Try Rocket Money for free: RocketMoney.com/CARA - and thanks SO much for watching! Hope you all like this one and let me know what you'd like to see next :)
Can you do a video going into the psychological traps that Kpop production companies use to feed stan and anti-fan culture? It's SO toxic and way more expensive than other fandoms. I've been enjoying the Hallyu wave since 1996 and I am SHOCKED at how much some people spend. CNA Insider did some content on it but I'd love one of your deep dives.
I used to follow a bunch of people who also collect kpop groups and merch and all. There's always people begging to buy their photocards on their profile because they can't pay their bills, food, medical expenses etc. Meanwhile they keep buying more albums, photocards, merch, concert tickets. I tried to get it through someone's head once that this was not healthy and they just gave me the "You only live once" attitude but I wonder how they'll feel if they lose everything because of kpop. It's honestly very depressing to see and I'm glad I got out of that community much more because of the toxicity
Yes! I feel like Potter merch didn’t used to be that pricey. But I went to a Potter shop recently and was going to buy a chocolate frog for my partner and I swear it was £15!
Especially when there’s a completionist aspect to it, like the Loungefly backpacks and special edition Mickey ears. They’re pretty but sometimes it feels like Pokémon-gotta catch em all.
@@paularunslondon Oh now that's absurd! It definitely didn't used to be that pricey. I feel like the cost of everything has gone up while the quality has gone down.
look I like TSwift and all but there is no way ANYONE thinks paying $2000 for some nosebleed seats to a concert is worth the money. You can literally feel closer to her by watching videos lol
@@pri2x0x I get that but I meant there is no way that it’s ever worth that much. As in… TSwift and team shouldn’t be making it that expensive for the fans she supposedly cares for, to have to pay that much to see her but the entire tour became an exclusivity party. I don’t think even Beyonces tickets are that unaffordable but same concept either way. They don’t need all that money, but making tickets hard to get makes them exclusive.
@@Brianna58321Actually the prices on Weverse are pretty reasonable compared to other places. There are many sellers on eBay and other places that are a big rip off. I was a victim of that. People are so greedy and want to rip you off at any chance they get.
Omg I'm a minimalist and kpop stan too and damn the community has a huge problem with overconsumption. For me it wasnt that bad but still too much so I decided to only have Albums from Twice and Highlight since they're my favs and also not have multiple versions because I actually never got that point😂
Somewhat agree, I think this differs in a musicians scale though. Because equally if you are enjoying an artists music, you should desire to contribute somewhat. Streaming royalties ain’t paying rent. And for a smaller musician, tours aren’t gonna make the massive amounts. I buy through bandcamp to support artists I like, I don’t think music should be a ‘privilege’ but if you have the means to I believe it’s important to contribute to artists you enjoy.
I understand artists selling merch and concert tickets being like $100 for good seats, but once you start asking for a ridiculous amount when you can afford to make your items lower (taylor swift) then it's pure business.
In my early K-pop days I was on a MISSION to collect all of the albums of my favourite groups. Now I am at a point where I’ll be selling most of my collection except for my favourite albums and those given as gifts. The consumerism in K-pop is a lot, to say the least.
Swifties… and I felt bad for spending $250 last year on a ticket to the Arctic Monkeys for their one tour since 2018 😅 I bought one poster, and called it there. It’s so easy for merch to look more appealing when you’re there in the moment and you want to capture that feeling but it isn’t material goods that preserve a moment like that. It’s how you feel at the concert and the memories you take away from it. My memory of singing along to one of my favourite songs is way more valuable than a tote bag. Somewhere along the way we started replacing those ephemeral feelings with spending money.
Yep. Huge John Mayer fan. I have been to more then a dozen shows. I have never bought merch at a show and have no desire to do so; I bought a couple of items at fire-sale prices a few years ago. I wear them to work out in at this point. I go for the music and the live experience, not to post pictures or videos or prove I was there with the shirt.
Saw this vid and suffered a direct hit. Being someone with multiple interests and fandoms (books, danmei, manga, anime, kpop, fashion, art etc), it's hard out there despite budgeting what to get per month. Still spending so much, not really saving as much as I can, and worse, despite purchasing I don't feel anywhere near that what I have is "enough". It's just crazy how there's always so much to buy and collect. Like a kpop album has multiple versions + items included inside are different. To go to a concert you need not just the pricey ticket but to fit in better why not get lightsticks and other merch. You buy every volume in the manga or book in series (a huge expense on its own), great lemme interest you in other collectibles like dolls and nendoroids. It's really capitalizing on your existing love for the person/group/IP which makes you want everything related to it + feeling of "i've already started collecting, might as well keep going so it's more complete".
It is manipulation by the music labels. That's why I stopped listening to kpop. They're at immoral and use up the talent and are leeching off you, the fans.
You can literally just enjoy the music. I love anime and mangas, I started watching them when I was 11 now I am 22. But I never spend a lot of money on it. I am broke law student and very realistic. I buy second hand books, including mangas. It is very strange that you need to buy anything in order to fulfil your interests. It is not supposed to be like that.
Hi, I kind of relate to your struggles as I was (and kind of still am) a very chronic impulse buyer. Not to mention, I have ADHD too, and that impulse buying coupled with hyperfixations that go away in less than a year has quite literally cost me hundreds. Seriously, I mean it when I say that I've spent at least $100 for a bg that I don't even listen to anymore in less than a year or so. Hell I'm an f1 fan now, which means that I have to almost always evaluate whether or not it is worth buying a model of something from a driver's helmet collection or from a team's collection Something that helps me when it comes to buying things related to fandom culture is to ask myself if I desperately need it now because it's a limited addition thing, like say limited edition releases of a book I truly love, or if I can get it another time, like say next month or the month after that. I know that it doesn't help with budgeting per se, but it does help me with the impulse to by everything related to the fandoms I am in, and it helps me be more aware of my personal finances!
@@khadyadjisall5708I know that's an option (that I often remind myself of haha) But I'm the type of person who wants to support the artists I like + be surrounded by stuff I love. I did choose which of my interests I should get stuff of so I don't get carried away with impulse buying but even with planning and mindful spending the price can be pretty hefty 😭
@teddiespicker Ohmygod yes hello fellow ADHDer and impulsive spender! I get you on this. I also do it hahaha. I have several documents listing my interests and faves and putting them in priority ranking so I know which I can allow myself to get and which I can just enjoy without spending and if I allow myself to spend, what month is okay to spend on that. At least every time I get the urge to get something can dissuade myself because I've already decided NO, NOT ALLOWED and still have plan I need to follow and it will ruin my budget for other stuff if i spend money this way.
The deeper and even more frightening issue with this 'Stan' culture, in my opinion, is the extent many humans feel that they need to have an 'idol' in their lives. They can't just like the music for the music. They can't just like the performance for the performances, but they have to go further and get to the stage of 'idolisation'...They can't just appreciate the art, but they have to idolise the artists, and all of a sudden, they go 'oh I have to wear t-shirts with the artists' faces on them". "I have to buy the products that my favourite artists are being brand ambassadors for" (and ditch the products when the artists move on to another brand..for example, the latest case with one of the Blackpink members). "I have to go to every concert just because...." (instead of just one). This 'idolisation' syndrome doesn't just hurt the fans' finances, but it worryingly shows how vulnerable they are. I guess, after all, perhaps 'fan' is derived from fanatical.
I think it becomes the most problematic if people either idolize people with lots of real life power (politicians, billionaires etc.) and/or if the "idols" themselves abuse their status for entitled behaviour or even crimes, often affecting some fans while other fans claim that their fave would never do such thing or that it's "okay" for them to do so because they are special/above the law.
thanks so much for making this vid, as a kpop fan it truly astonishes me the amount of stuff released by kpop labels and how a lot of fans have whole shelves just dedicated to their merch collection. not to mention the many many versions of photo cards that just encourages fans to spend more to complete their collection of pcs. i wish people discussed capitalism and kpop more it's so interesting
The parasocial relationship is so creepy, but its sad how many people fall into its trap. I remember I got into kpop around 2013-2014, and kpop wasn't very relevant for the USA. I used to ask people if they knew kpop or liked it, and would be told that its weird and judged for liking it. Within not even a span of 4-5 years, that all shifted and its crazy how quickly things changed. The number one thing I now hate about kpop fans is that so many want to share their merch, I've met people who literally would look down on other kpop fans because they didn't have merch or even see trends where people are like, "whats the most valuable merch you have" or "whats your most expensive merch". Its kinda sickening how they would even look down on old fans for not having merch, when most of us liked kpop when korean merch wasn't even available in the USA. It definitely wasn't this easy to find like it was today, I had to like go to a specific town to see it. I also dislike this initiative that's being spread on wattpad or those type of platforms where they have the creepiest of stories about these idols, and some even think they are their husband. Theres a term for those who are obsessed beyond belief, sasaengs, and I personally choose to avoid that world. They know way too much, and if you ever hear those stories, they've been known to poison, to stalk and even worse, to put period blood on a letter to write to their idol. I can only imagine the type of fear it must bring to Korean idols to know that their life could easily be harmed if they don't have proper security. These fans also tend to buy into cosumerism, including buying the exact plane ticket that their idol takes so that they can fly with them. I truly fear that when kpop was brought to the USA, this only strengthen the obsessive behavior to now include Americans. I have met old friends who hated it, or would tell me they dislike it, all of a sudden change their mind because its popular. I don't even like mentioning I'm a kpop fan, because combined that with taylor swift (who I also kinda like), people just assume I'm toxic. The only merchandise I've ever bought, was a glowstick for red velvet, but I will never do it again because not only was it expensive, but also it just collects there - I never see red velvet so its almost like there's no point in having it. I support my kpop groups, but I feel the best support I can give is watching their videos and spreading the old school kpop I came to love to new school. Thats my contribution at this point.
I only have one lightstick and its skz since they were my first concert i always see tons of people saying you shouldnt bring other groups lightsticks to another groups concert etc. I held back on pc and albums since they have gotten cheaper quality with less inclusions for more of a price because groups grown. Concert tickets are constantly on premium now (especially hybe groups) and we get constant EPs with two minute songs instead of albums. Ive been a kpop fan since 2021 and its crazy on how much it grew from then and now i cannot imagine it during pandemic. Im glad you spoke about the whole fan fic thing also i dont see enough on how fan fics are WEIRD especially when these are real people. I dont like shipping them or inappropriate things on them because i find it disrespectful wouldnt want things being written about me.
@@livandlou6751 Completely understand! I dont have any other light sticks since I'm an old fan and most of my bands have officially disbanded or went on hiatus but I completely understand! With concert tickets, they are a bit pricy, and most of the bands that come to my region of the world are well-known, making the cost sky rocket. The first concert I ever saw was at the Houston Rodeo to see NCT 127, but this was during COVID-19 and it only lasted for like 30 minutes, maybe even less since it was the day before covid shutdowns happened. I've met friends who went down the fanfic road, and sad to admit, but I also did once when I was younger. But as an older fan and growing past my "teenage" years, I've recognized the dangers that come with reading these fanfics. With people who don't have any obligations or feel invested in love that they start to find it online, you start getting people who can't separate reality from their fanfics. I find it very uncomfortable to see people do the y/n fanfics and when reading them, they actually do insert their name. I consider these fanfics the "forbidden fruit", because so many people read them and most of them are romantic (holding hands, kissing, hugging with your idols), most of which you may not get to experience in America, let alone korea in these ways. It's why I feel these fanfics are an addiction to the wrong people, and reading them fuels it for certain people. I was lucky I never got that absorbed by it (I only read hugging and meeting your idols, not sex*al or romantic ones), but it's very concerning the content they post (especially since some of these fans are teens).
People have to realise it’s all a business and stan culture is like buying from a business just to boost it and make it more profitable using your own money
This is interesting because ‘stan’ seems to be a female dominated activity and more under scrutiny whereas sports fans going overboard are predominantly men but it’s more normalised?
Sure they do, you're also leaving out the part where they make a lot of money. Isn't always big initial sums either (a couple bucks). Its the best form of betting imo (if you know sports, duh)
I don't know if this is considered a fandom but people who are into Sanrio is a good example of this too. It's consumerism kicked into overdrive. I love Sanrio characters don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to buy every single item that has a Sanrio character item on it.
It was really disgusting how the Singaporean gov paid T Swift something like $3 million per night to only perform in Singapore and not any other South East Asian countries .. her accepting this showed that she doesn’t care abt her fans who can’t afford to travel to see her ,. She only cares about the amount of money she’ll be making off her tour .. the amount of money the other poorer South East Asian nations could have made would have benefitted locals greatly but neither T Swift nor the Singaporean gov care about that :P
Oooh.. 👀 Another slipping of the veil of the perfect, feminist angel. Someone should get some balls to confront her in-person, Kanye-style. Would be the first time her open-mouth-shocked-pikachu-face isn't fake
That's capitalism, more capital more power, get richer its that simple, it would be retarded for the sg gov to not make that deal, you could say swift should not have accepted the deal but that is just what the system encourages
@@elvis4868your point is fair but the same argument can be made for Taylor excusing her for accepting it. If we think Taylor made an ethical error we have to apply same moral standards on SG gov for spending peoples' money on a show. Even if it was economically sound decision.
i totally gave into kpop consumerism but when i started watching your videos i realized how i could be using that money for other things that are more important to my future so i cut down on my kpop spending A LOT… so thx for that!!!
As a kpop stan of around 10-11 years, I'm glad I grew up not having much money to spend because it enabled me to dodge some of the traps. I absolutely indulge now in collecting items with my adult money but I've had the strength to say 'no' to many things based on the principle. Great video as always Cara :)
i go to a lot of concerts and i used to buy shirts at every one as memorabilia but at a certain point i realized i wasnt wearing the shirts i bought enough so i stopped buying them until they were actually something i would wear i still go to those concerts bc its a cathartic experience and i like them but buying merch isnt something i do often anymore
I'd say this is pretty reasonable & valid, even if you don't wear it. Just like buying a vacation souvenir. Could always hang it up like decor or gift them. You have a lot more sense than these people tho Lol
speaking of kpop fandom, it's crazy there, like everything the bands advertise - their fans will buy it despite their own limited funds, like stuff above $400 will still be sold out literally within hours, people give their last money just to have everything that their idol advertises (but doesn't necessarily uses irl)
This is so fascinating because I can’t think of any celebrity I’ve ever wanted to spend money on like merch, albums, etc. I’ve never been obsessed with anyone like that
I needed to see this cause I’ve spent thousands on Kpop merch and goods and I’m always doing the “after the next drop, merch, album, cafe, etc. I’ll start saving money.” Which never happens cause these groups have stuff constantly coming out.
Last year I put my finances on track and I saved as much as I could, achieving a pretty good situation now. Basically I cut all non essential spend, except for one thing: my favourite band was on a tour of the UK and I confess I booked four dates. Luckily for me they played in cheap places and I managed to keep the total cost below $1000, including hotels and merch. I don’t regret it one bit 😅 as long as it’s in my budget I’ll be fine. I still managed to save 40% of my salary.
I started being a kpop fan in 2009. Back then it was not easy to buy albums or merch. Concerts in my country was not even a thing. So i was just stuck to watching videos. But now albums, merch and concerts are so accessible that it's so easy to feel FOMO and spend for your faves. It takes a lot of impulse control not to buy
Sometimes it's much better to like something in isolation without engaging with the fandom because Cara is right, fandom peer pressure is real 😭 I made the mistake of making a stan twitter and IG before for kpop groups I like and it just stressed me out because I couldn't financially afford the ways other stans was supporting. I can't even afford one album, how can I get multiple copies of it to collect the cards? There's also other merch, fancalls, subscription services (Bubble), and actual events to go to. Seeing other people's collections and stories about their experiences brought about both envy and a feeling of failure as a fan. Anyway even if you can finally watch the artist of your choice like I did recently (yay first concert of your life) it can still a bit alienating. The group I watched is someone I listen to almost everyday the past two years but I still didn't feel like I was a fan /enough/ because I know the lengths other fans around me have gone to and spent for on them.
But it's important to remember that the amount of money you spend does NOT dictate how big of a fan you are. I don't know the atmosphere in kpop fandoms because I've never been part of one, but my best friend recently got into EXO and NCT and she hasn't been buying stuff either, because they are SO expensive and the quality isn't up to par, so it's just not worth it. Still she really loves their music and their skill and actively engages with other fans on twitter, but only a specific subset that she knows is reasonable, and tries to stay away from the crazy ones who pressure other to buy stuff. Now I know it's difficult to not encounter those kind of fans, but you can try and curate your experience in the fandom and be a fan on your OWN means. I, on the other hand, own no merch and enjoy my favourite artists in isolation but engage for my favourite book fandoms. It's all your choice, what works best for you. Also, congratulations on your first concert!! I hope you enjoyed.
@@rra73 I've been a fan of many but not financially. If I....me personally, didn't save I'd be in big trouble in this financial climate that we are going through in this country (US). I also have hobbies but had to stop watching all the hauls....omgosh!!
As someone who spent almost 6k on hockey vacations last year I feel this. You make a lot of good points, I've definitely had the feeling I needed to buy certain things to 'prove' myself as a fan before and that's not great. It's really important to have non commercialized ways to express that fandom: making tiktiok edits, crafts, spreadsheets, just talking to people about it! But I also think it's hard to explain how happy the things I'm fan of make me. I can not think of a single thing that I could've spent that 6k on that would've made me as happy as those trips and those games. Many people are not going to feel like it's worth that, because it is a worth that is so heavily based in emotions. I think if it makes me at least 6k worth happy, and I have 6k, then that's a decision I am comfortable with. As often it comes down to financial choices being very personal :)
Thanks for this video - I had no idea about the 4 different bonus tracks. Now regardless of which one I buy, I'd miss out on the other 3. Best to just try and listen to them all and figure out which one I want to buy first. I'm doing a no- buy and I had doubts whether to buy TTPS or not, but now I'll just wait. Remember when songs were 0.99p - £34 for 1 song is mad.
I make money off stan culture while being a Stan! Selling custom merch to other fans and then I use some of my profit to fund my tickets/travel to see my favorite artists. I own at least 10 pieces of merch, wear them all the time. The key is to manage your money and be realistic about what you can afford and know when to NOT buy that overpriced ticket
not a swiftie but agreed. personally if I were taylor I would've not released the eras tour movie because my fans paid A LOT for my tickets, the least I could do for them is give them exclusivity
@@teddiespickerthen all the fans who couldn’t afford it would be excluded. Taylor swift didn’t charge $2000 per ticket, the Ticketmaster monopoly allowed scalpers (some of whom work for Ticketmaster) to price gouge the tickets. This would mean the majority of her fan base would miss out and if it was known that there would be no movie the prices would have probably been even worse.
@@teddiespickerthats such an entitled perspective. Her songs are public, and you can watch videos of the tour on youtube. There are fans who don't live in the places she toured or couldn't get/afford tickets. It not like they got in for free and others paid for it so why can't they just watch her sing songs they've already heard?
Honestly Im a fan of Taylor's music. They're catchy. It's nice feeling the hype of her song drops. But the whole thing that happened in Brazil and her carbon footprint put me off her as a person. Like we're in a cost of living crisis and recession. There no need to have 4 different versions of 1 album. And why are cardigans like £80 but still made of polyester? She built her brand off of being genuine with fans but she seems out of touch. I don't think I could go beyond listening to her on Spotify.
I'm Brazilian and the repercussion that the unfortunate passing of her fan had here was HUGE. I have seen people left and right criticizing her (long time fans, mind you) for treating south american fans completely different than she would an american fan. I risk to say some people fell out of love for her.
She is 100% chasing money (that she doesn't need) and is definitely not authentic. Maybe she was before but she put a bad taste in my mouth with all the fuss and drama about this tour and her new relationship.
@@nickdesu9794 She also signed a deal to not perform in any other SE Asian countries except Singapore in exchange for money. These fans need to wake up - they are just a paycheck to her.
She was born to two billionaire parents, one of whom bought major stake in the record label that signed her "coincidentally" before it did, stake he owns to this day. it's privilege and advantage she has never acknowledged. She was never authentic, she is a wealthy construct of the music industry, love or hate her. There's also the fact she dated a man who said he liked to ... "get off" to videos of women being tortured, despite claiming to be a feminist.
@@lordfreerealestate8302Money aside, she's good but swiftie stan potray her as a GOD, because right now she's the most famous, the most wealthy of a singer even says she's a Queen of Pop. Despite her talents, she will never become queen of pop, because there's singer / artist are even better than she is, Gaga is more suitable candidate for "Queen of Pop", her music is relateable, i like it too but those stan really delusional trying to convince themselves that Swift can reach to someone to the level of someone like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion. Potray her to be this a singing god while lesser known artist like Madison beer is so much better at singing, and if you critize her they will say "life to short, to lie not liking taylor", brainrot behaviour
I’ve found it fascinating how people in some fandoms go to every single concert held by a band during a tour. I think it’s ok to want to see them multiple times, but why every show? You’re so right that fandom can be excessive. And I’m lowkey glad to be a millennial in some ways because my formative years weren’t spent having the illusion that celebrities were like friends to me thanks to social media.
A really good example of this is Disney collecting. Disney will release a product (for example, Vinylmations), then the collectors feel like that have to collect every single character of that item. Then Disney releases another product (for example, Tsum Tsums) then the collectors feel like they have to collect every single character of that item. And the biggest problem is that neither of these products even look like the actual character itself. All Vinylmations just look like a Mickey Mouse shape, and all Tsum Tsums just look like a cylinder shape.
I’ve been a fan of Taylor Swift since middle school. I own all of her albums and still buy each new album on CD for nostalgia’s sake (though only the normal cover and I gave up on buying every Taylor’s Version since I own the originals anyway and it was expensive). I’ve been to every tour since Red, but Eras is the first one I’ve paid for rather than my parents. I think it will be about £200 all told once I buy merch, so not terrible. I was in the presales. But yeah, as an active stan for years I’ve still noticed all the cash grabs over the years. My favorite might still be the Reputation tour, where they judged your passion (and thus your place in line for tickets) based on how many of her videos you watched and how much of her merch you bought. I bought a couple things and had the videos muted on loop for weeks on end lol. She just gets away with it because her music is so dang good and I think most fans don’t begrudge her a bit of straightforward money-making.
This is the smartest RUclips channel I have found that addresses this stan topic so well, I mean I am not a fan of Taylor and I don't care about celebs or influencers or whatever, However it is insane how people spend some much money 🤑 in concert tickets they exposes their personal safety for those events, just look what happened in Brazil 2 people dead and everything was forget just bz Taylor gathered with one of the victim's family, what 😢
I'm pretty sure either Tay and her team deliberately cultivate the parasocial relationship to take more of their (mostly young) fans' money. I've noticed in threads and comment sections critiquing her behaviour (such as her billionaire status and use of private jets) people say "But she's so kind to all her fans and fosters an authentic connection with them! She can't be so bad!" It is likely cultivated. And perhaps this even plays into many of her fans (not all, of course) becoming outright radicalized and cultish and sending death threats, doxxing, and attacking anyone who critiques her even slightly or fairly. They doxxed a critic from Pitchfork for "only" giving her album an 8 out 10. Because any critique feels like harm to someone they think they know and have a strong bond with.
I like Taylor's music but I only listen to it on Spotify. I don't understand why people buy an album 5 times because it has different covers. Oh, and I have tickets for her tour in Europe. It cost me 240 Euros (258 USD). It's is a once I a lifetime concert for me and it's in my hometown, so no extra costs for transport and hotel.
There is a very grey area in fandom and finances: indie projects and animation. I am a huge fan of indie animation on RUclips (stuff like Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, Lackadaisy, etc) and they are funded solely from merch sales, Patreon, kickstarters, and other financial venues because RUclips has made it impossible for animation to be profitable on their website. These projects are not owned and operated by big companies like Disney or WBD, so the merch sales and Patreon directly fund the shows and crew behind the scenes. All of your points in this video still stand - don't spend more than you have and do research if it's really something you want to support - but it's something that I just wanted to bring up, as it can be really easy to spend all of your money just to support the little guys.
second this. maybe eminem got the name from combining stalker and fan tho so you both might be right. either way, considering how the stan character in that song behaves I am endlessly perplexed on how the term being used to denote a loyal fan became so popular. most people probably haven't listened to the song but when I did I just never wanted to be associated with the term "stan" because it's not a good thing.
@@SuperHappyNotMerryThe meanings of words often change over time. What matters is what people usually associate with it. It's not common to say "I'm faning this artist" but it feels normal to say "I'm staning this artist" so that's what people say while meaning "I'm an active fan of this artist not just a casual listener who kinda likes them"
I’m a diehard Taylor Swift fan and wanted to go see her at Murrayfield in Edinburgh Scotland, my hometown. But the tickets sold out quickly like gold dust. I DID however enjoy your video and agreed with the points you made.
I was super fortunate to get in the pre-sale for BTS's concerts in Vegas in 2022. I also got to see Agust D in LA in 2023. When I saw the prices for the soundchecks and VIP tickets, I was shocked. Paying 1000 dollars for a VIP ticket doesn't get me any closer to being Suga's friend lol. It would just feed into the parasocial relationship. We have to be healthy about our fandoms.
They did that demand based pricing thing with prices changing while you buy the tickets for the Agust D tour, right? It keeps most of the profit in the company instead of letting resellers have their greedy share but it's still greedy anyway. It would be fine to only do that with a small section of the tickets to cater to the rich fans while milking them at the same time. But what about just personalizing at least most of the tickets so you can't resell them? That would be the most fan-friendly alternative.
Parasocial Relationships are absolutely one-sided celebrities know this and absolutely it just benefits them. It's not any different than with these influencers. Does anybody really think that someone who has a 100000 followers really has a personal relationship with them? No, they are a means to an end, which is to make money and regardless of what they say. They actually don't have a personal investment in the individuals that follow ;they have a monetary investment.
When people get laid off in their 40s (yep you will trust me) and can’t get another job because they go to younger people or artificial intelligence they’ll regret all that junk they bought and concerts they can barely remember.
I just found your channel after sitting down with all my receipts of my purchases toward my favorite band for the last few years. As I was tallying them up, I never felt bad about any individual purchase. I still have all the items and cherish every one. For most tours, I actually made a point to plan my purchases and not buy things I knew I wouldn't use or which didn't "spark joy," to borrow from Marie Kondo. Even so, the grand total has been a bit of a wake up call, and I'm making an effort now to rebudget my monthly spending to save more and catch back up to where I was before I started splurging. I don't have that parasocial feeling of "they're my friends!"; I think of it much more like being a patron to a favored artist. I don't want to let that sensibility go, but I do want to keep my financial contribution within my means. Your video does give me great comfort on one specific point, however; I have never paid more than the equivalent of 90 USD for a concert ticket. I'll stick to my personal crack and let the Swifties fight over their several grand tickets elsewhere. Yikes!
I’ve been a Taylor swift fan since 2006. Always have been. I’ve bought just each one of her albums up until reputation. Have been only streaming her music ever since. Saw her in concert for the first time at reputation tour. I have only bought 5 items of merch in total over the last 18 years. I don’t plan on buying any physical media because I know those bonus songs will be on RUclips or TikTok within a day. I went to the eras tour because my friend surprised me with a cheap ticket but great seats. I bought one sparkle shirt at TJ Maxx and mirrorball earrings for $10 on Etsy. I flew to vegas for free because I’m a flight attendant. And I stayed at her apartment for free and just paid for food while I was in vegas. And I bought the tour tshirt online before I even left because I didn’t want to stand in line for one. I consider myself a huge fan and an OGer…but I don’t go broke trying to buy everything because I know I’m a fan and I feel like I don’t have to prove myself to anyone. Everyone knows I love her and have always been a fan even if I don’t spend all my money on her. People can spend as much money as they want on whatever they want but in the end, you don’t HAVE to just to be able to enjoy her music. Just have fun! 🤍
Very well thought out! It's so easy to get caught up in it! I always want to purchase merch at the concert, especially the "tour" shirt with the dates on the back. I tell myself it's so I can remember the experience. It's really so everyone knows...when I wear it...that I was there. It's so deep rooted for me, and totally a status thing.
Great video! I'm a big Swiftie and I also watch your channel a lot 😊 The sad part about these ticket prices you mentioned are that they are not the actual price of the tickets and just the resale prices from people who know they can sell their tickets for thousands of pounds when they paid much less. I was lucky enough to go to the Eras tour twice and my first ticket cost €60 and my second ticket which was right at the front cost £150. This is still a lot of money and I probably wouldn't have paid all this for another artist but these 1K+ tickets are not even the actual price just people selling them for stupid money and people actually buying them because they couldnt get tickets in the main sale.
Ah, I will say that I got lucky with the celebrity I stan: Michael Sheen. He’s Welsh and I’m American, so I am just not able to experience most of his public appearances, like the play he is currently in, so I just make my peace with it and love him from a distance. Also, I’m happy because as far as I know, the only product he has “promoted” is a company that makes free tampons, which is good for everybody.
@@theclaybor4352 Edit: Looked it up, no, I would not consider myself a twilight fan personally, though I have seen the movies and enjoyed them. I am more of a good omens fan, personally, I simply adore his role as Aziraphale and cannot get enough of it. However, if you would like to discuss Twilight and his appearance in it, I am willing to do so.
I’m a blackpink fan ( the kpop group shown on the video) can’t really afford any merch or albums but they had collaborated with Oreo & I found the Oreo package in my local store. Needless to say i still have the package😂 i’m aware of the stan culture & won’t act on it but they made me very interested in fashion & to work in the industry so being a stan isn’t bad if you’re aware of the pros and cons.
There is absolutely no one in the world I would obsess over. To be fair, the swifties are not the first to be like this. Looking at history, Elvis fans and Beatles fans were mostly the same way. Since I was born in the mid 1960s, I have had one of the last unique privileges to have lived in multiple worlds of connectivity. The internet did not even exist when I was in High School. That was in my opinion a good thing. I think the cause of the current phenomenon’s of swifties and k-pops is the result of constant connection by demand (aka: social media). In a very polarized world that is governed by neo-liberalism, trickle down economics and late stage capitalism, people have now become truly disconnected from the world around them. The hyper individualistic culture and the constant pressure to keep up with the jones is causing a cognitive disconnect to our world around us. These fans and super fans are looking for meaning and community in an illusion. That is how the wealthy plutocrats want it. So they will put up Taylor Swift, k-pop or any other sensation they can invent to keep as many well distracted from dealing with the reality in from of them. Bread and Circuses.
I don't know if the hyperindividualism necessarily disconnects us from reality but it certainly makes us lonely and easy prey to cooperations and employers.
I like how you ended it with the message that connecting to the subject matter and community is enough. I would definitely like to see more content about fandom and how we can limit our spending, while still sometimes buying merch. It has helped me to limit my spending by having a "top 5" items or limiting myself to what I can display, and nothing more. I am able to save, so money isn't an issue, but I don't like being so compulsive and habitual about my fandom spending. I don't really know a good "intention" for what is "enough." I think it would be very interesting to go more into the psychology. Even without being a stan or into the parasocial relationship, for me with things like my favorite videogames and manga, I relate to the characters and vibes so much so I've tried to own it through decor. Fandom artists are also so insanely talented, I want to support their work and admire it. But I think I could develop a better habit of just admiring or enjoying the emotional experience, without having to physically have everything. With kpop, even though I know theyre not really my friend, it is impressive how comforting they've been, so for me, it's not so much about getting closer to them, but having them closer to me. Having them and the comfort they gave me in my life all the time, surrounding me. But I can definitely do that through enjoying community more, having their soundtrack on repeat, enjoying fanedits. instead of always buying things that often get stored away, and not looked at. Or it gets displayed, but then I pass it so often, that I'm kind of numb to it. I really should get more into making things in order to enjoy fandom, instead of buying merch lol.
I'm glad my parents had a heavy influence on me liking lots of artists that are already dead or pretty old. Never really got the opportunity to see any of them irl. Saves a lot of money XD
As an ARMY, I am glad that I see money more important than buying all their albums or see their concerts in outside cities. Cause these are not going to pay bills. I think one way how I didn’t felt “less of a fan” is my keep reminding myself of the high tuition I need to pay as well as the fact that there are some fans who is also like me and don’t have any albums/merch or goes to concerts.
I've been neck deep in anime and gaming fandom culture for most of my life but as someone who's overwhelmed by clutter easily and has only recently had disposable income, a big reason I first got into fanart was to create my own merch. I have a couple prints of pieces that genuinely inspire me in my artistic work, but aside from that, if I *truly* want a specific piece of merchandise like a mug, I'll draw it myself and get it printed. Nowadays I have a google drive folder with print designs and encourage fellow fans to print it themselves or at a local staples if they really want to. I have a Ko-fi page option tip jar where people can optionally send me something. I figured that if people are willing to physically do the legwork of getting something printed, then it's probably something they'll value and will be less harmful to the environment / less expensive. I'm not against artists who sell merch because artists need to make an income, especially in these current times--if artists can make money by doing something they love, that's amazing! But the immense commericalization of fandom and the normalization of the idea of spending as loyalty to the fandom is frustrating as all heck and if as a hobbyist I can offer an alternative for those who want fan merch, then that's what I'll do /lh
Seconding the comment calling out corporations for doing this too. I feel like after the Wendy's "savage" social media took off, every company rushed to create this parasocial retail relationship where you associate the brand with a personality that you have a parasocial relationship with. It's wild out there.
This was the perfect opportunity for you to promote your own branded merch. Could tap in to the supposedly money savvy among us, I mean, buying merch *ironically* would be the perfect justification at least I would have needed and jumped on for the purchase.
I love that you showed Iron Maiden in this video at 8:45. It is true that they have loyal fans. I have a ton of Iron Maiden shirts and merch and I spent $300 on floor tickets. But I have slowed down on my spending on their merch, plus some of it isn’t my cup of tea. I’m also a Ghost fan and I know fans who buy every single variation of their vinyl albums, even if they end up with 30 of the same albums, I don’t do that, that’s where I draw the line
I have a lot of friends who like a lot of fiction characters like things from harry potter, star wars etc. So they collect mostly lego and funko pops and sometimes other collectables. And with one friend it's driving her into debt because she feels the need to have it all. Because I'm not a big fan of anything, it's just buying plastic to me😅 I do like building lego, but I don't like paying hundreds for a bigger set. I try to keep my hobbies cheaper(I'm into fitness, which can also get really expensive if you follow too many influencers who show you the new stuff all the time that's why I only follow 1 fitness influencer who is affiliated with the brands I like shopping from, because she always alerts sales), so I can understand why people want cool stuff that has to do with their fandom. This also goes for the monthly cost of having a lot of streaming services to keep up with all the new releases from series and films. Being on social media way less has also really helped me spend less on hobbies and little things. I deleted tiktok and unfollowed always everyone on instagram.
Interesting topic. I’m a stan for a certain artist and I love collecting! But I can afford it. I buy all their albums and variants like vinyls (which I do listen to). Several years ago I had a rough patch financially and I sold a particular one for 100$ because it was out of print. I think I have a “collector “ personality (way less than some people, but still) I buy a lot of books too, but I don’t have a parasocial relationship with anyone regarding that. I just think shopping in general can become an addiction
I am currently unable to afford any merchandise whatsoever, and there is only one thing about me being broke is that I learned I'd rather spend my hard saved money on a concert to see the artist i adore and get emotions than buy some useless stuff with just the artists name or picture on it. To think of it, merchandise is ridiculous. It only works for seeing another fan in the crowd.
Thanks for the insight and effort. Your analysis (with some and important differences/nuances) can be seen to apply to the explicitly and formal political arena as well, which I find helpful. Thanks again
Another great watch! I'm a bit late on the video but wanted to add the fun fact that the term "stan" originally came from the Eminem song "Stan" about a crazy fan of his. It's thought to be a portmanteau of stalker+fan but it's never been confirmed if that was the case.
I could never relate to any of this. Too much of an independent thinker, I guess. Although I was a fairly moderate fan of some eras of music; I never attended a rock concert my entire life. I was always shocked by the amount of $ that is dumped into fandom & concerts. Good video.
This is why I don't buy kpop merch or albums anymore The fact that they release 20 versions of the same album is ridiculous to me and I refuse to bend to their cash grab behaviour I can listen to my faves on RUclips for free. It's not my responsibility to pay for their food. They made a decision when choosing a career that depends on other people liking them And the merch is always useless to me. I am that person who buys pretty stickers and ends up never using them. I have bts's membership from a couple years ago. And guess what? It is safely tucked into my bookshelves with all the things still inside. I never used them, because it was so expensive. The shipment costs are a completely separate topic as well I still spend money on some things I like, of course. Like, I bought a Pompom plastic stand from an anime store in my city the other day, but it was just because I wanted to put it on my desk. Not because I felt responsible for someone's life
I love your videos!! I'm not a stan but you have indirectly called me out in other videos. It's so nice to look forward to your videos and expect to be grounded financially.
Sometime it’s about wanting to compete with other fandom. For example; Swifties want to compete with Ariana and Beyonce charts position in spotify and apple music so they stream and stream and buy and buy to make Taylor’s music always on top of Ari and Bey’s.
With house prices being so unaffordable, it sadly means younger people have given up saving for a deposit and would rather spend thousands of dollars on experiences. It's not like they'll be able to settle down and own a home and then splashing. Maybe they don't want to regret not having enjoyed their youth.
Ive been a Swiftie from 10 years, for 9 of those years i only had 1 álbum, i went to the eras tour with a 50$ ticket that i got myself on ticketmaster, the overprice of her tickets its for the resellers, i spend like 10$ on a unofficial tshirt, so yeah can be a swiftie and be cheap if you want to
Swift's talent has nothing to do with all the spending, she does not make music that is quantifiable better than anyone else, it's the stans. I'm not a Swiftie but I can still know that it's true that the stans devotion is what drives the spending because I have seen it play out in the past and had my own personal experience with other bands. I have been a fan of Hanson since I was 13 and because of that feeling of commitment to them I kept on buying albums and merch and fan club membership and going to see them every tour at least once every time. But after 'Shout it Out' I wasn't even enjoying their new music the way I did their older stuff but I kept buying it because it was a part of my life to be a fan. I've backed off, I still listen to new music to see if I like it and enjoy it on my terms not by someone else's terms.
Never heard about the term stan culture before and i am happily ignorant about Swift. But what springs to my mind to me is the "relationship" people have with their favorite youtuber/streamer/influencer. It seems that a lot of people have these absurd parasocial relationships were they are obsessed with the approval/success of their pretend girlfriend/boyfriend/friend/big-brother. Again i don't know that much about swift but even if it is overpriced, you still get something real when you pay money for dance parties or going to big events. Compare that to people sitting at home just throwing money at the screen hoping that their pretend big brother will give them a pat on the head.
I see what you're saying but I have super chatted a couple of small RUclipsrs. When is very comforting to listen to when I'm extremely sick, like in the hospital sick. She's very motherly and I'm estranged from my parents. The other has one of the disabilities I have, but we live in different countries so our benefit structures are different. I can't have a RUclips channel without endangering benefits I need to live, she can. I want to support these two people, they each have less than 10,000 subscribers and they are so thrilled to get a small super chat say once every three to six months from me. They haven't even told me not to send super chats anymore if it gets to be a hardship because they know I'm on a fixed income.
As someone who was heavily involved with kpop stan culture(specifically BTS), the last 2-3 years I've kinda been slowly stepping out of the stan culture brain rot. Like whenever a new album is released I have to remind myself that I don't need it immediately I can just buy it it when I can and in the the meantime I can just listen to new music online. I've definitely stopped buying every merch that is put out because I realize d I don't need it and I can put all of my finances on something that I KNOW I will use because a lot of the merch I've bought have just been collecting dust 😅.
As an anime fan, I spend a lot on my favorite characters and they don't even exist. Seeing people with huge collections on social media definitely influences me
I had a similar problem with music festivals. Throughout my 20’s I think I spent over $15,000 on EDM festivals. That’s a very loose estimate. Someone said something to me that changed my whole outlook on music fandom. “Sure the music, energy, and experience might be worth it. In reality, you’re still a consumer. You invest so much money for such a marginal ROI.”
I've spent 100€ (the cheapest option) each on two tickets for a show in a city I have friends in, so in exchange for one ticket I don't have to pay for a hotel and I get a really fun experience with a good friend I haven't seen for quite some time. Otherwise, my other expenses include the transport (bus, train or flight, havent decided yet, but max 70€ two-way), some cheap merch and a few drinks afterwards. That is money I can and I want to spend, but I couldn't and wouldn't spend any more. I don't see the point in 1000€ tickets, multiple editions of the same album etc. I'd rather spend the money on another concert.
I’m a Spotify Swiftie. We’re the same age and I’ve listened to and loved her music since her first album came out when I was in high school. I’m just not into merch, and the stan culture terrifies me tbh🤷♀️
Try Rocket Money for free: RocketMoney.com/CARA - and thanks SO much for watching! Hope you all like this one and let me know what you'd like to see next :)
RIP mint..
Can you do a video going into the psychological traps that Kpop production companies use to feed stan and anti-fan culture? It's SO toxic and way more expensive than other fandoms. I've been enjoying the Hallyu wave since 1996 and I am SHOCKED at how much some people spend. CNA Insider did some content on it but I'd love one of your deep dives.
Nothing wrong with having fun but when you spend more than you can survive, it's time to take a step back.
100%!
Agreed
I used to follow a bunch of people who also collect kpop groups and merch and all. There's always people begging to buy their photocards on their profile because they can't pay their bills, food, medical expenses etc. Meanwhile they keep buying more albums, photocards, merch, concert tickets.
I tried to get it through someone's head once that this was not healthy and they just gave me the "You only live once" attitude but I wonder how they'll feel if they lose everything because of kpop. It's honestly very depressing to see and I'm glad I got out of that community much more because of the toxicity
@@thefinancialfreedomgirlyou’re very pretty and nice I really like you and your personality
I think this also applies pretty well to non-star fandoms that have a tendency to heavily merchandise themselves (ex: Disney and Harry Potter).
Yes! I feel like Potter merch didn’t used to be that pricey. But I went to a Potter shop recently and was going to buy a chocolate frog for my partner and I swear it was £15!
The kids grew up and they now have disposable income. They're having less kids so gotta squeeze them for what they're worth@@paularunslondon
Stanley cups ...
Especially when there’s a completionist aspect to it, like the Loungefly backpacks and special edition Mickey ears. They’re pretty but sometimes it feels like Pokémon-gotta catch em all.
@@paularunslondon Oh now that's absurd! It definitely didn't used to be that pricey. I feel like the cost of everything has gone up while the quality has gone down.
look I like TSwift and all but there is no way ANYONE thinks paying $2000 for some nosebleed seats to a concert is worth the money. You can literally feel closer to her by watching videos lol
What is more baffling to me is that ANYONE thinks she cares about those fans. "BuT sHe ToLd Us".
girl the whole point of the video is there ARE plenty of people who do think this way. stans live in a delusion
@@pri2x0x I get that but I meant there is no way that it’s ever worth that much. As in… TSwift and team shouldn’t be making it that expensive for the fans she supposedly cares for, to have to pay that much to see her but the entire tour became an exclusivity party. I don’t think even Beyonces tickets are that unaffordable but same concept either way. They don’t need all that money, but making tickets hard to get makes them exclusive.
She's greedy.
Not even $2000, $24,000!!!
She's happily holding your money in her bank account while you happily singing her songs with empty bank account 🤣
As a kpop stan who’s also a minimalist: the consumerism within the community is SHOCKING.
Absolutely, especially limited merch or valuable photocards lol. The price point for official merch is honestly shocking, especially on Weverse.
@@Brianna58321Actually the prices on Weverse are pretty reasonable compared to other places. There are many sellers on eBay and other places that are a big rip off. I was a victim of that. People are so greedy and want to rip you off at any chance they get.
@@Brianna58321 Yep, if i want photocards I just buy bootleg ones for a way cheaper price point
Omg I'm a minimalist and kpop stan too and damn the community has a huge problem with overconsumption. For me it wasnt that bad but still too much so I decided to only have Albums from Twice and Highlight since they're my favs and also not have multiple versions because I actually never got that point😂
I've been a kpop stan since I was a teen, looking back I'm glad I wasn't able to buy merch back then. The regret would've been deep.
It's fun to like something, but the moment they ask you for money, it changes into a cold-hearted business transaction.
Somewhat agree, I think this differs in a musicians scale though. Because equally if you are enjoying an artists music, you should desire to contribute somewhat. Streaming royalties ain’t paying rent.
And for a smaller musician, tours aren’t gonna make the massive amounts.
I buy through bandcamp to support artists I like, I don’t think music should be a ‘privilege’ but if you have the means to I believe it’s important to contribute to artists you enjoy.
@@wowsuchname1939 Music _is_ a privilege. Which is what validates your argument to support musicians.
@@wowsuchname1939 people can only contribute if the prices are reasonable...but most of the famous artists are greedy as hell....
taylor swift kinda gives off that vibe to me. she’s always asking her fans to part with their money 😭
I understand artists selling merch and concert tickets being like $100 for good seats, but once you start asking for a ridiculous amount when you can afford to make your items lower (taylor swift) then it's pure business.
In my early K-pop days I was on a MISSION to collect all of the albums of my favourite groups. Now I am at a point where I’ll be selling most of my collection except for my favourite albums and those given as gifts.
The consumerism in K-pop is a lot, to say the least.
Swifties… and I felt bad for spending $250 last year on a ticket to the Arctic Monkeys for their one tour since 2018 😅 I bought one poster, and called it there. It’s so easy for merch to look more appealing when you’re there in the moment and you want to capture that feeling but it isn’t material goods that preserve a moment like that. It’s how you feel at the concert and the memories you take away from it. My memory of singing along to one of my favourite songs is way more valuable than a tote bag. Somewhere along the way we started replacing those ephemeral feelings with spending money.
Yep. Huge John Mayer fan. I have been to more then a dozen shows. I have never bought merch at a show and have no desire to do so; I bought a couple of items at fire-sale prices a few years ago. I wear them to work out in at this point. I go for the music and the live experience, not to post pictures or videos or prove I was there with the shirt.
man you got to see arctic monkeys how was it 😭😭😭
I go to see quite a few musicals and only ever get merch if I will use it
Theres bands and artists who have made it so tickets cant be resold past the original price. More artists need to do this
Saw this vid and suffered a direct hit. Being someone with multiple interests and fandoms (books, danmei, manga, anime, kpop, fashion, art etc), it's hard out there despite budgeting what to get per month. Still spending so much, not really saving as much as I can, and worse, despite purchasing I don't feel anywhere near that what I have is "enough".
It's just crazy how there's always so much to buy and collect. Like a kpop album has multiple versions + items included inside are different. To go to a concert you need not just the pricey ticket but to fit in better why not get lightsticks and other merch. You buy every volume in the manga or book in series (a huge expense on its own), great lemme interest you in other collectibles like dolls and nendoroids.
It's really capitalizing on your existing love for the person/group/IP which makes you want everything related to it + feeling of "i've already started collecting, might as well keep going so it's more complete".
It is manipulation by the music labels. That's why I stopped listening to kpop. They're at immoral and use up the talent and are leeching off you, the fans.
You can literally just enjoy the music. I love anime and mangas, I started watching them when I was 11 now I am 22. But I never spend a lot of money on it. I am broke law student and very realistic. I buy second hand books, including mangas. It is very strange that you need to buy anything in order to fulfil your interests. It is not supposed to be like that.
Hi, I kind of relate to your struggles as I was (and kind of still am) a very chronic impulse buyer. Not to mention, I have ADHD too, and that impulse buying coupled with hyperfixations that go away in less than a year has quite literally cost me hundreds. Seriously, I mean it when I say that I've spent at least $100 for a bg that I don't even listen to anymore in less than a year or so. Hell I'm an f1 fan now, which means that I have to almost always evaluate whether or not it is worth buying a model of something from a driver's helmet collection or from a team's collection
Something that helps me when it comes to buying things related to fandom culture is to ask myself if I desperately need it now because it's a limited addition thing, like say limited edition releases of a book I truly love, or if I can get it another time, like say next month or the month after that. I know that it doesn't help with budgeting per se, but it does help me with the impulse to by everything related to the fandoms I am in, and it helps me be more aware of my personal finances!
@@khadyadjisall5708I know that's an option (that I often remind myself of haha) But I'm the type of person who wants to support the artists I like + be surrounded by stuff I love. I did choose which of my interests I should get stuff of so I don't get carried away with impulse buying but even with planning and mindful spending the price can be pretty hefty 😭
@teddiespicker Ohmygod yes hello fellow ADHDer and impulsive spender! I get you on this. I also do it hahaha. I have several documents listing my interests and faves and putting them in priority ranking so I know which I can allow myself to get and which I can just enjoy without spending and if I allow myself to spend, what month is okay to spend on that. At least every time I get the urge to get something can dissuade myself because I've already decided NO, NOT ALLOWED and still have plan I need to follow and it will ruin my budget for other stuff if i spend money this way.
The deeper and even more frightening issue with this 'Stan' culture, in my opinion, is the extent many humans feel that they need to have an 'idol' in their lives. They can't just like the music for the music. They can't just like the performance for the performances, but they have to go further and get to the stage of 'idolisation'...They can't just appreciate the art, but they have to idolise the artists, and all of a sudden, they go 'oh I have to wear t-shirts with the artists' faces on them". "I have to buy the products that my favourite artists are being brand ambassadors for" (and ditch the products when the artists move on to another brand..for example, the latest case with one of the Blackpink members). "I have to go to every concert just because...." (instead of just one). This 'idolisation' syndrome doesn't just hurt the fans' finances, but it worryingly shows how vulnerable they are. I guess, after all, perhaps 'fan' is derived from fanatical.
Thank you. And yes, "fan" is literally short for "fanatic" Lol
I think it becomes the most problematic if people either idolize people with lots of real life power (politicians, billionaires etc.) and/or if the "idols" themselves abuse their status for entitled behaviour or even crimes, often affecting some fans while other fans claim that their fave would never do such thing or that it's "okay" for them to do so because they are special/above the law.
People have worshipped idols since forever. Half the Bible is about this. It’s obviously in our DNA but I wonder why.
idolization exists even before you were born
thanks so much for making this vid, as a kpop fan it truly astonishes me the amount of stuff released by kpop labels and how a lot of fans have whole shelves just dedicated to their merch collection. not to mention the many many versions of photo cards that just encourages fans to spend more to complete their collection of pcs. i wish people discussed capitalism and kpop more it's so interesting
The parasocial relationship is so creepy, but its sad how many people fall into its trap. I remember I got into kpop around 2013-2014, and kpop wasn't very relevant for the USA. I used to ask people if they knew kpop or liked it, and would be told that its weird and judged for liking it. Within not even a span of 4-5 years, that all shifted and its crazy how quickly things changed. The number one thing I now hate about kpop fans is that so many want to share their merch, I've met people who literally would look down on other kpop fans because they didn't have merch or even see trends where people are like, "whats the most valuable merch you have" or "whats your most expensive merch". Its kinda sickening how they would even look down on old fans for not having merch, when most of us liked kpop when korean merch wasn't even available in the USA. It definitely wasn't this easy to find like it was today, I had to like go to a specific town to see it.
I also dislike this initiative that's being spread on wattpad or those type of platforms where they have the creepiest of stories about these idols, and some even think they are their husband. Theres a term for those who are obsessed beyond belief, sasaengs, and I personally choose to avoid that world. They know way too much, and if you ever hear those stories, they've been known to poison, to stalk and even worse, to put period blood on a letter to write to their idol. I can only imagine the type of fear it must bring to Korean idols to know that their life could easily be harmed if they don't have proper security. These fans also tend to buy into cosumerism, including buying the exact plane ticket that their idol takes so that they can fly with them. I truly fear that when kpop was brought to the USA, this only strengthen the obsessive behavior to now include Americans. I have met old friends who hated it, or would tell me they dislike it, all of a sudden change their mind because its popular. I don't even like mentioning I'm a kpop fan, because combined that with taylor swift (who I also kinda like), people just assume I'm toxic. The only merchandise I've ever bought, was a glowstick for red velvet, but I will never do it again because not only was it expensive, but also it just collects there - I never see red velvet so its almost like there's no point in having it. I support my kpop groups, but I feel the best support I can give is watching their videos and spreading the old school kpop I came to love to new school. Thats my contribution at this point.
I only have one lightstick and its skz since they were my first concert i always see tons of people saying you shouldnt bring other groups lightsticks to another groups concert etc. I held back on pc and albums since they have gotten cheaper quality with less inclusions for more of a price because groups grown. Concert tickets are constantly on premium now (especially hybe groups) and we get constant EPs with two minute songs instead of albums. Ive been a kpop fan since 2021 and its crazy on how much it grew from then and now i cannot imagine it during pandemic. Im glad you spoke about the whole fan fic thing also i dont see enough on how fan fics are WEIRD especially when these are real people. I dont like shipping them or inappropriate things on them because i find it disrespectful wouldnt want things being written about me.
@@livandlou6751 Completely understand! I dont have any other light sticks since I'm an old fan and most of my bands have officially disbanded or went on hiatus but I completely understand! With concert tickets, they are a bit pricy, and most of the bands that come to my region of the world are well-known, making the cost sky rocket. The first concert I ever saw was at the Houston Rodeo to see NCT 127, but this was during COVID-19 and it only lasted for like 30 minutes, maybe even less since it was the day before covid shutdowns happened.
I've met friends who went down the fanfic road, and sad to admit, but I also did once when I was younger. But as an older fan and growing past my "teenage" years, I've recognized the dangers that come with reading these fanfics. With people who don't have any obligations or feel invested in love that they start to find it online, you start getting people who can't separate reality from their fanfics. I find it very uncomfortable to see people do the y/n fanfics and when reading them, they actually do insert their name. I consider these fanfics the "forbidden fruit", because so many people read them and most of them are romantic (holding hands, kissing, hugging with your idols), most of which you may not get to experience in America, let alone korea in these ways. It's why I feel these fanfics are an addiction to the wrong people, and reading them fuels it for certain people. I was lucky I never got that absorbed by it (I only read hugging and meeting your idols, not sex*al or romantic ones), but it's very concerning the content they post (especially since some of these fans are teens).
People have to realise it’s all a business and stan culture is like buying from a business just to boost it and make it more profitable using your own money
A cool follow up would be the fandom of rabid sports fans and their spending...i.e. jerseys, shoes etc.
This is interesting because ‘stan’ seems to be a female dominated activity and more under scrutiny whereas sports fans going overboard are predominantly men but it’s more normalised?
I agree. Their merch is soo expensive and they spend so much on betting on teams and games.
Yup! F1 races as an example!
Football season tickets for some of the clubs here in the UK can cost you £1,000 or more 😮
Sure they do, you're also leaving out the part where they make a lot of money. Isn't always big initial sums either (a couple bucks). Its the best form of betting imo (if you know sports, duh)
I don't know if this is considered a fandom but people who are into Sanrio is a good example of this too. It's consumerism kicked into overdrive. I love Sanrio characters don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to buy every single item that has a Sanrio character item on it.
It was really disgusting how the Singaporean gov paid T Swift something like $3 million per night to only perform in Singapore and not any other South East Asian countries .. her accepting this showed that she doesn’t care abt her fans who can’t afford to travel to see her ,. She only cares about the amount of money she’ll be making off her tour .. the amount of money the other poorer South East Asian nations could have made would have benefitted locals greatly but neither T Swift nor the Singaporean gov care about that :P
Oooh.. 👀 Another slipping of the veil of the perfect, feminist angel. Someone should get some balls to confront her in-person, Kanye-style. Would be the first time her open-mouth-shocked-pikachu-face isn't fake
That's capitalism, more capital more power, get richer its that simple, it would be retarded for the sg gov to not make that deal, you could say swift should not have accepted the deal but that is just what the system encourages
@@elvis4868your point is fair but the same argument can be made for Taylor excusing her for accepting it.
If we think Taylor made an ethical error we have to apply same moral standards on SG gov for spending peoples' money on a show.
Even if it was economically sound decision.
We do but that government doesnt claim to love their fans@@gamesong6600
it's capitalism. go to north korea if you prefer otherwise.
i totally gave into kpop consumerism but when i started watching your videos i realized how i could be using that money for other things that are more important to my future so i cut down on my kpop spending A LOT… so thx for that!!!
yay I’m so glad to hear that!
As a kpop stan of around 10-11 years, I'm glad I grew up not having much money to spend because it enabled me to dodge some of the traps. I absolutely indulge now in collecting items with my adult money but I've had the strength to say 'no' to many things based on the principle. Great video as always Cara :)
i go to a lot of concerts and i used to buy shirts at every one as memorabilia but at a certain point i realized i wasnt wearing the shirts i bought enough so i stopped buying them until they were actually something i would wear
i still go to those concerts bc its a cathartic experience and i like them but buying merch isnt something i do often anymore
I'd say this is pretty reasonable & valid, even if you don't wear it. Just like buying a vacation souvenir. Could always hang it up like decor or gift them. You have a lot more sense than these people tho Lol
speaking of kpop fandom, it's crazy there, like everything the bands advertise - their fans will buy it despite their own limited funds, like stuff above $400 will still be sold out literally within hours, people give their last money just to have everything that their idol advertises (but doesn't necessarily uses irl)
Nah fr im a kpop fan and this is true fans will buy whatever their idol promotes
This is so fascinating because I can’t think of any celebrity I’ve ever wanted to spend money on like merch, albums, etc. I’ve never been obsessed with anyone like that
I guess I should be thankful my hyperfixations are on actors, not singers 😅 at least there’s not much merch or albums to buy there.
I needed to see this cause I’ve spent thousands on Kpop merch and goods and I’m always doing the “after the next drop, merch, album, cafe, etc. I’ll start saving money.” Which never happens cause these groups have stuff constantly coming out.
Last year I put my finances on track and I saved as much as I could, achieving a pretty good situation now. Basically I cut all non essential spend, except for one thing: my favourite band was on a tour of the UK and I confess I booked four dates. Luckily for me they played in cheap places and I managed to keep the total cost below $1000, including hotels and merch. I don’t regret it one bit 😅 as long as it’s in my budget I’ll be fine. I still managed to save 40% of my salary.
I started being a kpop fan in 2009. Back then it was not easy to buy albums or merch. Concerts in my country was not even a thing. So i was just stuck to watching videos. But now albums, merch and concerts are so accessible that it's so easy to feel FOMO and spend for your faves. It takes a lot of impulse control not to buy
24 thousand dollars and "spur of the moment" in the same description is wild.
Sometimes it's much better to like something in isolation without engaging with the fandom because Cara is right, fandom peer pressure is real 😭 I made the mistake of making a stan twitter and IG before for kpop groups I like and it just stressed me out because I couldn't financially afford the ways other stans was supporting. I can't even afford one album, how can I get multiple copies of it to collect the cards? There's also other merch, fancalls, subscription services (Bubble), and actual events to go to. Seeing other people's collections and stories about their experiences brought about both envy and a feeling of failure as a fan.
Anyway even if you can finally watch the artist of your choice like I did recently (yay first concert of your life) it can still a bit alienating. The group I watched is someone I listen to almost everyday the past two years but I still didn't feel like I was a fan /enough/ because I know the lengths other fans around me have gone to and spent for on them.
But it's important to remember that the amount of money you spend does NOT dictate how big of a fan you are. I don't know the atmosphere in kpop fandoms because I've never been part of one, but my best friend recently got into EXO and NCT and she hasn't been buying stuff either, because they are SO expensive and the quality isn't up to par, so it's just not worth it. Still she really loves their music and their skill and actively engages with other fans on twitter, but only a specific subset that she knows is reasonable, and tries to stay away from the crazy ones who pressure other to buy stuff. Now I know it's difficult to not encounter those kind of fans, but you can try and curate your experience in the fandom and be a fan on your OWN means. I, on the other hand, own no merch and enjoy my favourite artists in isolation but engage for my favourite book fandoms. It's all your choice, what works best for you.
Also, congratulations on your first concert!! I hope you enjoyed.
@@rra73 I've been a fan of many but not financially. If I....me personally, didn't save I'd be in big trouble in this financial climate that we are going through in this country (US). I also have hobbies but had to stop watching all the hauls....omgosh!!
@@kathytincler2446hauls are SO tempting
That is so true omfg
Liking something is already enough. There’s no need to try to prove something to anyone be it you yourself, other fans or the idols themselves
As someone who spent almost 6k on hockey vacations last year I feel this.
You make a lot of good points, I've definitely had the feeling I needed to buy certain things to 'prove' myself as a fan before and that's not great. It's really important to have non commercialized ways to express that fandom: making tiktiok edits, crafts, spreadsheets, just talking to people about it!
But I also think it's hard to explain how happy the things I'm fan of make me. I can not think of a single thing that I could've spent that 6k on that would've made me as happy as those trips and those games. Many people are not going to feel like it's worth that, because it is a worth that is so heavily based in emotions.
I think if it makes me at least 6k worth happy, and I have 6k, then that's a decision I am comfortable with. As often it comes down to financial choices being very personal :)
Thanks for this video - I had no idea about the 4 different bonus tracks. Now regardless of which one I buy, I'd miss out on the other 3. Best to just try and listen to them all and figure out which one I want to buy first. I'm doing a no- buy and I had doubts whether to buy TTPS or not, but now I'll just wait.
Remember when songs were 0.99p - £34 for 1 song is mad.
I make money off stan culture while being a Stan! Selling custom merch to other fans and then I use some of my profit to fund my tickets/travel to see my favorite artists. I own at least 10 pieces of merch, wear them all the time. The key is to manage your money and be realistic about what you can afford and know when to NOT buy that overpriced ticket
That's very smart. Kudos for you! ☺️
I am a swiftie but I am not spending thousands of dollars on a tour I can watch at home
Thank you! 👏👏👏
Real
not a swiftie but agreed. personally if I were taylor I would've not released the eras tour movie because my fans paid A LOT for my tickets, the least I could do for them is give them exclusivity
@@teddiespickerthen all the fans who couldn’t afford it would be excluded. Taylor swift didn’t charge $2000 per ticket, the Ticketmaster monopoly allowed scalpers (some of whom work for Ticketmaster) to price gouge the tickets. This would mean the majority of her fan base would miss out and if it was known that there would be no movie the prices would have probably been even worse.
@@teddiespickerthats such an entitled perspective. Her songs are public, and you can watch videos of the tour on youtube. There are fans who don't live in the places she toured or couldn't get/afford tickets. It not like they got in for free and others paid for it so why can't they just watch her sing songs they've already heard?
Honestly Im a fan of Taylor's music. They're catchy. It's nice feeling the hype of her song drops. But the whole thing that happened in Brazil and her carbon footprint put me off her as a person. Like we're in a cost of living crisis and recession. There no need to have 4 different versions of 1 album. And why are cardigans like £80 but still made of polyester? She built her brand off of being genuine with fans but she seems out of touch. I don't think I could go beyond listening to her on Spotify.
I'm Brazilian and the repercussion that the unfortunate passing of her fan had here was HUGE. I have seen people left and right criticizing her (long time fans, mind you) for treating south american fans completely different than she would an american fan. I risk to say some people fell out of love for her.
She is 100% chasing money (that she doesn't need) and is definitely not authentic. Maybe she was before but she put a bad taste in my mouth with all the fuss and drama about this tour and her new relationship.
@@nickdesu9794 She also signed a deal to not perform in any other SE Asian countries except Singapore in exchange for money. These fans need to wake up - they are just a paycheck to her.
She was born to two billionaire parents, one of whom bought major stake in the record label that signed her "coincidentally" before it did, stake he owns to this day. it's privilege and advantage she has never acknowledged. She was never authentic, she is a wealthy construct of the music industry, love or hate her. There's also the fact she dated a man who said he liked to ... "get off" to videos of women being tortured, despite claiming to be a feminist.
@@lordfreerealestate8302Money aside, she's good but swiftie stan potray her as a GOD, because right now she's the most famous, the most wealthy of a singer even says she's a Queen of Pop. Despite her talents, she will never become queen of pop, because there's singer / artist are even better than she is, Gaga is more suitable candidate for "Queen of Pop", her music is relateable, i like it too but those stan really delusional trying to convince themselves that Swift can reach to someone to the level of someone like Mariah Carey or Celine Dion.
Potray her to be this a singing god while lesser known artist like Madison beer is so much better at singing, and if you critize her they will say "life to short, to lie not liking taylor", brainrot behaviour
I’ve found it fascinating how people in some fandoms go to every single concert held by a band during a tour. I think it’s ok to want to see them multiple times, but why every show? You’re so right that fandom can be excessive. And I’m lowkey glad to be a millennial in some ways because my formative years weren’t spent having the illusion that celebrities were like friends to me thanks to social media.
A really good example of this is Disney collecting. Disney will release a product (for example, Vinylmations), then the collectors feel like that have to collect every single character of that item. Then Disney releases another product (for example, Tsum Tsums) then the collectors feel like they have to collect every single character of that item. And the biggest problem is that neither of these products even look like the actual character itself. All Vinylmations just look like a Mickey Mouse shape, and all Tsum Tsums just look like a cylinder shape.
Jesus topics like these are pure gold. I’m so jealous I didn’t think of some of these. Great work. Huge fan.
Thank you so much!!
I’ve been a fan of Taylor Swift since middle school. I own all of her albums and still buy each new album on CD for nostalgia’s sake (though only the normal cover and I gave up on buying every Taylor’s Version since I own the originals anyway and it was expensive). I’ve been to every tour since Red, but Eras is the first one I’ve paid for rather than my parents. I think it will be about £200 all told once I buy merch, so not terrible. I was in the presales.
But yeah, as an active stan for years I’ve still noticed all the cash grabs over the years. My favorite might still be the Reputation tour, where they judged your passion (and thus your place in line for tickets) based on how many of her videos you watched and how much of her merch you bought. I bought a couple things and had the videos muted on loop for weeks on end lol. She just gets away with it because her music is so dang good and I think most fans don’t begrudge her a bit of straightforward money-making.
That system for the reputation tour was much better than for Eras tour.
Wuuut? Your place in line being judged by how much time and money spend on her? That's crazy and abusive, man!
This is the smartest RUclips channel I have found that addresses this stan topic so well, I mean I am not a fan of Taylor and I don't care about celebs or influencers or whatever, However it is insane how people spend some much money 🤑 in concert tickets they exposes their personal safety for those events, just look what happened in Brazil 2 people dead and everything was forget just bz Taylor gathered with one of the victim's family, what 😢
I'm pretty sure either Tay and her team deliberately cultivate the parasocial relationship to take more of their (mostly young) fans' money. I've noticed in threads and comment sections critiquing her behaviour (such as her billionaire status and use of private jets) people say "But she's so kind to all her fans and fosters an authentic connection with them! She can't be so bad!" It is likely cultivated. And perhaps this even plays into many of her fans (not all, of course) becoming outright radicalized and cultish and sending death threats, doxxing, and attacking anyone who critiques her even slightly or fairly. They doxxed a critic from Pitchfork for "only" giving her album an 8 out 10. Because any critique feels like harm to someone they think they know and have a strong bond with.
Nikki glazer said on her podcast that she spent $50-60k seeing the eras tour in a bunch of different cities
Total disregard of money. Omg
@@jocelyneavila6870 to be fair she is a famous comedian so she's rich lol but yeah its insane
I like Taylor's music but I only listen to it on Spotify. I don't understand why people buy an album 5 times because it has different covers.
Oh, and I have tickets for her tour in Europe. It cost me 240 Euros (258 USD). It's is a once I a lifetime concert for me and it's in my hometown, so no extra costs for transport and hotel.
There is a very grey area in fandom and finances: indie projects and animation. I am a huge fan of indie animation on RUclips (stuff like Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, Lackadaisy, etc) and they are funded solely from merch sales, Patreon, kickstarters, and other financial venues because RUclips has made it impossible for animation to be profitable on their website. These projects are not owned and operated by big companies like Disney or WBD, so the merch sales and Patreon directly fund the shows and crew behind the scenes. All of your points in this video still stand - don't spend more than you have and do research if it's really something you want to support - but it's something that I just wanted to bring up, as it can be really easy to spend all of your money just to support the little guys.
Cara .. bad intentions? -- no way! She's my "Stan"
Love the essay lectures.
I want to hear more about parasocial relationships!
While "Stan" is a good combo of stalker and fan, the term "Stan" actually comes from Eminem's song Stan.
second this. maybe eminem got the name from combining stalker and fan tho so you both might be right. either way, considering how the stan character in that song behaves I am endlessly perplexed on how the term being used to denote a loyal fan became so popular. most people probably haven't listened to the song but when I did I just never wanted to be associated with the term "stan" because it's not a good thing.
Yes, she mentioned that right at the beginning of the video.
She literally shows the urban dictionary definition at the start, i'm not sure how she made the mistake.
Thankyou that was nails on a chalkboard for me
@@SuperHappyNotMerryThe meanings of words often change over time. What matters is what people usually associate with it. It's not common to say "I'm faning this artist" but it feels normal to say "I'm staning this artist" so that's what people say while meaning "I'm an active fan of this artist not just a casual listener who kinda likes them"
It's a blessing and a curse to be in only the most obscure fandoms, and never being able to find merch for them-
I’m a diehard Taylor Swift fan and wanted to go see her at Murrayfield in Edinburgh Scotland, my hometown. But the tickets sold out quickly like gold dust. I DID however enjoy your video and agreed with the points you made.
I was super fortunate to get in the pre-sale for BTS's concerts in Vegas in 2022. I also got to see Agust D in LA in 2023. When I saw the prices for the soundchecks and VIP tickets, I was shocked. Paying 1000 dollars for a VIP ticket doesn't get me any closer to being Suga's friend lol. It would just feed into the parasocial relationship. We have to be healthy about our fandoms.
They did that demand based pricing thing with prices changing while you buy the tickets for the Agust D tour, right? It keeps most of the profit in the company instead of letting resellers have their greedy share but it's still greedy anyway. It would be fine to only do that with a small section of the tickets to cater to the rich fans while milking them at the same time. But what about just personalizing at least most of the tickets so you can't resell them? That would be the most fan-friendly alternative.
Huge Swiftie here, without any merch and physicals. I'm a fan of her music, not the products.
Parasocial Relationships are absolutely one-sided celebrities know this and absolutely it just benefits them. It's not any different than with these influencers. Does anybody really think that someone who has a 100000 followers really has a personal relationship with them? No, they are a means to an end, which is to make money and regardless of what they say. They actually don't have a personal investment in the individuals that follow ;they have a monetary investment.
When people get laid off in their 40s (yep you will trust me) and can’t get another job because they go to younger people or artificial intelligence they’ll regret all that junk they bought and concerts they can barely remember.
I just found your channel after sitting down with all my receipts of my purchases toward my favorite band for the last few years. As I was tallying them up, I never felt bad about any individual purchase. I still have all the items and cherish every one. For most tours, I actually made a point to plan my purchases and not buy things I knew I wouldn't use or which didn't "spark joy," to borrow from Marie Kondo. Even so, the grand total has been a bit of a wake up call, and I'm making an effort now to rebudget my monthly spending to save more and catch back up to where I was before I started splurging.
I don't have that parasocial feeling of "they're my friends!"; I think of it much more like being a patron to a favored artist. I don't want to let that sensibility go, but I do want to keep my financial contribution within my means.
Your video does give me great comfort on one specific point, however; I have never paid more than the equivalent of 90 USD for a concert ticket. I'll stick to my personal crack and let the Swifties fight over their several grand tickets elsewhere. Yikes!
I’ve been a Taylor swift fan since 2006. Always have been. I’ve bought just each one of her albums up until reputation. Have been only streaming her music ever since. Saw her in concert for the first time at reputation tour. I have only bought 5 items of merch in total over the last 18 years. I don’t plan on buying any physical media because I know those bonus songs will be on RUclips or TikTok within a day. I went to the eras tour because my friend surprised me with a cheap ticket but great seats. I bought one sparkle shirt at TJ Maxx and mirrorball earrings for $10 on Etsy. I flew to vegas for free because I’m a flight attendant. And I stayed at her apartment for free and just paid for food while I was in vegas. And I bought the tour tshirt online before I even left because I didn’t want to stand in line for one.
I consider myself a huge fan and an OGer…but I don’t go broke trying to buy everything because I know I’m a fan and I feel like I don’t have to prove myself to anyone. Everyone knows I love her and have always been a fan even if I don’t spend all my money on her. People can spend as much money as they want on whatever they want but in the end, you don’t HAVE to just to be able to enjoy her music. Just have fun! 🤍
Thats how every fan should behave!!
I’ve always wanted your thoughts on fandom culture
Your transparency & honesty are so refreshing!
Very well thought out! It's so easy to get caught up in it! I always want to purchase merch at the concert, especially the "tour" shirt with the dates on the back. I tell myself it's so I can remember the experience. It's really so everyone knows...when I wear it...that I was there. It's so deep rooted for me, and totally a status thing.
Great video! I'm a big Swiftie and I also watch your channel a lot 😊 The sad part about these ticket prices you mentioned are that they are not the actual price of the tickets and just the resale prices from people who know they can sell their tickets for thousands of pounds when they paid much less. I was lucky enough to go to the Eras tour twice and my first ticket cost €60 and my second ticket which was right at the front cost £150. This is still a lot of money and I probably wouldn't have paid all this for another artist but these 1K+ tickets are not even the actual price just people selling them for stupid money and people actually buying them because they couldnt get tickets in the main sale.
Ah, I will say that I got lucky with the celebrity I stan: Michael Sheen. He’s Welsh and I’m American, so I am just not able to experience most of his public appearances, like the play he is currently in, so I just make my peace with it and love him from a distance.
Also, I’m happy because as far as I know, the only product he has “promoted” is a company that makes free tampons, which is good for everybody.
🐀?
@@theclaybor4352 Edit: Looked it up, no, I would not consider myself a twilight fan personally, though I have seen the movies and enjoyed them. I am more of a good omens fan, personally, I simply adore his role as Aziraphale and cannot get enough of it. However, if you would like to discuss Twilight and his appearance in it, I am willing to do so.
I’m a blackpink fan ( the kpop group shown on the video) can’t really afford any merch or albums but they had collaborated with Oreo & I found the Oreo package in my local store. Needless to say i still have the package😂 i’m aware of the stan culture & won’t act on it but they made me very interested in fashion & to work in the industry so being a stan isn’t bad if you’re aware of the pros and cons.
The Oreo story sounds kinda wholesome 😊
There is absolutely no one in the world I would obsess over. To be fair, the swifties are not the first to be like this. Looking at history, Elvis fans and Beatles fans were mostly the same way. Since I was born in the mid 1960s, I have had one of the last unique privileges to have lived in multiple worlds of connectivity. The internet did not even exist when I was in High School. That was in my opinion a good thing.
I think the cause of the current phenomenon’s of swifties and k-pops is the result of constant connection by demand (aka: social media). In a very polarized world that is governed by neo-liberalism, trickle down economics and late stage capitalism, people have now become truly disconnected from the world around them. The hyper individualistic culture and the constant pressure to keep up with the jones is causing a cognitive disconnect to our world around us. These fans and super fans are looking for meaning and community in an illusion. That is how the wealthy plutocrats want it. So they will put up Taylor Swift, k-pop or any other sensation they can invent to keep as many well distracted from dealing with the reality in from of them.
Bread and Circuses.
I don't know if the hyperindividualism necessarily disconnects us from reality but it certainly makes us lonely and easy prey to cooperations and employers.
I like how you ended it with the message that connecting to the subject matter and community is enough.
I would definitely like to see more content about fandom and how we can limit our spending, while still sometimes buying merch. It has helped me to limit my spending by having a "top 5" items or limiting myself to what I can display, and nothing more. I am able to save, so money isn't an issue, but I don't like being so compulsive and habitual about my fandom spending. I don't really know a good "intention" for what is "enough."
I think it would be very interesting to go more into the psychology. Even without being a stan or into the parasocial relationship, for me with things like my favorite videogames and manga, I relate to the characters and vibes so much so I've tried to own it through decor. Fandom artists are also so insanely talented, I want to support their work and admire it. But I think I could develop a better habit of just admiring or enjoying the emotional experience, without having to physically have everything.
With kpop, even though I know theyre not really my friend, it is impressive how comforting they've been, so for me, it's not so much about getting closer to them, but having them closer to me. Having them and the comfort they gave me in my life all the time, surrounding me. But I can definitely do that through enjoying community more, having their soundtrack on repeat, enjoying fanedits. instead of always buying things that often get stored away, and not looked at. Or it gets displayed, but then I pass it so often, that I'm kind of numb to it. I really should get more into making things in order to enjoy fandom, instead of buying merch lol.
I'm glad my parents had a heavy influence on me liking lots of artists that are already dead or pretty old. Never really got the opportunity to see any of them irl. Saves a lot of money XD
As an ARMY, I am glad that I see money more important than buying all their albums or see their concerts in outside cities. Cause these are not going to pay bills. I think one way how I didn’t felt “less of a fan” is my keep reminding myself of the high tuition I need to pay as well as the fact that there are some fans who is also like me and don’t have any albums/merch or goes to concerts.
thank you for taking on the antivax movement. socially distanced hug i offer you.
I've been neck deep in anime and gaming fandom culture for most of my life but as someone who's overwhelmed by clutter easily and has only recently had disposable income, a big reason I first got into fanart was to create my own merch. I have a couple prints of pieces that genuinely inspire me in my artistic work, but aside from that, if I *truly* want a specific piece of merchandise like a mug, I'll draw it myself and get it printed.
Nowadays I have a google drive folder with print designs and encourage fellow fans to print it themselves or at a local staples if they really want to. I have a Ko-fi page option tip jar where people can optionally send me something. I figured that if people are willing to physically do the legwork of getting something printed, then it's probably something they'll value and will be less harmful to the environment / less expensive.
I'm not against artists who sell merch because artists need to make an income, especially in these current times--if artists can make money by doing something they love, that's amazing! But the immense commericalization of fandom and the normalization of the idea of spending as loyalty to the fandom is frustrating as all heck and if as a hobbyist I can offer an alternative for those who want fan merch, then that's what I'll do /lh
Just yesterday I saw a video of a girl who sold her CAR just to go to the eras tour.
Seconding the comment calling out corporations for doing this too. I feel like after the Wendy's "savage" social media took off, every company rushed to create this parasocial retail relationship where you associate the brand with a personality that you have a parasocial relationship with. It's wild out there.
This was the perfect opportunity for you to promote your own branded merch. Could tap in to the supposedly money savvy among us, I mean, buying merch *ironically* would be the perfect justification at least I would have needed and jumped on for the purchase.
brand loyalty as well. its always a good day when you upload, Cara!
I love that you showed Iron Maiden in this video at 8:45. It is true that they have loyal fans. I have a ton of Iron Maiden shirts and merch and I spent $300 on floor tickets. But I have slowed down on my spending on their merch, plus some of it isn’t my cup of tea. I’m also a Ghost fan and I know fans who buy every single variation of their vinyl albums, even if they end up with 30 of the same albums, I don’t do that, that’s where I draw the line
I WILL TRUST YOU COMPLETELY AND I ALSO KNOW YOU NEVER MAKE MISTAKES
😂
I have a lot of friends who like a lot of fiction characters like things from harry potter, star wars etc. So they collect mostly lego and funko pops and sometimes other collectables. And with one friend it's driving her into debt because she feels the need to have it all.
Because I'm not a big fan of anything, it's just buying plastic to me😅 I do like building lego, but I don't like paying hundreds for a bigger set. I try to keep my hobbies cheaper(I'm into fitness, which can also get really expensive if you follow too many influencers who show you the new stuff all the time that's why I only follow 1 fitness influencer who is affiliated with the brands I like shopping from, because she always alerts sales), so I can understand why people want cool stuff that has to do with their fandom.
This also goes for the monthly cost of having a lot of streaming services to keep up with all the new releases from series and films.
Being on social media way less has also really helped me spend less on hobbies and little things. I deleted tiktok and unfollowed always everyone on instagram.
Interesting topic. I’m a stan for a certain artist and I love collecting! But I can afford it. I buy all their albums and variants like vinyls (which I do listen to). Several years ago I had a rough patch financially and I sold a particular one for 100$ because it was out of print. I think I have a “collector “ personality (way less than some people, but still) I buy a lot of books too, but I don’t have a parasocial relationship with anyone regarding that. I just think shopping in general can become an addiction
I am currently unable to afford any merchandise whatsoever, and there is only one thing about me being broke is that I learned I'd rather spend my hard saved money on a concert to see the artist i adore and get emotions than buy some useless stuff with just the artists name or picture on it. To think of it, merchandise is ridiculous. It only works for seeing another fan in the crowd.
Great video Cara! Always appreciate your uploads. The consistent quality does not disappoint.
Thanks for the insight and effort. Your analysis (with some and important differences/nuances) can be seen to apply to the explicitly and formal political arena as well, which I find helpful. Thanks again
Cara looks like the Asian version of Aubrey Plaza.
she's asian?
Another great watch! I'm a bit late on the video but wanted to add the fun fact that the term "stan" originally came from the Eminem song "Stan" about a crazy fan of his. It's thought to be a portmanteau of stalker+fan but it's never been confirmed if that was the case.
I could never relate to any of this. Too much of an independent thinker, I guess. Although I was a fairly moderate fan of some eras of music; I never attended a rock concert my entire life. I was always shocked by the amount of $ that is dumped into fandom & concerts. Good video.
This is why I don't buy kpop merch or albums anymore
The fact that they release 20 versions of the same album is ridiculous to me and I refuse to bend to their cash grab behaviour
I can listen to my faves on RUclips for free. It's not my responsibility to pay for their food. They made a decision when choosing a career that depends on other people liking them
And the merch is always useless to me. I am that person who buys pretty stickers and ends up never using them. I have bts's membership from a couple years ago. And guess what? It is safely tucked into my bookshelves with all the things still inside. I never used them, because it was so expensive. The shipment costs are a completely separate topic as well
I still spend money on some things I like, of course. Like, I bought a Pompom plastic stand from an anime store in my city the other day, but it was just because I wanted to put it on my desk. Not because I felt responsible for someone's life
I love your videos!! I'm not a stan but you have indirectly called me out in other videos. It's so nice to look forward to your videos and expect to be grounded financially.
So glad to hear that you like the videos ☺️
I like Lenny Kravitz but I would never fly somewhere to stand with thousands of other people all jumping around just to hear him. Great video Cara.
Sometime it’s about wanting to compete with other fandom.
For example; Swifties want to compete with Ariana and Beyonce charts position in spotify and apple music so they stream and stream and buy and buy to make Taylor’s music always on top of Ari and Bey’s.
With house prices being so unaffordable, it sadly means younger people have given up saving for a deposit and would rather spend thousands of dollars on experiences. It's not like they'll be able to settle down and own a home and then splashing. Maybe they don't want to regret not having enjoyed their youth.
Ive been a Swiftie from 10 years, for 9 of those years i only had 1 álbum, i went to the eras tour with a 50$ ticket that i got myself on ticketmaster, the overprice of her tickets its for the resellers, i spend like 10$ on a unofficial tshirt, so yeah can be a swiftie and be cheap if you want to
Swift's talent has nothing to do with all the spending, she does not make music that is quantifiable better than anyone else, it's the stans. I'm not a Swiftie but I can still know that it's true that the stans devotion is what drives the spending because I have seen it play out in the past and had my own personal experience with other bands.
I have been a fan of Hanson since I was 13 and because of that feeling of commitment to them I kept on buying albums and merch and fan club membership and going to see them every tour at least once every time. But after 'Shout it Out' I wasn't even enjoying their new music the way I did their older stuff but I kept buying it because it was a part of my life to be a fan. I've backed off, I still listen to new music to see if I like it and enjoy it on my terms not by someone else's terms.
Never heard about the term stan culture before and i am happily ignorant about Swift. But what springs to my mind to me is the "relationship" people have with their favorite youtuber/streamer/influencer. It seems that a lot of people have these absurd parasocial relationships were they are obsessed with the approval/success of their pretend girlfriend/boyfriend/friend/big-brother.
Again i don't know that much about swift but even if it is overpriced, you still get something real when you pay money for dance parties or going to big events. Compare that to people sitting at home just throwing money at the screen hoping that their pretend big brother will give them a pat on the head.
I see what you're saying but I have super chatted a couple of small RUclipsrs. When is very comforting to listen to when I'm extremely sick, like in the hospital sick. She's very motherly and I'm estranged from my parents. The other has one of the disabilities I have, but we live in different countries so our benefit structures are different. I can't have a RUclips channel without endangering benefits I need to live, she can. I want to support these two people, they each have less than 10,000 subscribers and they are so thrilled to get a small super chat say once every three to six months from me. They haven't even told me not to send super chats anymore if it gets to be a hardship because they know I'm on a fixed income.
I meant to say they have even told me. Text to speech it's the best of times it's the worst of times!
Great subject :) definitely astounded at all the RUclipsr merch too...seems very wasteful
13:05 its fine so long as they are disclosing that they are being paid to use or promote a product
As someone who was heavily involved with kpop stan culture(specifically BTS), the last 2-3 years I've kinda been slowly stepping out of the stan culture brain rot. Like whenever a new album is released I have to remind myself that I don't need it immediately I can just buy it it when I can and in the the meantime I can just listen to new music online. I've definitely stopped buying every merch that is put out because I realize d I don't need it and I can put all of my finances on something that I KNOW I will use because a lot of the merch I've bought have just been collecting dust 😅.
Great video! Keeping up w the Joneses…literally, the name of my seemingly-perfect childhood neighbors. 😂
As an anime fan, I spend a lot on my favorite characters and they don't even exist. Seeing people with huge collections on social media definitely influences me
Seeing Steve Harris (Iron Maiden) while you mention KPop broke my reality for a second. Had to rewind to make sure that was real.
Same! 😂
I had a similar problem with music festivals.
Throughout my 20’s I think I spent over $15,000 on EDM festivals. That’s a very loose estimate.
Someone said something to me that changed my whole outlook on music fandom.
“Sure the music, energy, and experience might be worth it. In reality, you’re still a consumer. You invest so much money for such a marginal ROI.”
Damn. This is why I just fund my other hobbies aka hiking, crocheting, freediving and cross-sttitching and jewelry making.
kpop merch and merch in general isnt even good looking or useful 😭💀
That's not true. They have a lot of amazing stuff
I've spent 100€ (the cheapest option) each on two tickets for a show in a city I have friends in, so in exchange for one ticket I don't have to pay for a hotel and I get a really fun experience with a good friend I haven't seen for quite some time. Otherwise, my other expenses include the transport (bus, train or flight, havent decided yet, but max 70€ two-way), some cheap merch and a few drinks afterwards. That is money I can and I want to spend, but I couldn't and wouldn't spend any more. I don't see the point in 1000€ tickets, multiple editions of the same album etc. I'd rather spend the money on another concert.
I’m a Spotify Swiftie. We’re the same age and I’ve listened to and loved her music since her first album came out when I was in high school. I’m just not into merch, and the stan culture terrifies me tbh🤷♀️
15 seconds ago is crazy
dang fast!! thanks for clicking :D
I went to eras tour for free in my city and that’s the only reason I went. I was not gonna pay $1000 for tickets.