In Its Most Extreme Forms, “Stanning” Doesn’t Stray Far From Something More Sinister

A supposed feud between artists Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj tested those waters last week when Megan released “Hiss” – a traditional hip-hop diss track that seemingly calls out a number of people in the music industry with some lyrics alluding to Minaj.

Minaj responded to the song through her own diss track, “Bigfoot”, in which she questions the legitimacy of Megan’s gunshot injury at the hands of Tory Lanez and takes aim at Megan’s family.

As a result of the celebrity beef, the fandoms of the internet erupted into a frenzy.

Supporters on each side were fighting tooth-and-nail for their crusader — to the point where the cemetery Megan’s late mother rests was doxxed, with fans encouraging people to desecrate and tarnish her headstone. The cemetery has since upgraded its security as a precaution against online threats.

But why do people do this? Why do people stoop so low to be regarded as a “ride or die”? Why do people cross their own moral boundaries in the name of defending their idols – whom they don’t even know?

The answer, at least in the 2000s, is stan culture.

The term “stan” is derived from the menacing Eminem track of the same name. As a mixture of the words “stalker” and “fan”, “stan” is now understood as a term for diehards who support and engage with the works of a public figure. We’ve seen this in action with Swifties, the Beliebers, and of course, the Barbz.

The reason why individuals engage with stan culture comes down to complete and uncompromising devotion. This devotion is a trade of sorts: an artist is revered as a hero for creating meaningful art and is in turn granted undying and indescribable loyalty.

Sometimes, this worship is harmless – a hobby that borders on wholesome fun and facilitates connection. Other times, though, it’s dangerous and borders something much more malevolent, and there are countless examples of this.

The Beyhive drove a woman off Instagram when footage of her leaning over Beyonce to speak to Jay-Z at a basketball game went viral. Stans saw this as an act of disrespect towards the singer and ultimately resulted in the woman deleting her social media accounts.

When Justin Bieber broke out in 2010, young girls and boys would curl their toes at the thought of him flicking his chestnut-brown fringe. His iconic locks sparked an identity crisis for many megafans who cherished Bieber’s boyish looks, so much so, they went through various methods to look like him. Toby Sheldon was a German man who, at 33, spent $100k on surgery to look like the popstar.

In the 90s, when Icelandic singer Björk began dating UK artist Goldie, an obsessive stan documented his plot to murder Björk as punishment and revenge. He initially intended to send Björk a bomb filled with HIV-tainted blood, but opted instead for an acid bomb that he hoped would kill the singer so that he could commit suicide and unite with her in heaven.

Of course, these instances are incredibly drastic, but while stan culture can exist on a spectrum (and doesn’t always reach the extent of physical harm) the internet continuously breeds people who view such toxic and vile behaviour as some sort of path to righteousness.

But the power of stan culture can be used for good.

K-Pop stan groups are known to utilise their authority in numerous ways, highjacking and swarming hashtags that push racist and far-right content online with performance fan cams and cute edits of their favourite artists, burying the bigoted content.

Stan culture exemplifies the lengths and depths to which people will go to hold power and authority over a situation. Everything is put on the line to make a point.

But when does it become too much? When does it become too sinister? Will people who do horrible shit ever truly be silenced?

The evolution of the internet and humanity is ongoing and unpredictable. Touching grass is no longer just a humorous jab, it’s a genuine plea for action. And I think, sometimes, everyone just needs to get off the internet and shut the fuck up every once in a while.

Adele is the Junior Writer & Producer for VICE AU/NZ. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter here.

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