On September 28, Bowen Yang performed one of 2024's most high-profile political plays while dressed as a pygmy hippopotamus.
Yang stood behind the desk Saturday night live“Weekend Update” segment by Moo Deng, who at the time the show aired was The Internet's current favorite. However, what he is saying sounds similar comment by pop star Chappell Roan, who recently took to social media to ask fans to be more respectful when approaching her in public or saying inappropriate things to her online. “Don't shout my name or expect a photo op, just because I'm your best friend or because you appreciate my talent,” Yang said, dressed in a rubber Moo Deng costume.
The footage was played for laughs, but in 2024, fan action—with each other, with those they admire, and with the world at large—has entered a whole new phase. More than half a century after John Lennon noticed The Beatles more famous than Jesusfandom, fueled by ever-vibrant social media platforms, has taken a shape beyond religious anger.
In the US election, that was clearly shown atmospheric layer and MAGA hats. Additionally, in Vice President Kamala Harris' capture the characteristics of “kid”. In popular culture, it is the Taylor Swift stan's account leave X for Bluesky Get over the frustration with Elon MuskParticipate in the election campaign of President-elect Donald Trump. That is also Gamergate's returnmanifested in a brand new harassment campaign against diversity and inclusion efforts in video game development. That's Kendrick Lamar turning His beef with Drake into one community event in Los Angeles.
Across different mediums and interests, being a fan of someone or something doesn't just mean buying a T-shirt or a movie ticket, it also means choosing a side.
Huge, super-sized fan
According to Simone Driessen, assistant professor of media and popular culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2024, more than anything, marks another year in which people acknowledge or even accept the fact of being fans. have real power.
“For me, the MAGA moment comes from moment January 6t. It was almost as if they were staging a coup—but it was very real and had very real consequences,” she said. “Summer, child, Swifties for Harris—To me, they are proof of how these fan skills one builds through being a fan (from Easter egg hunts to community formation) can also be valuable in terms of political aspect.”
Evidence of this is everywhere. It's my colleague Makena Kelly wrote This year, the 2024 campaign cycle is influential elections. People with cameras, microphones, and large followings, she writes, have become “tastemakers, meme sharers, video creators, and organizers; They also wield considerable power when it comes to encouraging their followers to vote.” People like Twitch streamer Hasan Piker and conservative YouTuber Ben Shapiro have the power to influence what happens at the polls. Candidate or not, Joe Rogan's podcast has become headline news. (Trump did; Harris did not.)