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Growing up, there were two things I loved the most: music and sports.
When I was three years old, I put a poster of Jon Bon Jovi on my wall and told anyone who would listen that “Life in Prayer” (or as I called it, “The Whoah Song”) was my jam. I also attended my first baseball game that year, where I fell in love with the sports atmosphere on the field.
As I got older, I started thinking about what I wanted to do in my life, and obviously I wanted music and/or sports to be a part of it. I spent my high school years making this dream come true.
Now that I’m at Quinnipiac, I have the opportunity to work on that dream and even make it a reality. I’m lucky to say that I’ve been able to turn two things I really enjoy into a potential career.
However, my experience is not unique. After years of trying to break into an industry they’ve always been obsessed with, fans are finally getting recognition, for better or worse.
Pipelines from fans to the entertainment industry have grown in popularity over the past few years, especially since the pandemic. With so many job openings, fans have been stepping up to help their favorite brands improve their fan engagement strategies.
Some defend the trend, saying the skills of being a fan of something in the past can be used in a business setting. For example, if you helped plan a meetup in your city to connect with other fans of your favorite band, you might have what it takes to be a professional event planner.
Another example is becoming a social media manager or content creator using the skills needed to run a fan account on social media. Even just the enthusiasm it takes to become a superfan can be an asset.
When I first heard about this trend, I was ecstatic. It makes sense that fans work in showbiz; they know fan engagement best. According to Amplify Her Voice, an organization that advocates for gender equality in the music industry, superfans make up an average of 50-80% of an artist’s income, and women make up the vast majority of sales and streaming numbers.
Unfortunately, many people have negative feelings toward female fans, or anyone who shows great passion for something they love. From the rise of Beatlemania in the ’60s to boy and girl group obsession in the ’90s, to ‘Justin Bieber Fever’ and ‘One Direction Infection’ in the 2010s, young women have always shown their love for their favorite artists Liked, but at the same time, they also received a lot of backlash.
In a controversial cover story about the band, GQ writer Jonathan Heaf described One Direction’s female fans as “crazy, pants-pissing banshees who, when they see the object of their obsession , they would rip off (their) own ears in hysterical frenzy” 2010. Which is ironic, because One Direction member Harry Styles thinks the exact opposite.
“How can you say young girls don’t get it?” Styles told Billboard. “They are our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they keep the world going.”
Sexism is clearly at the root of the problem. When a girl cries at a Taylor Swift concert or when she meets her favorite hockey player for the first time, she’s dramatic and crazy. A man is passionate when he sees his favorite sports team win a championship. It’s a double standard and it’s frustrating.
While a “fangirl to industry pipeline” is beneficial because it enables young girls to follow their dreams and turn their interests into careers, it can romanticize an industry that can be detrimental to women working. Coloring does not properly prepare young women for the prejudice they may face and may help them develop harmful positive attitudes.
There’s nothing black and white about this debate, and there’s sure to be more discussion about the nuances of turning something you love into a career. Until then, I urge anyone trying to live out their entertainment dreams to keep going and not let the critics down. In a company meeting, you’re as powerful as you are when you’re singing out your favorite song.
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