being a fangirl essay

How Being A Fangirl Changed My Life

This piece originally appeared on Femsplain.com . Femsplain is a community for everyone, powered by personal stories from anyone female-identified.

I was not always a music fangirl.

In fact, I would count 2015 as only my second year as a full-time Stan (if you don’t know what a Stan is, refer to Twitter and that one Eminem song). High school was soundtracked by pretty tame stuff, save for a few alt tunes that I discovered through NPR and kept on my iPod because their mere presence made me feel super sophisticated. But as I entered my junior year at college, and the prospect of "real life" seemed to be chasing me down with impressive speed, I relied on music. At first it was a nice form of escapism. Delving into pop-rock albums made me feel as if I was the subject of a John Hughes flick instead of a boring, normal college kid. But the more I listened, the more I figured out how the music was causing a change in me while simultaneously being its backdrop.

I was always a straight-A, preternaturally serious teenager. I didn’t go to concerts; I went to debate tournaments. I loved Banana Republic and shunned the hazy music festival summers my friends indulged in. I needed to get into a good college and get a hefty scholarship. I was way too impatient for the "quests for self discovery" that my peers sought through Death Cab and Mumford. It wasn’t until I got to college and reclaimed my inner fangirl that I realized how special it is to fall in love with bands, and bands fronted by women in particular. Haim, SZA, Angel Olsen—they all provided the soundtrack for my own change in perspective. I became disillusioned with what I used to want, and instead became enchanted with music and music enthusiasts. You can fall in love with a band quite easily if you love their fan culture as well.

I spent the better part of last August traversing the West Coast, going to Haim concerts and meeting other superfans. In the middle of a packed audience at FYF in Los Angeles, I found a cohort of twentysomething Haim fans. We took turns making Este Haim’s signature bass face and chatted about how cool it is that women can unapologetically rock. The smart, passionate, hysterically funny young women that populated the concert crowds became some of my best friends. I changed from someone who harbored a gross amount of internalized misogyny—rolling my eyes at girls in skater skirts and choker necklaces—to a champion of fangirls and everything they love.

I am by no means knowledgeable or infallible when it comes to gender issues. But the intersecting worlds of social media and social justice have opened my eyes to slights against women in music that I just can’t abide. I’m glad I’ve changed—my transition to music fangirl has helped me embrace a pro-feminism culture that accepts and encourages women of all stripes. I’m just continually frustrated that sometimes the music industry seems sluggish to adapt to its consumers’ more progressive outlook on gender. I think I’ll tear my hair out if I read one more article that attributes the entirety of a woman musician’s craft to her hyped male producer. Charli XCX ecutive produced her slam-dunk of a pop-punk album, Sucker, yet her male producers are given all too much credit for the aesthetic and ideas she so deliberately cultivated. And even when women’s involvement in making their music is left unquestioned, they are sexualized or described in the most infantilizing, condescending gendered terms. They are called "innocent," "naïve" and "soft." I have never seen the Haim sisters as anything less than ferocious in their talent and audacity. But they are coded as easy, breezy Valley girls whose luscious locks are written about more than their shredding abilities.

Change can be difficult. I don’t feel as sure or steady in what I want anymore, or what my career priorities are. I just know I want to support bands and the people that love them—particularly women in music. I owe most of this change to the fangirls who launch these bands’ careers and endlessly encourage them. They form a family of sorts—cheering from the stage barrier and then resuming their lives, striving for their own personal goals while being inspired by the band’s bigger ones. But they’re also a family that looks out for its own, and that demands change in the music industry. We need writers who respect the young women on stage and in the audience, and labels that trust women’s visions for their own work. It’s a frustrating yet worthwhile pursuit—talking to any fangirl at a festival or concert will quickly prove that to you.

—Nellie Gayle

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In defense of fangirls: Why being part of the BTS fandom is helping me through the pandemic

Samantha lui has found comfort and companionship among millions of fellow devoted k-pop fans.

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It's time for me to come clean: I'm a fangirl. 

Unlike regular fans, who have a strong interest in or admiration for a particular person or thing, "fangirls," according to the dictionary, are girls who are overly enthusiastic and behave in an obsessive or overly excited way. 

I admit, I haven't always been proud of the fangirl label.

Maybe it's because I'm 29 years old, with a job and bills to pay.

Or perhaps it's because of how I was teased when I screamed over British boy band One Direction, or crushed on actors Ryan Gosling and Dev Patel.

But it was only when the COVID-19 pandemic started that I realized that being a fangirl was more than a childish obsession.

Living alone in my apartment, I couldn't see my family, friends or loved ones. It was stressful and lonely. So I turned  to something I loved for comfort.

That something was the South Korean boy band BTS — the best-selling artists in South Korean history. 

Keeping fangirl identity 'a secret'

I first discovered BTS in February 2020.

I watched a live performance of their song Black Swan on YouTube, and I was immediately mesmerized by their dance moves, singing and stage presence. The choreography, set design and production left me thinking, "Wow, this is art!"

I spent the next two days going down a YouTube rabbit hole. I watched video after video, getting to know BTS through interviews and performances.

By the end of the week, I had memorized all of the group members' stage names: RM, Suga, Jin, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook. I knew that RM did most of the talking in English, that Jin was born the same year as I was, and that BTS is short for "bulletproof boy scouts" in Korean. The name signifies the group's desire to get rid of unhealthy stereotypes and unrealistic expectations of young people.

I had become part of BTS' ARMY, the official name for the group's fandom. It stands for "Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth."

I subscribed to their YouTube channel (along with 40 million other people), followed them on Twitter and Instagram and joined Weverse, the app they use to interact with their fans.

I started buying the band's official merchandise — t-shirts, plushies, pens and stickers — as well as magazine covers featuring the group.

Despite following  them intensely on social media, I never left a comment. I kept my newfound love of them quiet. I felt silly to be so invested. 

But hiding my fandom bothered me. If a group was giving me this much joy during a period of isolation, why shouldn't I embrace it?

Being part of fandom can be 'healthy'

According to Dr. Lynn Zubernis, I'm feeling embarrassed because society has long perceived fangirls as "frivolous and selfish." 

Zubernis, a clinical psychologist and professor at West Chester University in Pennsylvania, started studying fandoms and the psychology of being a fan after she became fixated on the television series Supernatural .

Her experiences led her to co-write a book called Fangasm: Supernatural Fangirls. 

Zubernis points out that fangirls are treated differently to fanboys or fans. She describes growing up in Philadelphia and seeing family members spend entire Sundays at Eagles games, wearing Eagles jerseys, and wanting Eagles paraphernalia for Christmas.

"That is accepted as a pretty normal thing," she said. "But when I fell in love and was just as passionate about a little genre television show on the CW, it was really not perceived in the same way.

Zubernis says that it is not nearly as acceptable for a grown woman to be a fan because it's a lot more threatening.

"There's anxiety around women saying, 'No, this is what I'm passionate about. I'm going to do what I want to do. This is what makes me happy and I'm going to do that.'" 

Zubernis says the best way to embrace the fangirl label is by battling against "internalized shame" and to recognize that "there are really healthy things that come out of fandom and being part of a fan community."

Finding community through fandom 

As I look back on my past, I think about the role fandoms have played in my life and the friends I've made along the way. 

While I was in university, I became close friends with a classmate named Alexa Huffman through our shared love of the One Direction. 

One of the highlights of our friendship included winning tickets to see the group live in concert. 

But while our love of the group has waned through the years, the memory of that event has helped us stay in touch. 

"The experience of being fangirls has kept us close because it gives us something to talk about, no matter where we are," Huffman told me recently. 

Loving BTS has also helped me connect with fellow fangirls during the pandemic, like Minnie Luangkham. 

We met last fall at a socially-distanced BTS fan event she helped organize at a Toronto cafe. 

We bonded over the fact that their songs helped us get through tough times. We quickly became friends and added each other on social media. 

"We love BTS so much and they teach people so many things — like to love yourself, and just be open and be true to who you are. And I feel like it's almost like a safe place," Luangkham said. 

We've made plans to hang out after the pandemic. It's a friendship that would have never happened without BTS. 

I realize that more than BTS itself, it's the community of fans — or BTS' ARMY — that is helping me right now. We're getting through this pandemic together.

And if that makes me a fangirl, then so be it. 

Samantha Lui is an associate producer with CBC Toronto's Metro Morning . She's also produced interviews for Cross Country Checkup, As It Happens and CBC News Network . Before joining the CBC, she interned at Hong Kong's English daily newspaper, South China Morning Post. A fangirl at heart, she spends her free time watching BTS videos on YouTube and Asian dramas. She is also holding out hope for a One Direction reunion tour one day. 

This documentary was edited by Alison Cook. 

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How Being A Fangirl Helped Me Embrace The Chaos Of My 20s

Chloe Williams serves as B+C’s Entertainment Editor and resident Taylor Swift expert. Whether she’s writing a movie review or interviewing the stars of the latest hit show, Chloe loves exploring why stories inspire us. You can see her work published in BuzzFeed , Coastal Review , and North Beach Sun . When she’s not writing, Chloe’s probably watching a Marvel movie with a cherry coke or texting her sister about the latest celebrity news. Say hi at @thechloewilliams on Insta and @ popculturechlo on Twitter!

I didn’t realize how relatable the Friends theme song was until I turned 22. “Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, your love life’s DOA” pretty much sums up different parts of my 20s thus far. In fact, ever since I finished college and turned my tassel (in the middle of a global pandemic no less), chaos has seemed to follow me.

I’m type-A, measured, and love keeping to a schedule (typical eldest daughter behavior), but I also have the feral enthusiasm that comes with identifying both as a member of Gen Z and as a fangirl. Which means that as animated and excited as I can get, when I make a plan, that plan comes to fruition exactly the way I need it to...usually. But if there's anything that my favorite stories have shown me, it's that life rarely go according to plan.

What Is A Fangirl?

Assistant Editor Chloe Williams at the Friends Experience in New York City

Image via Chloe Williams/B+C

Merriam-Webster defines fangirl as "a girl or woman who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something." But can you really be overly enthusiastic about something? There is so much darkness in the world right now that if something brings you joy, why not use your entire heart to celebrate it?

Conversations and controversy surrounding fangirls swelled over recent years, especially as TikTok and Twitter continue to make it even easier to talk about your favorite topics. Headlines discuss everything from The Social Power Of Fangirls to Why Sexism Drives Fangirl Shaming .

Using fandom or emotional connection to belittle another person reduces the idea of being a fangirl down to someone who's blindly obsessed with a variety of random movies, books, or bands. But it is so much more layered and complicated than that.

The Chronicles of Narnia taught me about courage and kindness. The MCU taught me to believe in myself. Little Women taught me about sisterhood. Taylor Swift taught me about romanticizing every part of life. Shadow And Bone and The Last of Us taught me to look for the light when life feels too dark to go on.

These stories made my life, my worldview, and my understanding of other people's lives so much richer.

Applying The Fangirl Mentality To Life

Chloe standing outside the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind roller coaster dressed as Wanda Maximoff

The fangirl mentality means that I try to have a “good for the plot” approach to life. This is a part of the viral TikTok main character mindset, where you look at your life as a television series and attribute any missteps as something that would make your audience laugh, gasp, or talk about — the same way that we gossip about our favorite shows.

Embracing the chaos of life goes hand in hand with Chaos Theory , and the understanding that the world around us is, and will continue to be, unpredictable. By accepting that life overall will continue to surprise us, we're able to hold our own plans with a looser grip — and approach life with more fun.

I have a running list on my phone of funny quotes that I overhear, and am constantly telling stories of how I tripped up the stairs in a subway station, flailing my elbows like a bird because my hands were occupied, or almost got hit by a cab in the pouring rain.

As funny as it can be to talk about that chaos, there's something that feels extra confusing when making mistakes in your 20s . Your mess-ups can have more drastic consequences than ever before, and there's a self-imposed pressure to act like an adult even though you still feel 16.

Leaning into the mistakes we make is important because they serve as a reminder that we’re not perfect, and no milestone or age will change that. After you mess up, your brain moves slower and more intentionally when making a decision, allowing it to absorb the information around you more thoroughly. This means that making mistakes can challenge and strengthen your brain.

And that's another wonderful thing about growing up with my favorite characters : they make a ton of mistakes in their '20s.

Mia Thermopolis falls into a fountain during a royal garden party in The Princess Diaries 2 , while almost all of Jane Villanueva's best efforts in Jane the Virgin go hilariously wrong. None of our favorite Friends know what the heck they're doing throughout the first season. Or second. Or third.

Engaging with your favorite shows and movies and looking to the characters' inspiring traits can make your internal life — your imagination, your empathy, and your thought processes — stronger. But according to a study from Oxford Academic , it can also affect your physical life — your attitude and your behavior — because of the way it strengthens the overlap between self and others in your brain.

Growing Up And Moving Forward

Chloe with Taylor Swift's "Midnights" in October 2022

I recently interviewed early 2000s icon Ashley Tisdale and she had some wonderful advice about surviving your 20s. "I think the twenties are just so much fun," she says in the interview . "It's wild and crazy, and you're dating, and you're learning who you are, and who you can be with, and what you want."

And just like my favorite sitcoms (and Ashley), I’m trying to embrace the chaos. Living as a 20-something writer in New York City is something I dreamt of for so long that even the setbacks still have a magical edge to them. There are times — like when I come out of the subway listening to Taylor Swift surrounded by skyscrapers, or when I sit with my friends in the park — that feel like they're also part of a script, that they're too good to be true.

When I moved away from home , it really did feel like a series finale where one of the characters got their own spinoff. I said goodbye to the only state I’d ever lived in and the people that knew me better than I know myself. There was a strange mix of thrilling anticipation and terror that I had never felt before.

Naturally, to give myself some confidence, I also came up with a name for the aforementioned spinoff ( Next Life ) as well as picked out the theme song ( “Be With You” by The Belonging Co. and Lauren Strahm ). Just like the perfect cocktail , your 20s is all about finding the right balance between different elements in your life. There's definitely some of that chaos, but there's also pure fun. Because the world is so dark, and life can be so hard, I like to sprinkle a little bit of that fun magic where I can.

I'd recommend giving yourself a theme song and adopting a "good for the plot" mentality — it might just help you embrace the unpredictability in your own life.

Check out our email newsletter for more think-pieces and read up on the latest fangirl + entertainment trends here !

Lead photo by Warner Bros. Television

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The Life of a Teenage Fangirl

Favorite Quote: "Mosaics are made of broken pieces but they're still beautiful and so are you"

For most teenage girls, music is just a part of every day life. Sure, they prefer certain bands and have their favorite songs, but in comparison to being a fan girl, that's just a drop in the ocean. Super fans, better known as fan girls, devote themselves to books, television shows, movies, music, and celebrities all the time. Whether it's purchasing the newest merchandise or attending the next concert, fan girls make it a mission to support their obsessions as much as possible. For me, it all started when a friend introduced me to the world's most famous boy band, One Direction. What started out as a simple hobby soon became an obsession. My friends started following the band members on social media in the beginning. That quickly turned into purchasing albums, posters, notebooks, and even pillows that have their faces on them. They're the first thing on our mind when we wake up, the last thought that comes to mind before bed, and nearly every thought in-between. Being a fan girl was never easy. Apart from the constant heartache that results from knowing you'll never be with them, fan girls have to face many challenges. From school mates poking fun at us to family members disapproving, the whole experience can become quite difficult. "It can be a roller coaster of emotions," a close friend once said. "It's like the ruined my life in the best ways possible," another once joked. Being a fan girl has a lot of positive impacts that overpower the negative ones. For starters, just seeing the face or hearing the voice of any One Direction member can instantly cheer me up and fill me with joy. You have the chance to experience true love at a young age without the painful drama of breakups and insults from the other person. The band members are always thanking you for your support and telling you how much they love and appreciate you. So, as you can see, being a fan girl has it's ups and downs, but in the end, I couldn't be happier that I am one.

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It's time we stopped treating fangirls as pop culture's favourite punchline

“Why are young women screaming at a One Direction concert seen as hysterical but grown men screaming at their inanimate TVs, rioting and causing millions of dollars of damage, seen as part of being a sports fan?” writes Lucy Blakiston for Shit You Should Care About. As the founder of a pop-culture portal that commands over 3.5 million eyeballs, a day in the life of Blakiston involves curating everyday memes laced with insightful commentary on the happenings of the world. However, there is little humour in her disposition as she skewers the gender-based gatekeeping prevalent in the realm of fandoms—and, for that matter, governing who gets to call themselves a legitimate fan . “I never once thought their interest in these sports was hysterical or something to be ashamed about. My interest in One Direction, on the other hand, was seen as juvenile and embarrassing,” she challenges.

Her wrath isn’t unwarranted, given the crucial role that fangirls play in moving the levers of culture forward by sheer strength of numbers. However, historically, their self-worth has been reductively minimised to a screaming, pulsating mass of hysteria—easy target practice for the literary lampoons that deny them power in the very institutions that they have created. This isn’t to say that they are powerless. Fangirls of today can take down white supremacist hashtags by flooding them with fancams. They can sabotage a political rally by booking hundreds of tickets for seats they don't intend to use—case in point: the K-pop stans who successfully inflated attendance expectations for a Trump rally in Tulsa. If they wake up one day and put their mind to it, they can even free Britney Spears from conservatorship. The one thing they haven't been able to do is to escape the unyielding onslaught of derision and mockery.

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In an infamous essay for New Statesman , Paul Johnson scoffed, “Those who flock round the Beatles, who scream themselves into hysteria, whose vacant faces flicker over the TV screen, are the least fortunate of their generation, the dull, the idle, the failures." The article would go on to become of the most complained-about pieces in the history of the publication. And while the Beatlemaniac of yesteryear has become the Belieber of today, fangirls are yet to escape the clutches of condescension and knee-jerk ridicule.

For critic Barbara Ehrenreich, the policing of fangirls is nothing new—she credits it to a historical mandate that insists on moulding teenage girls into symbols of purity. Any subversions from the norm trigger memories of the Victorian-era idea of hysteria, a medical condition attributed to women exhibiting erratic behaviour with the “tendency to cause trouble.” In an essay in 1992, Ehrenreich observed, "To abandon control—to scream, faint, dash about in mobs—was in form, if not in conscious intent, to protest the rigid double standard of female teen culture.”

Taking a detour from the codes of patriarchy can come with dire consequences. Blakiston recalls being mortified when a video of her and her best friend screaming after securing One Direction concert tickets was broadcast at her 21st birthday party. On the other side of the globe, her experiences are mirrored by Arunima Joshua, a 27-year-old content writer. “While interning at an indie music establishment in 2015, I had been looping “Blank Space” the whole day on my earphones. But when a colleague asked me what I was listening to, I was embarrassed to admit that it was a Taylor Swift song—knowing the lighthearted, but judgmental ribbing that it would inspire.” During the singer’s reputation era of 2017, Joshua pretended to be an “ironic Swiftie” in order to continue publicly sharing her inputs on the album. It was only two album eras later, in her mid-20s, that she found herself emboldened to publicly claim her status as a devoted Swiftie.

Since the public proclamation of her fandom, she finds that she is often furnished with unsolicited, patronising recommendations to listen to an under-the-radar artiste instead. “Within the music community, fangirls of female pop stars are expected to not know enough about the technical aspects of music, and the artiste’s lyricism is further dismissed as a petulant pre-teen obsession with fairytale tropes. This does not translate for male fans of metal and hip hop genres, whose fandom lends them an air of intellect to bolster their image,” she points out.

Matisse DuPont, a Boston-based educator and gender consultant, believes that the gender-based disparities within the world of fandom exist because cishet men have largely been considered the standard in most societies. “As a consequence, their interests become the default,” they explain. “Affiliation with the fandom of men's sports is often used as leverage to gain access to spaces where men dominate and have power. Cultural tropes like the ‘cool girl’—who isn’t like other girls because she loves sports—often exist to disparage feminine interests in favour of masculinely coded ones. This also makes it impossible for women to have a vested interest in sports without becoming a part of the boys’ club.”

Today, DuPont believes that modern society continues to remain complicit in the denigration of feminine interests in order to maintain patriarchal social systems. “This comes to a crescendo when we talk about the interests of young girls—anything they like becomes vapid, trendy, over-hyped, cringe and sappy. Masculine fandoms are figured to be historical and universal, whereas feminine fandoms are seen as nothing more than a fad,” they observe.

Blakiston believes that momentum can be achieved by erasing the systemic disparity; while sports fans are assured that they can make a living out of their hobby by becoming commentators, YouTube influencers or fantasy gaming pros, a boy band fangirl is made to believe that the skills she is learning aren’t legitimate. “This couldn’t be further from the truth because being a fangirl can help you learn valuable skills that are transferable in the real world. Take your pick: website, blog and forum building, community management, Photoshop skills, video editing, writing and editing—fanfic writers, I see you—as well as mobilising and organising.” She believes that the blueprint for the latter can be found with the Indian BTS ARMY that mobilised to raise a whopping two million rupees within 24 hours during the devastating second wave of the pandemic that gripped the nation in April. “It’s no wonder that there’s a confidence gap between men and women at the workplace because it’s so hard to recognise our skills when we keep being told that our motive for learning them is something to be ashamed of,” she ponders.

So can the fangirl ever be freed from this censure and cultural conservatorship? Joshua has cause to believe that the advent of internet culture could be the turning point for the plight of the modern fangirl, with meme pages—such as Blakiston’s Shit You Should Care About—as well as a slew of other femme-identifying popular culture accounts validating and celebrating them. “They also regularly call out the high-handed attitudes of largely masculine pop culture fandoms that gatekeep music and bands. Even if they’re just memes, their thought-shifting impact endures beyond the screen,” she says.

At the end of the day, she sums up the impact of the fangirl with a famously cited quote: “The greatest musical act since the advent of mass media would have just been four scrawny boys from Liverpool, if it hadn’t been for the hordes of screaming teen fangirls on American shores that kicked off the legendary Beatlemania—those thousands of young women created the world’s first pop music stars.” But hey, it’s probably just the hysteria.

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Home » Blog » The Art of Being a Fan: How Fan Culture Affects Mental Health Topic: FAN CULTURE AND MENTAL HEALTH

The Art of Being a Fan: How Fan Culture Affects Mental Health Topic: FAN CULTURE AND MENTAL HEALTH

Writer/s: Marie Nicole Ingrid Lusterio, Jasmin Cyrille Researcher: Marie Nicole Ingrid Lusterio, Jasmin Cyrille Editor: Richardson dR Mojica Graphics: Billie Fuentes, Jacklyn Moral, Krystle Mae Labio Tweet Chat Moderators: Richardson Mojica Tobey Fhar Isaac Calayo Spaces Moderators: 

Are you a fan of something? Is it a book series that you really like? K-drama? Actors? Artists? Music? We are all fans of something at one point in our lives, and many might relate when we say that being a “fan” is probably one of our most extraordinary eras in life. Being unconditionally happy because of something or someone is a different experience. They said being a fangirl is a wild ride. It’s like stepping into a different world, knowing different people, and experiencing different emotions all at the same time. 

With the age of technology, the widespread use of social media intensified the fan culture across the globe. It started to conquer social platforms with Western idols, Korean waves, Japanese anime, Filipino love teams, and many more. Because of these, fandoms are created and expanded. It paved the way to create spaces on the internet for fandoms to express their support for their respective chosen entertainment (Napier, 2006). 

Being a Fangirl/Fanboy 

On the surface, we can define “fans” as people who like particular stuff. Inverse interpreted “fans” as audiences that construct their own culture [10]. Being a fan allows us to also discover ourselves more:

• Self-understanding – We can get a greater understanding of our emotions, actions, and motivations by engaging with other fans and relating to the people we idolize [11].
• Self-expression – For some people who may not identify with typical “social norms,” fandom or being a fan provides a safe place where “weirdness” is not only welcomed but celebrated [11].
• Self-creativity – being a fan gives us the inspiration to create and foster art in many forms to express love and joy over the people or things we like. This gives us the opportunity to discover ourselves more.

Being in a Fandom

Fandoms are formed by a group of people who admire and support a certain popular culture. With the help of their idols, different people are connected and gathered with common and shared interests. Consequently, many friendships were strengthened and built by stanning celebrities. The networks of different fandoms expressed this sense of belongingness as they welcomed everyone to their group. Psychotherapist and psychology professor at Columbia University, Dr. Laurel Steinberg, explained the positive effects of belonging to fandoms on individuals’ socioemotional health. The connection and family-like will produce this feeling of security and will help the fans to establish this sense of purpose. Additionally, it is healthy for an individual to engage in activities that will make her/him move, think, and interact [5]

Beyond cheerings, kiligs , and happiness, the stan culture expands its definition and influence among its fans. Through the great influence of their idols, their fandoms are dedicated to giving philanthropic causes, from donating monetary assistance to providing help with humanitarian hands to the marginalized section of society. To address their idols’ advocacy and promote their campaigns, different fandoms make efforts to offer help to the world [1]

Being a Groupie – effects of fan culture on mental health such as positivity, happiness (emotions), coping mechanism 

Being a fan allows us to love someone or something without conditions and rejoice over the little things. It gives us chance to have fun and be happy with a community that connects to us with the same feelings. 

However, just like many things, being a fan has its limits. Obsession and true ardor are two different things. Obsession generally interferes with one’s quality of life and confuses fiction with reality. The difference isn’t necessarily who is more passionate; rather, it’s whether or not people can maintain healthy boundaries while supporting and being overly obsessed that we perceive fiction as reality [12]. In the K-Pop fandom community, this kind of fan is called a “sasaeng ”. Sasaeng is defined as an obsessive fan who stalks or engages in other behavior constituting an invasion of the privacy of celebrities. When becoming a fan we should also make sure we keep appropriate boundaries for both ourselves and the individuals we admire [13].

PRE-ACTIVITY SESSION: 

What fandom/s do you belong to? 

Ex: EXO-L, Blinks, Potterheads, DonBelle, A’Tin 

GUIDE QUESTIONS:

• What made you a fan of something/someone? What changed when you became a fan?
• How did fandom/fan community engagement help you? 
• How do we maintain healthy boundaries as a fan?

POST-ACTIVITY SESSION: 

Share your unforgettable and happy fan stories with us. 

REFERENCE: 

• De Cartagena, A. (November, 2021). Beyond Just Stanning, See How These Filipino Fandoms Have Been Giving Back.   Nylon: Pop Culture. https://nylonmanila.com/stanning-filipino-fandoms-giving-back/
• Jang, W. & Song, J. E. (2017). The Influences of K-pop Fandom on Increasing Cultural Contact [Thesis, University of Seoul]. National Research Foundation of Korea. https://barnettcenter.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2019-08/the_influences_of_k-pop_fandom.pdf
• Liao, Z. (2021). Fan Culture under the Influence of Media Development . Open Journal of Social Sciences, 9, 88-93. https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=113688
• Steig, C. (August, 2019). Stanning A Celeb Or TV Show Can Be Fun. But Is It Good For Your Mental Health? Refinery29. https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/08/233262/fandom-mental-health-effects
• Wiest, B. (July, 2017). Psychologists Say That Belonging To A Fandom Is Amazing For Your Mental Health . Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/psychologists-say-fandoms-are-amazing-for-your-mental-health
• Hrebenak, M. (n.d.). Supernatural: The Power of Fandom for Mental Health. Progressive Counseling Services. https://www.meredithlpc.com/blog/mental-health-and-fandom
• Inverse. (October, 2015). SCIENCE EXPLAINS: WHY BEING A FAN IS GOOD FOR YOU . https://www.inverse.com/article/7120-science-explains-why-being-a-fan-is-good-for-you
• Vinney, C. (June 2022). What Is the Effect of Long-Term Fandom? VeryWellMind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-effect-of-long-term-fandom-5296129
• Napier, S. (2006). The World of Anime Fandom in America . Mechademia, 1(1), 47–63. doi:10.1353/mec.0.0072
• Sloat, S. (2015, October 16). Science Explains. . . Why Being a Fan Is Good for You. Inverse. https://www.inverse.com/article/7120-science-explains-why-being-a-fan-is-good-for-you
• Hrebenak, M. M. S. (2020, November 16). Supernatural: The Power of Fandom for Mental Health . Progressive Counseling Services. https://www.meredithlpc.com/blog/mental-health-and-fandom
• Wiest, B. (2017, July 20). Psychologists Say That Belonging To A Fandom Is Amazing For Your Menta . Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/psychologists-say-fandoms-are-amazing-for-your-mental-health
• Sasaeng fan . (n.d.). Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/sasaeng-fan/m0lqhnn1?hl=en

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The Future of Fangirling

One of my favourite things about myself is that I am a fangirl. I love waking up and looking at my lock screen being a photo of Harry Styles that I took at Madison Square Garden. I love that I have small posters and figurines of Loki in my work and home office to show my love of the MCU. I love that I have tattoos for my love and passion for BTS, Loki, Harry Styles, and Stranger Things. I love being a fangirl. My love for being a fangirl started in 2006 with the song Year 3000 by the Jonas Brothers and I laid eyes on Joe Jonas. Shout out to Joe Jonas for leading me down the path of being the fangirl that I am today.  

It’s an honour to be a fangirl. Fangirls have been around for years simply supporting, loving, their favourite person(s) and devoting their time, energy, and desire for community through their devotion to said person(s). When talking about the future of being a fangirl, defining who a fangirl is and what fangirling means is needed to further this conversation.   

What is a fangirl?

A fangirl by definition as a noun is “a girl or woman who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan of someone or something” and as a verb is “to exhibit fandom often to an excessive degree: to behave like an extremely devoted or overly excited fangirl”.  Cambridge Dictionary describes a fangirl as “a girl or young woman who is a fan of someone or something such as an actor, a type of music, a piece of technology, etc.,”; while another definition drops the “young” age indication and describes it as “an obsessive female fan, especially of comic books, science fiction, video games, music, or electronic devices”.   

Urban Dictionary also has multiple definitions of fangirl. A few worth pointing out are “a general term for a female fan of something”, “a fangirl is a (female) fan of a character from a movie, anime, video game, etc., or a real-life actor or singer. Usually, they have an obsession with their ‘idol’ and do various activities to show their love for the said idol”. The Urban Dictionary definition brings in how being a fangirl has had labels of being seen as insane, idiotic, or even scary (pending how far their behaviours as a fangirl go – a.k.a stalking, adding more human attributes that make their said idol imperfect, etc.).   

Reflecting on those definitions, it only makes the experience of a fangirl to be 2D and lack action. The only definition that comes close to recognizing action with the fangirl experience is Urban Dictionary.   

I want to define being a fangirl with a more inclusive definition. A fangirl is “an individual woman or gender non-conforming person who is a fan of something important to them (singers, actors, athletes, sports, books, video games, etc.) and engage in activities that allow them to connect said thing or person(s) in some capacity and with others who share the same interest and love for said thing or person(s).   

This definition includes more identities, more ages, more areas of interests, and more opportunities for being a fangirl to be seen as an active motion in daily life. It normalises the fact that fangirls are everywhere, and we are ready to be noticed. It is important though to quickly point out that with being a fangirl (and this applies to fanboys as well) that with being noticed, we have to notice the unhealthy side of the experience to show how we champion through it.   

The unhealthiest aspects of being a fangirl occur when it consumes your times and energy without control, displacing our personal traumas into negative relationships with the idol, being mean and cruel to other fans who see life differently than and can grow disconnected from reality due to only consuming media on the idol or thing.  There is a balance needed to have a healthy fangirl experience as the healthy fangirl experience is what takes us on a road of change, evolution, and action.   

That’s where the magic happens as a fangirl when the healthy side of that love, passion, and devotion goes beyond the focus of where it originated and has real-world impact. This is where over the last decade the way that fangirls have impacted the world has changed immensely. I say a decade because when you google “how being a fangirl is good”, the earliest published article on fangirls being positive on the first page is in 2014.   

That timing is significant. There was a lot going on in the early 2010s that exposed fangirls to more content and exposed fangirls to the world on a larger scale. YouTube started in 2005, creating access to media created by fans and by their idols as well. I particularly remember one video from the earlier YouTube days that shaped me as a Jonas Brothers fan was their goofy tour videos. I think about the video Oh How The Tables Have Turned especially since that video was posted about a month before I saw them on July 23, 2008. My first concert ever. I then joined (and by me joining I mean my parents surprised me with this) their official Jonas Brother Fanclub. I received a booklet in the mail with an iron on patch that showed me as an official fan. I could log into the Jonas Brothers Fanclub forum and chat with other fans about the boys.   

This was my entry into the bigger fangirl world showing me that there were others like me – just not near me. That made me feel more accepted for loving the Jonas Brothers unapologetically at age 10 and made me feel like guilty for my JoBros posters, Camp Rock merch, crying over a Joe Jonas picture of my 11th birthday cake, and to this day keeping Burning Up: On Tour with the Jonas Brother book with me.   

YouTube changed my approach to the Jonas Brothers and being a fangirl. However, it was the growth of two other platforms along with YouTube that changed everything for all fans, especially younger fans in the early 2000s – 2010s.   

Twitter started in 2006 and it wasn’t until 2007 that it started to grow more and in 2010 Twitter began to peak with over 60,000 tweets a day. Tumblr started in 2007 and slowly became more popular through the years until 2013 when it reached its peak of over 13 billion global page views. These two platforms allowed fans to talk about their favourite interests and even allow opportunities to engage with their favourite interests as well. Such as getting followed on Twitter by your favourite singer or actor, finding others who liked the same thing as you and building friendships, creating fanart of fanfiction on Tumblr, flashbacks to when Harry Styles was more active on Twitter, when One Direction members would go live on Twitter, possibly interacting with Taylor Swift on Tumblr, and so on. The fan to idol interaction that we see today was built on the extreme high touch engagements and interactions that happen in the early 2010s. That’s when everyone, both fans and idols, were figuring out what in the world is social media and how do we use it .  

I had a conversation the other day with a friend about how when we were young teens at the peak of social media growing there was lot of great content that was coming out that made these platforms extremely saturated and engaging. Let’s reflect on what was going on at the time:  

Twilight Saga Movies: Twilight (2008), New Moon (2009), Eclipse (2010), Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011), and Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012).   

Harry Potter Movies: Order of the Phoenix and the publishing of Deathly Hallows (2007), Half-Blood Prince (2009), Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010), and Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011).  

The Hunger Games Movies: The Hunger Games (2012), Catching Fire (2013), Mockingjay Part 1 (2014), Mockingjay Part 2 (2015)  

The Avengers (2012)   

Stars Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)  

The Fault in Our Stars – The movie (2014)  

One Direction (2010-2015)  

The rise of 5 Seconds of Summer due to touring with One Direction (2013)   

Taylor Swift goes pop with 1989 in 2014  

Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz Album with hits of Wrecking Ball and We Can’t Stop released in 2013  

The 1975 shot to popularity in 2013 (I saw so much of Matty Healy on Tumblr as a teen despite not listening to The 1975 seriously until late last year. I made myself laugh when I saw a TikTok of The 1975 and instantly recognized Matty because of how big The 1975 was when I was on Tumblr).   

BTS releases their single, I Need U, off their first of the part of their trilogy for HYYH in 2015.  

That is only a snippet of what was going on in the late 2000s entering the 2010s that fans were talking about non-stop online. I, like many other young teens at the time was constantly talking about One Direction, Taylor Swift, 5 Seconds of Summer, Twilight, BTS , and the MCU. All of which still have a huge impact and influence on how I view different types of fans, fandoms, cultures, and ways of self-expression through media. Myself like many other young teens and young adults who talked about our favourite things and interests via social media or by having merch (like lockers or bedrooms filled with One Direction posters or Doctor Who quotes) faced a lot of backlashes at the time for being “emotional” about their said favourite thing.   

“ This appreciation of emotion tends to be viewed negatively in our culture. We think that people that feel ‘too much’ emotion about something we don’t value are ‘crazy’ — think the ‘hysterical fans’ stereotype. But in fan cultures this is becoming more and more valued, and I think it’s migrating to other fandoms as well.” It’s true that at the time being a fangirl or a superfan of anything that wasn’t considered “valuable” by others was looked down upon. If it wasn’t easily understood like my love for the MCU, Doctor Who , or K-Pop it was weird because it wasn’t as “normal” as loving One Direction. The value of interests were also constantly degraded by misogynistic viewpoints as people saw us fangirls as crazed, overly emotional, or mindless women.  

However, it much further from the truth. Being a fangirl is rewarding and empowering. You find a place to meet new people and build lasting friendships with people locally, nationally, and internationally who become a new type of support system who share the same interest and passion. That helps your mental health as you find a sense of community who gets your passion which allows you to be more of yourself in that space.   

Fans are happier, have artistic expression, incredible media experience (social media management, editing software, street teams, etc.), research (learning about their idols), are extreme critical thinkers, have culture exposure, and know how to build community. In a space where you can be yourself without a mask on, your identity grows and flourishes, self-determination and confidence increase, your emotions are validated, and your dreams are elevated.   

Being a fangirl means you see the world in a layered way and also recognize how life isn’t separated from being a fangirl. A piece originally from Femsplain, that was shared on Teen Vogue focuses on a fan talking about their transition of a non-music fangirl to a music fangirl. A few moments in this piece stood out to me.   

“But the intersecting worlds of social media and social justice have opened my eyes to slights against women in music that I just can’t abide”, this quote was in response to learning about being a fangirl, letting go of internalized misogyny, and understanding the way fangirls use their platforms to invoke change is. That slight against women isn’t a standalone experience in only music, but in all areas where a woman is a fan. That slight has been tolerated enough and is being tested by fangirls who were teens in the late 2000s and 2010s since we are now adults and can make such changes.   

Fangirls have made changes and positive impacts on their communities and their idols for decades. The Beatles weren’t taken as seriously at the early stage of their careers because a majority of their fans were young teenage girls and were looked down upon due to who their fans were. However, because of the fans’ determination to continue supporting The Beatles, the band grew and are now considered a legendary band appreciated by all. It was all because of the fans.   

In 2015, there was a controversy around the 5 Seconds of Summer Rolling Stone article where the band was quoted (or supposedly misquoted) that complained about their fans mainly being women since it discounted them as a “real band” and not a “boy band”. Many fans did not appreciate that and felt confused with the overwhelming response of dealing with issues in general for being a fangirl then receiving that directly from their favourite band.  

At the time in 2015, it meant that if you had too many women fans that you as an artist or an idol were not going to be successful as the weight that women pulled as a fan wasn’t being taken seriously. Which is very odd as many of the update accounts, HQ accounts, marketing campaigns, and street teams for said idols were either made by fans by themselves or made by fans in collaboration with said idols. And can you guess who those fans were? Yes, fangirls.   

Fortunately, that view on fangirls has been changing and it’s because of how we, fangirls, are using our passion to make change in our communities.   

“Change can be difficult. I just know I want to support bands and the people that love them—particularly women in music. I owe most of this change to the fangirls who launch these bands’ careers and endlessly encourage them. They form a family of sorts—cheering from the stage barrier and then resuming their lives, striving for their own personal goals while being inspired by the band’s bigger ones. But they’re also a family that looks out for its own, and that demands change in the music industry. “    Teen vogue

Fangirls are inspired by their idols and their experiences to make these changes in all industries: music, fashion, cinema, sports, [insert an industry that you have a passion for] or to make changes in life experiences that are misrepresented within their fandom and in society.   

Taking advantage of the rapid change and use of social media and the continued self-agency and self-determination being expressed over the past 13 years has created a new vision of what it means to be a fangirl and where being a fangirl will go.   

Future Of Fangirls   

Fangirls run the world. No, seriously, I mean that. The mention of the late 2000s and the late 2010s was on purpose as many of these changemakers developing the future of being a fangirl were young teens if not younger at that time. They, we, have witnessed the beginning stages of the social media influenced evolution of being a fan and have dealt with the highs and the lows of the experience.   

We know how to navigate it and turn it into something else that is bigger than the fangirl experience. We now see how fangirls who have taken the fan accounts that they’ve ran when they were teens turn into careers in the music industry, creating philanthropies, Etsy Shops, street teams, community engagement organizations, creating blogs, creating podcasts, and so on. The teens that were once joked about are now working with their favourite idols, working on items about their favourite idols, and becoming CEOs.   

The Current Changemakers of Being A Fangirl   

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jaime Bilotti (@jaime.bilotti)

Jaime Bilotti

Founder of Fan To Band and mutuals Agency. Fan to Band is an entertainment company that specialized in fan engagement and understanding a fanbases’ needs by giving fans a platform to voice their ideas and showcase their skills into strategic and effective campaigns alongside artists’ teams. Fan To Band has a Discord community in which all members can engaged with other fans of their favourite artists and with fans of other artists in a supportive and educational community. mutuals Agency is an entertainment company with an emphasis on audience, using marketing research to empower and inform all of their work acting an extension of the team through agency strategy, market research, and management.  

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Olivia Rudensky (@oliviarudensky)

Olivia Rudensky

What started off as a simple fan page on Twitter for Miley Cyrus that became Miley’s official HQ Twitter, Olivia Rudensky has made a big career in the music industry as a fangirl.

Olivia talks about empowering fans to work in the music industry on an episode of Where Are All My Friends .

Oliva also is the co-founder and CEO of FANMADE , an agency that focuses solely on utilizing the fan perspective through audience-specific strategies. Using fan perspectives and exploring marketing behaviours, FANMADE is able to create effective campaigns that meet the qualities of each audience for artists, brands, and influencers .   

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Toni Cowan-Brown (@tonicowanbrown)

Toni Cowan-Brown

A fangirl of Formula 1 (F1) who has used her expertise in tech, politics, internet culture, and motorsports to create her brand as a creator in the F1 space.

In her interview on Where Are All My Friends , she dives into how she encourages fans to lean into the activities you love and how by doing that it can create many opportunities for your career.

Toni is the founder of Not Another Media Company that focuses on the desire to always create educational content and cultural platforms that kick start important conversations (and introduces new fans to F1). 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Temima (@temimashames)

Temima Shames    

A woman with a passion for the entertainment industry through her career as an actress, seeing her dad tour as musician, and interning at Visionary Records helping their marketing grow. Temima has gone to start her own business, Next Step Talent , to help her clients grow and work with them through the good and the bad. As well as, hoping to be an agent of change to inspire other females to step into the entertainment industry and change in media (how people create false realities and harm into something that shows celebrities as humans too).   

Read more about her in this interview with medium .   

Next Step Talent houses Emblem3 who has a mighty Street Team of fans that work alongside Next Step Talent and Emblem3 themselves. The Emblem3 Street Team has a Discord Server that I created to aid in their community engagement.   

View this post on Instagram A post shared by That Fangirl Life (@thatfangirllifepodcast)

That Fangirl Life    

A prime example of what happens when fans get together to create change and a space to share stories and showcase skills that fans know best. The blog articles and the podcast guests give a great indication of how fans are moving the entertainment industries in many different directions for the better.

Covering various topics such as Fangirls of The MCU, a talk with Jamie Bilotti, K-Pop, and Fanfictions – to name a few things, on the podcast episodes .

The blog covers just as many topics too – all led and written by fans.   

DisabledSOS 

A fan project and volunteer organization run by 5 Seconds of Summer fans that led events, fan features, and other works that aim to make music fandoms (and the industry) better for disable people everywhere. This organization aims to bring awareness to inaccessibility of the industry by creating opportunities for disable fans to participate and advocate against ableism seen in the industry. DisabledSOS exists to break the barrier between disabled and non-disabled fans, artists, and crew.  

Women In The Music Industry  

A community that is empowering and connecting all who identify as women in the music industry via a well put together Discord Server. This server connects current and aspiring fans, artist, and business women into building community and finding opportunities in the music industry.  

Any Fan Can Be A Changemaker   

There are many organizations and others that are on social media that showcase how their time as a fan has elevated their experiences from One Direction mega fan account holder, Miya (who has worked with both Niall Horan and Liam Payne now), Harryflorals , and 5SOS Updates on Twitter . There are so many ways that fangirls are changing the approach to sharing content, building community, and engaging with their idols and the world around them.   

The goal is to always think about how you can use your love of what your interests are to elevate the experience to a meaningful higher level. Where do you think change needs to be made? Is it in identity representation, community building with more resources being available or career opportunities? Do you want to make a blog that allows you to build a team to stand for a different fan experience or do you want to make a philanthropy that highlights social justice?   

We have the technology and more resources now to ask for help, to learn, and to build a community. It’s all about how it’s used. The future of being a fangirl is everywhere. You have the community, you have the support, you have the skills, self-determination, and the uniqueness to bring something new to the table. The question is how you will join in the future and make the impact that you want to have. Whatever you do, make it authentically you and others will follow your influence. 

Aspiring music industry professional and Harry Styles enthusiast

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How Being a Fangirl Helped Me Land My Internship

This essay was written by Candy Digital Intern, Sharleen Estrella. If you're interested in joining the program, send your CV and portfolio to [email protected].

Being someone in her 20s, it sometimes feels like the words "fangirl" and "fangirling" shouldn't even be part of my vocabulary anymore since I am, technically, about to enter adulthood. But here I am still fangirling over some Korean boys as if they would even notice me. Lol. Every time my mom catches me watching K-pop videos, she would always say "Ang laki laki mo na, fangirl ka pa rin." Little did she know, fangirling is the actual reason why I was able to unlock my Photoshop skills and use it for something useful, like this internship.

You might be wondering why I even wanted to learn Photoshop in the first place. Well, that's because I wanted to make EXO fan art. On one random day, I decided to install Photoshop on my laptop. Without having any knowledge on how to navigate the platform, I really took the time to learn by watching some YouTube tutorials, asking a few tips from pro-Photoshop user friends, and doing some art trials. So, do you remember the vector art trend that rose during last year's quarantine? I joined that trend and created my first ever digital art using Photoshop.

See, fangirling isn't as unproductive as you think! You can use fangirling as a fuel to discover new passions or learn new skills. Disclaimer: Though I am not a Photoshop expert, I think my love for art and K-pop go so well together with this hobby of mine. To think, it has even given me the chance to work with different companies and to contribute a few pieces of digital art for them.

Now as a Candy intern, I still continue to use the Photoshop skills that I learned for social posts. 

Honestly, I am really glad that there are platforms like Candy, where I can use my Photoshop skills and gain additional knowledge about art (and even K-pop).

If you have apprehensions with creating digital art, like spending money for a monthly software subscription or not knowing how to navigate the software, worry not because I did too! Did you know that you can get your Adobe Photoshop for a cheaper price? You can avail their student discount using your .edu email account. To know whether you're eligible for the discount, you can check your .edu email account perks here . There are also many free online resources that can help you learn Photoshop and enhance your skills at the tip of your fingers. I used to watch this video   when I first started and there are actually more of them when you search the web. The main takeaway here is, the internet is actually a good teacher that we shouldn't take for granted. Use it wisely.

Now, you've heard how my fangirling story turned into a passion. I hope that you too can find your own productive fangirling journey. But also, no pressure if you can't! Just enjoy the art of fangirling and let's be fangirls together.

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Defending Fangirl Culture: Positives From Being in a Fandom

Disclaimer: This article does not condone harming yourself or others in the name of an artist or group. The type of fangirl I am referring to is one who positively contributes to the overall fandom and supports their artist of choice .

The term fangirl, while associated with a negative connotation, is certainly not a new concept. There were definitely fangirls of Backstreet Boys and N-Sync in the 1990s. The Beatles had a massive female fandom as well, stretching across the entire world. I’m sure even Beethoven had a couple of groupies at his concerts in the 1700s. But in most recent years, fangirls have been stereotyped as boy-crazy and obsessive pre-teens who will go to extreme lengths to admire a music group. While yes, my middle and high school days were spent on anything and everything that had to do with One Direction, 5SOS, and multiple K-POP groups, I wasn’t just being boy-crazy. I was not an active member of those fandoms just because I was obsessed with boys who could dance and sing (although that was a plus). Being a part of multiple fandoms was an essential aspect of my childhood and mental and social development. ‘Fangirl’ was never a negative identity for me, despite everyone around me insisting that it was bad or embarrassing. Being a fangirl has made a positive impact on my life, and I think it is time to defend fangirl culture and everything it can do for someone.

Here is my list of the positive aspects of fangirl culture:

• Artistic Expression : Fanfictions, cover songs, fan art, concert posters- you name it. Fangirls are known for using their artistic abilities to connect with other fans and express their love for the music.They are also able to do so in a safe space. While other people may not support their artwork or external situations prohibit them from doing it, online forums, social media pages, and in-person meetups offer an accessible outlet. Fangirls are extremely supportive of others’ art because they enjoy engaging with it or getting inspiration for their own work. The highlight of my fangirl years was writing fanfiction with and for my friends. Wattpad and Instagram were my safe haven; I could post my imagines, short stories, and full length novels, knowing that no matter how cringey the content was, someone would enjoy it. My writing skills and creativity levels drastically improved due to all the writing I was doing. No matter what kind of art fangirls did, it was always appreciated, and knowing that made being a part of a fandom even better.
• Media Experience : Many fangirls use photoshop, video editors, and various social media platforms to create content for the fandom. Whether it’s creating book covers for their fanfiction, digital fan art, social media promotion posts, or video edits of interview and concert reels, fangirls are well-versed in multiple editing softwares. Prior media experience can be extremely useful in landing future internships and jobs, especially in the mass communications and digital design fields. Being a fangirl is so much more than posting about band members; it is about utilizing the internet to create new content centered around their passion and build foundational media skills, which can be built upon later in their careers.
• Memorization : This point is pretty simple- fangirls have to memorize A LOT. Song lyrics are easy to remember, but members’ information gets tricky. First you learn names, then band positions, then favorites, then personal information. In order to ‘truly be a fan’, you had to know all of these things about every band member, not just who you stan the most. While it could be considered a little creepy how much research fangirls do in order to learn about each member, the act itself is beneficial to mental development and memorization skills.
• Cultural Exposure : Listening to international music is a gateway to exploring new cultures and lifestyles. K-POP and the increased interest in Korean culture is a prime example of this. Many K-POP fans are first obsessed with the music, but then their interest broadens as they want to learn more about the members’ culture. Many fangirls take language courses so they can watch interviews without subtitles or listen to their songs and understand the lyrics. Watching K-dramas is a popular hobby that exposes fans to different forms of Korean media. I have personally read books or watched movies recommended by artists, ultimately contributing to my interest in that culture that was completely separate from my fangirl identity. Inspired to learn more about international cultures and ways of living, fangirls will even study abroad or take a vacation to that location so they can try authentic cuisine, practice their language skills, explore new cities and landscapes, and expose themselves to foreign customs and traditions. While the initial interest may stem from music, further cultural exposure expands individuals’ global perspectives and creates a universal appreciation for different cultures.
• Identity Exploration : Fangirls are also able to explore interests and have experiences that add to their sense of self. Their likes and dislikes go beyond what music group they are into, and they can gain new passions from other fandom members or the artists themselves. Personally, being a fangirl was another part of my identity that I could be confident in, along with being a good student, a writer, a singer, etc. I felt a sense of independence; I wasn’t just interested in something because of my family or my friends. I CHOSE to love these artists and invest my time and energy into supporting them, which was one of my first individualized decisions I made as a middle and high schooler. My identity became more complex as I experienced new emotions and sensibilities, and the fandom gave me a safe space to express and explore those new sensations. While my feelings towards a band may be fleeting, the core personality traits and interests that I gained as a fangirl are not, and they have evolved and matured with me throughout the years.
• Community : One misconception about fangirl culture is that the fans are only in it because of their attraction towards a band member. But I’d like to argue that being a fangirl is so much more than that. The most important aspect, and the reason why I stayed in fandoms for so long, is the wide range of relationships made in a fandom, whether it is friendships between fangirls or connections between band members and their fans. Even though I met other fans online and maintained our friendship on social media platforms, I was still able to have fulfilling experiences with them. At first, conversations would solely be about the band we were equally obsessed with. Eventually, we didn’t even bring them up because we bonded over other interests and hobbies. I even got to meet several online friends through video chat or in person, and I still keep in touch with them years later. As for my local friends, being a part of the same fandom added another dimension to our friendship. I collaborated with many of them on fanfictions, which gave us a new reason to hang out. Some of my best memories involve my friends and I going to fan meet ups at the mall, brainstorming fanfiction ideas, making posters for upcoming concerts, staying up until 12 am for a new album release, etc. It was never just about the band, because I knew that connecting with the members personally was a fantasy. But the connections and memories I made with the members of that fandom were real and rewarding. Besides individual connections, fandoms create a sense of community and belonging; if I felt like I wasn’t anything in this world (which most angsty pre-teens feel like), I always knew that I at least belonged to a group of people that all had a similar goal: to support an artist and support each other.

Looking back on my middle and high school years, I can’t imagine spending them any differently than ‘obsessing over some boyband’. I wouldn’t WANT to spend them any differently because the memories, skills, and passions that I gained from those fandoms are priceless. They make me who I am. It’s time to embrace our fangirl status because really, what is there to be ashamed of?

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Fangirling as Feminist Auto Assemblage: Tavi Gevinson and Participatory Audienceship

• First Online: 06 April 2018

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• Emma Maguire 4  

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Life Writing ((PSLW))

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This chapter investigates tensions between girls as producers of (autobiographical) cultural media and girls as cultural consumers, particularly in online contexts. This chapter explores “fangirling” as a label that invokes a mode of cultural consumption which positions girls as hysterical, undiscerning cultural consumers, and has been used to allocate a low cultural value to texts widely loved by girls. In contrast, this chapter proposes that, by describing herself as a “professional fangirl”, young feminist fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson claims and reformulates the fangirl as cultural critic. The chapter shows how fangirling can work as part of an automedial strategy of auto assemblage, engaging complex tensions between consuming cultural products, formulating an identity as a consumer/producer of media, and being a brand and consumer product.

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The band is often referred to in the abbreviated form “1D” and I will refer to them as such in this chapter, as well as using the full name.

I refer, throughout this chapter, to the magazine GQ as a collective entity. The controversy around this issue involved journalists, editors, and social media managers acting under the collective identity of GQ rather than as individuals, therefore I use the magazine’s name to represent the work and actions of these individuals here.

Importantly, social media handles are used by directioners—and fangirls from a range of fandoms —to identify themselves as fans. In this case, the handle references 1D member Niall Horan.

Fanboys are also sometimes objects of shaming, especially when their objects of fandom are coded feminine. For example, “bronies”—male fans of My Little Pony.

#gamergate was a sexist and misogynist movement that gained traction online among young male gamers who sought to maintain the status quo of gaming as a masculine space . It particularly targeted industry publications, journalists, and bloggers who called out gaming culture’s rampant sexism and sought to diversify gaming journalism to reflect more accurately the range of identities who participate in gaming and its surrounding culture.

Urban Dictionary is a user-generated dictionary that specialises in informal, colloquial, slang, and new-media terms. Users submit definitions, which are voted up and down by other users.

Throughout this chapter I refer to the publication as both Rookie Mag and the shortened form, Rookie.

Part of fan practice in the 1D fandom includes the use of social media platform Twitter to send messages via “tweets” addressed to the Twitter accounts of 1D members. This is the practice that Gevinson refers to here.

The references I have omitted from the body of the text for brevity are listed here: Bossypants (Tina Fey’s memoir in which she narrates her career path as a comedian; the memoir includes Fey’s reflections about sexism in comedy), Sex and the City (successful HBO show about four women looking for love in New York City, which ran from 1998 to 2004 and was followed by three films), Cosmopolitan (iconic women’s magazine), Joy Division (New Wave band popular in the 1980s, which still has a cult following), Snoopy (character from cartoonist Charles M. Schultz’s well-known children’s comic strip Peanuts ), “Blister in the Sun” (popular song by indie rock group the Violent Femmes), My So-Called Life (1994–5 television drama centred on a teenage girl and her experiences with friends, family, school, and identity—this show is cited often by Gevinson in her fangirling practice), Freaks and Geeks (another of Gevinson’s core references, Freaks and Geeks [1999–2000] is a television show set in the 1980s that narrates the high-school experiences of a group of friends), “Dancing on My Own” (song by pop artist Robyn: specifically Gevinson references the episode of Girls that features this song), Madonna (one of the most successful recording artists in history), John Hughes (Hughes produced many iconic 1980s teen films such as The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles ), Morrissey (singer and member of 1980s indie band The Smiths), Culture Club (flamboyant 1980s pop group).

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Maguire, E. (2018). Fangirling as Feminist Auto Assemblage: Tavi Gevinson and Participatory Audienceship. In: Girls, Autobiography, Media. Palgrave Studies in Life Writing. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74237-3_5

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Here’s Your Guide to Healthy Fangirling

You can listen to the audio version of this article.

All of us, at some point in our lives, became a fan of either an actor, singer, dancer, writer, band or whoever catches our attention, that came to a point where we idolised them. At present, it has become so much easier to become a fan and, with the help of different social media platforms, it is easier to follow every step of our biases. Due to this easy access to following our idol’s life, when does this habit of being a fan become healthy or even unhealthy at some point?

Perks of being a fangirl

• Our idols inspire us to get through the day whether we are having a rough day or not, our idols inspire us as we wake up every morning.
• Being a fan lessens the dullness and boredom of our lives.
• You give yourself a chance to know a new set of friends being in the same fandom through creating strong support systems and feelings of affirmation, also being connected to people who shared the same interest and passion is good for mental health.
• Being a fangirl is beneficial to mental health, it helps to build a sense of identity, empowering self-determination , and the feeling of belongingness to a collective community.
• Fandoms help to find solace in flickering emotions and scattered sensibilities.

Unhealthy aspects of being a fangirl

• Please make sure that being a fan won’t ever turn into an obsession .
• The displacement of our hopes and fears for our relationships can settle onto these idols.
• Sometimes, being a fan is our scapegoat from reality, which makes us look differently at what is in our life to face and deal with.
• Being a fangirl consumes most of your time and, at worst, consumes most of your life, if you can’t handle it.
• The thing with being a part of fandoms is that they gradually evolve from an intricately woven fantasy to a world that flawlessly outshines every aspect of the real world we live in.

The problem with this fandom is that, be it friendship or a romantic relationship, pop culture paints a picture that depicts an idealised scenario that we often unknowingly try to achieve. Millennials tend to compare their relationships to this so-called ideal scenario. The unrealistic expectations that we have of people eventually drain us completely.

Fandoms do generally offer a sense of belonging and community that many teens struggle to feel deeply connected to, simply because we learn best when we enjoy what we’re doing. The sense of belongingness that the fandom brought to fans brings a great deal to our mental and emotional health. Being a fan serves as a dessert into our routinary life.

Setting limitations is the key to a healthy fangirling. Do not forget that we also have our personal life to handle, dealing with reality will be forever our main focus in life, being a fan is just adding colours to our life. Do not let fangirling get in your way of finding your real life, but it can be an inspiration to life . Snap out of your daydreaming and get a life outside being a fan, reality is always where we belong.

Dina Relojo is the social media manager of Psychreg. She is a teacher from the Philippines.

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The life of a fangirl is hard. Everyone should admire our dedication.

Friday, October 7, 2016

My experience of being a kpop fangirl.

2 comments:

Great job for standing your fangirl flag. I can pretty much relate to you, though. I'm a fanboy myself, but not with KPop. Though I have idolized some groups (I also have my bias), I'm not as avid as you are. Back when I was a teen, I'm a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers, Green Day, and Taylor Swift. But now, I still am a fan but with reserved and controlled emotions. However, if I see any of my idols one day on the street or even in the elevator, I might unleash my inner fanboy.

So hi there! thanks for this wonderful speech and yeah as i see you're an army .. this helped me a lot because my English teacher asked me to write a speech about being a fan girl so do you mind if i'll get this as an inspiration or reference something?

A Retired One Direction Fangirl Shares The Highs And Lows Of The Fandom

" I remember what I wanted more than anything when I was nineteen years old. I wanted something that couldn’t be described."

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Fans attend the One Direction concert at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 12, 2015, in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Kaitlyn Tiffany, a staff writer for the Atlantic, became a citizen of the internet for the first time because of the One Direction fandom. In her new book, Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created The Internet As We Know It, she gives fans the credit they deserve for their command of technology and their power over trends that has shaped the way we interact in online communities a decade later.

“What I like about it is its brazen senselessness and the creator’s evident delight in her own unusual mind; it invokes the nightmarish nonsense of love for a stranger and the hilarity of losing control,” Tiffany writes of a particularly absurd Tumblr post from a fan. “When I see it, I remember what I wanted more than anything when I was nineteen years old. I wanted something that couldn’t be described.”

Directioners talked so much about a group of four young British men (and one Irishman), a running joke goes, that they ran out of things to say and fully leaned into the absurd. They went into every new platform and forum with two goals in mind — to make their faves known, and to share in their love with the other people who get it.

From the creation of still-relevant fan language (like “I want [X] to run me over with their car”) to fandom-dividing conspiracy theories, Directioners went through it all. BuzzFeed News spoke with Tiffany about what made One Direction fans so special and what other fandoms can learn from them.

Why do you think so many of the biggest fans on the internet are young women?

Kaitlyn Tiffany: I think fandom in general is a broad set of practices where there are lots of demographics presented, but the reason young women are so popular — especially in pop music fandom — is that adolescence is a time in your life when you have a lot of free time and not a lot of control over how you spend it. It’s a tumultuous time when you’re trying to figure out who you are and what you want from life. I heard from almost everyone I interviewed that fandom became more important to them during crisis points or transitional points — adolescence is one, but it can happen again in marriage or parenthood.

Why are fans so consistently the best at using the internet?

KT: They have a head start in having a really clear reason why they would be using the internet, so whenever fans arrive on a new platform, they don’t have to wander around figuring out what it’s for and what features they need. They already know. They are explicit about what the goal of the internet is for them — finding other bands, connecting with other bands, sharing art with bands, and coordinating to promote the interests of the fandom. They come with a plan in mind.

X Factor contestants One Direction (from left), Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Niall Horan, arrive for rehearsals at Fountain Studios, Wembley, London.

Is there something that originated with One Direction fans that is still around today?

KT: There were honestly a lot of fandoms making early use of the internet, like Beliebers and Rihanna ’s Navy, in addition to One Direction [fans]. They embodied this idea that fandom is responsible for the artists they’re supporting and should have a creative role in their career. For example, One Direction lost The X Factor , and fans decided that they lost the show but won the world. The mythology — whether this is actually true or not — is that the amount of social media action they got is what made them into stars and gave them careers. At one point, fans decided that a certain song should be a single, so they made it happen unofficially. There are rumors that certain international fans taught each other to use VPNs to fake American streams. The DIY approach to pop music fandom started with these early fans.

The craving for intimacy within fandom — something that immediately makes you one of the crowd — is interesting to me. As a fan, I know it’s fun to be a part of something that no one on the outside can truly understand. Do you think there are any platforms right now that offer fans the same kind of opportunity to frantically stockpile inside jokes and shape their own lore the way Tumblr did?

KT: I’m not convinced that there’s some major Tumblr Renaissance right now. I don’t think it’s ever going to be the center of internet culture in the way that it was, but it’s chugging along, and there are still people who practice their fandom predominantly on Tumblr. But I don’t think there’s a good replacement for it either. You see a lot of the insular fan community experience on Discord now, like private channels for small groups of fans that you have to be invited to in order to participate. There’s a lot of fan activity on Reddit, too, which isn’t as insular but it’s another platform where there are pseudonyms and throwaway accounts. I think there’s a retreat from being in the public because Twitter has gotten so much attention for being a place for fans, and much of it has been negative, so plenty of fans are looking for quieter places to interact.

I was just at VidCon , where all these fans of a Minecraft YouTuber collective called Dream SMP went absolutely feral — it was predominantly young girls losing their minds over British boys again. It reminded me of the Directioner days of yesteryear. What do you think that those newer fandoms (and established ones that are still transforming, like Nicki Minaj ’s Barbz and BTS ARMY) can learn from One Direction fans?

KT: The great tragedy of the One Direction fandom is that it ended up splintering because of conspiracy theories that were just divergent ideas of reality, like that Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles were secretly in love, or that Louis Tomlinson didn’t really father a child. It became so impossible to reconcile the resentments that were built around such sensitive lines, and that was sad to watch. If I were participating in a fandom now, I would suggest making note of how this became a major weak spot for One Direction fans.

Payne, Tomlinson, Horan, and Styles arrive at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 22, 2015.

What are the warning signs that a fandom is starting to get toxic? How do we stop that from happening?

KT: I wouldn’t call the One Direction fandom toxic, but it did go through a really sad phase of rupture. What I found most disconcerting was that it was insulated within the fans, who were in charge of information flows. You know the Larry Stylinson conspiracy theory that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are in love? All the evidence would be a super slowed-down video clip or inaudible clips that a fan would caption as if they really knew what they said. There were also images that were cut up and put together in fleeting ways. This all served an agenda that wasn’t just for fun, and it eventually became a dark conspiracy that blamed the people around the boys — mostly women — for making them suffer. They weaponized social justice causes, so if you questioned the Larry Stylinson narrative, you could be accused of being homophobic.

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Fangirl Essay

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W hy's T his F unny?

Fangirl Themes

By rainbow rowell.

These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.

Written by Jody Perry

Coming Of Age

This novel is essentially a coming of age story with both Cath and Wren discovering who they are independently of each other. Cath is frightened of their separation, but it turns out to be the making of her as she is forced to face situations that make her uncomfortable, and accept overtures of friendship from fellow students that she generally would not seek out. Wren, who was excited at the possibility of escaping the confines of being a twin and doing everything together, throws herself into partying and drinking and lacks a sense of direction. Both discover new sides of themselves but their levels of achievement in their new lives is the polar opposite of what everyone expected.

Teen Alcohol Addiction

Wren would be the twin perceived to have the most potential of the twins but is derailed by her enthusiasm for drinking. She starts drinking to fit in, reminding her father that "everybody drinks". She becomes more addicted over time and combined with the impulse control issue that all of the family have, her alcohol addiction is an issue before anyone really notices. Her problem is a theme throughout the novel and is the trigger for the arguments that she and Cath are beginning to have.

Mental Illness

The twins' father is mentally unstable and this fact influences the majority of the events that happen in the novel. Initially, struggling with her own emotional issues and social phobias, Cath is reluctant to attend college away from home because she is worried that her father will not cope on his own; later, when she is proved right, Levi shows his kind and caring nature by driving her to the hospital and offering her a ride home. Levi also shows that he is intending their relationship to be long-term by driving Cath home and meeting her father. The family all have varying degrees of emotional and mental illness and it governs their actions even when they do not intend it to.

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Study Guide for Fangirl

Fangirl study guide contains a biography of Rainbow Rowell, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Fangirl
• Fangirl Summary
• Character List

Lesson Plan for Fangirl

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• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Fangirl
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
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More From Forbes

The future of e-commerce: trends to watch in 2024.

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Denis Sinelnikov is the CEO of Media Components and Curis Digital, an award-winning, full-service digital marketing agency.

E-commerce is a dynamic industry that has transformed the way we shop and conduct business. With rapid advancements in technology and changing consumer preferences, your business must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive.

Several emerging trends are set to reshape e-commerce in 2024. I’ll focus on the ones that are worth keeping an eye on this year and then share some tips for taking advantage of them.

Which Trends To Watch

Augmented reality shopping experiences.

AR enables customers to have immersive shopping experiences from the comfort of their homes. It allows them to visualize products in a real-world context, making informed decisions before making a purchase. Ikea has been using AR technology with its app for a few years now , proving that it isn’t merely a short-lived fad.

Ikea doesn’t have to be an outlier. We have the frameworks to apply AR technology to e-commerce on a broader scale than we currently do. TikTok and Instagram filters alone prove that we can do this easily, and relatively inexpensively. What we need is for companies that can most benefit from this tech—salons, clothing retailers and more furniture and home improvement retailers—to provide this interactive and engaging shopping experience.

Blockchain For Supply Chain Transparency

Blockchain technology is not new to the e-commerce industry, but its application is evolving. While we tend to think of blockchain in terms of cryptocurrency and NFTs, it has more potential uses. A blockchain is an append-only ledger, meaning that data can be added to the chain but not removed. The accountants and security professionals among you undoubtedly recognize the term and can immediately see the transparency a blockchain ledger can provide.

Logistics companies could greatly benefit from a blockchain ledger. It would provide transparency to their shipping clients and improve communication with their contracted owner/operators. The benefits could even extend to the customers of their clients, who could use the blockchain to provide real-time updates for restocking and shipments.

Customized Loyalty Programs

Personalization has been a hallmark of e-commerce; however, its scope has been historically limited to cross-selling through product recommendations. In 2024, I want to see us bring personalization further as retailers harness data analytics and AI. This could involve large retailers offering more personalized content to users and allowing users to customize loyalty programs to meet their specific shopping habits and needs. Ultimately, increased personalization can forge stronger connections between brands and their customers.

Eco-Friendly E-Commerce

The focus on sustainability and eco-friendliness has gained momentum in recent years. In 2024, this trend will likely intensify in the e-commerce industry. Customers expect e-commerce platforms to offer eco-friendly options, reduce packaging waste and embrace sustainable practices. I want to see retailers align with these values to improve their businesses and gain a competitive edge in the market.

Stronger Security And Privacy Measures

In 2024, I see consumers gravitating toward platforms that prioritize their personal data security, and governments are likely to introduce more stringent regulations. Retailers must invest in advanced security technologies and adopt transparent practices to build trust with their customers.

More Personalized Subscription Models

Subscription services have become increasingly popular in the e-commerce industry, but in 2024, I expect retailers will offer subscriptions tailored to individual preferences, not only in terms of product selection but also in the frequency and timing of deliveries. These highly customized subscription models can enhance customer loyalty and supply a steady revenue stream for businesses.

Taking Advantage Of The 2024 Trends

Knowing the trends isn’t enough. The companies that will rise to the top in 2024 are the ones that position themselves to implement them successfully. We are well past the era of “move fast and break things.” This needs to be the year that you build consumer trust as you take advantage of these trends.

The Considerations

Before you begin jumping on these trends, you need to consider which ones fit your brand, your industry and your customer needs. Ask yourself questions before you start looking at bringing these trends into your e-commerce strategy. Here are some key questions to get you started:

• Who is our consistent customer base, and what keeps them loyal?

• What new markets do we want to expand into this year?

• What security measures do we have in place for customer data, financial data and company data?

• What weaknesses do we have in our security?

• How are we collecting data, and are we continuing to receive valuable information on customers and leads?

• Which trends match our company vision, goals and culture?

• What is our process for converting leads to customers, and how do these trends fit into this process?

The Technology

Once you have an idea of what trends you want to implement and what roadblocks may be ahead of you, let’s look at what you will need to have in place to make these trends work for you.

• Have a solid data collection strategy and software. Several of the strategies I’ve discussed revolve around customer data. If you don’t have a reliable program that can run reports, monitor customer activity and interpret data, you will fall behind on these trends. Tools like Qualtrics that use AI can help companies not only capture information but use it to create the personalized experiences consumers want.

• Improve your data encryption and security. No matter how good your current security is, you need to improve it this year. Because so many of these trends rely on consumer habits and customer data, it’s more important than ever that you can safeguard that data. Not only will the increased security improve consumer trust in your brand, but it will also protect that valuable data from competitors.

• Invest in AI technology. Investing in AI tools for security, data collection and analysis and customer service interactions is a vital step to help you take advantage of each trend we have looked at here.

E-commerce in 2024 is characterized by several trends that I expect to reshape the industry. From the integration of augmented reality and blockchain for transparency to subscription models with increased personalization and a heightened focus on sustainability, e-commerce is set to offer customers innovative and socially responsible shopping experiences. By figuring out which trends best fit their brand and then investing in technology to enable them, businesses can navigate the e-commerce world of 2024 with confidence and enthusiasm.

Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?

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Guest Essay

The Brazen Evasions of Hunter Biden

By Casey Michel

Mr. Michel is director of the Combating Kleptocracy Program at the Human Rights Foundation and the author of “Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World.”

With this month’s revelations that Hunter Biden directly contacted American officials for the benefit of foreign clients in Ukraine and allegedly Romania, and with Mr. Biden facing a new trial next month stemming from charges of tax evasion for the millions he received from foreign sources, the time has come to finally charge him as an unregistered foreign agent.

Originally enacted in 1938, the primary regulations targeting foreign lobbyists, known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, are straightforward, requiring Americans who are paid to push foreign interests to register their work with the federal government. It doesn’t make the practice illegal — lobbying is, thanks to the First Amendment, still a constitutionally protected right — but it does bring transparency to an otherwise opaque world, forcing foreign lobbyists to disclose what they’re doing, who they’re doing it for, and how much they’re being paid in the process. While FARA was unfortunately largely unenforced for decades after it took effect, the law has seen new life in recent years as prosecutors have finally begun going after unregistered foreign agents.

We’ve known that myriad foreign companies and foreign oligarchs have targeted Mr. Biden, tossing significant sums at him while his father served as vice president. With each revelation, and with each new foreign client revealed, the president’s detractors have wailed that the younger Mr. Biden violated foreign lobbying laws, which required him to disclose what he was doing abroad — as well as reveal the Americans he’d been targeting on behalf of his foreign benefactors.

Mr. Biden’s highly questionable foreign dealings have for years appeared more smoke than fire; there was previously no evidence that he illicitly lobbied any American officials. Compared with figures such as the former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort , who was caught out as an illegal foreign lobbyist (among plenty of other crimes), Mr. Biden’s alleged foreign lobbying misdeeds appeared to fall short of crossing the line into criminality. They may have put a lie to President Biden’s claimed concerns about foreign influence campaigns, but they were never worthy of formal charges. With the new details, though, that has changed, giving prosecutors the opening to pursue the president’s son as one of the most prominent foreign lobbyists the United States has ever seen.

Take the new reporting on Mr. Biden’s work for the Ukrainian gas firm Burisma. As The Times reported , Mr. Biden, who served as a board member on the firm, “sought assistance” from American officials “for a potentially lucrative energy project,” writing at least one letter to the U.S. ambassador to Italy in 2016 to help aid Burisma — actions that, in other words, appear to be direct lobbying of an American diplomat for the benefit of his foreign firm.

Meanwhile, prosecutors claimed last week that a local Romanian magnate accused of corruption hired Mr. Biden not for any legal expertise, but to persuade American officials to work with Romanian authorities to help thwart a criminal investigation into the magnate’s finances. It was, according to a potential witness cited by the government , an “attempt to influence U.S. government agencies” — part of a broader pattern of Mr. Biden “perform[ing] almost no work in exchange for the millions of dollars he received” from assorted foreign entities. Moreover, prosecutors claim that the Romanian deal was specifically structured to dodge basic foreign lobbying transparency — drafted as a “property management” arrangement, in which Mr. Biden received at least $1 million — all to avoid “political ramifications” for President Biden.

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