Swarm, Stans and Parasocial Relationships
Amazon Prime’s Swarm is, to put it lightly, a deliciously disturbing look at what happens when a fan takes it too far. Swarm follows Dre, played by Dominique Fishback, a young woman dealing with the loss of her sister. Dre seeks solace in a parasocial relationship with her favourite pop star Ni’Jah and is driven to seek violent vengeance on anyone who is against her. The entire show is a commentary on pop culture, living online and a lens into a very familiar, terrifying fandom - the Beyhive; The monolith of stans ‘protecting’ Beyonce.
Fandom has always been a part of the entertainment industry, even if it didn’t always have that name. The term “stan” first emerged in 2000 with Eminem's release of the song of the same name, depicting an obsessive fan who goes to extreme lengths to connect with his favourite artist. Since then, stan has been used to describe an excessively devoted fan of a celebrity or public figure. And, of course, social media - Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram - have been spaces where stans have gathered to lavish love (and hate) on TV shows, podcasts, celebrities and often partners of celebrities.
But as we see in Swarm, whilst it is a dramatisation, there is a scarily familiar tone when there is a fandom - a poignantly female aspect. Stanning is undoubtedly, particularly common for young women. As someone who grew up on the internet, extreme stans have always intrigued me. I witnessed SuperWhoLock. I knew swathes of scenes from TV shows I had never seen. I would often see others propagating the craziest of theories - from PR marriages (because they dislike the spouse of the celebrity they stan), to fake babies, and beards for celebrities who will eventually (and must) come out of the closet.
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“It’s partly related to fantasy fulfilment. It’s not about the people themselves; it takes them out of their reality. And it's never a sole believer propagating these theories - it’s about community.” Dr Kaidan Pow, a sociologist who looks at online fan culture concerning women and black fandom, tells me. “The propensity for women and girls to discuss these things more - it has a lot to do with the culture of gossip, which is seen as a feminine thing to do and engage with.”
She continues explaining the allure of fandom theories: “It’s also about bonding. You build a community. It’s fun, and when you are a fan of the celebrity or the media they are involved in, it’s a way of extending the fantasy beyond the content they give you. It’s like fanfic, but it goes too far when you convince yourself that this theory or fantasy is real.”
On Swarm, the notion is taken one step further. When one thinks of fandom fighting, it’s often in terms of racism against celebrities of colour, characters of colour and fans of colour. But Swarm is a look at a fandom of mainly black women through the eyes of a black woman, hence the overwhelming familiarity for me. I’ve watched certain fandoms of black women easily turn on other black women for sometimes the smallest comment or even a valid criticism.
After watching, I’m left with one ominous question - what is wrong with the Beyhive?
“I wouldn’t phrase it as ‘what is wrong?’ Dr Kow explores, “There are healthy relationships with love objects and unhealthy relationships with them. I refer to people or media as a ‘love object’ because they stop being subjects and become objects to do their bidding. Beyonce Giselle Knowles Carter is the person that exists. She produces music. When someone becomes a super fan, they turn the celebrity into a possession. It occupies their mind and evokes certain feelings. When the celebrity deviates from [their preconceptions], it breeds dangerous theories and all other social theories - solidarity with women and other black women - go out the window.”
“In a world that is ever patriarchal and tiring, fandom can be a safe space, even if the line between appreciation and obsession is often crossed.”
“We really see the unhealthiness of a [parasocial] relationship when there is a threat - that the artist or work is criticised. Stans can take that personally because it’s not a critique of the artist, but it’s a personal criticism of their taste.” Dr Pow continues, “In Swarm, we see someone who has taken it to the ultimate level of offence on behalf of the artist. But I think some people may have seen a little of themselves in this show. It’s a piece of media that is not about doing the ‘right thing’. And that’s where you have that negative reaction and not wanting to discuss that there were so many black women involved in creating the character of Dre and writing the storyline. It’s turning the lens onto the stans themselves, and of course, it’s uncomfortable if you have that unhealthy attachment.”
Could Swarm be the reckoning for many stans to take a step perhaps back and reevaluate? Hopefully, but it’s dubious. If Swarm showed us anything, some of the girls need to get out before they get in too deep, but often stans are already in the depths before they know it. In a world that is ever patriarchal and tiring, fandom can be a safe space, even if the line between appreciation and obsession is often crossed.
Words: Michaela Makusha
