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On September 28 Bowen Yang performed one of the most resonant pieces of political theater of 2024 dressed in a chick hippopotamus.
Yang was at the table Saturday Night Live“Weekend Update” segment, dressed as Moo Deng when the show aired. the internet’s current favorite. What he said sounded more like that comments By pop star Chappell Roan, who recently took to social media to ask fans to be more respectful when approaching him in public or calling him inappropriate online. “Don’t shout my name or expect a photo because I’m your parasocial friend or you appreciate my talent,” said Yang, dressed in a rubber Moo Deng costume.
It was played for laughs a bit, but in 2024, the way fans act—to each other, to the people they fan, to the world in general—has entered a whole new phase. More than half a century has passed since John Lennon observed that he was the Beatles More famous than JesusFandom, fueled by ever-fluctuating social media platforms, has taken a form beyond religious outrage.
This was evident during the US elections the manosphere and MAGA hats. Also, on Vice President Kamala Harris Embrace the “brat” ethos. In pop culture, it was Taylor Swift stan accounts Leaving X for Bluesky on frustrations with Elon Muskparticipation in the campaign of President-elect Donald Trump. It was also The return of Gamergatemanifests itself in a whole new campaign of aggression against diversity and inclusion efforts in video game development. Returning was Kendrick Lamar his beef with Drake into a Public event in Los Angeles.
In terms of media and interests, being a fan of someone or something didn’t just mean buying a T-shirt or a movie ticket, it meant choosing a side.
Superfans, Supersized
According to Simon Driessen, associate professor of media and popular culture at Erasmus University Rotterdam, said 2024 is more than anything else, a year when people acknowledge, even come to terms with, that fans have real power.
“The MAGA moment has roots for me The moment of January 6t. It’s almost like they were acting for a coup d’état, but it was very real and had very real consequences,” he says. “Brother Yay, Swifties for Harris“They confirm to me that these fan skills gained from being a fan (from hunting Easter eggs to building a community) can be politically valuable.”
The proof is everywhere. Like my colleague Makena Kelly he wrote This year was the campaign period of 2024 influencing election. He wrote that people with cameras, microphones, and large audiences are “tasters, meme sharers, video creators, and organizers; they also have significant power in encouraging their audience to vote.” People like Twitch streamer Hassan Picker and conservative YouTuber Ben Shapiro had the power to influence what happened in the election. Whether or not there was a candidate became the headline news on Joe Rogan’s podcast. (Trump did; Harris did not.)
