Quit Making Fun of Teen Girl Fans, They Probably Think You’re Lame
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| Title: | Quit Making Fun of Teen Girl Fans, They Probably Think You’re Lame |
| Creator: | Hannah Ewans |
| Date(s): | September 27, 2017 |
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| External Links: | Quit Making Fun of Teen Girl Fans, They Probably Think You’re Lame, Archived version |
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Quit Making Fun of Teen Girl Fans, They Probably Think You’re Lame is a 2017 essay by Hannah Ewans.
It has the subtitle: "Here’s what fangirls think about you, you boring old bastards."
Some Topics Discussed
- the vitality and value of teen girls and their fanning
- gender and fandom
- teen girls as harbingers of taste, and merch buyers
- One Direction
Excerpts
As is historically writ in Western culture textbooks since the early 1900s, teen girl music fans are extra. They are hysterical, loosely diagnosed as mentally ill – cause: caring, earnestness, a sense of joy that hasn't yet been slowly drained through living – by armchair psychologists and tabloids; unintelligent – since emotions and factual knowledge are at opposite poles; and ultimately, silly. Whether it be in pop, rock or genres further afield, the stereotype of how girls behave in showing their appreciation and dedication for music and musicians is solidified and unlikely to change anytime soon.
But does anyone think to ask teenage girls what they think about other fans – older people within their fandoms, male fans who carry more perceived cultural clout, or the fans who are both older and male aka the critical, Pitchfork-reading, vinyl collecting, ideal fan. Has anyone actually sat down with teen girls and collectively thought… other fans: they're quite boring aren't they? They're not saving up weeks and weeks pocket money for meet and greet tickets are they? How do we know they know much about music? What are they actively doing for the cause? Who are they?