Give Fangirls a Chance

The overt obsession with sports teams and their success is normalized and the fanbase is made up of mostly men. Collective rituals, cussing, screaming, face painting and betting money are all aspects of a sports fan's practices that are validated throughout our society. But when you swap out men with women and a sports team with a boy band or music artist, the perception of the fanbase changes completely. The ridicule and invalidation fangirls receive is a classic example of sexism; the double standard of a typically male fan base versus a female fanbase has to stop. 

Fangirls are stereotyped as being dramatic and crazy when they are acting just as emotional or passionate as male sports fans. The joy that your favorite band or artist brings you is an intimate and personal experience that everyone deserves to be celebrated for, not judged. Fangirls are told that they are wasting money and time by obsessing over a celebrity, but in reality sports fans do the exact same thing. It’s internalized misogyny at its finest. 

In her TedTalk published on Feb. 18, 2020, “For the Love of Fangirls,” Yve Blake said, “If girls grow up in a world that tells them that they are designed just a bit crazier than the boys, then isn't that a little bit like telling them that they are born less capable of rationality than men, less capable of reason and unworthy of the same intellectual respect as their brothers?”  

Irrationality and hysteria are qualities associated with women, and both shed a negative light on what it really means to be a fangirl. Being a fangirl is one of the most fulfilling parts of the human experience that we can collectively share together. Being a fan of someone or something is so pure, it enriches your life. For me, being a Taylor Swift fan has been one of the best parts of my life. Taylor Swift has always been, and will remain, my fiercest motivator, life coach and role model. Being a fangirl gives you something that not only makes you happy but provides a constant support system. 

The people that make up a fanbase oftentimes act as one big family, and with that common love they all share for a specific interest, they are able to forge friendships that last a lifetime.

The camaraderie created through being a fangirl is only one of the positive impacts it has on their life. Being a fangirl is beneficial to mental health, it helps to build a sense of identity, empowering self-determination and the feeling of belongingness to a collective community. Fandoms help people to find solace in strong emotions and hard times. 

When it comes to fangirls of something such as Marvel or Star Wars, that same belittling and deprecation against women still exists. Franchises such as those two are typically male dominated, which causes the men that are a part of those fandoms to discount the female fans.

Gatekeeping due to gender happens all too often, and I have had it happen to me in the Marvel fandom. The women are forced to prove their knowledge and are constantly told they are “posers” just for loving something that society has labeled as a masculine interest. I read Marvel comics, watch character and analysis videos and cosplay all while I am trying to validate my love for Marvel when interacting with the male side of the fanbase. Society can’t just let women enjoy something on the same level they let men.

The double standard between fans and fan girls continues to promote misogyny and the demotion of women as a whole. It causes the media to often mis-represent women and their interests, while downplaying the love of women enjoying something. Fangirls are valid and their interests show that they are multifaceted human beings who deserve the same admiration and validity that society gives to male fans.