By Maddie Rojas Lynch
The piercing screams slash through the stadium. The chants of the crowd echo through the air. A blur of signs and posters are lifted towardsthe sky. Fans don face paint, t-shirts, and so more to show their devotion. The celebration continues on the streets, songs are sung, shouts echo down the avenue, and residents lose any hope of sleep for the night.
Living in the center of Boston during the world series threw me right into the center of Red Sox Hysteria. As they vied for the title of world series champions, I heard celebrations on the common and parties in the streets. As I was running errands, I saw masses of bodies flooding down Boylston dressed in red shirts and caps. I received warning emails from Campus Safety telling me to beware of mobs and riots.
I didn’t necessarily have a problem with this. I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m not a fan of sports. I consistently confuse touchdowns with goals. I once asked a group my of my friends if there was a super bowl this year. I don’t understand the hype behind sports hysteria, but I don’t judge people that get behind it. I know that it brings people together, it gives them something to get excited about and put their faith in. My problem lies with the widespread acceptance of sports hysteria, yet the universal disapproval of boy band hysteria.
Boy bands. Now that’s something I can get behind. I can proudly say that I am a boy band lover, and more specifically, a devoted lover of One Direction. Yes, I’m a 19 year old “Directioner” and I’m not ashamed to admit it. As a true “Directioner,” I know all of the lyrics to their songs, when their birthday’s are, and where they were born. I watch interviews like it’s my job and respond to “One Direction” like it’s my own name. And I’m not alone.
One Direction fans across the globe have lined up for hours for the chance to see them in concert. They have started riots in the streets and mobs in stadiums. They dress in “I Love Harry Styles” shirts and wave “Marry Me Niall” signs in the air.
One Direction fans are not as far removed from sports fans as we like to think. The formula is the same. Devoted fans come from all across the globe, spending their hard earned money on tickets and merchandise. They have followed their idols for months, tracking their progress on tv and social media. They talk of nothing but their heroes, and know facts and statistics about people they have never met.
So why is this boy band hysteria so often ridiculed? “Fangirls” and “directioners” are constantly made fun of and looked down upon. Their hysteria is parodied, and people roll their eyes and snicker. I would argue that gendered language, demographics, and sexism play a huge roll in this.
The way we talk about these fans directly relates to the way we view them. A fan of One Direction is usually called “fangirl” which gets a negative connotation. A fangirl is considered crazy and immature. However, since a sports fan is simply called a “superfan,” which has a positive connotation, the idea is that they are so devoted to their team that they are “super” and better than everyone else.
A look into demographics reveals that the average sports fan is a young, affluent, male. According to recent studies, Men make up 66% of the fan base among major North American Sports leagues. However, 84% of One Direction fans are females.
To me, it’s clear that sexism is playing a large role in the negative stigma behind boy band hysteria. Sports fan’s are accepted because more than half of their demographics are males. However, it’s okay for directioners to be ridiculed because their demographic is overwhelmingly female. Boys don’t want to admit to liking One Direction because they don’t want to be considered a “fangirl,” as though being a “fangirl” is something to be ashamed of. On top of that, “girl” should not be synonymous with “crazy” or “insane.”
Hysteria is Hysteria. It should not take on a different meaning depending on it’s demographic. When the Red Sox won the world series, people were running through the streets and screaming at the top of their lungs. However when I run through the streets and scream when One Direction releases their new album, my roommates will be dragging me back inside and
begging me to control myself. I’ll admit that hysteria is not always good. I spend way too much time looking at pictures of Harry Styles. But many men spend way too much time looking up player statistics and game results. But hysteria can be fun to indulge in, too, and women and girls should not be ashamed for being dedicated fans.
Maddie Rojas Lynch is a writer, adventurer, and explorer obsessed with cats, cuddling, and chamomile tea. She loves learning about other cultures and creating positive change. Her life goals include traveling the world and turning into Beyoncé.
Image: Hollywood Reporter
Living in the center of Boston during the world series threw me right into the center of Red Sox Hysteria. As they vied for the title of world series champions, I heard celebrations on the common and parties in the streets. As I was running errands, I saw masses of bodies flooding down Boylston dressed in red shirts and caps. I received warning emails from Campus Safety telling me to beware of mobs and riots.
I didn’t necessarily have a problem with this. I’ll be the first person to admit that I’m not a fan of sports. I consistently confuse touchdowns with goals. I once asked a group my of my friends if there was a super bowl this year. I don’t understand the hype behind sports hysteria, but I don’t judge people that get behind it. I know that it brings people together, it gives them something to get excited about and put their faith in. My problem lies with the widespread acceptance of sports hysteria, yet the universal disapproval of boy band hysteria.
Boy bands. Now that’s something I can get behind. I can proudly say that I am a boy band lover, and more specifically, a devoted lover of One Direction. Yes, I’m a 19 year old “Directioner” and I’m not ashamed to admit it. As a true “Directioner,” I know all of the lyrics to their songs, when their birthday’s are, and where they were born. I watch interviews like it’s my job and respond to “One Direction” like it’s my own name. And I’m not alone.
One Direction fans across the globe have lined up for hours for the chance to see them in concert. They have started riots in the streets and mobs in stadiums. They dress in “I Love Harry Styles” shirts and wave “Marry Me Niall” signs in the air.
One Direction fans are not as far removed from sports fans as we like to think. The formula is the same. Devoted fans come from all across the globe, spending their hard earned money on tickets and merchandise. They have followed their idols for months, tracking their progress on tv and social media. They talk of nothing but their heroes, and know facts and statistics about people they have never met.
So why is this boy band hysteria so often ridiculed? “Fangirls” and “directioners” are constantly made fun of and looked down upon. Their hysteria is parodied, and people roll their eyes and snicker. I would argue that gendered language, demographics, and sexism play a huge roll in this.
The way we talk about these fans directly relates to the way we view them. A fan of One Direction is usually called “fangirl” which gets a negative connotation. A fangirl is considered crazy and immature. However, since a sports fan is simply called a “superfan,” which has a positive connotation, the idea is that they are so devoted to their team that they are “super” and better than everyone else.
A look into demographics reveals that the average sports fan is a young, affluent, male. According to recent studies, Men make up 66% of the fan base among major North American Sports leagues. However, 84% of One Direction fans are females.
To me, it’s clear that sexism is playing a large role in the negative stigma behind boy band hysteria. Sports fan’s are accepted because more than half of their demographics are males. However, it’s okay for directioners to be ridiculed because their demographic is overwhelmingly female. Boys don’t want to admit to liking One Direction because they don’t want to be considered a “fangirl,” as though being a “fangirl” is something to be ashamed of. On top of that, “girl” should not be synonymous with “crazy” or “insane.”
Hysteria is Hysteria. It should not take on a different meaning depending on it’s demographic. When the Red Sox won the world series, people were running through the streets and screaming at the top of their lungs. However when I run through the streets and scream when One Direction releases their new album, my roommates will be dragging me back inside and
begging me to control myself. I’ll admit that hysteria is not always good. I spend way too much time looking at pictures of Harry Styles. But many men spend way too much time looking up player statistics and game results. But hysteria can be fun to indulge in, too, and women and girls should not be ashamed for being dedicated fans.
Maddie Rojas Lynch is a writer, adventurer, and explorer obsessed with cats, cuddling, and chamomile tea. She loves learning about other cultures and creating positive change. Her life goals include traveling the world and turning into Beyoncé.
Image: Hollywood Reporter