Superfans
By Steve Sharp
I have known my colleague and friend for about twenty years. He trained as an accountant, has a neat haircut, smart appearance, and lives in the home counties. Having spent a great deal of time in his company I thought I knew him pretty well, but it seems he was hiding a dark secret. He is a Superfan.
I discovered this when he declined attending an event because he had an unmoveable diary commitment. His son’s wedding or perhaps a graduation ceremony I enquired, but no it seems his vital commitment was in Oslo, to attend not one but two Bruce Springsteen concerts!
Under interrogation he then confessed to have attended scores of Springsteen gigs worldwide and that he would regularly bump into the same people, similarly besotted.
The author and psychologist Michael Bond, suggests that being part of a fandom can have a remarkably positive influence on people’s lives.
“It's hardly surprising that fandoms have a normalising effect on behaviour, for they fulfil an ancient human imperative, the need to be part of a group. The groups we belong to; family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, are an essential part of who we are. They give us companionship, purpose, and a sense of security, and allow us to do things we wouldn't do on our own. It's safe to be different, weird, or nerdy with your fellow fans as you're all in it together.”
Fans, derived from the word fanatic, have been around for centuries, and can have something of a tainted reputation when it applies to extreme political movements and football hooligans, but a joyous appreciation of someone, a team, a group, it seems is good for you.
In living memory, Beatlemania was such a thing, with a group of young men tearing up the musical rulebook and being fashion and style icons. If you wanted something a little edgier then there was The Stones.
For some Superfans it’s films like Star Trek where massive live events are held on International Star Trek Day.
Michael Bond suggests that “Harry Potter is adored by adolescents because he has made it acceptable not to fit in and because of his close circle of loyal friends.”
It seems though that the word has now been hijacked by the online community, and no longer the preserve of gentle folk who have turned their houses into shrines to Elvis, The Late Queen, or Paddington Bear.
Pat Flynn describes the phenomenon as “the magical moment when your followers turn into fans”. How many likes? How many email subscribers? How many purchases?
Kind of takes the fun out of just being enthusiastic about something.
No longer will I smirk at friend’s obsession with Springsteen.
I’m off to The Chelsea Flower Show to mingle with thousands of normal sensible people who obsess about plants, gardens and compost!
Steve