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Has music fandom gone too far?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,143
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in Music #1
As we all know fans are an important part of a music artist's career, but lately I've been thinking: Is fandom getting out of control? Is the internet and social media allowing people to get too attached to artists? Is it going beyond simple fandom and turning into obsession? Is the hatred directed towards "rival" artists getting too extreme?

I've included some posts from a pop music forum below to use as an example. (warning: some are pretty horrible).

http://atrl.net/?p=20809471

http://atrl.net/?p=18007674

http://atrl.net/?p=16721438

http://atrl.net/?p=18402714

I just wanted to know other people's opinion on this. Do you think the "wars" between fans of rival artists are getting too extreme? Are people getting too obsessed with people they don't even know?

Comments

  • Steve™Steve™ Posts: 7,286
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    #2
    mmeister2 wrote: »
    As we all know fans are an important part of a music artist's career, but lately I've been thinking: Is fandom getting out of control? Is the internet and social media allowing people to get too attached to artists? Is it going beyond simple fandom and turning into obsession? Is the hatred directed towards "rival" artists getting too extreme?

    I've included some posts from a pop music forum below to use as an example. (warning: some are pretty horrible).

    http://atrl.net/?p=20809471

    http://atrl.net/?p=18007674

    http://atrl.net/?p=16721438

    http://atrl.net/?p=18402714

    I just wanted to know other people's opinion on this. Do you think the "wars" between fans of rival artists are getting too extreme? Are people getting too obsessed with people they don't even know?


    Its not Fandom.

    Its just nasty people using the hysteria of fan reactions and their own unpleasant comments to create hate....anger....arguments.

    People should like who they like and not take it too far!
  • elasticloveelasticlove Posts: 18,257
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    #3
    I think you've misunderstood the Stand Your Ground threads.
  • iseloidiseloid Posts: 9,392
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    #4
    Steve™ wrote: »
    Its not Fandom.

    Its just nasty people using the hysteria of fan reactions and their own unpleasant comments to create hate....anger....arguments.

    People should like who they like and not take it too far!
    elasticlove wrote: »
    I think you've misunderstood the Stand Your Ground threads.

    This.

    Fandom is mental these days, the only difference is that we have the internet now, so anyone can have a voice.
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    #5
    Haha, this is nothing compared to the madness of the 90s.

    I am not going to link it because I will get ban hammered into the earth, but Bjork had a stalker. He sent her an acid bomb (thankfully the police caught it before anything bad happened). When they went to get the guy, he was dead. He made a video of him blowing his own brains out. Its on youtube. Now thats fandom taken to new heights.

    Michal Jackson also had a gun pointed at him so some paps could take a picture, that was quite a few years ago.
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #6
    Tal'shiar wrote: »
    Haha, this is nothing compared to the madness of the 90s.
    .

    ....which was nothing compared to the pitched battles betwen mods and rockers in the 60's, nor for that matter inter chapter wars between hells angels of the 60's and early 70's.
  • Tal'shiarTal'shiar Posts: 2,290
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    #7
    mushymanrob wrote: »
    ....which was nothing compared to the pitched battles betwen mods and rockers in the 60's, nor for that matter inter chapter wars between hells angels of the 60's and early 70's.

    Also, in the 1890's, there was a brawl at in the Vienna Music school, Beethoven and Mozart. Who was the best. As I recall my music teacher said someone was actually badly injuries during the scuffle.

    But as you say, rockers and mods used to knock ten bells of shite out of each other. You had the White Power movement in the underground of the punk/hardcore world and they got pretty nasty with non White Power groups.

    I think people will always find a way to fight it out over something. No different with football, international sports, god etc etc. We do like picking a side for some reason haha.
  • TheTruth1983TheTruth1983 Posts: 13,462
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    #8
    Nope, passion for the music and the people who create it is what the whole thing is all about. Nothing wrong with it.
  • Hav_mor91Hav_mor91 Posts: 17,183
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    #9
    I just find it all a little hilarious most of these people need medicating or being let out in to the real world :D.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 126
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    #10
    I am shocked that people would go so far to write such vile, nasty comments! Nothing more annoying than a keyboard warrior! People on this site are quite respectful in their opinions. It's okay to say " I hate britney she can't sing!" But wanting her to take a noose and hang herself is extreme!
  • SweetHeartHollySweetHeartHolly Posts: 1,565
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    #11
    To me, it is the foes who go too far, not the fans.

    God bless you always!!! :):):)

    Holly

    P.S. And to me, foes are nuts to even go as far as they go. What is it that makes them think that they can lead by the nose whoever it is that they hate?
  • Littlegreen42Littlegreen42 Posts: 19,964
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    #12
    ATRL is known to be a forum full of vile trolls, most use GIFs as a form of communication - forming sentences would require brain cells.
  • meglosmurmursmeglosmurmurs Posts: 35,108
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    #13
    I understand if they get a bit too protective of their fave artists or even lash out at other artists they are in competition with (not death threats or wishing physical harm though), but I never know why they turn their aggression onto their fave artist. Whether it's just irritation (replying to every one of their tweets with 'OMG follow me please please please, you always ignore me *cries*') to sending hate to the artist's partner or to other fans who get special attention from the artist.
    Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.

    It proves there's a fine line between love and hate and that fandom is just too fickle to take seriously.
    Sometimes I think they don't really like the artist, they are just needing an outlet to unleash all their confused emotions.
  • iseloidiseloid Posts: 9,392
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    #14
    That's also true. You see it a lot with pop fans and this vicarious living through them business.
  • vagbreathvagbreath Posts: 1,215
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    #15
    ATRL is a very sad place.
  • IJoinedInMayIJoinedInMay Posts: 26,319
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    #16
    I don't know if it's any worse but I definitely don't think it's gotten any less intense, which isn't a good thing.

    People can make millions (allegedly) from weirdos that are unhealthily obsessed by them. I don't think that's right.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 42
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    #17
    I wouldn't say its necessarily got worse. the internet has provided a voice for everyone, so communication of views is obviously a lot more far reaching. The horrible names and things that are said about singers basically amounts to nothing, because they're only said by immature teenagers who pretty much are just saying anything for a reaction.
  • JCRJCR Posts: 24,064
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    #18
    I don't think anything beats people carving the word Slayer into their arms/backs, which was then used in band artwork, giving it taciturn approval. And that was in the mid 90's.

    http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/4111715521_8b14136720.jpg
  • Jason100Jason100 Posts: 17,222
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    #19
    Twitter is full of One Direction nasties who send them and their loved ones death threats when they don't like something.
  • Lucy Van PeltLucy Van Pelt Posts: 11,631
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    #20
    since the days of Johnny Ray and Frank Sinatra there has always been teenypop hysteria, the like of Twitter et all has however taken it down a very ugly road


    I don't understand why the likes of One Direction don't issue statements saying they don't want fans who make threats online to people

    maybe their PR team think it is career suicide, but if I was a pop star I wouldn't want fans like that - maybe I'm being naive but some steps should be at least taken to try and curb this creepy nonsense
  • DumdedumdumDumdedumdum Posts: 1,639
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    #21
    This is where the term 'stan' comes in useful. Stans are the sort of obsessive fans whose lives are wrapped around the star/TV show etc. and they feel scarily, personally, intensely connected to them. You only need a few hundred of these to make the internet a tough place to reasonably critique creative output (or even just have a joke). Stans are rarely representative of the wider fandom and hardly at all of the fanbase. The average person who quite enjoys an episode of Doctor Who doesn't want to rid the internet of Sherlock fans.

    I really hate it when singers, actors etc. don't control their fandoms. Like Lady Gaga will actually say "They just just love me so much" when asked about her fans' abuse of others, even though her message is anti-bullying. And Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson directly addressed by name people who have written something they don't like, thus marshalling the directioner stans. They need to stop doing it now the group are more involved in the decision-making. Personally I'd ban everyone from describing someone as a 'hater'.
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