#15: Stans? Fans? Ugh, this is too complicated
Taylor Swift stans are called "Swifties". BTS stans are called "ARMY"- I could go on for hours.
Here's the thing: I love Taylor Swift's music, and I also adore certain BTS songs. But I know that I could never become a stan. Stan, as in an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity. This is why:
When I first read JK Rowling's famous Harry Potter novels, I loved her. It was insane, to be honest. I wanted every novel she had ever made. So, one can imagine my disappointment when I learned about her anti-Transgender beliefs. As people have been fighting for LGBTQ+ rights for decades, I was deeply saddened by her comments. After that, I made a pact with myself to never support an artist that much. Supporting their art is one thing, but supporting their entire personality is an issue.
YAY! Our problems end here. We can shut off the blog now, right?
No.
Because money exists, we have to now figure out whether we can support one's art in general. For example, Ke$ha's producer, Lukasz Sebastian Gottwald, has Rape and Sexual Abuse allegations against him. Even though nobody is supporting his actions, listening to Ke$ha's music gives Gottwald a massive monetary benefit. So, can we even listen to Ke$ha's music anymore?
Other times, the artist themself has done some problematic things. For example, Chris Pratt thanked his wife on Instagram for giving him a "gorgeous, healthy daughter". This wasn't taken well by the internet as Pratt himself left his first wife and first son, who was unfortunately born with a cerebral hemorrhage. So, Pratt has proven himself a little problematic, but we still watch Marvel movies, right?
This, my friends, is the debate. The debate that is valid, but REALLY frustrating.
HI!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree; this game is so difficult to play. When I learned that MLK cheated on his wife, I started spiraling; am I supposed to not support him anymore because I don't support cheating on your wife? Does the fact that he cheated on his wife negate the massive social/political impact he had on the United States? WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? Because to be honest, if any one of us was put under the spotlight and publicly scrutinized, I'm sure there'd be something to cancel us all for, because none of us are perfect. But with major transgressions, like Rowling being openly transphobic (several times and then defending her actions), what should we do? Are we supposed to continue giving money to people who have done things we deem egregious? And honestly, is there anyone left to support at the end of it all?
I think part of the reason this is such a huge issue is because of stan culture, like you talked about. If we put people on these sky high pedestals and equate them to Gods, we can't truly reconcile when they do something wrong. And of course, it doesn't help that we live in a consumerist society, where the only/best way we know to support people is to throw our money at them.
Okay I'm done I'm sorry this is super long...
I don't think I can top Deepti's comment honestly, but I really enjoyed reading this. You gave relevant examples to show the 3 sides of the issue without making it boring. I think the idea of "separating art from the artist" is developed well!
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