On 28th September, Bowen Yang performed one of 2024's most resonant pieces of political theater by wearing a pygmy hippo costume.
yang was behind the desk Saturday night Live“Weekend Update” segment, modeled after Moo Deng, who was at the time the show aired Internet's current favoriteHowever, what he was saying seemed more notes By pop star Chappelle Rhone, who recently took to social media to ask fans to be more respectful about approaching her in public or saying inappropriate things online. “Don't shout out my name, or expect a photo, just because I'm your parasocial friend, or because you appreciate my talent,” said Yang, dressed in a rubberized Mu Deng costume.
The act was played for laughs, but in 2024, fans' actions — toward each other, toward the people they're fans of, toward the entire world — have entered a whole new phase. More than half a century later, John Lennon observed that the Beatles were more popular than jesusConstantly active on social media platforms, fandom has taken a shape beyond religious fervor.
This became clear during the US elections manosphere And MAGA hats. Also Vice President Kamala Harris Embracing the “brat” ethosIn pop culture, this Taylor Swift stan eats leaving x for bluesky over disappointment with Elon MuskParticipation in the campaign of newly elected President Donald Trump. this was also return of gamergateWhat's unfolding is a whole new harassment campaign against diversity and inclusion efforts in video game development. This was Kendrick Lamar's turn his beef with drake in one Community Events in Los Angeles,
Across different mediums and interests, being a fan of someone or something doesn't just mean buying a T-shirt or movie ticket, it means choosing a side.
superfan, supersized
according to simon Driessen, Assistant Professor of Media and Popular Culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam, 2024, more than anything, marks another year in which people come to terms with, or even come to terms with, the fact that Reconciles that fans have real power.
“For me, the MAGA moment is rooted here moment of january 6thTea. It was almost as if they were staging a coup – but it was very real and with very real consequences,'' she says. “Brat Summer, Swifties for Harris– They're proof to me of how these fanfic skills developed through being a fan (from hunting Easter eggs to building a community) can also be valuable politically.
Proof of this is everywhere. My co-worker Makenna as Kelly wrote This year, the campaign cycle of 2024 was influential electionPeople with cameras, microphones, and large numbers of followers became, he wrote, “tastemakers, meme sharers, video creators, and organizers; They also have significant power when it comes to encouraging their followers to vote.'' People like Twitch streamer Hassan Pikar and conservative YouTuber Ben Shapiro had the power to influence what happened in the elections. Whether or not a candidate did Joe Rogan's podcast became headline-making news. (Trump did; Harris did not.)