It is a very sleepy Saturday here in the Ohio River Valley. I had yesterday off work, so of course it feels like Sunday. I also took a really good nap, and you know what that means. It means I have no idea what planet I'm on because I'm super groggy. There's something that I've kind of been chewing on for a couple of weeks. In the million years this blog has existed, we've addressed artist, fame, and fan behavior many times. I've seen and heard some stuff lately that made me realize we probably needed to revisit some of this for anyone new to my world.
First thing being artists are just people with cool jobs. There's nothing innately better about them than there is you. That would be like me saying, because I'm a writer with a sizable following, that I'm a better writer than you and therefore more important. Neither of those things is true. Yes, I'm a published writer as well as a blog author, but I don't do anything better than you. Because I have a sizable following on here also doesn't make me more important than anyone else. So when someone who has achieved any level of fame tries to put themselves on a pedestal, it's not a good look. Artists put their pants on the same way as the able-bodied public.
Yes, they have talent, but so do you. Who do you think gives them their jobs? You do. You're the one buying, streaming, and promoting the music. You're the one buying merch and concert tickets as well as filling the pits and seats. They wouldn't have shit without the legions of fans they are blessed to have. Without you, they have no public, no fans, and no one to hone their craft for. They are simply normal human beings who are fortunate enough to have people who love and support their craft. But there is nothing innately better about them than there is about you.
The fans make them "famous," and that fame can disappear overnight. Most artists will always have their stans or super fans, but they make up a very small portion of an overall fanbase. Most people aren't going to fight for an artist's career if it involves any level of grandiosity or makes them feel indebted to said artist. They'll simply move on to a new artist they do feel appreciated by. People are going to go where they feel appreciated genuinely. They're far more open to the idea of paying good money for stuff when they feel like the artist truly cares that they exist. People don't part with hard-earned money to fill seats of ungrateful or self-centered artists. You can be as talented as you want to be or as attractive as you want, but if you're as deep as a puddle, you will lose your appeal. Fans are fickle, and they should be. If they're going to give someone a career, then they should be important.
That doesn't mean the fans control the artists either. Being humble and grateful to the fans for your livelihood doesn't look like fan control. It looks like genuine fan appreciation, and people can tell the difference. No one is better than anyone, and everyone is on the same playing field. There are always going to be bad apples and people who disregard boundaries or form unhealthy relationships with artists. That unfortunately is just part of fame and having a public presence. Does that make those people shitty fans? It can. But again, that's a very slim portion of an overall fanbase. The majority of the fanbase just wants to chill, promote their favorite artists, and rock out at shows. Yeah, rocking out happens even at country concerts; it's called losing your voice singing along. haha.
It is genuinely a huge pet peeve of mine when people put themselves on pedestals and act like fans are lucky to have them. Because genuinely fuck those people. Also, can y'all stop falling victim to scam social media accounts? Blue checkmark fam. If there isn't a blue checkmark, it's a fake account. No one is going to ask you for money or to talk on a different platform, I promise. We gotta use our noggins and deductive logic. Cause genuinely at the end of the day, your artist doesn't want people taking advantage of you anymore than you want taken advantage of. I can hear you saying, "What about smaller artists?" That's fair. You should make sure you're following their official account. A quick Google search of the artist will bring up their official account at the top of the search, even for obscure bands.
You should feel wanted and appreciated by your artist and feel a sense of belonging amongst their fan community. If you don't, then it's potentially a toxic fan community or artist. Just remember you are all equals and should be treated as such. I know the bigger the artists get, the harder it can be to do meet-and-greets and such. But the artists who truly love and appreciate their fans do generally still do meet-and-greets regardless of level of fame. Plus, in this age of social media, a ton of artists interact with fans on social media. I do think it's pretty toxic if they don't. Because it takes ten seconds to show appreciation or to repost something cool a fan did. If a fan went out of their way to create an amazing piece of art, you can at least say thank you. Just a simple thank you will make that person's day, potentially week, or even year. It doesn't take a lot of effort to be good to your fans. No, they can't be online all day, every day, but all it takes is five minutes of scrolling to hit a bunch of tweets, Instagram tags, or TikToks people posted. You're going to be on social media anyway, so why not give the fans some love and attention?
It doesn't take a lot of effort to be good to each other. Let's do more of that on both sides of the equation.
~Until next time, be good to each other.~