WHAT’S CRAZY IN THE FANDOM CRAZE?

by Honey Mabelle A. Villarba

Searches up an online shop. Click. order. open YouTube. stream. Repeat.

A cycle she has been consistently accustomed to ever since she started liking this one certain group. It took a huge part in her daily routine and slowly, it became a vital point of her life. Yet, what drives her endless obsession with celebrity worship? The answer to which leans a lot on the type of person she is and the many reasons resulting from the craze.

She clasped her hand in front of the laptop screen on her table as she sucks a rush of humid March air just to see if her heart is still beating fine. She closed her eyes and made a heavy sigh as she clicked the newly released video on YouTube. "This was it!", she thought while feeling overly excited. Screams and fanatic shouts echoed in the room and lasted until the music video ended. Time rapidly passed by and she was still in the same position; repeating the video as if she can never get enough of it. This was her comfort and escape from reality which became an integral part of who she is. However, just as any myth would tell, almost all extremes of feelings are allied with just as well extreme consequences. Yes, too much of anything can never lead to good outcomes.

“You see, if you’re passionate about something, it drives you into a state where they influence you in more ways than one without you noticing it”, shared Pauline Arada, a senior high school student from the University, her resilient effort just to express her love for EXO, a K-pop group she adores, would not end up in vain as this is her way of gratitude for bringing joy into her life, with The Augustinian.

LIMITLESS FASCINATION

In the current generation where digital technology is highly accessible, fandom culture is taken into another level. Youth, nowadays, spend money, time, and effort in order to show support for their idols. For instance, the growing influence of Korean pop culture into the country brought several impacts to the life of those who became its fan. They purchase merchandise to support the idols and even spend a lot of their time watching the popular K-dramas. In addition, K-pop concerts became so in demand that they sold out for minutes hence making the “hallyu wave” a huge phenomenon. This fancy enabled the Korean culture to penetrate the country and cause the numerous fans to likewise imitate their lifestyle. It’s no secret that K-pop fans go all out in terms of merch and albums regardless of their expensive prices. A study by aggregator iPrice stated an assumption that a fan buys at least one merchandise per shopping category (lightstick, lomo cards, a shirt, every comeback’s album, concert tickets and etc.).

“I seriously feel guilty whenever I’m asked about this but rest assured that I never regret any of it. I bought a lot of albums and burned a lot of my cash for their merch. But most of all, I can never forget how we lined up for a long time in SM City just to buy the concert tickets no matter how exhausted we are. I am as well grateful for that experience of seeing them even though from afar”, she expressed with a glint of reminiscence in her eyes.

At the heart of Hallyu (Korean Wave) is the ever-growing popularity of K-pop groups namely BTS, EXO, Blackpink, Twice, NCT, and many more. Owing it to the distinctive blend of addictive music, strong choreography, and creative production, its craze has indeed hit the Philippines hard.

“When I think about why people get so crazy about Blackpink, I am convinced that it is because of their music, personality, dance and most importantly, the rigorous training they have to undergo so they can debut. I’m sure it is nowhere easy hence they really deserve all the love the world is giving them”, shared Jezel Gain, a SHS student of the University and a Blackpink fan.

THE CRAZE’S AFTERMATH

The 21st century global craze has become varied and people started to obsess over different things that catch their attention and similarly; affection. Some say, “being a fan” kind of equates to “being in love”. One does things for them in expense of their time and money; yet more often than not, some fans end up being too entitled and this is when obsession enters and turns out of hand.

“Being an ‘otaku’or someone who is fond of anime and manga for a long time has evolved my ways as a fan also. I learned how to properly support an artist without engaging into illegal things like piracy. Some often do this due to the lack of source in their respective countries. Personally, I really think fan culture would be a lot better if the fan themselves learned moderation,” stated *Luci (her alias) during an interview with The Augustinian.

On the contrary, the dire fixation of obsessive fans known as “saesangs” in the K-pop industry is one of the big challenges idols have to face every day of their lives. This happens when their privacy is extremely invaded that the idols are stalked and photographed for the things which should be considered private. Their house address and their family background are nowhere safe, and this leads to great dismay and anxiety for those who are experiencing it.

“In this case, the deep fascination has evolved into something they are not exactly aware of - slowly consuming them that before they know it, they become eccentric as if their life solely depends on it. If there is something they don’t like about their idols, they even send death threats and put a lot of mean comments in social media platforms” conveyed Arada when asked about the obsessive fans.

This obsession that transcends privacy had prompted numerous idols to take their own lives. The dark side of the scandal-ridden K-pop industry had indeed largely hidden behind its glamour and facade.

THE BETTER SIDE

There’s always the two sides of the story – and no matter the cons, people stay because it can be a source of comfort and warmth. Inspiration, motivation, and encouragement are one of the few things which keeps them grounded to this activity. It became a channel of relief — one in which devotion evolves into moments of good and positive times; bringing smiles to anxious faces. Truly, for some, this could only be the way that they know how to be happy; and nothing is ever wrong with that.

“They bring so much joy, healing, inspiration, and warmth. They truly seem like dear friends to me rather than just artists I look up to”, remarked Elaisha Pomida, a BTS fan, in an interview with The Augustinian.

They bring so much joy, healing, inspiration, and warmth. They truly seem like dear friends to me rather than just artists I look up to”, remarked Elaisha Pomida, a BTS fan, in an interview with The Augustinian.

Though the dilemma to the modern fan culture is never-ending, we can say that it still varies depending on the person. Some establish addiction to the craze, but this is mostly in rare cases. For most, it is a joyful experience that gives them hope. As any fan would say, love is supposed to know its limits. It should never lead to destructive tendencies. For the generation of today who gives so much of themselves for who or what they love, indeed, moderation is they key. Once more, moderation in all things.