Fanaticism - Curse or Gift?
One of my essays for a paper...
A couple of days ago during my fourth or fifth viewing of Michael Jackson`s live concert In Bucherst`92, I found out that I`m replaying it not only because of the singer`s amazing performance, but because I`m mesmerized by the public reaction; - by those thousands of people, breaking into tears, going into raptures, fainting just from the slightest movement of the Pop legend.. - I still wonder, how powerful fanaticism can be…and what it actually is. Is fanaticism a Curse or Gift? Why can most of the people enjoy one movie, song, show and be fine with it, but others get obsessed and try to scrutinize all the hidden and unhidden episodes of their idols’ private and artistic life? Is fanaticism characteristic of only teenagers or of people of different ages? And finally, is this a weird sort of pastime or a rare type of psychological disease? I`m not speaking about religious fanatics or football fans many of whom claim to be team supporters but in fact turn out to be ordinary hooligans seeking a reason to fight. I refer to the emotional fanaticism, the uncontrolled zealous enthusiasm.
Try to remember your teenage years. Any pictures of musicians or actors under the pillow? Posters on the walls? Copybooks with paper clippings? Membership on the forums? Any crush on the Hollywood stars? If the answer to all these questions is ‘no’, you can be proud of yourself, because in most cases all teenagers go through this by some means. But the question is -where are the limits between an ardent fan and a crazy groupie or desperate fanatic. We should agree that a Beatles fan who collects all the records and knows all the lyrics of his favorite band deserves much more respect, than a hysterical 16 - year old girl, screaming, crying and trying to touch…, well, let`s say, Jared Leto from `30 seconds to Mars` or any other leader of a newly born pop-rock band at the entrance of the hotel. And what is more important, our perception of fanaticism tends to be negative because of such hysterical adolescents.
Fanaticism is interconnected with fashion and trends. It`s fashionable to be Potterist or Pattinsonist, and the industry contributes to the spread of interest with the launch of all the symbolic commodities. It is not accidental that all these trends of fanaticism are called `mania`- Jacksonomania, Beatlomania, Twilightmania, Star Wars mania, Bondomania…. People get obsessed, they want to get all the information about their objects of worship, hoping for just a glimpse of their heroes or take a picture, OR , the most absurd thing in my opinion- get autographs.. (Seriously, do those people keeping scraps of paper with tiny scratches look at them ever afterwards?).
Why am I talking this about? I `m a music fan myself, I know that the YouTube videos, interviews and live shows of my favorite rock band can bring me to my imaginary heaven, can thrill and excite more than anything else. Music is an art to upset and gladden without any reason. It’s a driving force to revolt, a soothing remedy for soul, a rocking element of our spiritual life. When I’m excited it makes me more fascinated when I’m miserable it drives me to greater agony but with it I become more thrilled and inspired.
So who am I? I`m not a teenager any more, I`m not drooling over the pictures of the band leader (well…. At least not always!) , I `m not a suicidal, threatening anyone to kill myself if He!!(that hypothetical hero ) doesn`t marry me, but I `m a fan, an ardent fan, who leads an active life but with it has something else, a parallel universe of my own, that inspires me to broaden my horizons in one sphere of activity, which I`m so interested in. As many fans , I have a real life and something which is called an imaginary life, something which we can compare with the bottomless well from which I can get excitement, fascination and emotions. It is something that makes me stand in the line to the concert venue from 10 am to get in to the first row; it is something that turns out to be the soundtrack of my everyday life. I have my favorite music, my favorite band, my interest.
Many of you could sniff scornfully or stare blatantly at those freaky people, singing elaborately with tears in their eyes every single word of their favorite band songs at the concert, -and praying for their `Gods` at the cinema-theater. Yes, it may look weird. But try to recollect what makes you so fascinated that you cannot even restrain your feelings, what makes you dance, sing with tears of happiness and ecstasy at once. What? And are there any simple and everyday things that make your hearts thump with the speed of light? The answer is that in our society of consumerism and easy availability, the maximum we have is a smile of gladness, sign of relief, tear of grief, and laughter of good mood. .. Fans demand so little for their portion of ecstasy, that one of us can be really jealous. Some small and unapparent to an average person things bring them to hysteria of felicity. Can we blame them for that? I don`t think so. People are different, fanaticism is different, but even extremes can be justified.
I will definitely watch that MJ concert for the sixth time in the future, and I will observe those hysterical fans and I won`t laugh or be shocked…maybe they are lucky, as they still can experience such strong feelings of obsession, that fill their hearts and inspire them for their new emotional discoveries, which are so significant in our modern life.
A couple of days ago during my fourth or fifth viewing of Michael Jackson`s live concert In Bucherst`92, I found out that I`m replaying it not only because of the singer`s amazing performance, but because I`m mesmerized by the public reaction; - by those thousands of people, breaking into tears, going into raptures, fainting just from the slightest movement of the Pop legend.. - I still wonder, how powerful fanaticism can be…and what it actually is. Is fanaticism a Curse or Gift? Why can most of the people enjoy one movie, song, show and be fine with it, but others get obsessed and try to scrutinize all the hidden and unhidden episodes of their idols’ private and artistic life? Is fanaticism characteristic of only teenagers or of people of different ages? And finally, is this a weird sort of pastime or a rare type of psychological disease? I`m not speaking about religious fanatics or football fans many of whom claim to be team supporters but in fact turn out to be ordinary hooligans seeking a reason to fight. I refer to the emotional fanaticism, the uncontrolled zealous enthusiasm.
Try to remember your teenage years. Any pictures of musicians or actors under the pillow? Posters on the walls? Copybooks with paper clippings? Membership on the forums? Any crush on the Hollywood stars? If the answer to all these questions is ‘no’, you can be proud of yourself, because in most cases all teenagers go through this by some means. But the question is -where are the limits between an ardent fan and a crazy groupie or desperate fanatic. We should agree that a Beatles fan who collects all the records and knows all the lyrics of his favorite band deserves much more respect, than a hysterical 16 - year old girl, screaming, crying and trying to touch…, well, let`s say, Jared Leto from `30 seconds to Mars` or any other leader of a newly born pop-rock band at the entrance of the hotel. And what is more important, our perception of fanaticism tends to be negative because of such hysterical adolescents.
Fanaticism is interconnected with fashion and trends. It`s fashionable to be Potterist or Pattinsonist, and the industry contributes to the spread of interest with the launch of all the symbolic commodities. It is not accidental that all these trends of fanaticism are called `mania`- Jacksonomania, Beatlomania, Twilightmania, Star Wars mania, Bondomania…. People get obsessed, they want to get all the information about their objects of worship, hoping for just a glimpse of their heroes or take a picture, OR , the most absurd thing in my opinion- get autographs.. (Seriously, do those people keeping scraps of paper with tiny scratches look at them ever afterwards?).
Why am I talking this about? I `m a music fan myself, I know that the YouTube videos, interviews and live shows of my favorite rock band can bring me to my imaginary heaven, can thrill and excite more than anything else. Music is an art to upset and gladden without any reason. It’s a driving force to revolt, a soothing remedy for soul, a rocking element of our spiritual life. When I’m excited it makes me more fascinated when I’m miserable it drives me to greater agony but with it I become more thrilled and inspired.
So who am I? I`m not a teenager any more, I`m not drooling over the pictures of the band leader (well…. At least not always!) , I `m not a suicidal, threatening anyone to kill myself if He!!(that hypothetical hero ) doesn`t marry me, but I `m a fan, an ardent fan, who leads an active life but with it has something else, a parallel universe of my own, that inspires me to broaden my horizons in one sphere of activity, which I`m so interested in. As many fans , I have a real life and something which is called an imaginary life, something which we can compare with the bottomless well from which I can get excitement, fascination and emotions. It is something that makes me stand in the line to the concert venue from 10 am to get in to the first row; it is something that turns out to be the soundtrack of my everyday life. I have my favorite music, my favorite band, my interest.
Many of you could sniff scornfully or stare blatantly at those freaky people, singing elaborately with tears in their eyes every single word of their favorite band songs at the concert, -and praying for their `Gods` at the cinema-theater. Yes, it may look weird. But try to recollect what makes you so fascinated that you cannot even restrain your feelings, what makes you dance, sing with tears of happiness and ecstasy at once. What? And are there any simple and everyday things that make your hearts thump with the speed of light? The answer is that in our society of consumerism and easy availability, the maximum we have is a smile of gladness, sign of relief, tear of grief, and laughter of good mood. .. Fans demand so little for their portion of ecstasy, that one of us can be really jealous. Some small and unapparent to an average person things bring them to hysteria of felicity. Can we blame them for that? I don`t think so. People are different, fanaticism is different, but even extremes can be justified.
I will definitely watch that MJ concert for the sixth time in the future, and I will observe those hysterical fans and I won`t laugh or be shocked…maybe they are lucky, as they still can experience such strong feelings of obsession, that fill their hearts and inspire them for their new emotional discoveries, which are so significant in our modern life.