Understanding Fangirls

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By: Rachel Harper

When you hear the word “fangirl,” what other words do you associate it with?  Neurotic, perhaps? Overzealous? Obsessive? Irrational? If you invest a lot of your time in following the entertainment industry and are familiar with the way the term is often used in the media, then many of these words probably come to mind. And because the term is fangirl and not fanboy (although the latter is used once in blue moon), obviously femininity is brought into the definition.

For those who aren’t as familiar with the term, fangirl is used to describe a female person who is a fan of a certain TV show, movie, video game, celebrity, band, book, or a combination of those things. And when I say “fan,” I’m talking about probably a seven or higher on a scale of one to ten. One being “I really hate this thing,” and ten being “oh my god give me all of this thing anywhere and at any time, I want to drown myself in it.” Those who are given the label of fangirl tend to reside on the more passionate side of the scale.

One can observe the mysterious fangirl on Tumblr, where fangirls from all over the world come together and express their excitement about their favourite things. The creativity that stems from this virtual symposium is astounding. The writers of a certain fandom will crank out breathtaking fanfictions that put many published books to shame. The visual artists will create stunning paintings and drawings that don’t even remotely look like they could’ve been produced by human hands. And don’t even get me started on the cosplayers. Countless of handmade costumes and outfits are made that rival and even surpass those appearing in the originals.

And yet, after all these beautiful demonstrations of ingenuity, imagination, and inspiration, fangirls are largely mocked. Why, you ask? Well, for a start, many things that women take an interest in are scorned, even if they are things that are marketed for them by the patriarchy. Astounding.

Take bands like One Direction, for example, that are marketed towards adolescent girls. When the girls really start to love the band and become passionate about them, they instantly become targets for condescension and contempt.

When fangirls venture out to see their favourite bands or celebrities in real life, they often get very excitable. This can include screaming, crying, or some combination of the two. Not all fangirls do this as every person experiences passion in different ways. If someone expresses their passion for something in a different manner than another would, then that’s okay. As long as they aren’t hurting anyone, they should be allowed to be as excited as they want. Girls shouldn’t feel ashamed for loving things and being enthusiastic about them. Besides, I don’t see anyone making a fuss about sports fanatics.

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