Where Should The Fandom Line Be Drawn? (#CutForBieber, All Time Low, John Lennon, Dimebag Feature)
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Written by Heather McDaid
Obsessive fandom. I get it. I've been there. I've loved a band more than I thought humanly possible and I thought nothing could compare to what I felt for them. I lived and breathed their music, their news updates, their new releases. As a teenager I had plans to cover myself in tattoos dedicated to them, I even flew to America for as little as 24 hours just to see them live - though, more often than not, I made more of a holiday of these such occasions.
To outsiders, something as simple as queuing overnight in sun, rain or snow to be barrier and wait back hours afterwards to potentially meet them seemed crazy. But - to us who love music - these are the motions that many of us go through, and continue to do so. Be it rock or pop, rap or country - everything can cause a strong connection.
Sure, many of us grow out of some of the more obsessive behaviours - I've discarded all posters and magazine clippings I used to hoard, quite something when you consider I collected certain bands' appearances for years on end. I opted not to go down the tattoo route for that particular band, but have for others. I no longer queue for shows, finding that sitting in the warmth of a pub seems more appealing on a dreary day. But the connection to the music is still there, with or without these actions.
But, it does beg the question - when does that love of a band or musician go too far?
These behaviours I have experienced are, in general, normal. Sure, it can be a little pricey from time to time and, when it comes to queuing, it can get quite chilly. But the reward is worth it, be it experiencing your idols up close, meeting some new friends or inking your dedication on your skin with something you love.
However, once in a while something occurs that really forces the question of boundaries into the forefront of our minds, and January 2013 provided just that. A trolled trending topic #cutforbieber, that displays fans self harming in protest of their musical hero, their idol - Justin Bieber - smoking weed. Yes. That happened.
Unsurprisingly, this blew up online. For one, it's idiotic. Those who started the trend are deplorable, and those who partook in it clearly did not consider both how stupid their actions are and how serious a problem what they were doing actually is for many people. Though the trend went global more through the outrage, it didn't take long to find at least a few young fans posting their own photos - though some were taken down not long after. And for what?
When a fan is willing to cross a line to the point of physically harming themselves - or anyone else, for that matter - alarms should be going off. Nothing should be worth you doing that, especially something such as your favourite singer smoking weed. This particular instance undermines a big and genuine problem that people face in dark times and for youngsters to do it because of a trending topic is unsettling. That is love of music gone too far.
I've been around when previously sober icons have admitted they started drinking again, while the fanbase explodes. Band members have gotten married and the internet erupts into criticism of their chosen mate. Children are had and photos are found, despite not being widely publicised, and splashed all over the web. These actions seem to just go hand in hand with social media, whether each individual fan agrees with them or not.
But these are behavioural actions that come with the culture. A need to express opinion, a need to know everything about the band and their circles, a need to meet others with similar opinions or debate (or Tweet battle) with those who disagree. Something of interest happens with your favourite band and you have the opportunity to vent your opinion online to the whole world. Of course you'd take it.
As a rule, showing your passion through action isn't a bad thing. Posting about your passion isn't a bad thing. When the obsession takes away from other parts of your life rather than enhancing it, then that's a time to look at whether or not it's going a step too far.
There are many lines that we accept as a 'do not cross' zone when it comes to musicians and famous people in general. A clear one - do not stalk said person. Distinctly different from merely waiting by their tour bus after a gig, when your obsession dictates your life to the point of stalking - real, worries-the-person stalking - then that's a clear sign that your love is going too far.
Remember when a young girl wanted to meet All Time Low's Alex Gaskarth so much that she turned up at his house and asked for a photograph? Or when two girls gatecrashed All Time Low's friend's wedding posing as guests just to meet the band? These two examples are coincidentally about the same band, and I don't mean to make it seem like I'm casting judgement on their fanbase by just using this pair - those were just the first two that sprung to mind.
Love of your idols can become twisted, and be more than just turning up in places you aren't welcome. Fans have been known to kill their idols. Actual fans - diehard fans - killed their idols. Mark David Champman allegedly "developed a series of obsessions, including artwork, The Catcher in the Rye, music, and John Lennon" in 1979, the year before he shot and killed his latest obsession. In 2004, Nathan Gale shot and killed Dimebag Darrell during a concert, allegedly furious that he had left Pantera.
These, of course, are very extreme examples. But the point remains - everyone mentioned started as a fan, and their obsession developed to something beyond normal.
The love you feel for those bands and musicians that first truly capture you is a feeling you'll likely never experience again. It's something that can catch you off guard and in turn dominate your life, but in a completely wonderful way. Music can lead to so many great experiences, feelings and people that to suppress your passion is a bad idea. Having said that, sometimes that first love can prove so overwhelming that fans will do anything and everything in the name of someone.
The trending topic that started all of this is something completely unsettling, not only because someone came up with the idea, but because some young people are so blinded by their love of Justin Bieber (and others) that they would physically harm themselves over a matter so trivial.
Each person will have their own individual lines as to what is too much, but the fact that people are so willing to partake in something clearly beyond that "do not cross" zone just because of a trending topic is a scary thing. Is there a way to make those who fall so easily into these scenarios aware of the craziness of actions before they do them? I hope so, but I would have no idea where to begin. It's difficult to dissuade someone from something when it's ultimately driven by passion, regardless of how clearly warped those actions appear to outsiders.
Justin Bieber returns to the UK next month for his 'Believe' arena tour.
Sun February 17th 2013 - The O2 - Dublin, Dublin
Mon February 18th 2013 - The O2 - Dublin, Dublin
Thu February 21st 2013 - Manchester Arena, Manchester
Fri February 22nd 2013 - Manchester Arena, Manchester
Sun February 24th 2013 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool
Wed February 27th 2013 - NIA Birmingham, Birmingham
Thu February 28th 2013 - NIA Birmingham, Birmingham
Sat March 2nd 2013 - Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Mon March 4th 2013 - The O2, London
Tue March 5th 2013 - The O2, London
Thu March 7th 2013 - The O2, London
Fri March 8th 2013 - The O2, London
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To outsiders, something as simple as queuing overnight in sun, rain or snow to be barrier and wait back hours afterwards to potentially meet them seemed crazy. But - to us who love music - these are the motions that many of us go through, and continue to do so. Be it rock or pop, rap or country - everything can cause a strong connection. 
