In 1844, Sarah Bernhadt, the first celebrity, was born. Bernhadt gained approximately 10 million supporters who read about her in newspapers, attended her performances, and saw photos of her being displayed in shop windows. Reading this, you may be asking yourself, Why is this important? What does Sarah Bernhadt have to do with this? To answer your question, Bernhadt is the blueprint of celebrity and stan culture.
Celebrities in the music and sports industry fan bases are dominating stan culture. To name a few, there’s Nicki Minaj and the “Barbz,” Beyonce and the “Beyhive,” Taylor Swift and the “Swifties,” Rihanna and “Navy,” “LA Lakers fans” and “Dallas Cowboys fans.” Experts argue that the term stan originated from music icon Eminem’s popular song “Stan,” which gave listeners a visual of an obsessed fan who developed an unhealthy attachment to Eminem.
It’s evident that Eminem’s song “Stan” correlates with the high-level celebrity worship description from the Celebrity Worship Scale created by psychologists Lynn McCutcheon and Reza Shabahang. High-level celebrity worship is severe. Fans a part of stan culture are becoming overly obsessed and addicted to celebrities. This behavior often leads to stalking and harassment.
Celebrity Worship Darkside
Fans who have adopted the high-level celebrity worship archetype have contributed to the toxic nature of stan culture. Making harassment a significant issue on social media for celebrities. Fans who participate in the dark web of stan culture consistently post hate tweets create videos spreading false information, and spam comment sections regarding celebrities they dislike.
In addition, the negativity that stan culture is spreading on the web has caused numerous individuals against celebrity worship to speak out about their frustrations and experiences concerning celebrity worship. In the video below, a YouTuber explains why celebrity worship is harmful to fans and celebrities.
The Barbz
Stan culture has its benefits. Let’s use Twitter as an example. Nicki Minaj fans, the “Barbz,” have been proficient in keeping Nicki Minaj trending on Twitter. After all, the Barbz are the most popular fan base on Twitter. This is the bright side of celebrity worship. Seeing millions of fans like the Barbz come together to enjoy their favorite celebrity is what stan culture should be about.
Celebrity Worship Double Edge Sword
According to Webster’s Dictionary, celebrity means “the state of being celebrated.” If stan culture is abolished, who will be there to celebrate celebrities? Could the end of stan culture become the permanent end of celebrity culture? Who is to blame for the toxicity of celebrity worship? Do we blame social media?
The lack of social media regulations makes it no surprise that stan culture is in a state of emergency. Celebrities’ online accessibility and interactions with fans have become bittersweet. If modern celebrities were not accessible online like Sarah Bernhardt, there would be a much-needed paradigm shift in celebrity worship. Several celebrities have spoken out against their fans being overly obsessed with them, one being Cardi B.
