They often possess an innate ability to identify an artist's talent at an early stage, expressing their enthusiasm and passion wholeheartedly. However, it seems that an artist's credibility is not fully acknowledged until they attract a significant male following, leading to the fan girls being disregarded and mocked.
Welcome to r/popculturechat! ☺️
As a proud BIPOC, LGBTQ+ & woman-dominated space, this sub is for civil discussion only.
Please read & respect our rules and check out our wiki! For any questions, our modmail is always open.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
i would even go as far to say that girls (and women) invented fandom (not just for music, but also tv and film) as we know it.
Even hundereds of years ago young women were fangirling over poets and playwrights.
Liszt Fever was a term used for the more dedicated fans of the composer Franz Liszt in the 1800s
Lisztomania
This is 100% true. There’s even a bunch of academic research into how women who liked Star Trek invented modern fandom. Women were nerds who wanted to meet other nerds so they created their own space to do so as they weren’t always welcome in the wider spaces or they wanted to experience being a fan in a different way. The same fandom also pretty much invented the concept of fanfiction as something by fans and shared amongst fans as well as pop culture conventions.
exactly! i was going to bring up star trek actually as an example lol.
This is quite accurate, I believe the entire idea came from the early Frank Sinatra years and the 'bobby soxers'. Sinatra in his early days was at a plateau few approach and that was without any modern accesses, public appearances and music sales as well as print media coverage was all there was. Thus the fandom approach began and thrived.
It’s funny to me that The Beatles, Elvis, Frank Sinatra are now considered “real” music. I wonder at what point in time the fan girls became fan boys so people started taking them seriously. Even Star Trek, which originally had a very large female fan base, is now this nerdy man thing.
It’s irritating to see things that young women like pushed off or pictured as silly and uncool. When, in fact, a lot of pop culture happens because of young women.
It is a funny phenomenon. I consider Sinatra's Capitol years, The Beatles entire career, and Elvis' ballad performances to be some of the highest musical art of the 20th century (with a whole bunch of other stuff of course). And it's fascinating how teenage girls were the first to realise it and men are still to this day patronising towards them whilst trying to reclaim these artists for themselves.
That’s because apparently pop culture itself is uncool
Indie misogynistic boys in college talking shit on 1D while having Beatles posters hanging in their room.
Even then I was like lmao, you fake ass hipster is gunna be like "okay name 5 songs from -whatever band-" to prove I'm a fake fan but like you can't recognize the same culture you mock is the reason any of your favs exist in the first place.
My best guy friend has always been very feminist before it was even a concept he knew about, he was a huge The Beatles fan and understood and would correct people that it was young women that boosted their success. Which makes sense because he is also a huge fan of Taylor, CRJ and Lady Gaga and was never "too cool" to admit it while wearing his Slayer band tees.
There's been a conversation about this recently regarding BTS because in the past few months (years really but it's accelerated a bit with the rapline solo releases), there's been a bunch of mostly male Reaction accounts finding them and giving them kudos and all. And questions about history repeating itself have been popping up. It's a very annoying phenomenon.
ETA: also, I hate the "oh, they're actually not ✨that✨ bad after all" energy that some of them bring. SMH!
This is so fascinating. Because there’s also this thing with manga where it’s much easier for a male-demographic targeted manga to acquire a female fan base than it is for a female-demographic targeted manga to have any kind of male readers. I’ve noticed a lot of the big sports ones have pretty big female fanbases too (Haikyuu, Blue Lock, Kuruko’s Basketball).
A lot of these guys might not even be actively avoiding musical acts like Justin Bieber or BTS or shows like Bridgerton. But there’s probably this unconscious bias that either leads them to be much harsher with their critique of them or that they automatically think it’s poor quality and uninteresting (“it’s just not their taste”). It’s certainly something to think more about.
Omg I was thinking the exact thing. Most people who mention the Beatles noe ate men but back then they were women
You're so right. The way people like to shit all over what girls and young women enjoy really pisses me off.
Titanic is the best example. Movie discussion forums still keep shitting on the movie because the movie appealed to teen girls and women of all ages and it was also from the POV of a young girl. You can see hateful user reviews for this movie from the early 2000's onwards from insecure movie fanboys and 'filmbros'. They don't even come up with decent excuses to dislike the movie.
It's a taboo for anyone to say they have Titanic as one of their favourites or even just highly rate the Titanic. They bully any movie critic or reviewer who gives the Titanic five stars. I vaguely remember a magazine bringing down the original five star rating to appeal to the filmbros.
They spam all the user review forums to bring down the ratings and leave behind nasty reviews. Apparently there was nothing redeeming in the movie. Not even the sets, background score or the technical aspects. It bothers them that a 'feminine' movie that appealed to the female audience remained the highest grossing movie for decades, dominated the awards season and had a huge impact on pop culture. You also see those lame Titanic memes like "Girls cried during titanic, but boys cried during ....."
I still see redditors say that James Cameron ruined his reputation by making a teen girl love story after his massive success with the Terminator 2. There was something in Titanic for everyone. Those who didn't like the Jack and Rose story enjoyed the second half which was mostly a disaster-adventure-action-thriller movie.
Lindsay Ellis did a great video essay about it, people back then really disregarded it.
Yes I adore Titanic, I unashamedly declare it as my favourite movie when the topic comes up and I always get disapproving responses about how terrible it is. It's the third highest grossing film of all time, it must have something going for it. I remember queuing at the cinema to get in, standing in big long lines, I've never seen queues like that for any other film in my city.
I use to be in the 1D fandom on Twitter in the early to mid 2010s. Every so often, a man would randomly tweet really hateful stuff to us. Looking back, I think these men would search things about one direction to find our accounts so they could harass us.
I find it more uncomfortable as an adult now then I did back then.
I was also in the 1D fandom on Twitter and Tumblr! While Tumblr was my personal fave,and hate was on there too,the guys on Twitter seemed particularly mean. Like you said,it seemed like they seeked out a bunch of teens just to say terrible things. I'm not really on Twitter so idk how things are for fandoms of bands now,but something tells me they're still around...
It's so sad how we don't value thing women like when they like them. It also affect the teenage girls too. For a little while I was a 'not like other girls I hate pink and fun' girl as a teen until I realized it was super cringey and I was missing out. My brother could be interested in almost anything and people might think it was a little weird but they wouldn't openly mock it, as long as it wasn't a "girly" topic. It's sad because I know a lot of women who had that phase (and some who never ended it) and it really is just to distance yourself from being a teenage girl, a group that get hate for no reason.
I'm a millennial born in the late 80s. I still remember when the term used to be "teenie." People in my pop-punk music scene said the term to make fun of young female fans such as "I hate teenies so much!" It's interesting that the term has evolved to fangirls.
I remember going to pop-punk shows in the early to mid 2000s. I was sometimes annoyed, as the dorky loser girl who was made fun for being fat and ugly, when the pretty, popular girls starting coming to shows. Some of them were annoying. However, I feel like fanboys were way worse than the fangirls. There was definitely sexism in the scene. Fanboys used that sexism to their advantage so they can be seen as "real fans who only care about the music."
In short, people just need to leave girls and young women alone. Most of us are harmless and just want to enjoy the music too.
Oh yea I remember being called a "teeny bopper" in the mid to late 90s when I was obsessed with Hanson and the Spice Girls
You're right! I think sometime between the late 1990s to early 2000s is when teeny bopper got shortened to teeny/teenie.
I always appreciated Harry Styles basically backing the fact that he is hugely popular because of girls/women in an interview he did once:
Styles is aware that his largest audience so far has been young – often teenage – women. Asked if he spends pressure-filled evenings worried about proving credibility to an older crowd, Styles grows animated. “Who’s to say that young girls who like pop music – short for popular, right? – have worse musical taste than a 30-year-old hipster guy? That’s not up to you to say. Music is something that’s always changing. There’s no goal posts. Young girls like the Beatles. You gonna tell me they’re not serious? How can you say young girls don’t get it? They’re our future. Our future doctors, lawyers, mothers, presidents, they kind of keep the world going. Teenage-girl fans – they don’t lie. If they like you, they’re there. They don’t act ‘too cool.’ They like you, and they tell you. Which is sick.“
Former teen girl here; this just made me tear up a little. How awesome of him to have said that ❤️
Ikr. The last few lines especially <3
I will always love Harry for this quote and for his support of teen girls in general. This shows he really gets it. He’s always been a passionate defender.
I think this us the first time I've seen some e express gratitude for having teen girls as fans....I love it! Usually they need them but act above them.
This quote is in the original post
OP I've had that EXACT thought you said in your description for so long!!!!
Another thing is when the men finally catch up to these artists, they automatically start considering the artists or bands' legends, which they may deserve, but in addition to disregarding the fangirls, they slightly consider them a "dude thing" and become full-blown pretentious. Like The Beatles obviously still have women followers now but it's only ever dudes who comment shit like "WHEN MUSIC WAS GOOD!!!! None of that Taylor Swift or Beyonce!!!" It isn't enough to just like something, they have to be dicks about it.
ALso, maybe I'm just blanking on examples, but this mainly seems to happen to male artists/bands
yes omg!!! and when a girl genuinely likes a more band with a more male based fandom they get quizzes like ‘if you’re a real fan what’s the name of the vocalist’s neighbor’s cat’ like shut up!!!
When I was 17 I went to a Metallica concert with a group of friends. The number of grown men who grilled us while we were queuing to get in was awful, it was scary at the time but so ridiculous to think about now I'm in my 30s, like why would they be so offended by a bunch of teenage girls?
i’ve liked Radiohead since i was a child because my dad likes Radiohead and when i tell you, their fans are the most annoying and pretentious men ever. like it’s fucking Radiohead, not an underground shoe gaze band with 15 monthly spotify listeners.
Ok but I low key want to hear this underground band now.
It's nowhere near as bad, but I was on a walk a few years ago and two guys talked at full volume about how I couldn't name a song by the band on my t-shirt... the band was Wham! 🙃 men gonna men!
not wham 😭 but the day men start claiming one direction as theirs will be the day i’ll go to jail
Ha! Omg their need to feel superior is ridiculous.
One time I was in inpatient psych and was wearing a Metallica shirt of a man I had literally beaten and robbed before being admitted. I will never forget the cafeteria dude who was like “name a Metallica song” and I got to tell him how 1) I am not a Metallica fan 2) how I got the shirt
Wonder if that dude still grills women on their band shirts. Gonna guess no.
I would love to have seen his face when you told him that.
a man I had literally beaten and robbed
Unless I read this wrong, I don’t think that’s something I’d proudly admit to uhhh wow
I'd consider Beatles more of an "old people thing" or an "music enthusiast thing" than "dude thing". Same with a lot old bands. Those who were fans still are fans, and from younger people it's those who are interested enough to listen more than the contemporary chart music.
Also, Beatles earned their undying reputation in the latter half of their career spanning from Revolver to Let It Be. They didn't tour at all during this time. It's those albums, not their teen pop idol years that made them what they are.
Also, Beatles earned their undying reputation in the latter half of their career spanning from Revolver to Let It Be. They didn't tour at all during this time. It's those albums, not their teen pop idol years that made them what they are.
The whole point is that they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to have that latter half their career which “made them what they are” without the “teen pop idol” status.
Well, my point is you wouldn't be talking about the Beatles without the latter half of their career.
I’m not a music enthusiast so I must be an old person. Sigh when did this happen
Are you a "dude" though?
Are you saying women of all ages enjoy the Beatles without qualifiers?
I can't remember how I came across it but it was a quote from a big wig in the music industry along the lines of "the industry only exists because of horny teenage girls".
It was said in a similar vein, that they will ride or die for a artist so long the rest of the world "catches up".
yeah, also fan girls are extremely loyal to the artists they like. in kpop, girl groups are being catered towards young girls because fan boys usually don’t buy as much merch and will unstan when the singer (usually a woman) gets older / or they say something that they don’t like (usually something that has to do with feminism) and they move to a fresher / younger woman
Are you thinking of South Park? In their Jonas Brother/Disney episode, the CEO of Disney (portrayed by Mickey Mouse) says something like this
Caitlan Moran's writing on this topic is wonderful.
Caitlin Moran, on the value of fangirls
"There is one terrible weakness you can have, if you amusedly and self-deprecatingly describe yourself as an artist, and become famous. One letdown if you become loved by millions, and your work is meaningful work. And that is if some of the millions who know, and love you are teenage girls.
There is nothing more shaming than to be loved by teenage girls. The love of teenage girls is not merely substandard, or worthless-- it is an active mortification to an artist. Our language is full of how little we think of artists who are loved by teenage girls: we talk of "mad fans," and "teenyboppers," and "little girls wetting their knickers."
Oh, you can take those girls' money and become elevated on their devotion, and enjoy them putting you at Number 1-- you can do all those things; no band ever refused them— but you do not respect those girls. You do not want to talk to them, or look them in the eye, or hang out with them, or love them back. You do not talk about them-- unless it is to turn to your "cool" fans-- the men-- and mouth, Sorry. These mad girls crashed the party. So embarrassing. Of course, they don't get it. Only you get it.
Men are the right fans to have. This is why rock is cooler than pop; acid house is cooler than disco; prog cooler than boy bands. Things that boys love are cooler than things that have girls love. That is a simple fact. Boys love clever things, cleverly. Girls love foolish things, foolishly.
How awful it would be to love bands like teenage girls do. How awful it would be to be the wrong kind of a fan-- a girl. How awful it would be to be a dumb, hysterical, screaming teenage girl.
How amazing it is to be a dumb, hysterical screaming teenage girl. How amazing to go to a gig thinking of nothing but how loud you will shout; how hard you will dance; how much you will sweat; how tightly you will hug your friends, as your favorite song plays. How amazing to react to music in the same way the music wants you-- to become an ecstatic animal. To murmurate, in your millions, through the cities-- calling to each other, in billows of girls, as you head to a gig, to exult. How amazing to scream at the top of your voice and see the band respond to your call: they play faster, they play harder, they look sexier, they look out into the audience, and smile.
How amazing to give yourself completely, expecting nothing in return. Later on, maybe, in the dressing room, or in an interview, they might apologize to other men, for the screaming girls: "It was a bit mad out there!" "Blimey-- St. Trinian's were mental tonight!"
But they know, and you know, that tonight, your screaming was the most important thing to them. It was the energy that they fed on. It was the vortex they levitated in. They could not have been amazing without you. You have blessed them with your magic. You made them holy, and endless, and hot-- and in return, they played in a febrile way they could never attain in front of an audience of motionless men, murmuring "Nice middle eight. Good reference."
Bands need to be screamed at. In their hearts, they know that. They know there is a power they will never attain until they have stood in the white-light noise of a theater of devotion, and seen girls down the front collapse in ecstatic tears.”
Caitlin Moran, “How To Be Famous”
I love Harry Styles for his quote defending fan girls and for never once indicating that he wishes for a different fanbase with more men.
Jokes on them, men love the backstreet boys now
it irks me to no end how "fan girls" and their interests are looked down upon, mocked, and belittled as something of lesser value as compared to the interests of boys and men. BTS and generally kpop, and girls' "obsession" with merchandise are often put on blast in the media as something that is negative - it's obsessive, wasteful, and the way it's usually framed, very shamelessly views it as a passing, inferior phase of a "girl's" life. While these are not all false, it's infuriating how often men and their interests aren't framed and reported on in the same manner. Men who collect action figures, sports items, etc, are often portrayed as "hobbies" and a fun time, something to admire, something that's of high value.
I collect Barbies and other fashion dolls and many many people think it’s me trying to be a child still. That I’m a girly girl still playing with my toys as an adult. BUT my BIL collects GI Joes and action figures and it’s seen as him preserving history like he works at the Smithsonian 🙄
This doesn't really seem true though. Nickelback is the most mocked music act maybe ever was aimed at teen boys. Hell, all of nu-metal was seen as frivolous unserious music. Mumble rap is seen as trash. Bro-country is viewed a scourge on country music. These all have had large young male followings and yet that did not help their reputations. Teenage boy interest do not appear to be immune at all.
Nickelback receives criticism from other men, are you saying that people think Linkin Park, Korn and Papa Roach are trivial and unserious? most of the time nu-metal (male) fans are extremely pretentious and shit on every other genre of music.
it's clear why mumble rap is often mocked, and bro-country simply serves as another regrettable outlet for men to indulge in misogynistic music.
are you saying that people think Linkin Park, Korn and Papa Roach are trivial and unserious?
At the time absolutely. They were seen as melodramatic to the point of unseriousness. The acts that lasted in the public consciousness were were thrown into the same bucket as the acts that didn't like puddle of mudd and crazy town. All were seen as a stupid trend.
most of the time nu-metal (male) fans are extremely pretentious and shit on every other genre of music.
I have seen multiple kpop stans claim x group makes the best music ever and will fervently and annoyingly(with fancams) defend that point. It just something a lot of young fans who are just getting music say about their favorite thing.
Seeing the beatles fan pics reminds me I was watching a video on beatlemania and someone asked why all the young teen girls had old lady hair. and somebody explained how its because that was the in style look for the time and as you age you usually stick with the style that was popular when you were in the "prime" of your life. so now younger generations like us associate those hairstyles with old ladies but they really were the go-to styles for teens at the time. ok sorry to ramble lol
Great post! Such an important message.
Girls (and women) get judged for pretty much anything they enjoy. Romance novels, romcoms, fashion, make-up, you name it. When girls like it, It's looked down on. When men enjoy something, it's important and sophisticated.
Girls screaming for boybands? Silly.
Boys screaming for sports teams? Important support, of course.
Yeah, no. People most definitely make fun of guys/men screaming for sports teams.
Nowhere near the same extent. People might make fun of them if they do something particularly cringe, but it’s not seen as innately uncool or shameful to be a football fan like it is to be a fan of a popstar or group.
We literally talk about sports in my office every week. It’s apparently a given that we all follow a sports team. Which I don’t
No one is laughing at all the sports talk and the one dude who got a giant tattoo of his sports team that took up his whole back. Imagine if a woman did that about her favourite romance novel
No Boyz II Men in this list? They covered both black and white girls - a rare thing at that time.
Oh man, the moms LOVED Boyz II Men too.
sorry, i’m not american and they’re not known in my country so i didn’t know abt them
No probs. Neither am I. I just read about Boyz II Men a while back.
No Boyz II Men in this list?
No Boyz II Men. No New Edition. No Bobby Brown. No MICHAEL JACKSON¹.
They all had massive fangirl groups and were just as influential as the ones listed.
The erasure of non-White artists by the OP in this post with only one group being listed (BTS) kinda bothered me.
¹(no matter how problematic he is - it can be argued that girls lost their minds over him.)
It sounds like the OP isn’t American and only named groups that were / are popular in their country
Although surely everyone knows MJ
It sounds like the OP isn’t American and only named groups that were / are popular in their country
But that doesn't hold water if the majority of the artists listed are American based.
I could see if the artists were of international origin, but only one was (BTS). Harry Styles, of course, is British - but it's not like he's from Argentina or China or Finland for goodness sakes.
Let's be honest - of the artists listed made a huge splash in the US/Western Europe first.
I'd be curious to know where the OP lives.
The argument absolutely does hold water. You name people who made a splash in your country. If none of those artists were African American / non-white how is that OPs fault? They’re just not going to be aware.
How do you know where OP is from? They absolutely could be from any of those countries.
i’m not american so i don’t know any of the ones you mentioned besides Michael Jackson and i forgot abt him when i was making this post, i only named the ones that are popular in my country and the ones i had at the top of my head
i’m not american so i don’t know any of the ones you mentioned besides Michael Jackson and i forgot abt him when i was making this post
If you don't mind me asking, what area are we talking about? Do you mean Western/Eastern Europe, East/South Asia, South/Latin America, etc? It brings more context to the overall discussion.
south america
Like OP, I’m not American. I’ve heard of Boyz II Men but couldn’t name any songs. Never heard of the next two artists. They weren’t internationally popular or world famous like a lot of the artists in this post.
I do agree that Michael Jackson should definitely be there. The man could make fans faint just by looking at them.
Like OP, I’m not American. I’ve heard of Boyz II Men but couldn’t name any songs. Never heard of the next two artists. They weren’t internationally popular or world famous like a lot of the artists in this post.
Perhaps it's a generational thing. I am slightly older - but do remember when the groups/artists in question were considered huge. And much was made about the intensity of their fandoms.
I'd be curious to know the country the poster is from. But I also acknowledge that not every country is tuned into strictly American music.
That said, to list almost all-white acts (and US/Western European based) just seemed an odd choice to me. Especially when we know there's non-White artists who are globally famous with particularly intense fandoms. Beyoncé, for one. Rihanna another.
[removed]
Couldn't agree more and it is part of a bigger conversation about how entertainment and products aimed at teenage girls are seen as silly or frivolous. Twilight is one of the top 20 best selling novels of all time, One Direction was one of the most successful bands of the 2010s and Taylor Swift is one of the most successful artists of all time. Regardless of opinions about the quality of the work, it gets written off because most of the fans are young women. Their opinions aren't valued, despite the fact that they have enormous energy, enthusiasm and sincerity.
We don't judge young men for being excited about seeing a sports game but there are always people who ridicule young women who are excited and screaming at a concert of their favourite artist.
Yeeees! It seeps into everything too, pumpkin spice lattes for example? Delicious but anyone who orders one is labeled as 'basic'.
Also, slightly off topic and I don't know if you're a game of thrones fan but it's part of my theory on why people hated Sansa and loved Arya. Two girls of similar ages but Sansa enjoyed things like fashion and love stories and Arya was into archery and swords so she was seen as cool and tough and Sansa silly and annoying.
Yes! Sansa enjoyed being feminine and traditional feminine activities. Arya was "cool" cause she didn't want to be feminine.
I was just having this discussion the other day in another subreddit. Stuff like the things you mentioned feeds into “not like other girls” phases. Young women see how their peers are treated for something as simple as having any interest, and they actively try to avoid being mocked for having those same interests. “I’m not like other girls, I don’t like [insert popular media consumed by girls]. I only like [insert male-approved fandom].” It’s internalized misogyny, but it’s also a self-preservation tactic.
Taylor Swift gets written off?
A lot of people that are not up to date on pop culture think Taylor Swift just makes cheesy pop songs for teen girls who hate their exes.
Seriously. Even people on Reddit who stumble upon a front page article from her sub will comment these kind of things.
My entire dept at work today were going off about how awful Shake It Off was and they couldn't believe anyone listens to her and I was like...she has released 10 albums plus other bits and pieces, there's a lot more to her than than one single from nearly 10 years ago
Shake it off is almost a decade old. Goddamn I'm old...
Fan girls always go hard for both male and female artists/groups, but the reverse is almost never true...
With the exception of gay men. They go equally as hard in their dedication as young girls imo
I remember one of those youtube essay people saying something along the lines of what he has learned over the years of making those video essays on films and tv is that people really just love to hate on whatever girls enjoy and what make them happy. And that’s true and kind of really fucking messed up.
Harry styles has been standing up for fangirls for years https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/harry-styles-defends-fan-girls-teenagers-interview-7767467/
The Beatles were a Boy Band and I will die on that hill.
And Boy Bands are high art. Girl Group even more so.
💯💯💯 great post OP!
Shoutout to the excellent documentary (with excellent music of course) “I used to be normal: A boyband fangirl story” which explores this topic really thoughtfully.
Thanks for the rec!
Fuck yeah, people need to stop pretending to be "too cool" or act like their taste in music is more elite or if something starts becoming "mainstream" it's no good anymore.
Absolutely and I hate the term "guilty pleasure song", whats there to be guilty about? It's not a crime to enjoy a song.
Oh my god thank you it’s annoying when people say this
I will ALWAYS admire Harry Styles for that last quote. It meant the world to my teenage sister when she was getting bullied and dismissed for being a fan of his music. Teenage girls are huge fanbases but are often ridiculed for it, and many artists dismiss them in an attempt to be taken “seriously.”
No NKOTB? Need to see the joozy fringes!
The nsync picture with the disposable camera…timeless!
You should read “everything I need I get from you”, it’s specifically about the One Direction fandom but it goes into specifically fandoms and how they created everything and some of the crazy things that go along with them.
I’ve always appreciated that Harry quote, and it was my first throughly when I saw this post. Glad you included it, OP!
Can’t forget David Cassidy. Man had the largest fan club on the planet and packed wembly stadium 6 times. Rip legend.
The Deftones fandom has been hemming and hawing and complaining in a very “confound these dang TikTok girls joining our group” type of way.
I always reply that these 50 year old men in the band are probably laughing all the way to the bank with all the merch and ticket sales they’re continuing to get.
Well now I love Harry even more
It wouldn’t be. It’s the truth. It’s sad how many musicians would rather not acknowledge their female fan base or work hard to prove they are cool to men.
Elvis and Sinatra were both, at first, written off as nobodies because of their predominantly female fan base. This is why I love reading about the history of music, todays idols were once considered garbage by many, critics hated them, and they had to work hard for respectability. You see that now, take Harry Styles, I’ve seen critics go back and revise their review of his first album, because they admitted they didn’t give him a chance because he came from a boyband.
The Beatles, were at first written off, but because they wrote their own music and played instruments, the p.o.v. towards them changed. If you want to be entertained look at old teeny bopper magazines from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, such as 16, you will find legends featured and posters of them. It’s funny to see how George Harrison could be the boy of your dreams or how Keith Richards could be your one true love. 😂
i went to a concert last night. as i was standing in the queue i found myself surrounded by queer, young adult, afab people and that was pretty much the whole queue. hands down one of the most friendly and kind environments i’ve ever been in and the enthusiasm about the band was completely unmatched compared to any other show i’ve been to. fuck people who say musicians without primarily older male audiences can’t possibly be good
Kind of offended I’m left out of this
(JoBroHoe)
I’ve never been a fan of 1D or Harry Styles but huge respect for that quote. It’s exactly the people in his position who have the biggest influence with quotes like that
i would say the music industry would be nothing without women full stop, but i might be biased as someone who used to be a woman in the music industry
I’m wondering why t swift isn’t a part of this selection
Everything I need I get from you: How Fangirls Created the Internet by Kaitlyn Tiffany is a great book focusing on this, it mainly focuses on 1D but I really enjoyed it.
I was wild when I was 12yo big fan of the JoBros lmao. But honestly it’s a bit scary when I see grown adult acting the SAME towards some artist than when I was… 12
But why? Why is enthusiasm and excitement only for kids? Why can't adults unabashedly love something and show it proudly? I think there is an expectation to be more jaded and cool as you age, and I think that's stupid. Enjoy your life, don't hold back because you think others will see you as childish.
I don’t talk about enthusiasm, I talk about being OBSESS, just look at the crazy fans of Chris Evans, the ones who are mad at him for being in a relationship aren’t some young girls.
I’m a big fan of Lana Del Rey music, some fans are totally unhinged, can’t stand any criticism towards her, stalk every detail of her private life and thinks she’s the messiah. Don’t get me started on their insane behavior during shows. I don’t get that kind of behavior in the Depeche Mode fandom.
You can enjoy the time of your life at a show and get enthousiast asf about an artist without being some type of obsessive and delusional creep and those aren’t anecdotal in a lot of fandoms.
Video games industry would be nothing without nerds
Ugh I know who that girl in the middle of the Harry Styles pic is I sent her Harry merch from my brand which she was over the moon for. She never posted anything about it or sent a thank you. She’s part of a trio of two other Harry fan girls that give off icky vibes.
Not you trying to sneak Olivia in there 😂
bieber would be nothing for sure
Pop music is not the entire music industry
[removed]
This is the dumbest take ever. You can dislike a ton of Kpop groups and their music (I certainly do!), but to call them talentless is laughably stupid. The dancing alone makes them more talented than probably everyone lurking on reddit. The majority are good dancers and singers, even if they make music I hate.
The point isn’t so much about who they like, the point is that those artists are taken less seriously because of their predominantly young female fan base
Also maybe they’re not talentless maybe they’re just not for you
Well to go against the grain a bit, I think fangirls aren't necessarily positive. It often involved making young girls go crazy and obsessive over problematic older men - who would use the fangirls as a resource both for money and for sex.
It is especially bad for using fans to cover up their violence against women. Almost everyone in this list was a scumbag.
John Lennon beat his wife, the rolling stones slept with 14 year olds, old blue eyes was an old prick.
You can even see it today. Chris Brown is untouchable mostly due to his fangirls who support him no matter what.
Encouraging obsession in order to profit is gross imo, and so many modern artists encourage it for that reason. They practically encourage addiction. And then monetise and profit from it. And both sides are forced to deal with the emotional issues caused by that, while the industry makes billions.
So, what you're telling me is that girls are responsible for the majority of bad music.
Dude just because it’s not to your taste, doesn’t mean it’s objectively bad
BSB teenybopper forever! I was devastated when I couldn't get tickets for the Millennium tour. But I did get to finally go to a BSB concert during the Black & Blue tour with opening act, Krystal.
I absolutely would get made fun of for years. I was also a fan of other musical artists and bands as well, like Eminem, Dr. Dre, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park (which I am excited to always say I knew who they were before they became big), Blink 182, and more. I got made fun of because apparently I couldn't like all of that while also being the fan girl of one of the biggest boy bands at that time.
I have an eclectic playlist. My daughter loves it and so does my husband. I was surprised he listened to all the pop music - he said it was how he was able to get dates 😅
This from the guy who said “this movie is like a movie”? People keep surprising you. Either way, this post is cool as hell. Fangirls make and break pop culture they are the tastemakers and they get treated like the stepping stone to “real” stardom. Bull!
Fan girls would be nothing without societal sexual repression.
I had a guy once say it was cool that The Who was my favourite band. Because? "That's a guys band". Whaaaa?
