Stan Culture is not a Safe Space for Art
Art takes a backseat to the tyrannical reign of numbers, bigotry and brain rot.
Fortified by the constant availability of artists through social media, stan culture has been a staple in art engagement for many years now. Despite the loud insistence from stans that the term can be removed its negative origins of the combination ‘stalker’ and ‘fan’ from the 2000 Eminem song of the same name, the way the community interacts with art says otherwise.
Art evokes emotion, that’s part of the appeal. But stan culture seems to solely evoke negative emotions and even more negative actions triggered by those emotions. Differing opinions, invented competition and misguided concern for a favourite artist has led stans to harass and dox people. Instead of finding community among those who share an interest in the music or film the stan fandom is based on, stans bond together in being horrible human beings. It is so far removed from its purpose of connection. Even the artist they claim to love isn’t safe from the cesspool of cruelty. There’s no love for anything in stan spaces, not for the artist and certainly not for art.
‘Girl’s Girl’ I- The Pick Me Wears Plaid
Female artists, and women in general, cannot exist in a space with a male artist. In the early 2000s, fangirls would dedicate a lot of time harassing women for even being near the men they stanned. Stans would discuss at length the worth of these women in relation to the stranger they were obsessed with. Feminism becoming more vocalised in pop culture has not improved this. In fact, it has only become more sinister as stans try to rationalise their misogyny. Women are making their dissatisfaction with the patriarchy and men more vocal, especially when it comes to romantic relationships. A conversation that is meant to centre and benefit women, yet stans have twisted into praising men at women’s expense. Stans profess that these artists are not like the mediocre men women are expected to hold the unsanitized hands of. These men are men of substance, while their current partners are not. The standard procedure of an online ‘girls’ girl’.
“kylie is exactly timothee's type idk why art hoes are crying on here like no one told yall to get a bob and a tote bag”- a since deleted tweet that hilariously sums up the absurdity of the situation.
Almost a year ago, Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner made their relationship official at a Beyonce concert. His fans expressed outcries because Timothée is such a smart guy! He is a serious actor! He reads! He speaks French! Whereas Kylie likes makeup and handbags! She cannot possibly be on the same level as him intellectually! Anyone participating in misogyny over a man they don’t know doesn’t have the right to comment anything about anyone's intelligence. Stans don’t know Timothée , their notions of what makes his intellectual levels so high are very shallow. Plus we’ve all seen Timothée’s theatre videos, the amount of times he’s been shot in black and white is irrelevant. In spite of a lot of her life being on TV, they don’t know Kylie either. All they do know is that Timothée is a man and Kylie is a woman and that is enough for them to draw incorrect and chauvinistic conclusions in the guise of wanting better for him.
Kylie isn’t the only woman to face the wrath of sexist stans. When film stans realised that actor Jacob Elordi’s dislike for his participation in film series The Kissing Booth was now endearing, they decided to do the misogyny they claimed he was doing by attacking his girlfriend Olivia Jade. According to stans, Jacob Elordi has a higher intellectual than Olivia because he was papped with a book one time. Olivia Jade doesn’t match that level because she’s a YouTuber and her mum bribed her way for her college admission. Yes, Olivia Jade is the daughter of Lori Loughlin, who with a number of high-profile parents, was found guilty of paying $500,000 in bribes in order to ensure her daughters’, Olivia and her sister Isabella Giannulli, admission into the University of Southern California as fake rowing-team recruits. Very terrible behaviour but unfortunately for stans doesn’t prove she is dumber than Elordi. Once again, stans use shallow examples of intelligence to prove the lack of substance of these women who have dared to date these men without considering there would be someone who called first dibs because of their plaid skirts and tote bags.
These discussions being centred on intelligence are an attempt to detract from the misogyny that is pervasive within them. I’m sure Kylie and Olivia are smart enough for their respective partners. After all, they’re not living out a mean girl's fantasy online while being unable to make eye contact while ordering coffee. If these women are so lacking in intelligence, how smart are the men for being in relationships with them? You're tote-ally not bagging him (I’m only a little sorry.)
‘Girl’s Girl’ II- A One Woman Show… or Else
Female artists cannot exist in a space with others. You prove you like a woman’s music by attacking the music and fanbase of another. A woman cannot be praised for her art without someone claiming another woman is better. Stan culture seems to find it physically impossible to enjoy the art of multiple women at once. It does no one any good to be so close-minded about art, when the best thing about it is the freedom it gives to the artist and to the audience.
It’s easy to dismiss this behaviour as typical competitiveness between stans but that is only the base of the misogyny that is pervasive within stan culture. It mirrors the misogyny persistent within the industry: the pressure that is placed on women to constantly reinvent themselves to an audience that can express dissatisfaction to any of their personas in the most vicious way while accepting the bare minimum from male artists.
Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo has been subject to this for the majority of her career. Stans and anti-stans or antis as they’re called on online stan spaces, have tried to inject a narrative with every other female pop artist that exists. At the very beginning, she was the bitter scorned ex of Joshua Bassett, while Sabrina Carpenter was the homewrecking whore hag. You will notice that Joshua Bassett didn’t receive a derogatory description. Despite being the centre of this conflict, stans focused their energy on attacking the women involved. It’s been over three years since the ‘drivers licence’ drama, yet stan culture is not satisfied because there is not a narrative of hatred to dress up, no matter how hard they try. Most of the time there’s no blood in the water, so stans will cut anyone to sate their appetite.
As Olivia’s career continues to blossom, she has been placed in the arena with Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and most recent pop femininomenon Chappell Roan. Roan opened for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour in February and the two artists met through producer Dan Nigro. Nigro is most known for producing and co-writing Rodrigo’s records SOUR and GUTS, but he has been working with Chappell Roan since 2018 and co-wrote and produced Roan’s debut The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released last year. Chappell Roan made a guest appearance at the GUTS tour in L.A. “I absolutely adore her,” Rodrigo said in her introduction. “I think she is one of the most singular, inspiring, powerful artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I’m so excited, because she’s going to sing one of my favourite songs of all time with me tonight.” The pair sang ‘Hot to Go!’ from Roan’s debut album.
Roan opening for Rodrigo earlier this year and sharing the stage with her now, not only solidifies a close bond, but also introduces her music to a wider audience of people. An audience that already listens to Rodrigo and is unlikely to abandon her. But within stan spaces, Roan’s catapult to fame must mean that Olivia must be torn down. Olivia shares so much love and support for Roan’s artistry but somehow fans of Olivia have concluded that Chappell is a threat. Time that could be spent appreciating music of artists, old and new, is spent harassing and attacking Rodrigo, Roan and their fans.
Stans participating in misogyny against female artists that they would rally against if their favourite artists were subjected to the same scrutiny highlight how stan culture is not a safe space for art. They do not truly appreciate the internal and external challenges these women have overcome to create this art. The personal details that make these women’s music unique are used as weapons. Stans don’t like art or women; they enjoy the freedom that the online nature of stan culture gives them to wage conflict and hurt.
It’s the Ch(art) that counts
Stan culture’s obsession with charts is the biggest indication of how little this space cares for art, especially now. Art executives are increasingly using numbers against the best interests of artists. In the music industry, that looks like forcing artists to put TikTok first in their priorities, and creating songs that will best suit that algorithm. In the case of pop music, this looks like making songs much shorter. An increasing focus on charts means a decrease of consideration for the fact that a lot of art takes time to reach a wider audience and that it is not less valuable for doing so. If stans were genuinely interested in art, the behaviour of art executives would concern them. Instead they feed into the behaviour that puts their beloved artists at risk. A song is not good, it charts immediately.
Tinashe has been steadily putting in the work as a singer-songwriter, dancer and producer. It’s no surprise that work reaped rewards in the form of hit song ‘Nasty’, which has amassed over 100 million streams on Spotify. To dedicated fans, this comes as no surprise. To people interested in art, a glance at some of Tinashe’s earlier work such as fan favourite LP Songs For You will see the talent that has always been there. To stans, their lack of curiosity means that Tinashe’s success is undeserved. ‘She came from nowhere’, ‘industry plant’ are statements stans are fond of using incorrectly to discredit and erase the hard work an artist has put in over the years. These statements become more gross when you consider Tinashe’s background as Black woman. A lot of the hard work put into her career would have been fighting against obstacles put in place by the industry. Stans demanding immediate success from artists in the form of numbers highlights how little they care for art.
There is no respect for the process of developing one’s artistry. Indie darling Rachel Chinouriri has done a lot of work on social media in promoting her music, particularly her debut album What A Devastating Turn of Events. Chinouriri’s brand as a musician also means being honest about the struggles of being an indie artist. She recently made the decision to withdraw from Remi Wolf’s tour due to financial constraints. “Despite my best efforts to secure funding for this incredible opportunity, it hasn’t been possible. This is the tough reality of the music industry, whether you’re signed or independent.” Chinouriri said in her statement on social media. Stans love to use numbers as avenues of attack but it just underlines what little interest they have in art. They will look at this time as a waste, but true art admirers will see this as a valuable part of Rachel’s growth.
Art being centred around numbers is in no one’s best interest. Stans love to use chart data as a defence of their favourite artists against nonexistent attacks but saying all their art has to offer is numbers is not a compliment. There is nothing wrong with an artist using their talent and dedicating their time to becoming the best artist they can. This effort cannot be quantified and stans constantly attempting to emphasise how much they disregard the artists they claim to idolise.
All Aboard the Conveyor Belt
Stan culture doesn’t only dismiss their fave’s artistry. It also encourages something much more sinister; the denial of their humanity. The concept of someone going into the arts because of their passion for it and not for the fame is difficult for stans to grasp. When they are reminded that this is a job that is only a part of a person’s life, stans lash out in vile ways, trying to force artists back into a mould they never asked for.
This toxicity is seen very clearly in stan spaces’ reaction to Chappell Roan’s statements emphasising her boundaries. In a series of statements, Chappell Roan called out people’s entitlement to her time and space because of her fame. “I don’t care that this crazy type of behaviour comes along with the job… that does not make it okay.” she said on TikTok. Chappell is not the first celebrity to criticise the harassment they are faced from supposedly well-meaning fans and based on the reaction from stans, she will not be the last. Roan continued to defend her TikTok video with a statement on Instagram. “I chose this career path because I love music and art and honouring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
It is disgraceful that an artist should have to reiterate that they entered this profession because they love their craft. Roan being firm on her boundaries has brought out the absolute worst of stan spaces. Stans are now sharing videos of their favourite musicians interacting with fans with captions insulting Roan for not doing the same. It’s even more egregious to use Roan’s statements to start stan wars when what she’s said isn’t different from what any artist or anyone in the public eye feels. The dehumanisation of artists through breaking boundaries has deadly consequences. John Lennon, Selena Quintanilla and Christina Grimmie, were all murdered by obsessive fans. The work that artists put into the world is not worth their lives. To argue against that because of injured feelings, underlines how devoid of empathy stans truly are.
In their invasive desire to want to know all about artists, stans still do not consider how an artist’s personal life may affect their work. There has been a big amount of buzz around Normani, since her single ‘Motivation’ which properly marked her exit from girl group Fifth Harmony. ‘Motivation’ held a lot of promise for the kind of solo artist she would be but it is only now, five years later that Normani has released her debut album, Dopamine. Normani felt differently about ‘Motivation.’ In the Guardian, she said that her label pushed the single and that ‘Wild Side’ featuring Cardi B was closer to what she wanted her music to sound like.
When stans treat art to be mass produced, it truly underlines how little they care for an artist and their development. Normani spent many of her formative years in a girl band, where she was expected to conform to one image. The years between ‘Motivation’ and Dopamine were not wasted potential but rather it was time needed for Normani to discover who she was as a solo artist. It also offered time for Normani to heal, as she has not been shy about the negative aspects of being in Fifth Harmony. Normani was the only Black girl in the group and she was subject to horrible racist abuse from fans and from former bandmate Camila Cabello. The singer who left the group in 2016, was found to have been interacting with racist memes on Tumblr. It is clear that her time in Fifth Harmony was not an ideal environment for the growth of Normani’s artistry. People who value art as a process and not as a product and artist as a human being and not as a machine realise this.
There was another much more personal reason for the delay of Normani’s debut. Normani’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer for the 2nd time in 2020, after 19 years of remission. A year later, her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Of course, Normani wanted and needed to be with her family at this time. “When my parents got sick, I didn’t have the mental capacity to even try to be creative, but I pushed myself anyway.” she told Dazed in June. “If it weren’t for them, I probably wouldn’t have, but I know it’s what got them through such a tough time – they needed to see me persevere and push through and continue to move forward.” Stans were quick to be remorseful when they found out. “If we had known, we wouldn’t have been as harsh.” That’s the thing, you shouldn’t have had to know. What you do know is that artists are not your friends. Fandom is a part of the job and their job is only a part of their lives. Apologies don’t erase the fact that you harassed Normani because she put her family first. Your input on her priorities is unnecessary.
Conclusion
The consistent violation of boundaries by fans, in an attempt to create a closer bond to artists spotlights how distant stan culture is from the appreciation of art. Art is a product and the artist is a machine. Social media has created an illusion of proximity that has intensified stans’ delusions and narrowed their perspective on artists’ personhood. Stans may go far to reach the highest numbers of streams or views in the name of fandom, but when they compromise on their favourite artists’ humanity, an attack that they are feeling on all fronts, stan culture’s appreciation of art amounts to nothing.
incredible. it’s great how you connected various situations and made each one both engaging and informative. never stop writing!
Loved this!!! Great to see many different artists' situations raised too, gave a nice well-rounded picture of the current music industry and how the singer's actively releasing music are facing these issues it's ever-present now more than ever before. Great piece :)