Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider’s focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
Sep 4, 2024
Table of Contents
Every February the rest of the world is put on pause as everyone tunes in on Super Bowl Sunday. Even those who never watch football can watch for the halftime show, the iconic commercials, or just to enjoy the social event that the Super Bowl has become. But nobody enjoys Super Bowl Sunday quite like those who have followed one of the teams the whole season, with hometown pride or love of a favorite player creating a personal investment in a team. Fans want nothing more than to see their favorite team take home the trophy. They paint their faces, dress in football jerseys, and get so excited that they’re 10 times more likely to choke on Super Bowl Sunday than any other day.
But if I asked you to think about fandoms or fan culture, it’s likely that sports won’t be the first to come to mind. Many people would produce lists including fans of musicians, actors, books, or television before they think of sports fans. So, what’s the difference between sports and other fandoms? Mostly it’s the different target audiences. If you were to imagine a typical hardcore sports fan it would almost definitely be a man. But the idea of a Taylor Swift Swiftie or a Directioner is almost definitely a young woman. This contrast is the reason that the two different sides of fan culture get incredibly varying levels of respect.
Ridiculing young women for their interests is much older than One Direction and Taylor Swift. Perhaps the most iconic example of crazed fans is Beatlemania. Beatlemania is famous for screaming crowds, mobbed limos, and even fainting fans. The Beatles were (and still are) massive, but many don’t think of them as a typical boy band. Today, The Beatles are respected by music lovers everywhere, often credited with producing some of the greatest records of all time. The Beatles are known as one of the world’s greatest bands, nobody thinks twice when someone lists them as a personal favorite.
This wasn’t always the case. The attitudes toward The Beatles in the 1960s weren’t dissimilar to the attitudes many hold toward modern boy bands. Beatlemania was infecting hoards of young women everywhere; the screaming crowds, limo mobbers, and fainting fans consisted primarily of young women. So, many didn’t respect The Beatles as serious musicians. For decades people have dismissed all sorts of art and other media as lesser if it was enjoyed by mostly women. And it doesn’t stop there. If a woman is, for example, wearing a shirt of some other “respectable” interest (a Nirvana band tee or a jersey from a local team) it’s much more likely that a man will stop her to talk about the shirt than if a man was wearing it. This isn’t because they want to strike up a conversation or bond over a common interest, but rather because people expect that women aren’t “real fans” of the content she’s supporting. If a woman can’t wear a shirt without being asked to name five songs or list five players, something needs to change.
This isn’t to say that hardcore sports fans should get the same ridicule that young women get for their own interests. Personally, I am a huge NBA fan and I love the Boston Celtics just as much as each of my other passions. In most situations I feel more comfortable sharing knowledge and excitement about basketball over my love for theater, romance novels, or reality tv guilty pleasures. I know that if I’m able to list stats or share my perspective on the current state of the NBA I’ll get much more respect than if I went into detail recapping the latest season of Love Island. But this shouldn’t be the case, all passions should be celebrated. There’s something so beautifully human about caring so deeply about the things that interest you, be it sports, music, television, or anything else that makes us happy.
Instead of picking and choosing which interests are acceptable to love openly, we should embrace all passions and celebrate the joy that people get from loving something. Going all out for the Super Bowl makes football fans happy, just as going to concerts or ComicCon makes other fans happy. There should not be a difference between knowing every word of Harry Styles’ discography and knowing stats from LeBron’s time on the Heat. Fan culture gives us a space to celebrate our love with others who share it.
Deciding that some interests are feminine and some are masculine creates less welcoming environments. Fan communities are built on a foundation of connecting with one another and building relationships over shared passions. The divide between sexes within fan culture means that this pure form of connection can be conditional, only valid if you’re the “correct” gender to be involved in the fandom. Men may feel like they can’t openly express their love for things that have been deemed girly.
But, more often, women aren’t respected or valued in fan groups for traditionally masculine audiences. This is true in many cases outside of fan culture, seen as women sign emails with masculine names to get respect over email or bring a man with them to bring their car to the shop. In fan groups with mostly men, women are less likely to be accepted as an equal if they embrace their femininity as well as their love for, for instance, football. A woman always has to work to prove herself while men are accepted into these groups with open arms and without question.
Fan culture has the opportunity to be something great. Bonding over shared passions is a beautiful way to connect with others. We need to ensure that everyone is equally welcome in these spaces regardless of gender or the interest in question.
By Lara Glennon
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider's focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider’s focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
Lara Glennon is an aspiring screenwriter looking to share her love and passion for all things film and television. She aims to use her writing to shine a light on artists who are working to make change, both in media and in the world. The Hollywood Insider’s focus on substance over gossip is perfect for Lara, as she wants to highlight the good in the world and those who create it. She enjoys spending her time creating and consuming art, searching for unique voices and ideas in media.
