Part 1: Fan Girls
So, what exactly is a fangirl? The dictionary defines fangirl as “an obsessive female fan”, however it can be used as a more all-encompassing term to describe any over the top, obsessive fan. While the fangirl is not a new concept, in the past decade the typical fangirl has changed dramatically. Now, decked out in their favorite band merch, poster in hand, phone/camera ready in case said band walks by, the modern fangirl is a species that is definitely out of the ordinary. But one thing is for sure, as long as we have boy bands, we will have fangirls.
Screaming Beatles fans and screaming One Direction fans. In over 50 years not much has changed, but there is one key difference — technology. In the bottom three photos, and in almost every photo on Google under the search “One Direction screaming fans”, every person is holding a phone or camera. So where are these pictures going? Facebook. Instagram. Tumblr. Twitter. Why? Primarily because people need peers/outsiders to confirm that the experience actually happened, and that it was good. It is not enough to enjoy a concert or have a conversation with your favorite celebrity, photos must be taken — and for several reasons. The first can be summed up in a very simple phrase — “pics or it didn’t happen”. As Sophia, a college freshman told me in the video below “the photo proof is almost more important than actually meeting the person”. So, why do people feel the need to take pictures to prove something happened? Validation, validation, validation.
“The photo proof is almost more important than actually meeting the person”
The thought of taking a picture of anything and everything you do has become such an ingrained practice that the thought of someone not doing it must mean that it didn’t happen… or that the person is clearly too dumb to know to take the picture. The second reason is that, particularly with regard to celebrities, having a picture with a celebrity has become a sign of status, and the more you have, the better you are.
Sophia talks about the fangirl culture and what it says about our society: