Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistorical Perspectives on FandomFandom and IdentityFan EntitlementMisogyny and Racism in FandomThe Future of Toxic Fandom
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Historical Perspectives on Fandom
Fandom and Identity
Fan Entitlement
Misogyny and Racism in Fandom
The Future of Toxic Fandom
Most toxic fandom activities take place via online community websites or social media, especially Twitter, although they can also be seen in other places, such as fan events and conventions.
At a GlanceFandoms can be a fun place to find friends and a sense of community devoted to something you enjoy, but they can also have a dark side. Toxic fandoms can contribute to bullying and abuse, both of other fans and media creators themselves. Fandoms can play a role in people’s identity but can also contribute to a sense of entitlement or even superiority.Learning how to recognize the signs of toxic fandom can help you manage your own behaviors, or get help if you have become the target of bullying or harassment.
At a Glance
Fandoms can be a fun place to find friends and a sense of community devoted to something you enjoy, but they can also have a dark side. Toxic fandoms can contribute to bullying and abuse, both of other fans and media creators themselves. Fandoms can play a role in people’s identity but can also contribute to a sense of entitlement or even superiority.Learning how to recognize the signs of toxic fandom can help you manage your own behaviors, or get help if you have become the target of bullying or harassment.
Fandoms can be a fun place to find friends and a sense of community devoted to something you enjoy, but they can also have a dark side. Toxic fandoms can contribute to bullying and abuse, both of other fans and media creators themselves. Fandoms can play a role in people’s identity but can also contribute to a sense of entitlement or even superiority.
Learning how to recognize the signs of toxic fandom can help you manage your own behaviors, or get help if you have become the target of bullying or harassment.
Fan scholar Cornel Sandvoss defines fandom as “the regular, emotionally involved consumption of a given popular narrative or text.”
The Stigma of Fandom
Most people have probably a fan of something at some point, whether it’s sports, music, movies, a celebrity, or another interest or activity.
Early fan research focused on whether fans could distinguish between fantasy and reality, contributing to the popular conception of fans as “odd” or “deviant.”
Negative Stereotypes Contribute to Bad Fan Behavior
These negative stereotypes of fans have never gone away even as fandom has become more visible and socially acceptable with the rise of the internet. In fact, fan researcher Matt Hills has observed that today fan identities have been both normalized and, contradictorily,stigmatized.
This has led many fans to internalize acceptable and unacceptable ways of being a fan,something that seems to have led certain fans to police their fandoms, and as a result, bully other fans with abuse, purity tests, and at the most extreme, antisocial behaviors like threats.
Fans who bully other fans are often labeled “toxic.” However, it’s important to avoid painting with too broad a brush when describing the phenomenon of toxic fandom.
After all, there is a big difference, for example, between the group of fans who lobbied for Elsa from the movie “Frozen” to be the first Disney princess to have a girlfriend and those who harassed “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” actor Kelly Marie Tran with racist and sexist abuse until she leftsocial media.
However, the psychological processes that led both groups to engage in their respective activities are the same.
People Often Adopt a Fan Identity
Fandom starts with the adoption of a fan identity. Becoming a fan can be a powerful way to define the self, and when a fan acts on their fandom, they are expressing an identity they have chosen for themselves.
As a result, the passionate, emotional investment fans make in their favorite fan object may lead them to see that object as an extension of themselves.
Fandom Makes People Feel Connected
Fandom is rarely engaged in alone. Fans usually form a connection not just to their favorite fan object but also to other fans of that fan object.
In fact, studies indicate that even when fans don’t directly interact with other members of a fan community, they still perceive themselves as part of that community.Social psychologistHenri Tajfel’s social identity theory suggests that people become deeply invested in their social groups.
So fans not only become personally invested in a fan object, they become socially invested in a fan community.
Fans Will Defend the Object of Their Fandom and Other Fans
When people adopt personal andsocial identities, they also want to defend them against threats. In the case of fans, this means both defending the fan object that is seen as part of the self and the fan community.
Research has shown that when participants read a negative editorial about a brand they are a fan of such as Starbucks or Facebook, they react defensively as if they had been personally threatened.
Similarly, another study demonstrated that when fans of “Harry Potter” had incorporated their fandom into their self-concept, they were more sensitive to both affirmations and threats to this part of their identity.
This can lead to constructive fan campaigns that champion inclusivity andrepresentation, such as the previously mentioned campaign for Disney to show"Frozen’s" Elsa in a same-sex relationship.
Fans who claim a reboot or remake of a particular piece of intellectual property will “ruin their childhood” are often seen as toxic.
For example, when director Paul Feig remade “Ghostbusters” in 2016 with a group of female comedians as the leads, the backlash was swift, vitriolic, and led some fans tobullyand act antagonistically toward Feig and the movie’s stars online.
Many people believe that fans who act this way feel they’re entitled to have their fan object preserved and treated in only the ways they deem acceptable. This is considered not only toxic but inappropriate and immature.
Fandom Tied to Self-Concept Can Increase Toxicity
However, if a fan sees their fan object as part of theirself-concept, their reaction is likely less about entitlement and more about the threat to their identity. In the case of fans who claim that a remake or reboot of a piece of popular culture will “ruin their childhood,” their connection to the fan object goes beyond their current fan identity and extends back to their formative years.
This means they’ve made a connection between the fan object and their personal history and memory.So if the fan object is remade or revived in ways the fan finds objectionable, they feel a psychological disconnect between the past and present self.
Consequently, while the fan behavior resulting from this response may be objectionable, it arises not out of entitlement but out of a desire to protect one’s sense of self and its continuity.
On the other hand, a subsection of the “Ghostbusters” fandom that objected to the 2016 reboot targeted star Leslie Jones withracistandmisogynisttweets.
While the male gamers' desire to protect the videogame space is rooted in the same impulses of personal and social identity, it is also a result of their feelings of disempowerment as women and other marginalized groups who formerly didn’t garner much attention in gaming culture have not only joined its ranks but pushed into its mainstream.
This led them to attempt to push the newcomers back to the margins and regain their privileged position, usually with abuse and threats issued viasocial media.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that although bad actors tend to scream the loudest on social media and the news coverage of these bad actors amplifies their negative behavior further, most fans are not toxic.
Most fans are kind, open, and generous and fan communities are places of genuine acceptance,social support, andbelonging. While this is the lesser noticed part of fandom, it’s also what continues to make fandom worthwhile and a force for good for most people who love a particular piece of popular culture.
What This Means For YouBeing part of a fandom can be a fun and rewarding way to find a sense of community and connection. However, it is important to watch for signs of toxic fandom behavior. If you notice such behaviors, which can include bullying, harassment, and threats, it is essential to step back and avoid participating or encouraging these types of behaviors. Focus on making fan communities a kind, welcoming, and inclusive space for all fans.
What This Means For You
Being part of a fandom can be a fun and rewarding way to find a sense of community and connection. However, it is important to watch for signs of toxic fandom behavior. If you notice such behaviors, which can include bullying, harassment, and threats, it is essential to step back and avoid participating or encouraging these types of behaviors. Focus on making fan communities a kind, welcoming, and inclusive space for all fans.
13 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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