“I’m 17 years old and I admire Sabrina Carpenter” is the latest so-called fan behavior to be ridiculed online.
The original tweet was posted by a pop fan account (@Popmvsics) on Oct. 12, and said, “It’s disgusting and weird that you guys are defending literal weirdos. I’m 17 and my girlfriend… “I’m scared of Sabrina Carpenter performing. You need help.” The video quickly went viral, racking up 17.9 million views and becoming the latest copypasta online.
Tweet may have been deleted
This phrase is funny, but it emphasizes the growing tension. fan culturewhere social media It amplifies extreme behavior while complicating traditional fan-artist relationships. This post is part of a misogynistic thread that shames “.”espresso‘The singer with her sexy persona and provocative dance moves short and sweet tour.
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A follow-up tweet read: taylor Show yourself on stage. In any case, Queen Tay Tay will continue to be the main character of Sabrina.” Elas tour.
Online posts like “I’m 17 and I admire Sabrina Carpenter” often go viral and cast pop music fans in a negative light. However, scholars argue that true fandom is rooted in a positive relationship with the artist. “A lot of it doesn’t come from real fans; it comes from people who want to be loud and get attention and get rewarded by algorithms. ,” fan Georgia Carroll, a culture expert, told Mashable.
There is always a tension between fans building communities online and the profit-driven nature of social media platforms. Mark Duffett, associate professor of media and cultural studies at the University of Chester, explained in an email to Mashable that fans form communities to maintain the thrill of an artist’s performance. But the community is often more important than the artist. “For many people, fandom starts with appreciating an artist, but quickly becomes a sense of belonging within a fan community,” says Dr. Kremlin, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University’s Institute for Digital Civil Society and Ph.D. on music fandom. added Jenessa Williams, who wrote the issue.
However, to join communities on platforms like stan Twitterthe side of X/Twitter that is dedicated to passionately discussing artists and celebrities, so fans are against the algorithm. “Platforms are advertising machines. Their goal is to be used as consistently as possible in order to sell a high user base to advertisers. The algorithms don’t show content that makes users angry. Because it keeps people on the site longer,” says Associate Mel Stanfill. Professor of English at the University of Central Florida, author fandom is ugly. This optimization of engagement often fosters negative interactions rather than true community building.
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The behavior encouraged by the platform, combined with unprecedented access to celebrities, creates a complex ecosystem that genuine fans must navigate. Recently, due to the death of a person, One Direction’s Liam Payne and Chapel Lawn’s comment It’s a period of reflection for pop music fans about the toll modern fame has taken.
Experts say parasocial relationships, where fans feel a personal connection to celebrities, are normal. The term dates back to the 1950s and describes the feeling of knowing someone famous, even if you’ve never met them. But social media has strengthened these relationships. Where fans once engaged with artists through their music or magazine profiles, they now have access to them on a daily basis. TikTok, Instagram,X/Twitter. next Daily updated account That means being flooded with images and news about artists every day.
”[Social media] It kind of blurs the lines and people feel like they’re closer to celebrity than ever before,” Stanfill explained.
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Chapel Lawn’s rise to fame coincided with a steady stream of her TikTok posts, which fostered a sense of intimacy with her fans. In August, she uploaded a video setting boundaries, asking fans not to yell at her in the street, demand photos or invade her and her family’s privacy. “I don’t care that abuse, harassment and stalking is normal for celebrities,” she said. “I don’t care if it’s normal. I don’t care if this crazy type of behavior comes with the career field I’ve chosen. That doesn’t make it OK. I can’t say it’s normal. That doesn’t mean I want it. I don’t want whatever you think you’re entitled to every time you see a celebrity. ”
The series of TikToks went viral, and Roan soon faced backlash from all directions. As Stanfill explained, “She wasn’t trying to manipulate people, but it fostered a kind of relationship where her fans felt like they knew her. They reacted as if they knew her and went too far.” By setting boundaries, Roan broke the unspoken contract of constant accessibility that many fans expect from celebrities. Ta.
“When that emotional attachment is denied, people may react negatively. They may feel ashamed of having done something they shouldn’t have done. People who feel ashamed “People may engage in bad behavior to protect their self-image,” Stanfill says.
At the risk of losing his personality, Roan is trying to wisely set boundaries with his fans before they get even more out of control. This is a luxury that wasn’t available during the era of One Direction’s meteoric rise. At the height of their fame, they cultivated deep connections with their fans through continuous livestreaming and tweeting, forging strong bonds that sometimes blurred personal lines.
After Payne passed away on October 16th, many fans new statesman‘ Anna Leszkiewicz pondered their complicity in the tragedy that ultimately led to fame. She wrote, “How can we justify doing something like this, tearing these young people away from their families, normal human beings, and sense of self, and making them laugh as they fumble their way into adulthood? “Do we have to sacrifice ourselves before something changes?” ”
Since One Direction joined Twitter in 2010, the rapid spread of information online has only intensified, permanently reshaping fandoms and raising the stakes for artists to achieve fame.
Before social media, a fan might call a friend if they saw a celebrity on the street, but at that point the celebrity was no longer there. Now, that information is posted online and can be seen instantly by thousands of people.
in the profile of rolling stoneRoan explained that she posted the now-infamous TikTok after a fan grabbed her and kissed her and someone called her father after his phone number was leaked online. “It makes the platform great for activism, but it also makes it great for harassment,” Stanfill said. Without social media, Roanne’s father’s phone number would not have reached as many people as it did.
Williams noted that social media has also changed how fans view their interactions with idols. “There’s an extensive economy of fans that can show there’s been interaction,” she told Mashable. “They may be more concerned about getting the content, the video, than actually worrying about having a genuine connection.”
On platforms like TikTok, X, and Instagram, videos of fans interacting with artists regularly garner thousands of views. The viral appeal of these clips fosters the commodification of fan-artist interaction, turning authentic moments into performances in front of the camera. “Chapel Lawn is making a name for itself in the age of TikTok and constant surveillance,” Carroll noted.
In the wake of Payne’s death, hundreds of thousands of directing professionals returned to social media, where they once shared their excitement about album releases and music videos, to mourn. Amid heartfelt tributes and cherished memories, users also revisit the band’s years in the spotlight, shedding new light on the overwhelming amount of content produced and the intense scrutiny it brought. I did.
Williams suggests that instead of fans seeking recognition from artists, they focus on building community within their fandom and forming connections with other fans. ”[That] “It can be much healthier than trying to get mutual recognition from artists,” she explained. A sense of community can replace the desire to feel close to the artist or the urge to know everything about the artist. Want to meet people who share your passion and post about the things they love?
As fans and artists navigate these evolving norms, there is an opportunity to redefine what a healthy, positive fan community looks like. It’s about a relationship with art over a viral moment or the need to know every detail about an artist.
