On fandom

Fandom, in the form of spectator (i.e. un-interactive) entertainment persists in its appeal due to inertia, as a result of an introduction to this pastime from a young age: this comes especially if a "victory" (or "inspirational moment") occurs from the get-go!

Forms of fandom

Fans partake in:

• sporting events
• musical concerts
• theatrical productions
• television series
• movies
• political rallies
• motivational speaker events
• events based on local superstitions

Components of a fandom event

Every event has some form of:

• a venue or a channel
• a performer or performers
  • on a stage
  • on a field of play, or
  • behind a screen
• an audience
  • a more fundamentalist faction ("hard-core")
  • a more casual faction ("vibe")

Optionally:

• "merch"
  • souvenirs ("things to take home")
  • concessions ("things to enjoy at the venue")

In rare instances, the audience can become the performer (but we treat these moments as exceptions to the rule - there always exists a distance between the two!)

One could also argue that the audience, with all their cheering and heckling, forms part of the "unofficial performance"...

Anti-fandom

When not introduced to it from a young age, an adult looks at a form of entertainment with relative indifference!

Worse, the adult might see fandom as:

• a one-sided reverence from fan to persona (or group)
  • the persona as mere "idolatry"
  • the group as a mere "cult"
• a cost rather than a chance
  • increasing prices for tickets and merchandise
  • increasing time commitment
    • the creep of "subscription fatigue"

Occasionally, the entertainment provides just a source of relaxation and escape in a world where less and less makes sense; one still should seek an alternative to fandom, although inertia has its way with the fan!

Fandom online

Recurring patterns of many fans online:

• a subjective rather than objective mentality
  • opinions based on feelings over facts and statistics
  • "in-group preference" runs rampant
    • i.e. "my team is better than your team"
• speculating on what might happen rather than celebrating what has actually happened
  • making all sorts of incorrect predictions especially in an event filled with randomness
    • i.e. "counting chickens before the eggs hatch"

The following happens particularly in the sporting world, but could easily (as an exercise) port into other forms of fandom:

• a defeatist mentality if something "wrong" happens, thinking that the team will "not win" if:
  • star players get injured or "killed off"
  • they lose early on
• an idolatry towards a star player even if they perform badly
  • one should not mention that the star player has "underperformed" out of fear of offending a "hardcore" fan

Trying to remain objective, especially with the randomness of the game, meets with hostility:

• too much positivity and one risks looking like an overenthusiastic cheerleader
• too much negativity and one gets treated as a "spy" for another team or brand

Fandom offline

Some fans become the quiet "plain clothes" type:

• they simply watch the event from "afar" or quietly without emotion
• they do not wear jerseys or buy excessive "merch"
• they might even ever appear at the on-site venues (for their safety?)

They might find the experience at home, thanks to the "safety of the internet", much more comfortable and cost-efficient than actually going to the venue! Does this make them any less of a fan?