A brief history of fangirls and why you should stop being a hater
In May 2012, my life changed for- ever. I sat in front of the TV and saw One Direction perform at the Kid’s Choice Awards.
I know what you’re thinking – that seems a little dramatic. How could a boyband have such an effect on your life? Aren’t we supposed to not hold celebrities on a pedestal for “saving our lives”?
To that, I say: you are absolutely right. I started this article out like that to engage you – shock value and what- not. To pull back the drama of my statement, I would like to say that One Direction changed my life for the better.
I firmly believe that every pre-teen/teenage girl is entitled to at least one major artist to obsess over. I believe that it’s a rite of passage into teenage hood, which has only really existed as a concept for less than 100 years.
Trends, technology and economics created the idea of a “teenager,” someone who is definitely not a kid but is also definitely not an adult.
In this age limbo, a specific culture exists. While there may still be rules that hold us down, teenagers experience a newfound liberty – driving for the first time, first dates, first kisses, homecoming dances and concerts with friends to name a few.
Additionally, niche obsessions ensue. This is one of the defining moments for a teenager, and specifically teenage girls. It’s not just music – books, TV shows, movies and artists are all subjected to the development of fangirls.
While it’s debatable where this concept exactly stemmed from, a consensus is that Elvis Presley was one of the first to experience the hysteria of fangirls. Get- ting crushed at concerts to catch a glimpse of him was worth it for these teens.
Even though this cultural phenomenon is so common, I was still subjected to being teased for liking One Direction, simply because they were the latest pop boyband.
Now, I by no means claim to be the only one to receive backlash for their interests. I’ve talked to several people here at UD and else- where about how they would get teased for their niche interests – it’s something that everyone can relate to at some point in their lives.
However, it does seem to me that there is a more significant amount of hate sent towards fans of artists in the pop genre.
And I believe that this is because the pop genre is associated with teenage girls – possibly the most important demographic for the economy.
Walk with me – teenagers determine what’s “cool” and “uncool” in every single generation. Why? If they don’t have their own money from illegally doing management-enforced overtime at a job, their parents have credit cards. If you can get them on board with something, you are pretty much set for success.
This comes from their extremely loyal relationship with the artists of their interests. Albeit, this can be driven to a fault as seen by “fan wars” where fans of one artist start very problematic fights (often online) with those of another artist. Or even going as far as stalking their favorite celebrity.
This doesn’t excuse their actions (especially when they threaten the lives of other individuals) but rather highlights the weight that their opinions and choice of words carry. They can quite literally make or break someone’s career – no matter what it is.
So you can roll your eyes at the crowds of teenage girls flooding cities to catch a glimpse of their favorite artists at a concert, but they are just there to make the most of their teenage years and to have fun.
In a 2019 interview, Taylor Swift said, “The worst kind of person is someone who makes someone feel bad, dumb or stupid for being excited about something.”
If you can’t handle someone being happy because something or someone makes them happy, you are probably just an unhappy person.
Fangirls are always going to exist whether you like it or not – they will be your nieces, daughters and granddaughters – so stop hating on fangirls.