Idea of Being A Fan - Essay Example

Idea of Being a Fan This discussion is regarding the intrinsic value a fan possesses within our culture, as well as implications as having an identity within society. I myself, being a big fan of music, have been a fan of many musical bands. My passion for music did lead me on to pick up a musical instrument, namely the bass guitar. There are various advantages to being a fan. Most of these are mainly social, where there are daily interactions with like minded people, who share the same beliefs.

Fans have been generally been known to be those people who follow the activities of other famous people. However, fans in reality play a much deeper role, since they are placed as a great resource within the retail outlet sector, and are especially targeted to play their role within the mechanisms of consumer culture (Hills 3). When many fans come together, it is known as a fan base or fandom. As far as society goes, in order to provide for economic growth, a number of monetary and fiscal policies must be implemented (Lipsey et al. 445). Therefore, through the mass movements in money due to fan activities, society benefits as a whole thereby further creating developments.

I remember in particular when I was a big fan of the musical band, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I was so fascinated and inspired by their works that I decided to pick the bass guitar to mimic their style and also in the hope of making it big myself. I attended a couple of their concerts, which was truly an amazing sight, and purchased most of their merchandise. Indeed, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers did influence my way of living and my mannerisms, as well as my wallet. Eventually, their music became monotonous and so, I moved on to another genre of music where I became a fan of many other bands, namely Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin.

Fans, in my mind are not completely influenced through the activities of their “idols”. There are various other psychological factors that are implemented into manifesting a fan base. For example, when it comes to sports fans, various techniques may include higher fan expectations for an event, pressurized competitive environment, individualism, new technology, time pressure, paradox of commercialism and many more (Rein et al. 9). Indeed, a fan in any field is a highly prioritized commodity.

If you ever view any of the music awards, you will always notice the winner thanking their “fans all over the world”. It may be so, that we are all fans of one thing or another, even though we may not consciously aware of it. In fact, it may be due to our influences that we behave the way we do on a daily basis. All it takes is the influence of a metal band to convert a pop lover into the metal genre. Works Cited.Matts Hills. Fan Cultures. Routledge, 2004. Print. Richard Lipsey, Alec Chrystal.

The Principles of Economics, 2002. Print.Irving Rein, Philip Kotler and Ben Shields. Reinventing Sports in a Crowded Marketplace, 2006. Print.