For those who know me well, or maybe even know me at all, you might know that I study BA (Hons) Music Management, Branding and Promotion at Buckinghamshire New University.
I’m currently in the middle of writing an assignment for my Music Cultures class about Country Music as a genre, and the section I’m on is the fans within the genre. It’s made me think about what a fan actually is. What makes a fan?
I for one, hear all the time “you’re not a REAL fan”, “you’re not a PROPER fan”. What makes a real fan? Surely LIKING a band/artist is enough? Even if it is one song. They’re still consuming the artist and their song, just like any other fan. Just because that’s maybe the only song they know and they don’t attend shows or follow the artists every move doesn’t make them a fake fan. They’re just a different fan. Sure, there are many bands and artists that I only know one song of, I’m still a fan. I personally may LOVE that song a lot. Just because I don’t own all their material, merchandise and stay on top of their actions 24/7 doesn’t mean that I am not a fan. I am a fan. Just not the same fan as some others.
Another thing that annoys me about “fandoms” is the need to be greater than one another. Some people who like the “product” (getting into my branding lectures now using that ha!) the same, consume it the same, attend the same shows and are on the same websites e.t.c fight over who is the “better” fan. Who’s the “bigger” fan. Who’s been the fan for the longest. Do these things REALLY matter really? I’m pretty sure the artist/band HATE fan negativity like this. I mean, it’s not a nice thing?!
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