Fans of Janet Jackson, at Much Music in Toronto

The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a sporting club, person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. There is some confusion as to the origin of the word. Paul Dickson, in his New Dickson Baseball Dictionary cites William Henry Nugent's work that traces it to fancy, a 19th century term from England that referred mainly to followers of boxing. It was originally shortened to fance then just to fan. The word emerged as an Americanism around 1889. Many assume that it's a shortened version of the word fanatic, and the word did first become popular in reference to an enthusiastic follower of a baseball team. (Fanatic itself, introduced into English around 1525, means "insane person". It comes from the Modern Latin fanaticus, meaning "insanely but divinely inspired". The word originally pertained to a temple or sacred place (Latin fanum, poetic English fane). The modern sense of "extremely zealous" dates from around 1647; the use of fanatic as a noun dates from 1650.) This image is (C) Much Music, but was put on their press website as for the media. ... This image is (C) Much Music, but was put on their press website as for the media. ... now. ... MuchMusic (often called Much) is a 24-hour cable television music video and variety television channel based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which debuted on August 31, 1984 as one of the first Canadian cable specialty channels on the air. ... The term fashion usually applies to a prevailing mode of expression, but quite often applies to a personal mode of expression that may or may not adhere to prevailing ideals. ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Domínguez (left) versus Rafael Ortíz Boxing, also called pugilism, Western Boxing, prizefighting (when referring to professional boxing) or the sweet science (a common nickname among fans), is a sport in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists in... A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... Fans that are determined to be the number one fans of celebrities get the chance to meet their idols and usually hang out for a day. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Angkor Wat Hindu temple in Cambodia is the largest in the world. ...

Fans at soccer match between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb.

Supporter is a synonym to "fan" which predates the latter term and as such is still commonly used in British English, especially to denote fans of sports teams. However, the term "fan" has become popular throughout the English-speaking world, including the United Kingdom. The term supporter is also used in a political sense in the United States, to a fan of a President, political party, and a controversial issue. Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ... Hajduk is the one of two largest Croatian football clubs based in Split. ... Dinamo is a football club from Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. ... Dialect areas of England British English (BrE) is a term used to differentiate between the form of the English language used in the British Isles and those used elsewhere. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Politics is the process by which decisions are made within groups. ... This article or section may be confusing or unclear for some readers, and should be edited to rectify this. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... Look up Issue in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Although modern fans sometimes display irrational or uncritical admiration, most resent any association with the more extreme term fanatic because of its negative connotations. Fans that are determined to be the number one fans of celebrities get the chance to meet their idols and usually hang out for a day. ...

In addition to sports fans, other types of fans who have formed clubs, held conventions, and engaged in other forms of "fanac" (fan activity) include the science fiction fan, the Star Trek fan, the anime fan, the comic book fan, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan and the Dark Shadows fan. A club is generally an association of people united by a common interest or goal, as opposed to any natural ties of kinship. ... A fan convention, or con, is an event in which the fans of a particular TV show, comic book, or actor, or an entire style of entertainment such as science fiction or anime, gather together to meet famous personalities (and each other) face-to-face. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Speigel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) Anime ) (IPA pronunciation: in Japanese, but typically or in English) is an abbreviation of the English word animation but in Japanese is spelled アニメーション (animēshon, pronounced... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television series that originally ran from March 10, 1997 until May 20, 2003. ... Dark Shadows was a gothic television soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. ...

In trendy speech, fans may coalesce collectively into a fandom or a "fanbase". They may start a fan club, particularly when they are fans of music artists, actors, or television shows. Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ... Fandom (A fusion of the words fan and kingdom. ... A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well known person, group, idea (such as history) or sometimes even an inanimate object (such as a famous building). ... Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ...

When expressing interest in an organized or consistent manner, fans can sometimes effect changes, especially in the media's portrayal of their subject, or in their own subject's behaviour. Some fans enjoy creating fanzines. A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ...

When fans write fan mail to the objects of their interest, they expect a positive response; this can create considerable burdens for celebrities, who may react by fostering commercial fan clubs for admirers. Fan mail is mail sent to a public figure, especially a celebrity, by their admirers or fans. Fan mails may be in the form of letters, cards, artworks, gifts, and so on; depending on the recepient, it may also be possible to send fan mails via email. ... A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized (famous) in a society and commands a high degree of public and media attention. ... A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well known person, group, idea (such as history) or sometimes even an inanimate object (such as a famous building). ...

In a few cases, individual fans may become so obsessed with the objects of their infatuation that they become fanboys/fangirls (see below). These fans engage in behavious that are considered extreme or abnormal. This includes idolatry or other forms of worship, such as creating a personal shrine dedicated to the idol at one's home, and can sometimes extend to the point of the fans become stalkers. One example of an abnormally obsessed superfan is Beatle Bob. Over the past twenty years he has attended and danced at thousands of live music shows and concerts all over North America. Idolatry is a major sin in the Abrahamic religions regarding image. ... In traditional usage, the cult of a religion, quite apart from its sacred writings (scriptures), its theology or myths, or the personal faith of its believers, is the totality of external religious practice and observance, the neglect of which is the definition of impiety. ... For other uses, see Stalking (disambiguation). ... A tag has been placed on [[{{{1}}}]], requesting that it be speedily deleted from Wikipedia. ...

Characteristics of a fan

There are certain common characteristics to be found in fans interested in different topics and that these characteristics influence the behaviors of those involved in fan behavior (Thorne&Bruner 2006).

Those common characteristics include (Thorne&Bruner 2006):

• internal involvement. Fans focus more of their time and resources intently on a specific area of interest than a non-fan would, and are not significantly concerned if non-fans (including family or friends) don't derive pleasure from the area of interest. Fans usually have a strong enough interest that small to major changes in their lifestyles are made to accommodate devotion to the focal object.
• desire for external involvement - are motivated to demonstrate their involvement with the area of interest through certain behaviors (attending conventions, posting online, etc.)
• wish to acquire - fans tend to express a strong desire to possess material objects related to the area of interest.
• desire for social interaction with other fans. This again may take many forms, from casual conversation, e-mail, chat rooms, and electronic mailing lists to regular face-to-face meetings such as fan club meetings and organized conventions.

There are several groups of fans that can be differentiated by the intensity level of their level of involvement or interest in the hobby (level of fanaticism) (Thorne&Bruner 2006). A fan convention, or con, is an event in which the fans of a particular TV show, comic book, or actor, or an entire style of entertainment such as science fiction or anime, gather together to meet famous personalities (and each other) face-to-face. ... Social interaction is a dynamic, changing sequence of social actions between individuals (or groups) who modify their actions and reactions due to the actions by their interaction partner(s). ... Fanaticism, from French fanatique or Latin fanaticus of a temple, inspired by a god is an emotion of being filled with excessive, uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause, or with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby. ...

Fan vs. fanatic

The difference between a fan and a fanatic is that while both have an overwhelming liking or interest in a given subject, behaviour of a fanatic will be viewed as violating prevailing social norms, while that of a fan will not violate those norms (although is usually considered unusual). (Thorne&Bruner 2006) Fans that are determined to be the number one fans of celebrities get the chance to meet their idols and usually hang out for a day. ... Fans that are determined to be the number one fans of celebrities get the chance to meet their idols and usually hang out for a day. ... In sociology, a norm, or social norm, is a pattern of behavior expected within a particular society in a given situation. ...

Types of fans

Fanboy

This section is about a person devoted to a hobby. For the grammar mnemonic, see Fanboys (mnemonic)

Fanboy or Fanboi is a term used to describe someone (typically male) who is utterly devoted to a single subject or hobby, often to the point where it is considered an obsession. The term originated in comic book circles, to describe someone who was socially insecure and used comics as a shield from interaction, hence the disparaging connotations. Fanboys are often experts on minor details regarding their hobbies, such as continuity in fictional universes, and they take these details extremely seriously. The term itself is often used in a derogatory manner by less serious fans of the same material. Nevertheless, self-labeling usages of the term have been noted; in the songs of the fannish parody musician Luke Ski, many characters proudly consider themselves fanboys. The term is usually applied to people in their teens or 20s. Within this group, common objects of deference for fanboys are TV shows, movies, anime, cars, video game consoles, video games, operating systems, MMORPGs, ISPs and software companies. The letter sequence FANBOYS is a mnemonic for the coordinating conjunctions, which are used to join two independent clauses: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. ... Fanboy or fanboi is a term used to describe an individual (usually male, though the feminine version fangirl may be used for females) who is utterly devoted to a single fannish subject, or to a single point of view within that subject, often to the point where it is considered... A hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. ... Look up Obsession in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... In contemporary usage, a parody is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... A musician is a person who plays or composes music. ... The Great Luke Ski is the stage name of Luke Sienkowski, a filk musician who writes, records and performs comedy music. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as—in metonymy—the field in general. ... The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Speigel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) Anime ) (IPA pronunciation: in Japanese, but typically or in English) is an abbreviation of the English word animation but in Japanese is spelled アニメーション (animēshon, pronounced... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A video game console is a dedicated electronic machine designed to play video games. ... This article is about computer and video games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Players interacting in Ultima Online. ... An internet service provider (abbr. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ...

Similar to the term fangirl, fanboy is commonly used in a derogatory sense to describe a male's obsession with something, most commonly a cartoon, videogame, or an aspect of Japanese pop culture. A cartoon is any of several forms of art, with varied meanings that evolved from one to another. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... Japanese culture and language Japans isolation until the arrival of the Black Ships and the Meiji era produced a culture distinctively different from any other, and echoes of this uniqueness persist today. ...

Fangirl

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

The term fangirl can be used to describe a female member of a fandom community (counterpart to the masculine "fanboy"). Fangirls tend to be more devoted to emotional and romantic aspects of their fandom, especially shipping. However, it is commonly used in a derogatory sense to describe a girl's obsession with something, most commonly a male teen idol or an aspect of Japanese pop culture. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ... Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc. ... Shipping is a general term for emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. ... A word or phrase is pejorative or derogatory (sometimes misspelled perjorative) if it expresses contempt or disapproval; dyslogistic (noun: dyslogism) is used synonymously (antonyms: meliorative, eulogistic, noun eulogism). ... A teen idol is a famous person who generates attention from large numbers of teenagers. ... Japanese culture and language Japans isolation until the arrival of the Black Ships and the Meiji era produced a culture distinctively different from any other, and echoes of this uniqueness persist today. ...

Fangirl behaviour can vary in intensity. On one end of the scale are those that, while harbouring a crush on a particular actor or character, are perfectly capable of understanding that the fulfilment of the crush is never going to happen. On the other end are the girls who are said to be obsessive in their claims on a fictional character, even fighting with other fangirls over who 'owns' the character in question. Fangirl behaviour can fall anywhere in this spectrum, but the closer someone is believed to be towards the obsessive end, the more derogatory the use of the term 'fangirl' to describe them is perceived to be.

Fangirls of all persuasions are believed to be the largest contributors to fanfiction websites, sometimes disregarding the canon storyline of their fandom or altering it to fit either their own favoured romantic pairings; or themselves into the continuity (termed self-insertions or Mary Sues). Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ... Self-insertion is a literary device in which the real author of a work of fiction appears as a character within that fiction, either overtly or in disguise. ... Mary Sue (or simply Sue) is a pejorative expression for a fictional character who is an idealized stand-in for the author, or for a story with such a character. ...

The word "fangirl" may also be used as a verb (eg. "I fangirl Orli and Sawyer and Harry Potter and 24", or *fangirls you* or *fangirls you dead*)

Teen Idol Fangirls

These fangirls will commonly hold a crush on a major male star, athelete or celebrity (common examples include Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp, see teen idol). This can range from a simple crush to the complete belief that the male celebrity is either madly in love with the fangirl, or will fall madly in love with the fangirl once he lays his eyes on her. William Bradley Brad Pitt (born December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor. ... Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II on June 9, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, known for his affinity for strange character roles. ... A teen idol is a famous person who generates attention from large numbers of teenagers. ...

Japanese Pop Culture Fangirls

These fangirls will often follow a particular aspect of Japanese pop culture, sometimes broad, but sometimes as focused as a single anime/manga series or even a fictional character. The main cast of the anime Cowboy Bebop (1998) (L to R: Spike Speigel, Jet Black, Ed Tivrusky, Faye Valentine, and Ein the dog) Anime ) (IPA pronunciation: in Japanese, but typically or in English) is an abbreviation of the English word animation but in Japanese is spelled アニメーション (animēshon, pronounced... 2nd English edition of InuYasha Vol. ...

In the cases of particular anime or manga series, the fangirls are believed to hold less interest in the storyline, being more interested the potential for romantic relationships between the fictional characters of the series. In more extreme 'cases', the fangirl will claim that a particular character is in love or married to her, despite the physical impossibility of such a relationship. These relationships will often be removed from the canon context of the series, and are often expressed in fanfiction. Examples of series commonly claimed by fangirls include InuYasha, Saiyuki, Sailor Moon, the multiple Gundam series (in particular Gundam Wing),Ouran High School Host Club,and Fullmetal Alchemist. For fangirls involved in anime or manga, a term that is gaining popularity is "otome". To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ... InuYasha ), full title InuYasha, A Feudal era Fairy Tale ), is a Japanese shōnen adventure romantic comedy manga created by Rumiko Takahashi . ... Saiyuki, also known as Gensomaden Saiyuki , lit. ... Sailor Moon , Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon) is the title of the famous series originally authored as a manga by Naoko Takeuchi, as a sequel to her manga Codename wa Sailor V. It is generally credited with popularizing the concept of a sentai (team) of magical girls (mahō no shōjo... Gundam ) is one of the longest running series of anime featuring giant robots or mecha. ... New Mobile Report Gundam W (also known as Mobile Suit Gundam Wing) is a televised Anime series, which ran for 49 episodes beginning in 1995. ... Ouran High School Host Club ) is the title of a Japanese fiction series created by Japanese author Bisco Hatori centering around a group of high school friends all in the same club - the Host Club. ... Fullmetal Alchemist , Alchemist of Steel), commonly abbreviated as FMA or Hagaren by fans, is a manga series created by Hiromu Arakawa and serialized in Monthly Shonen Gangan. ... Overweight, unkempt, bespectacled and fantasizing about an anime heroine--a popular otaku stereotype. ...

Fangirls of Japanese rock music, particularly visual kei, may exhibit similar behaviours as well. Visual Kei, literally visual type, refers to a movement in J-Rock which started in the 1980s and became widely popular in Japan by the 1990s. ...

Big Name Fan

A Big Name Fan is a term for a fan who has achieved notoriety and respect within a fandom, usually for their fan fiction or fan art contributions. Big Name fans may have fans of their own and be asked for autographs. Among science fiction, comic book and fantasy fans, a Big Name Fan (BNF for short) is a member of a fandom who is particularly well-known, liked and celebrated for their contributions of art, fanfiction, or articles on fandom. ... Among science fiction, comic book and fantasy fans, a Big Name Fan (BNF for short) is a member of a fandom who is particularly well-known, liked and celebrated for their contributions of art, fanfiction, or articles on fandom. ... Fan fiction (also spelled fanfiction and commonly abbreviated to fanfic) is fiction written by people who enjoy a film, novel, television show or other media work, using the characters and situations developed in it and developing new plots in which to use these characters. ... Fan art or fanart is artwork that is based on a character, costume, item, or story that was created by someone other than the artist. ...

Otaku

Otakus are fans focused on anime and manga. Overweight, unkempt, bespectacled and fantasizing about an anime heroine--a popular otaku stereotype. ... Overweight, unkempt, bespectacled and fantasizing about an anime heroine--a popular otaku stereotype. ...

Trekkies

Trekkie are fans focused on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. Trekkie (or Trekker) is a term that in recent decades has been used to describe a fan of the Star Trek science fiction franchise. ... Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...

Gaming fans

Gaming fans (gamers) are fans focused on gaming, usually role-playing games, board games, miniature wargames, collectible card games or computer games. This article needs cleanup. ... Gaming is an umbrella term that includes a number of special hobby game types: Board games Collectible card games Computer and video games Tabletop wargaming (i. ... A role-playing game (RPG, often roleplaying game) is a type of game in which the participants assume the roles of characters and collaboratively create stories. ... A board game is any game played on a board (that is, a premarked surface) with counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across the board. ... Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming designed to incorporate miniatures or figurines into play. ... Collectible card games (CCGs), also called customizable card games or trading card games, are played using specially designed sets of cards. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...

Professional wrestling fans

Fans of American and Canadian professional wrestling can be divided into two groups; marks and smarks.

Mark

Main article: Mark (professional wrestling)

Derived from the same term used to describe the prey of conmen, a mark is a professional wrestling fan who believes that everything associated with pro wrestling is real, rather than recognizing the existence of kayfabe (that is, it is a work). A mark is a professional wrestling fan who believes that everything associated with pro wrestling is real, rather than recognizing the existence of kayfabe (that is, it is a work). ... A confidence trick, confidence game, or con for short, (also known as a scam) is an attempt to intentionally mislead a person or persons (known as the mark) usually with the goal of financial or other gain. ... In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced KAY-fayb; IPA: ) refers to the portrayal of events within the industry as real, that is the portrayal of professional wrestling as not staged or worked. ...

A mark can also refer to a devoted fan, either of a particular wrestler, wrestling company, or the sport itself.

A mark is also someone who believes everything about a certain wrestling organization is good. This type of mark tends to overlook bad decisions that the organization makes (or to cast said decisions in a positive light) and overreact to the good ones.

Smark

Main article: Smark

A smark is a wrestling fan who understands that professional wrestling is choreographed, is privy to the behind-the-scenes operations, and enjoys following the on-screen product as well as the off-screen, backstage affairs. It is abbreviated professional wrestling slang of the portmanteau "smart mark." This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Many smarks are part of the "IWC", or Internet Wrestling Community, a general term for the legions of wrestling fans who use the Internet as their means of communication.

Smarks define themselves by embracing the "workrate", or talent level, of wrestlers. They will spite the celebrated "big men" in favor of smaller, faster wrestlers with a wider variety of moves. They typically despise those whom they see as wielding too much power backstage and support underdogs who they feel have been overlooked by management.

See also

• Addiction
• Anorak
• Fanposter

Addiction is chronic disorder proposed to be precipitated by a combination of genetic, biological/pharmacological and social factors. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Fanposter (concatenated noun consisting of Fan and Poster) refers to a community of Fans (supporter) sharing common interests in a particular sport, hobby or genre who want to express their relation within this community by placing themselves on a poster (map) in close proximity. ...

Reference

• Scott Thorne, Gordon C. Bruner, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 2006, Volume: 9, Issue: 1, online

External links

• Online Etymology Dictionary
• CommonCensus Sports Map Project - A map of US sports fans, based on voting