I, Too, Was Part of the Fandom Craze
Yes, I was part of the fandom craze.
Back in 2011 until 2015 (until the group went on hiatus), I was a Directioner. A fan of the band One Direction (1D). As an eager young teenager wanting to listen and live One Direction, I was obsessed with everything. I had their CDs, clothing, posters, school supplies, blankets, dolls, and even had a One Direction-themed toothpaste and toothbrush. However, I wasn't alone.
I was part of the 1D fandom. Meaning thousands of others were just like me. We all consumed 1D, and it was all we talked about on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and in person. My own family was tired of me talking about it. But not only was I a young teenager talking about it, there were other fans talking about it. And, there wasn't only 1D in the mix. There was Justin Bieber (like the video shown in our module), Big Time Rush, Austin Mahone, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and so many other fandoms. We were all collectively thinking about the same thing, and these groups and franchises had the power to direct our purchases, listening habits, actions, and memory. We were all influenced and thinking the same. As I think back to that time, and what consumed these thousands of fans and their wallets, it was merchandise. Companies around the world were mass distributing artist and franchise merchandise to meet the craze and obsession of fans. Did I really need a One Direction toothbrush and toothpaste?
The Shein Issue
In recent years, the clothing world has been taken by storm with cheaper alternatives to high-end clothing. Shein, a Chinese-based company, offers consumers cheaper prices within their clothing options to mimic those of high-end brands or artists. However, while consumers have found cheaper alternatives, this doesn't exclude the fact that social activists, mindful consumers, and investigative journalists have noted the quality and exploitation of this clothing being mass distributed around the world.
While some argue that mass consumption may boost the economy, Adorno and Herkheimer (from the Frankfurt school; 1944), argue that it is only benefitting the top leaders of the supply chain (p. 1).
Furthermore, consumers have seen an increase in Shein copying other artists and mass distributing those pieces of clothing (learn more here). Adorno and Herkheimer further mention that art can no longer be art. High-end brands and smaller businesses are being copied. The general population might not be able to afford these high-end prices, so the idea of mass production and mimicking clothing is to appeal to those audiences. However, Adorno and Herkheimer argue that "the truth that they are just business is made into an ideology in order to justify the rubbish they deliberately produce" (1944, p. 1).
The Birmingham school believes that awareness is key when it comes to popular culture. One of the reasons for this mass production is to appease those consumers who cannot afford high prices. In creating academic discipline, should the high-end industry be more aware of these patterns? Would the high-end culture change drastically if their prices were to lower on products? Mass production may only be there to serve those who want to take part in pop culture.
Raymond Williams, part of the Birmingham school, mentions, "It is thus possible to visualize, or at least hope for, a mass uprising against mass society, or a mass protest against the mass media, or mass organization against massification" (1976, p. 32). He also further argues that people are able to reorganize the "realities of the working-class," and has the power to change the dominant culture. With this mass production issue, we see that creating this lower cost clothing helps the working class to take part of pop culture, but it also opens a conversation about production: Some people do not have the ability to spend hundreds of dollars on clothing, but does that mean they deserve cheap, fast fashion, clothing? Here is where reform might come across in the dominant culture to discuss the overconsumption of fast fashion, and lowering costs and providing accessibility of clothing to everyone.
How have you seen art, fashion, or franchises be impacted by mass production?
As a fellow directioner, I agree with you. We didn't need One Direction toothpaste, T-shirts, and dozens of posters on our walls! I also fell victim to the mass production of products for my favorite boy bands. On a more serious note, the mass production (and mechanical reproduction) of art has also affected me. Before I went to France in 2019, I had seen many replicas of the Mona Lisa. While I was in France, I almost skipped the Louvre because "I had seen the Mona Lisa before." Thankfully, I decided to go to the Louvre and see the painting in person. It was remarkable! I am so glad I went to the museum! A huge downside to mass production and mechanical reproduction is the depreciation of art and history. I almost missed a once-in-a-lifetime experience because of my interactions with mass production and mechanical reproduction. It can make us devalue special and unique experiences if we aren't careful.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on how in the recent years the fashion industry has been taken by storm with cheaper alternatives to high-end clothing. In fact, people are even going on their social media to promote alternatives or “dupes” to the high-end, more expensive clothing/accessories for much cheaper. It does align with what Adorno and Herkheimer said how art can no longer be art. As I shop online or in stores, nothing feels unique, everything feels copied or everyone is either wearing that item of clothing or something close to it.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I have seen fashion be impacted by mass production greatly due to the prices and everyone wanting to get their hands on the trendiest item. Companies like Shein and Amazon are able to copy the high-end clothing whether that is Prada or Lululemon, they find a way to sell “dupes” and make a profit as consumers are more willing to buy from them than the high-end stores due to cost. It’s frustrating because personally I want to find clothes that are accessible, a reasonable price, and unique.
I wasn't a big Directioner as a kid, but I was a big Hannah Montana fan and I experienced the same thing! It seemed like I could never have enough Hannah Montana merchandise. I had Hannah Montana shirts, pants, shoes, socks, hair brushes, books, backpacks, toys, movies… it seemed like I could never have enough Hannah Montana-branded items. Now that I’m older, I understand what drove me to want all of these fandom items: competition. Having the coolest Hannah Montana clothes or books or pencil cases or whatever the item was, was a way for me to prove how much I liked the show. I felt like I couldn’t say I was the biggest Hannah Montana fan in my first grade class unless I could show it with material objects.
ReplyDeleteToday, we still see this same example of proving fandom through competition. The first example that came to mind was the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. I know people who felt like they weren’t real Taylor Swift fans unless they went to multiple shows. Posting to social media to flaunt what merchandise you got or how many friendship bracelets you traded at shows has become the new Hannah Montana backpack. I think this creates an interesting dynamic between artist and consumer. Instead of consuming the art for the sake of enjoying it (going to shows for the fun of it, buying the merchandise because it’s something you genuinely like and will wear), consumers are now doing it as a status symbol of sorts. They are consuming art like concerts to say that they were there instead of for the enjoyment of it.