Dear Internet, give us our Fan Youtubers back! Love, Directioners & 5SOSfam
This article contains quotations from videos of Youtuber Colleen Kelly, also known as colliscool. The author wishes to clarify that she’s never arranged a personal interview with Ms. Kelly (but I’d love to meet her soon!) and all credits go to her. No copyright infringement intended. For educational purposes only.
P.S. To Coll, I hope I don’t come off as creepy. ILYSM. :c
“I am a creator, I kind of feel like one, but at the same time, I really don’t ’cause it’s like I’m just a fan. Like it doesn’t count almost,” says Youtuber colliscool in her “whats really been going on…” video. With 309K subscribers under her belt, she, alongside other fan content creators, are probably overly doubting themselves.
Fan Youtubers — or fan content creators — post their content on Youtube in support of their idols, propelling them to celebrity-like stardom. They carry an umbrella of diverse content: concert vlogs, reaction videos, make up videos, concert outfit ideas, room tours, Get Ready with Me (GRWM) videos, storytimes, unboxing videos, fanfiction content, merchandise hauls, and comedy skits. They have formed a niche community of fans on Youtube, serving as the voice of the fandom in good times and in drama.
But to stand alongside content creators whose cup of tea are beauty, fashion, lifestyle, and Do-It-Yourself (DIYs), or the “practical” ones, are these ordinary people who videotape themselves fangirling in the comfort of their bedrooms, considered creators?
Fandoms need their internet cult leaders (it’s not as creepy as it sounds like)
Although fandom culture has existed as early as Sherlock Holmes fans in 1893 protested the killing of the titular character, the internet has provided extensive and creative participatory opportunities for fans. What makes fangirling on Youtube different from Wattpad or Twitter is the 4th wall connection built among fan content creators and fan viewers, serving as an escapade from schoolwork and the realities of life.
A lot of them coming from the fanbases of One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer, they have created an online subculture where fans can strengthen their collective attachment and identity as supporters. Their togetherness is responsible for how they can be very vocal and protective of their idols and fellow fans, like an actual cult. As colliscool puts it in her “OBSESSIONS” video, “We’re not alone. That is what fandoms are for. They give you like a little home to come to to converse with people who have the same obsessions.” Fans would testify their detachment to the reality (family, society, school) they experience. Thus, online fan communities help them find a place to belong.
The inevitable fandom drama *sips tea*
You cannot talk about fandoms without saying the word “toxic” — as the emotional attachment of fans to their idols comes the lack of boundaries. The 5SOSfam was notorious for their groupie stories, where fans would make up stories as the band’s “groupie” to gain attention.
Other than that, a lot of storytime videos contain stories of meeting idols, many of them composed of stalking adventures that would encourage fans to do so despite inevitably causing their idols’ detriment. The idols, on the other hand, must be very careful, for their response could be seen as rude or disrespectful to their young fans, when evidently, their personal welfare is being sacrificed.
Managements barely have a voice against this, because they choose to. Fangirl content — and drama — keep their artists relevant, for fans to continue putting money on albums, concerts, and merchandise. While we fans see our idols as godlike people, managements view them as commodities they profit from. Don’t you think this is a contributing factor as to why Zayn left One Direction? Toxic management, anyone?
Hiatuses, Kpop, and Youtube’s paymeter: what’s the direction of Fan Youtubers at stake?
Not really, but they are frankly at odds as the internet and fandoms continuously expand. Since One Direction’s long hiatus and 5 Seconds of Summer’s album releases once every two years from a yearly schedule, the rise of the Kpop industry caused Kpop fans’ social media domination, a lot of them even “converting” from the 1D and 5SOS fanbase.
Youtube has also turned itself from a free entertainment platform to a corporate setting, as content creators sitting top of Youtube’s pyramid are those who receive sponsorships and arrange fanmeets. “I got caught up in all these things that I had to be, to be an influencer. But I felt like I had to be especially when I was about to go on tour…,” colliscool says in her “what’s REALLY been going on…” video. Since a lot of these fan Youtubers are still balancing school and growing up, it was hard to mediate creating content for fun and turning this into an income-generating job.
Being a subculture, fan content may also be harder to sponsor. In comparison with wellness Youtubers like Chloe Ting, who’s sponsored by Victoria’s Secret, her content is more catered to mass culture, thus attracting companies providing sponsorships. “Youtube is not as easy as it used to be for me,” Coll begins in her “time to talk about it” video. “It’s just a bit upsetting when I try to do things a different way, and the way I hated doing things is the way to be successful.”
Fan Youtubers have created safe spaces for those who feel out of place or want to engage in talks about their idols. A lot of them are probably on their own. Some are still cultivating the community they lead. Wherever they are, we are thankful. They’ve created a community of us growing up together, finding a reason to celebrate life, music, and community. In their rise and fall, in hiatuses and (possibly never to occur) comebacks, one thing’s for sure: they made our teenage years the most fun we’ve ever had.
