Fangirls and Activism: How Fandoms are Initiating a Generation of Changemakers
Adeline Chai
There are many connotations that come with the word “fan.” One’s first impression could be the crying fangirl. Then there’s the passive fangirl. Or worse, the hysterical fangirl. These adjectives have become labels that are conveniently thrown around to describe the fangirl, which I argue, is almost an attempt in itself to make unwarranted assumptions about her character.
As an avid Taylor Swift fan (or should I say, Swiftie) myself, I’ve heard them all. And I can tell you first-hand that these depictions are largely inaccurate. Boys often get a pass when they express excitement for their favourite soccer teams. With cheers in a stadium almost approximately the passionate screams you would hear at a BTS or Harry Styles concert, it is too obvious not to admit that one is definitely not less enthusiastic than the other.
Why do we then pick and choose who we shame? Yve Blake, writer of the musical FANGIRLS, said it best:
“I think there’s a deep issue there where we believe if it’s loved by young women then it’s embarrassing because they are inherently embarrassing. And that’s deeply problematic.”
Being a fan of Kpop groups EXO and NCT while being a Swiftie has allowed me to experience striving fan communities in different corners of stan Twitter. Famously known for distributing “fancams” on Twitter to promote their idols’ high notes and carefully choreographed dance moves, fandoms are often discredited for the true impact they have. From planting forests to matching their idols’ donations, fans have united as intangible communities to champion various social causes through the projects they run. As the world starts to learn that fangirls do more than stream music videos or gush about “pretty boys”, it’s time to take us seriously.
Taylor Swift’s popular statement, “I want to wear pink and tell you how I feel about politics,” has circulated on Twitter ever since the debut of her documentary Miss Americana (2020), where fans gained the opportunity to journey with Taylor as she found her voice in activism. Swift has undeniably initiated progress within the political arena since she first publicly urged fans to register on Vote.org on Instagram in light of the 2018 midterms Election. With Billboard calling it the “Taylor Swift Bump”, Vote.org reported that more than 434,000 people registered on the site over a five-day period since Swift’s post, 65% of which fell within the age bracket of 18 to 24. Spokeswoman Kamari Guthrie adds, “This is leaps and bounds beyond what we typically see” in reference to the previous spikes in registrants within similar time periods.
Growing up in a culture where being opinionated is often regarded as an expression of deviance, Swift’s statement became my own personal declaration: I can and should speak up about the issues that I’m passionate about, no matter how uncomfortable that may be.
Fan studies scholar Henry Jenkins coined the term “textual poachers'' to describe fans as anything but passive, seen through their appropriation of different media texts to achieve their own motives. Media texts such as The Hunger Games series which centred around justice have empowered their fans to become initiators of change in an unjust society. Katniss Everdeen, the protagonist in the dystopian series, proffers a three-fingered salute which became a symbol of rebellion against the totalitarian regime in Panem. In their attempts to resist the military coup which imposed restrictions on journalistic truth and public assembly, Thai fans flashed the same salute during pro-democracy protests, eerily mirroring the movie’s storyline. In the words of protestor Manik Sehisuwan, “Our struggle is non-fiction.” Similarly, fans of Harry Potter have become activists leading the Harry Potter Alliance, a non-for-profit organisation that actively equips youth from different parts of the world to champion various social causes. From establishing and stocking libraries in the United States, Uganda and Rwanda to sending 5 cargo planes that helped aid post-earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, founder Andrew Slack firmly believes in marketing a movement of “mass heroism” through the Harry Potter Alliance. Today, they continue to advocate for immigrant justice, gender equity, accessible education and more.
Known for their unceasing loyalty and gigantic power given that they congregate in large numbers, K-pop fandoms have undeniably made their mark through their powerful online presence since the advent of K-Pop on the international stage. But it was ultimately their reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement that had heads turning.
When police departments from different states of America asked the public for media that documented “illegal activity” at protests which would potentially be used as evidence to arrest protestors, K-pop fans immediately took action by spamming fancams of groups like Red Velvet and BTS within these applications, resulting in the breakdown of these systems. Prolific stans of the boy group BTS who skyrocketed to international fame in 2015 were also unsurprisingly quick to act in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement. With the hashtag #MatchAMillion trending after a $1 million donation was made by BTS and its record label, the fandom quickly hit the $1 million mark in matching the group’s donations. The donations collected will be split among 16 groups, including National Bail Out, Black Lives Matter Global Network and the Marshall Project. The organiser behind this hashtag is no stranger to advocating for social causes – from campaigns mobilising street animal rescue to empowering Indigenous youth through dance under hashtags named after the members of BTS, One In An Army has staged projects like #DancingWithHope or #BuildBricksWithNamjoon where they strive to make the world a better place. The words plastered across the organisation’s landing page describe their cause succinctly: “Big Fandom. Big difference.”
Fighting the good fight is a never-ending marathon that calls for resilience and strength – and truthfully, it is not a one-man journey. Fandoms have functioned as collective spaces that cultivate a generation of changemakers: individuals who dare to imagine a better future than the messed-up reality we despise today. More importantly, individuals who willingly take the first step. I am a strong believer that fandoms continue to do just that. While some continue to negotiate their identities, many of us are well aware that we are human beings before we are fans. And what that entails is, though we continue to engender admiration towards individuals of diverse backgrounds who appeal to us in unique ways, may we not only feel inspired by their stories - but may we, as members of large communities that reach different corners of the world, do better.