It’s time to talk about the fangirls of our world.
Taylor Swift’s Eras tour opening night broke records for the most attended female concert in U.S. history with an audience 69,000; BTS’s Permission to Dance concert sold-out four nights at SoFi and Allegiant stadiums; Harry Styles’s Love on Tour brought his residency to Madison Square Garden for fifteen nights in a row; Blackpink headlined Coachella as the first Korean act to do so. Behind each of these immense successes is a fandom, of which a large portion are female. And for much of pop-culture’s history, these female fans, while behind the rise of many artists’ popularity, have remained entertainment’s favorite punchline.
In a 2021 article for the website Shit You Should Care About, Lucy Blakiston puts it quite simply in the title: “It’s Time to Stop Shitting on Stans.” Young people—particularly young women—have dealt with ridicule for decades and are constantly undermined for simply engaging with their interests. They’re told that spending money on merchandise, decorating their rooms, and buying concert tickets are a waste of money. Those that create social media fan accounts for editing videos, writing fanfiction, or updating fan bases are told they are wasting their time. Each of these actions are not signs of insanity, but rather actions of passion and love.
In her article, Blakiston explores the ways in which the media misunderstands fangirls, which ultimately stems from a gendered divide of acceptable passions. Let me give an example: One Direction fans have been called ‘banshees’ for their excitement at concerts, yet men yelling at the TV during the Super Bowl are called ‘dedicated.’ Here is another one: Kpop fans purchasing albums and photocards are considered ‘obsessed’ for wanting to spend money on “cardboard with pictures of boys on them,” but those lining up to buy five packs of sports cards are ‘superfans’ for choosing to collect and try their luck for their favorites. And these are only two examples of the double standards employed against female fans. But why are these actions criticized for women yet cheered for men? (Hint: the answer is misogyny.)
It’s time to stop ridiculing women’s passions, not just those relating to music but in regards to all other interests as well. Being part of a fandom builds community, having a favorite band provides a stress outlet, and why are we not allowed to have celebrity crushes? Not only does “shitting on stans” perpetuate sexist divides between acceptable interests and behaviors, but it also erases freedom of expression and subverts the impact of musicians. Not to mention the good that fandoms can do, for example, the BTS Army (AKA: fans of BTS) matched the group’s donation of one million dollars to the Black Lives Matter Movement in just over 24 hours in 2020. Fandoms have also given charitable donations in honor of other artists, and some have politically engaged in the US by halting Trump rallies during the presidential campaigns.
All in all, there should be no embarrassment in calling yourself a fan of boy bands or female singers, especially in light of everything fans should get credit for. How else would the Beatles have risen to popularity in the States? How would artists’ concerts continuously sell out? How would Spotify and Apple Music crash on the nights of album releases? Fans are the backbone of the media, and its fangirls who run that scene the most. Rather than laughing at or disregarding the dedication of stans, the world should support everyone—no matter their gender—to love whatever they want! Whether it be sports or music, all fans should be encouraged to obsess however they see fit.