Critique of Fan Culture: A Personal Perspective

315 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Celebrity obsession

I Am Not a Fan The essence of being a fan eludes me. Why anyone would want to even admit to being a fan baffles me. Why does anyone, any where, ever deserves lusty, t-shirt tearing hysteria. Who are these proudly professing "fans" who wait patiently for autographs, pictures, a stray hair even, from their stars? Who experiences life fullfilment upon shaking hands with a celebrity? What kind of delusional state of low self-esteem do you exist in? Even, the quiet fan, the conversational admirer, is an enigma to me. Owning multiple copies of anything by one person seems like a waste. Who needs all the versions available "uncut," "live," "abridged," the "best of's," "highlight films," "documentaries," and the absurdly popular "Diaries of?" Being able to reguritate facts from your collection of paraphenalia hardly qualifies as a conversation skill. As a participant in every day life and an occasional watcher of VH1, the flaws of humanity seem glaringly obvious to me. Our lying, cheating, addictive, vindictive human nature is nothing to brag about. Sure, the occasional creative soul can produce some great music, eloquent writing, or profound thought. I can appreciate, admire even, that song/book/philosophy. But transfering my admiration for a moving melody/paragraph/theory to the soiled ego that created it is foolhardy and illogical. I don't want your sweaty clothes, broken guitar, dried up pen, or old house. I don't need to see where you were born, had your diaper changed, and suffered a bad case of shingles. You can keep your advice on how to organize my medicine cabinet feng sui style, uniquely acessorize my spring wardrobe according to your newest purchase, and achieve personal happiness based on tips you received in rehab. I am not a fan.

Show More
Related

  • The Three Classification Groups of Sport Fans

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sport fans, sometimes also called sport devotees, followers, or supporters, are persons who are enthusiastically devoted to a particular athlete, team or sport. They may show their enthusiasm by often attending sporting events or watch on television, being members of a fan club, follow sport news through newspapers, online websites, and creating fanzines. Their disposition is often such that they will experience a game or event by living through their favored players or teams. These behaviors manifest itself in different ways. To enable better understanding of these behavioral patterns, we have to classify these sports fans into groups based on their devotion to teams: fair-weather fans, bandwagon and the super-fans.

    Read More

  • The Rise and Fall of A Celebrity in Alice Walker’s Nineteen Fifty-Five

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...eness to Traynor’s death. In the years before his death Jackson’s life had gone downhill at an alarming speed and nothing seemed to stop it. However, upon news of his death people began listening to his music again praising him and watching movies in which he had been in. The term that can be used for this is “bandwagon” in which anyone joins in and doesn’t have to have extensive knowledge of the thing or person, they only need similar interests or reasons. Michael Jackson’s cds Thriller and Bad are the examples that can be used because people would take Thriller the cd’s title song and Smooth Criminal and replay them constantly claiming to be “True Fans”. The definition of a true fan is someone who not only knows the artist’s background but their music as well and enjoys listening to more than one song and doesn’t listen to them just because of physical appearance.

    Read More

  • Fan Culture in Sports and Science Fiction Enthusiasts in the 1920s

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    A fan in today’s world is usually characterized as the result of the “star system” portrayed in society due to mass media where media figures’ lives are constantly emphasized on a day to day basis. The internet and society are obsessed with news concerning celebrities, and knowing about their personal life. Today’s social media keeps fans constantly updated about celebrities, giving fans the illusion that they know everything about that celebrity and that they are connected somehow. This type of mass media has made the difference between appropriate behavior and inappropriate behavior of fans less noticeable (Lewis 11). These types of fans, the pathological fans, are also classified as the “o...

    Read More

  • African American Stereotypes Reality Television

    1543 Words  | 4 Pages

    Reality based television has a broad landscape ranging from competitive game-like shows to programs following the daily lives of a group of people. Every major network now has some form of reality programming because the genre’s shows are high in viewership and require low costs for production. The genre is appealing to viewers because it provides them with a first-hand look into the lives of everyday people, which allows them to observe social behavior that helps them determine what is appropriate or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). Since the majority of modern reality stars start out as unknowns, frequent viewers of reality programming believed that fame is obtainable if they appear on a popular show (Mendible, 2004). According to Mendible’s evaluation of the genre in the article Humiliation, Subjectivity, and Reality TV, people enjoy reality programs beca...

    Read More

  • Unrealistic Wants in Terms of Money, Fame and Physical Appearances in Today´s Society

    1333 Words  | 3 Pages

    It’s very easy to take for granted how much we as humans are influenced by the media. We have relied upon the media for years to measure success, beauty and power. Many times, our behaviors are based off of what we consider acceptable, due to the actions of individuals displayed on reality television shows. This is often extremely misleading and misunderstood, causing many to believe in such abnormal ideals.

    Read More

  • Explain How Hip Hop Music Changed From The 80's

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    .... Reality television has made hip-hop artist appear unprofessional. Shows such as Love & Hip-hop give a bad look on the hip-hop’s entertainment business and many artist professional lives. The decade of today’s music involves derogatory etiquettes, materialism, advertising of violence and sex.

    Read More

  • Society Of The Spectacle Analysis

    1844 Words  | 4 Pages

    We see that even celebrities are like this, so it becomes socially acceptable to be selfish or sociopathic. This is because “[reality shows] tell us that existence is to be centered on the practices and desires of the self rather than the common good” (Hedges, 32). The goal of a reality show is to acquire the sought after fame and wealth. Regardless of the method used to get to the end goal, people will do whatever it takes to reach it. This is why reality shows immensely influence the social relations we make in life. Seeing people on television doing these unnecessary and malevolent actions, it urges us to do the same; as if doing so, will help us reach our own end goal. And this is precisely what happens in the reality show “Survivor,” as Tina, Mad Dog Maralyn’s best friend, casts her vote to eliminate her, despite their friendship. It didn’t matter how strong their friendship was, when it came to winning, Tina paid no heed to Mad Dog. She states after her vote, that “it [had] nothing to do with [Mad Dog]. This vote has everything to do with a promise I made. I love you" (Hedges, 32). This sort of backstabbing betrayal is only further intensified by the magnitude of competition. Tina clearly could not prioritize her friendship with Mad Dog in a setting in which winning meant everything. She was blinded by the temptations of greed and the desire to be a celebrity. Another way to put it, is that “human beings [have] become a commodity in [the] celebrity culture… They are objects, like consumer products” (Hedges, 29). As a society, individualism has been cruelly thrown out for the pristine image celebrities are presented to us by the media. No longer do we value the unique individuals, we all want to become celebrities; manufactured to the point where we do not have an identity of our own. Celebrity images are essentially reflections of

    Read More

  • Analysis Of School Of Rock

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the world of rock music, there are usually two types of fans - the casual admirers, and the amped up, wild fanatics. But few of them understand the true meaning and zeal of rock n’ roll as the

    Read More

  • Dr. Faustus As Doomed Fool?

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    Faustus' decisions is tragic, he, himself, is not. Throughout the play, Dr. Faustus does not ever evoke feelings of pity or fear. Rather, readers are well aware as to which direction his foolishness is steering him in, spectating while he insists on rejecting the idea that he could avoid the depths of hell. He should know better than to succumb to theological despair since he claims to be a great scholar, speaking to himself in the third person. Regardless, Dr. Faustus is ambitious and allows his curiosity fuel his desire to pursue knowledge. He does not fit the textbook definition of a hero, but he is one nonetheless. He is dedicated in chasing further studies and expanding his mind's limits, going where no one else has, making him a hero for scholars everywhere. In the end, it is not his hunger for education that dooms him, but rather his pride. In his endeavor to gain not only a sense of personal satisfaction, but power through education, Dr. Faustus loses his sense of humility and further allows his pride to cloud his judgement and reasoning, leading him to strike a deal with the devil himself. He places his sins above God which makes him foolish. By way of example, he claims that even "the serpent that tempted Eve may be saved, but not [him]" (1156). He undermines God's capacity to forgive and implies that God is capable of refusing a repenting man the refuge of Heaven. Doing so, Dr. Faustus indirectly places himself in a

    Read More

  • Dr Faustus Analysis Essay

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    The short story titled, Doctor Faustus, is exceedingly imperative. This holds to truth when glancing at the narratives morals, lessons, and admonition. As we learn about the condensed and inexplicable life of Doctor Faustus, it’s obvious that he has quite unfortunately ravished what might have been a pleasant life. Corruption, influence, and self assurance, all play as key forces into his approaching fate. I conclude the mentality of this plays priority and influence, shows that many people, both presently and in the past, have lost their contentedness, and are placed into an everlasting abyss, both literally (hell in Dr. Faustus’s case) and metaphorically, because of inferior intuition. Towards the dawn of the story, we are introduced to our protagonist, the intellectually gifted character of Doctor Faustus, who has a strong desire to be trained in magic. This man is brilliant, yet somehow he still lacks a certain unexplainable inner strength and insightfulness. As his desire to learn magic is fulfilled, he grudgingly summons up a devil, Mephistopheles, who is contemplating the tough decision of taking his soul to hell, or saving him from the everlasting terror. With little thinking, Faustus is triggered by his desire, influenced by his enemies, and corrupted with his new hobby, and sells his soul to the devil by making a foolish deal; hell, after 24 years of supernatural powers.

    Read More

  • Celebrity Obsession

    763 Words  | 2 Pages

    The perks of illimitable wealth, vacationing all over the world, housekeepers, chefs, being in receipt of freebies from designers, multiple homes in diverse parts of the world, chauffeurs, the finest foods, and all the other perks that come with being a celebrity? Do they all sound attractive? Sure they do, to those of us who want to live the fabulous life. The question is do we want the downfalls that come with fame? Can we handle vicious tabloid scrutiny, fabrications, and assumptions? Being a celebrity has its perks, but at what cost? Fame and mon...

    Read More

  • Sports Fanatics

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    Being a Fan is More Than Just for Fun: It is a Way of Life

    Read More

  • Personal Goals Influencing Marriage in the Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eustacia Vye is a lazy, self-absorbed, cunning diva whose desire to marry Clym Yeobright is based on her vision of a extravagant life in Paris with her prized husband. It is the news that Clym is from Paris that generates Eustacia's vision of pomp and glamour. She gets so infatuated with her vision of what Clym Yeobright is, that before she even meets him, she has a dream of the two dancing the night away. There is further evidence of Eustacia's fascination with Parisian life. When Eustacia and

    Read More

  • Battle Between Good and Evil in Dr. Faustus

    570 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story Dr. Faustus represents the constant battle between good and evil. Every day, we are faced having to choose between the two, even if there seems like there is no solution. Faust, in the story Dr. Faustus, represents those that choose to stoop to a lower level in order to get what they want. The good angel and the bad angel are the morals that pull the Faust's soul apart, forcing him to make a decision that can effect his future. The story Dr. Faustus is a great example of how one wrong decision can cause an everlasting burn.

    Read More

  • Dr Faustus Tragic Flaw Analysis

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin the play Dr. Faustus is introduced as a noble and respected scholar who has mastered the subjects of medicine, law and philosophy. As a man in his social class he is seen as an equal to the audience members, since most of the audience where of similar social class of that time. This connection further drives home the tragedy and the tragic flaw that Dr. Faustus possesses. He soon turns to black magic as his next source of knowledge, his curiosity for knowledge and for power drive him. With his black magic he summons the demon, Mephistopheles. It appear devilish and evil so Faustus send him away, but to come back as a friar, something more desirable. Dr. Faustus exchanges his soul for twenty-four years of Mephistopheles’ service and his knowledge. The flaw blinds Faustus from realizing that he is dealing with the devil he has just chosen the short-term power over God and eternal holiness. He does in fact feel some guilt and is skeptical of his deal, when his own blood seems to reject the deal. However, his doubt vanish with the thought of his new power and knowledge the demon promises him. With his riches he receives, the knowledge he desires, the power of his dreams, Faustus is totally satisfied and does not regret his decision at all. His

    Read More

More about Critique of Fan Culture: A Personal Perspective

Open Document