one other faction of followers."
She provides that this may result in aggression as teams of followers assault others who they really feel are a menace, whereas there might also be infighting inside teams as people jockeying for place in its hierarchy.
Elvis tribute artists, who typically describe themselves as mega followers of the King, have documented a lot in-fighting of their scene, with members arguing over what's the true interpretation of Elvis.
Nevertheless, Dr Mark Duffett, senior lecturer in Media and Cultural Research on the College of Chester, claims a number of the negativity in direction of fandom stems from how they're mentioned within the media.
"The mainstream media tends to deal with followers as a type of monstrous different," he says, with journalists "taking it upon themselves" to seek out the "newest social anxiousness" within the fan neighborhood.
Amid the screaming hysteria round bands just like the Beatles throughout the Nineteen Sixties, these social anxieties surrounded the alleged sexual permissiveness of followers, who have been variously stereotyped as groupies.
These days, worries surrounding fandom are about issues like group surveillance, burn-out, and collective motion on-line, based on Dr Duffett,
Added to this, he says, viewers members who do one thing unusual are sometimes labelled as followers as a result of there isn't any different time period obtainable.
"Basically, fandom is an strange exercise for regular folks, it's the media that fixates on making an attempt to find fandom as deviant behaviour quite than it being something typical or important to fandom itself."
Journalists do additionally spotlight what they take into account to be the constructive features of fandom, a notable instance being when Ok-pop superfans criticise racism on-line and battle right-wing conspiracy teams, reminiscent of QAnon.
Regardless of the case, the jury continues to be out on whether or not fandom helps or harms these involved, with a lot relying on particular person experiences.
"Like every wholesome factor, [fandom] requires steadiness," concludes Dr Zubernis.
"Spending cash to go to a live performance that looks like a once-in-a-lifetime expertise could be a joyful expertise that is good for us. Spending cash that was wanted to purchase groceries or pay lease has a detrimental impact on the person's life as an alternative."
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