Being a 'fan'

What does it take to be a fan?

That is one question that has been debated by lots of different people, from different fanbases (or fandoms). It actually causes so much drama and dispute amongst the supporters too.

It is really common for fans to compare themselves to each other and brag why they are better than others. By 'better', they mean that they are the 'real' fan.

How can you identify a 'real' fan
(according to people who claim to be 'real' fans)

1. You should have started listening to the band when they were still unknown. In other words, you were listening to them before anyone else.

2. You buy every single item in their merch store.

3. You have been listening to them before anyone else did.

4. You have seen them live. The more shows you've attended, the more real fan you are.

5. You have been listening to them since their demo days. Oops, did I mention this three times?

Those are just some of the observations I took while reading and experiencing fandom drama. It is actually ridiculous, in my opinion. Is there really such a thing as a 'real' fan? If there's a 'real' fan, do 'fake' fans also exist? What does being a 'fan' mean anyway?

I think that being a fan is being someone who knows by heart, appreciates and supports the music of a certain band/act. It is that simple.

I would like to stress that I don't believe that in order to be a 'real' fan, you have to know the band from the moment they first started to make music. That's just... not right. It's something you can be proud of, yes, but you don't have to discriminate other people if they just got into the band pretty late. I guess you just have to give people a chance to appreciate the music.

I also don't believe that you have to see and meet the band live for you to be called a 'fan'. This is actually something personal to me, because I haven't seen any of my favorite bands perform live. I would really love to, of course, but it is not that easy, especially that I live in a country where only pop stars perform and not indie bands. I support them in my own way, but this is one aspect that I just couldn't have yet.

However, a person who is starting to get familiar with someone's music should not call himself a 'fan'. That is just a casual listener. Being a fan requires time and effort; that's what make them special.

Anyway, this is just my two cents on this issue.


: California English - Vampire Weekend