On that note, what does 'dyno' mean?

Not sure, in what context?

You're right I'm sure, I'm sure they have looked at it, and I really hope their reactions were more 'wtaf' than 'ooh...' It just can't be psychologically healthy to be the target of all that. And it's one of the reasons why I don't think children should be doing this type of show. But I'm like you, I keep looking at it because it's so utterly fascinating and horrible and completely insane, like picking scabs or those pictures of people with little worms coming out their skin.

And I certainly didn't behave like that when I was a teenager, I can't begin to imagine just standing screaming at someone, I definitely aspired to studied cool even if I probably failed terribly badly. I feel a bit sheepish being critical of other people given, uhh, how RedBecko led me astray elsewhere but at least that's an anonymous forum thread the subject's never going to read (please god) and not directed at him on twitter under my own actual name where all my friends can read it, that's just insane!

It's like that frenzied fandom that erupted around the younger boy who did the Boston marathon bombing, they just bypassed the whole killing and maiming thing and just went 'hot hot hot' and wrote bad pornographic fan fiction. It's bizarre and baffling.

I think there's definitely something about the internet, and twitter specifically that encourages these weird behaviours, or at least the publicisation and further adoption of them. Having said that, back when I used to do audience stuff on a music show that shan't be named, pre-twitter, at the height of a certain teeny bands fame, whenever they were in I would have HUGE problems with teenage girls. As soon as they'd played their current song, ALL the girls would try to leave the studio (which obv would look very bad on live broadcast) to track down their idols in the bar area. Hordes of them all suddenly 'feeling ill' and pretending to faint. I even had one girl suddenly claiming she'd literally just started her period. Of course, you can't keep anyone in a space against their will, so all you could do was try to evaluate whether they were lying or not (99.9% were and obviously so), persuade them with an arched eyebrow to stay in and if that didn't work, let them out but try to keep them away from the band. But then you'd suddenly find them breaking in through fire exits etc…

Oh, and what is this leading astray you speak of? You have to tell us now

But yeah, psychologically unhealthy to be subject to all that is bang on, or 'on point' as they'd say on XF. And then, what if, that all suddenly goes away. It must really screw with your own sense of self-worth.

I have been caught up in the whole 12/13 year old idolisation thing. I bet most females have, no matter which form that may take.

And yes it must screw the recipient up. I just hope they're strong enough to cope.

Having said that, back when I used to do audience stuff on a music show that shan't be named, pre-twitter, at the height of a certain teeny bands fame, whenever they were in I would have HUGE problems with teenage girls.

Go on, go on...

...Old I- pad not doing quotes so well!

There is a real proprietorialness about all the demanding follows and anger at not being 'noticed' (that word is used all the time, it's creepy as hell). There are text images that keep doing the rounds about both of them, about how (to paraphrase) they only have success because the fandom noticed them (yeah, that word again) and voted for them and the subtext that they therefore 'belong' to the fans and had better not forget it; despite all the rhetoric about feeling unworthy and slavish devotion there's a real sense of entitlement and ownership that's really uncomfortable.

There's a really interesting quote on wikipedia about how Justin Bieber's manager exploited that idea of the fans 'owning' the artist's success: 'part of Bieber's appeal stems from his YouTube channel. Long before he released his EP, My World, in mid-November, the YouTube videos attracted millions of views. Braun recognized the appeal. Before flying him to Atlanta, Braun wanted to "build him up more on YouTube first" and had Bieber record more home videos for the channel. "I said: 'Justin, sing like there’s no one in the room. But let's not use expensive cameras.' We'll give it to kids, let them do the work, so that they feel like it's theirs."'

But obviously your experiences show that teenage girls have always been like that even when they weren't being
told (or telling themselves) that they created the artists, and all the frenzy around the Beatles etc. Bowie too, and all the groupie stuff with all those bands. Why do girls think sex with guitarists/popstars is going to be better than sex with other people? It must have been absolutely insane to witness!


Yeah, where the hell did that 'on point' thing come from? I hate it, people keep using it on here now too. Was it Tulisa that started it or were they doing it before her? But the point (ha!), yeah, it just can't be good for people, and if it goes is when they need the most support and when they're least likely to have it. And these kids being 16 and 17 and wiping out the entire rest of their lives for a tv show is horrible, at least Nick, Luke, Hannah etc are generally popular but look at Tamera, so much hostility towards a child and all the turd polishing (sorry, 'development') deals in the world aren't going to undo that.

Here endeth today's essay

To be fair, my big crush as a kid was an actor that turned out to have died years before I came across him, and my big favourite band turned out to have split up before I came across them (and I didn't find any of them attractive anyway), so there wasn't really anyone for me to stand and scream at, otherwise perhaps I would have. I did fall in love with people in books all the time (still do actually ), but you can't really stand and scream at a book; well, technically you can but it's not going to make it want to sleep with you so it's kind of pointless

I can relate! Biggest crush when growing up - James Dean (dead). Favourite band growing up - Beatles (long split up and none I fancied) Most recent book crush - Henry from The Time Traveller's Wife. Didn't scream at it though

Hmm, I don't remember crushing on any pop-stars/bands particularly even though I was heavily into music from a very early age. I probably fancied members of bands of music I didn't like, and liked the music of artistes I didn't fancy, so perhaps they just don't stick in my mind. Having said that, my earliest crushes were cartoon characters, so you know, maybe I'm just weird.

Yeah, I've noticed fans moaning that 'I've supported you since you only had 100k followers but you ignore me'. I half want to tweet them 'WELL I WAS HERE WHEN HE ONLY HAD 20k FOLLOWERS' but then I'd probably be arrested


That's really interesting and just shows the power of attention to detail and clever presentation. It also shows how horribly clever the XF is in that, for the 'chosen acts' at least, it's convincing people that they've discovered them and not international corporate A&R departments. It's such a hugely powerful emotional hook.


God, imagine The Beatles in the age of twitter

I do find it interesting to consider how much of the fangirl behaviour is inherent and how much of it is appropriated from previous historical examples. Did medieval lutists have young wenches dropping their buckets of water and screaming at them?




I think it may well have been Tulisa. It's like 'current' - suddenly Simon started talking about things being 'current' and before you know it, everyone on DS is an expert in the zeitgeist. These sorts of words being dropped into the general dialogue are quite clever in that it's not just that they get adopted, they also help shape the discussions in a fashion that aids the producers. It's no longer who is the best singer, or the most talented, or the one you like the most, or the one whose records you'd like to buy, it's who is 'most current standing shoulder to shoulder on point with world-class pockets of resistance' (apologies for the Iraq war references, but I believe they function in exactly the same dialogue-shifting way).

Girls tweeting that they've been lining up for Nicky's gig today since 9am, though they've already got their tickets. What is that about? Just getting near the front? Or just demonstrative devotion?

I see Monrose's charming little outburst has been removed from here and the MF!

There's a lot of excitement for Nicky's gig tonight. It's freezing here today so these kids are hardcore nicnaks (I think that's what they are calling themselves!)

Lol My big crush was Richard Beckinsale, I still snuffle fondly and sigh longingly whenever I see episodes of Rising Damp or Porridge. I totally have a type, even my husband looks an awful lot like him


I get the impression (though obviously I don't actually know!) that boys are more capable of separating fancying someone from blind devotion to everything they say and do. I suppose boys tend to get bombarded with pictures of women whose sole purpose is to be hot and look elsewhere for something that appeals to their other interests, while there are very few men who have no purpose other than hotness, they're always 'hot + ' popstar/actor/etc, so there's a lot more to engage with. And talent makes someone ordinary looking suddenly seem much more attractive, i guess.

Cartoon characters, I guess I can see that as they kind of distil everything sexy into one persona/figure. As long as it's not, like, Foghorn Leghorn or something, if it is then you're on your own


Do it.

I'll hold your coat


Terrifying, isn't it?


No apologies needed, I think you're absolutely right. On point, even *disembowels self*


I really have to stop looking at those twitter streams, I spend the entire time with my jaw on the floor except for occasional horrified squawking.

I guess I can understand it, since he's going to actually be there and they're so desperate to get noticed then being there at the crack of dawn at the front of the queue possibly gives them slightly better odds. Perhaps the idea is that he'll spot them, be overwhelmed with desire and have them scrubbed and brought to his chamber, where they can peel grapes for him and ease his nerves, and then he'll propose and life will be complete. And I guess it means they can get right to the front of the stage and be NOTICED or perhaps he'll come out and talk to the front of the queue and then they might be NOTICED.

She posted in this thread too? That's a bit crap.

It also keeps pouring down here in Glasgow anyway, I hope Hamilton's drier. I was going to say I hope they're all wrapped up warm but I doubt they are somehow.

What I find absolutely hilarious are the "look at the picture I drew of you" tweets - then you look at it and it's like Shrek in a tartan jacket

Oh I had a thing for him too! Years later when I went to uni I found out my housemate was friends with Kate Beckinsale and I had something of a huge retrospective crushback for a fleeting couple of minutes until we'd finished off the next bottle of Thunderbirds. I also had a thing for Kim Wilde. So, you know, CONFUSION.


Yep I think you're right. I was probably somewhere in the middle being a bloke mostly attracted to blokes. I think I had my 'oh they're lovely I would like to settle down with them and cuddle and form bands and go punting' crushes and my 'PHWOAR, I would, probably without even speaking' crushes. That's probably still true to a certain extent

But I definitely think part of your training as a boy is learning how to pretend like you don't give a s***.


Um…


Not really!

Mr Benn is the one that sticks in my mind. And Penelope Pitstop. And er, possibly Captain Haddock. Again, CONFUSION.



And be rounded on by a bunch of hormonally-charged girls all accusing me of being a peado? Haha, there aren't enough 'o's for the subsequent 'nooooooo'.


I laughed too much at that last paragraph. Perhaps he will take them punting and form bands with them too. But yes, I'm weaning myself off the streams, though it's hard not to want to see how much he is maintaining interest. I guess that will remain to an extent until we find out whether he's been signed or not, then it'll become about sales etc.

As far as monrose goes I'm not even bothering to respond to her anymore. Trolls can be fun sometimes, but that particular one is so devoid of wit or purpose it's completely pointless engaging in any form. Part of me is wondering whether it's a sock-puppet, mind.

Hahahahahaha, you've set me off now

. I really wish you could post pics on here!

That totally killed me


He's just lovely


Lol I'm sure it's true of most of us tbh (she said worriedly).


Definitely. It's a shame there can't just be a happy medium between pretending not to care at all and insane ott obsession.


Mr Benn, hmm, dressing up and acting out fantasies, eh? And Captain Haddock's Belgian so could be passed off as French, which is inherently sexy, so...

Actually i've just remembered definitely having quite a thing for one of the xmen in the animation *googles* ohh yeah, Gambit. I think I'm not going to say any more now.


Hahaha, well I guess you've got a point! Shame though, it would have been highly entertaining.


BIB is really quite adorable

It must be so hard though, for all of them, trying to keep public interest going all the time especially before they get signed and have a label's marketing machine to generate interest in them, or have any new material out there to keep people excited. Especially for acts like Nick/Luke/Sam C when so much of their visible audience they're having to interact with is such fickle young girls that could have forgotten about them within a week and hate them in a fortnight.


Hmm, I hadn't thought of that, I wonder.

He's had to apologise to fans after someone posing as him posted on Instagram slagging off his fans. It must be difficult enough to deal with the practically overnight attention without the madness of social media.

http://www.*******************/x-fac...s-slated-fans/

Lovely but dead. From now on to be known as 'lead'.



I think that's actually a thing and known as being 'well-adjusted'. Something we can all aspire to if never reach


Oh I never thought of the dressing up thing. TBH I think it was the bowler hat. And I think Captain Haddock was the beard. But who knows what was going through my tiny twisted mind.


Haha. Oddly enough an unrequited crush of mine had a thing for Gambit. Don't think it originated from a childish crush thing but who knows. He was into Gambit enough to get a tattoo. Funnily enough, he's based up in Glasgow. And now I've typed that I just hope you don't know him!



Yep, the turning on them thing must be a real danger. Especially with people like this joker who was telling people Nick called his fans pricks. Of course anyone with a brain can tell it's rubbish, but as we all know hormones can bypass brains plus, I suppose, it's another excuse to send needy, pleading tweets to him going 'DID YOU SAY THAT SADFACESADFACESADFACE I'M CRYING SO MUCH'. There's a real delicate line to tread as far those particular fans are concerned. I'd hate to be subject to the ire of that particular hive-mind.