Opinion: Celebrity love should not be fueled by hate

It seems like today people represent celebrities the same way an ultra-nationalist represents their country. Online, we constantly see fights between fans of different artists, with the latest major celebrity conflict being between rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj.

These feuds are far from a civilized conversation between fans about which artist is “better.” Instead, the discussions consist of people releasing one another’s sensitive information like addresses, otherwise doxxing, cyberbullying and even sending death threats to people.

This is when fandoms go too far. People need to stop jeopardizing others online and realize that these celebrities do not know them. Participating in fandom is okay, but partaking in online harassment driven by a parasocial relationship is unacceptable and indicative of greater personality issues.

These crimes of passion are often committed by self-identified “stans,” which is defined as individuals or groups actively devoted and loyal to specific celebrities.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, there exists a large community of these celebrity-obsessed individuals, known collectively as “stan Twitter,” who devote their lives to supporting a variety of artists and celebrities.

These stans are ruthless. When Megan Thee Stallion dropped her song “Hiss” in late January, it quickly circulated the internet that fellow rapper Nicki Minaj was being dissed within the track. This led to fans from both artists quickly engaging in numerous quarrels online. These arguments soon turned into fans doxxing individuals and even releasing the location of the gravesite of Megan’s mother.

Parasocial relationships, such as the ones these stans have with their favorite rappers, are oftentimes dangerous or harmful. While it may be hard to understand why someone would go to such extremes in the name of a celebrity, it really just boils down to being driven by an intense feeling of love.

“We are all defensive of the ones we love,” said Kristin Rowe, assistant professor of American studies at Cal State Fullerton. “We are all protective of the ones we love. We don’t want anybody to mistreat the ones we love.”

However, this intensive love is one-sided. Fandoms are protective of their respective artists in a way that almost feels overwhelming. It is hard to pinpoint why somebody would fight so hard to protect the honor of someone who does not even know them.

When the dangerous aspects of doxxing and harassment are removed from the equation, fandoms serve as a strong driving force on consumption and how art gets created. Fans can influence the world around them by purchasing merchandise promoted or created by an artist en masse, or even shaping art by partaking in public discourse on what type of music an artist should make.

According to Rowe, fandoms can bring people together, uniting over a common interest and providing individuals with a community in a society that can feel somewhat lonely.

However, this pleasant notion of finding community within a fandom can take a turn for the worse, causing people to partake in unethical activities in the name of their favorite public figures.

These harmful actions are often done to protect the parasocial relationships fans have with their stars. Although doxxing is definitely harmful, it is not illegal unless a crime, such as violent acts, arises from the dox itself.

Instead of invading people’s sense of safety and privacy, those who partake in stan culture should instead focus their energy into supporting their favorite icons. While these parasocial relationships have always existed, such as the fanbases of Elvis or the Beatles, they did not necessarily go to the dramatic lengths seen today, Rowe said.

Prior to the ability to leak someone’s information to thousands of people online, fans would express their dedication in ways that built more community rather than furthered a divide or jeopardized the safety of others.

Rowe said that in the pre-internet era, it was common practice for crowds to go wild at concerts, call into a local radio station to request songs by their favorite artists, write fan letters and partake in fan clubs.

These pre-internet acts by fandoms were not inherently harmful. People were not getting stalked or harassed as a result of someone requesting a radio station to play an Elvis song. However, this shift from fan clubs to subjecting someone to the possibility of potentially life-threatening harassment, it is clear that something needs to be done.

Stans need to realize that their favorite stars do not know them. There is no need for an individual to obsess over a celebrity who has never once interacted with them. This mindset of being some sort of soldier for a celebrity is not just toxic to others, but is even toxic to oneself.

Returning to fandom’s roots of focusing on community in the form of fan clubs and concerts may be the key to halting further harassment of fellow fans. If individuals utilize the energy they put into harming others toward something more unifying, then maybe the notion of being a stan will no longer come with the negative aspects it currently carries.