Fatal Fandoms and Their Harmful Online Presence

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Waking up next to someone every morning is an intimate experience. They are your first impression of every day, as they greet you with a comforting smile on a sunny Sunday morning. It is a consistency in a world full of uncertainty and stress, and it makes you feel closer to them. You love them!

I hate to be the one to tell you this; but the Harry Styles poster hung up on your dorm room wall does not feel the same way about you. 

Parasocial relationships, defined by Dictionary.com as, “a relationship that a person imagines having with another person whom they do not actually know, such as a celebrity or a fictional character,” has led many fandoms to weaponize the love they feel for their favorite singers, actors, athletes, etc. Using the internet, they tend to spread immoral ideals, and practice acts of bigotry and harm towards minority groups. 

When someone is your best friend, you are loyal to them. Given that many people feel emotional connections to their celebrity idols, they will defend their actions, even if they are harmful. Many celebrities have been caught saying racial slurs, or participating in cultural appropriation within recent years: Morgan Wallen, Madonna, Gigi Hadid and more. These are actions that should not be tolerated, and we should not be setting the example that they are okay. The effect that these acts of ignorance and/or hatred have on minority communities should be prioritized more than how good the artist may be. Imagine going on the internet and seeing a bunch of people using or justifying a language targeted against you. That is not a safe community. Not to mention, the majority of the defenders are white, and it is not their place to deem something as inoffensive, as it does not affect them. If you really love someone, you should call them out for their behaviors, and help them grow into a better human being. Encouraging or justifying their harmful actions will do nothing except elevate their power over society, and form hateful communities on social media sites used by a majority of the 2022 public. 

In the same breath, social media sites are riddled left and right with public opinions and commentary that anyone can share with just a click of a button. Not everyone agrees with each other. Some may think that Adele was rightful in winning “Best Album Award” at the 2017 Grammys, while others may swear that Beyoncé deserved it. Either way, everyone is allowed to think whatever they want, so long as they are not being overtly offensive. However, many differences in opinion have led to intense online arguments, resulting in the doxing of many internet users. This is the public sharing of private or identifying information about an individual that has the potential to harm and exploit them. As a result, many people have been outed as queer, relentlessly body shamed and overall bullied off of the internet as a result of petty disagreements. This provides one potential explanation as to why teen suicides have increased directy in correspondence to the use of social media. 

On the topic of the exploitation of sexuality, another large problem is the conspiracy theories formed about celebrities’ sexualities. For example, many people believe that Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, two former members of the popular boy band One Direction, are romantically involved with each other. Many avid “Larries,” which is what these fans are referred to as, scour the internet for evidence of this alleged relationship and often over-step private boundaries, as Tomlinson has constantly had to reassure the fact that he is straight. It is possible that this is a false claim made in order to disperse the unwanted rumors, but in that case, Tomlinson would be choosing to keep his sexuality hidden from the public eye. While celebrities put themselves on a pedestal just by being famous, they are still human beings with emotions. There is a certain line that should not be crossed, and subjects as delicate as the expression of one’s sexuality is a perfect example. The journey of discovering your queer identiy and how you want to express it is very meaningful to one’s life. It should not be disrupted or tampered with. By searching for private information that may expose someone’s sexuality, fans are essentially forcing someone out of the closet, whether they intend to or not. These rumors stemmed from the fact that the two boys were under strict management that forbid them from being openly queer, an issue that has been prevalent in Hollywood industries for years and that needs to be addressed. However, there are safer alternatives to dealing with the homophobia behind production and management companies. Billy Eichner, for example, has just made the first romantic comedy featuring a gay couple that has been produced by a major motion picture studio, “Bros.” The fight for queer representation in media is incredibly important, and something that we as a society should strive for. However, it is just as important to be cognisant of the fact that not all queer experiences are the same, and we need to be respectful of other people’s lives. 

It is okay to have a favorite celebrity. It is okay to listen to their music on repeat, take inspiration from how they dress, and look up to them. But we can not abandon our moral code just because we appreciate the art that they make. Before celebrities are famous and before we are fans, we are human beings. I love my Harry Styles poster as much as the next girl, but every once in a while, it is important to remind yourself that he is just a piece of paper that you got from Amazon. 

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Megan Hansen '26 is an opinion editor and writer studying film, theater, and writing. She is very excited to be working on the Weekly staff, helping to amplify the voices of her fellow classmates. You may also find her working behind the scenes with the Muhlenberg Theater Association, writing and directing short films, or even on a volleyball court in the fieldhouse on a random Tuesday night!

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