In March, after France entered into lockdown as the first wave of the coronavirus throttled the nation, Lorian De Sousa turned to Twitter with nothing but time on his hands.
De Sousa, 20, a devout Smiler, the moniker given to fans of the pop singer and actor Miley Cyrus, created the account Out of Context Hannah Montana, posting random scenes from the iconic Disney Channel show.
The account now has more than 65,700 followers.
“Everything really started back in April, when I randomly posted that ‘Hannah Montana’ scene, which we can see Miley’s character leaving her childhood home. … And today it’s basically, in a very subtle way, one of the biggest Miley stan accounts on Twitter,” De Sousa told NBC News.
Even as the account’s momentum gathered this spring, De Sousa never anticipated it would become a vehicle for activism and political engagement.
This year though, as political and social issues dominated the discourse in the United States while the pandemic ravaged nations around the globe and forced more people into digital spaces, stan accounts — accounts devoted to a pop star or celebrity — both in the U.S. and abroad used their platforms to support or influence issues like Black Lives Matter and the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
On Twitter, stan accounts like De Sousa’s are prolific, acting as unofficial publicists, de facto PR teams and crowdsourced gossip columns for the stars they follow. At any given moment, there are dozens of accounts dedicated to a certain singer, rapper or star, with these super fans trying to suss out the artist’s next appearance, when a new album will drop, sharing their favorite photos and meticulously tracking and comparing sales and chart positions of albums and songs.
Of the half-dozen stan account managers who spoke with NBC News, most said having a large, mostly like-minded audience allowed them to mobilize their followers to participate in social and political issues this year. They also credited the pandemic with pushing people online, where they were more likely to encounter stan accounts.
The phrase “stan” is typically credited to the 2000 Eminem song “Stan,” in which the rapper depicts a fan who is obsessed with him to the point of madness.
Like De Sousa’s status as a Smiler, stans also typically have a sobriquet associated with the star they follow. Lady Gaga stans are Little Monsters, Taylor Swift stans are Swifties, Ariana Grande stans are Arianators, Nicki Minaj stans are Barbz (short for Barbies), BTS stans are called Army and Beyoncé stans identify as part of the Beyhive.
But the relationship between stan and star goes both ways, with stans mobilizing to the point of sometimes influencing celebrity behavior.This mobilization around stars and celebrities can sometimes go too far and result in bullying and even racism in the community. Stans have also been critiqued for appropriating Black culture such as African American Vernacular English, or AAVE.
The summer of stans
Prior to the pandemic and the social unrest of the summer, 2020 began with stan accounts behaving as normal.
Little Monsters managed to leak “Stupid Love,” the lead single from Lady Gaga’s album “Chromatica,” weeks ahead of the song’s official release. Rihanna Navy, fans of the singer Rihanna, hunted for clues about if and when the artist would release her ninth studio album. Swifties celebrated the singer making the cover of the January 2020 edition of British Vogue.
But after the death of George Floyd in May, stan Twitter rallied behind Black Lives Matter and the protests against anti-Black racism.
“Of course I participated in a lot of movements this year, especially the Black Lives Matter movement. I remember my account taking a completely different meaning during these days, during that time. … Even though I’m French and from Paris, I really felt concerned about these movements,” De Sousa said. “So during, I remember thinking, ‘I don’t want to share my usual content in such a crisis.’”
Although all different kinds of stans joined together to support those fighting for equality, in many cases, K-pop stans, fans of Korean pop music, helmed the support by trolling those who stood in opposition to the movement.
“Fandoms are built on these characteristics that make them perfect activists and creators for change,” said Nicole Santero, 28, a sociology doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, studying the culture and social structure of the BTS Army fandom, arguably one of the most influential stan groups in the world. Santero is also a fan of BTS and runs the Twitter account ResearchBTS, which has more than 90,000 followers.
This year, K-pop stans hijacked racist hashtags, flooding hashtags like #whitelivesmatter with nonsense or unrelated images. Online police tip lines were inundated, in part, with images of K-pop groups and in some cases had to be shut down. Later in the year, K-pop stans went on to flood the #MillionMAGAMarch hashtag, a demonstration in support of President Donald Trump after his unsuccessful bid for re-election, with pictures of pancakes.
“Mobilizing on social media is super easy for fans,” Santero said. “They essentially do this every day. So taking over these racist hashtags and trolling politicians, it’s kind of this super tiny example in comparison to bigger, real world, positive impacts that fans actually make..
“Word spreads so quickly in these networks. We really see how quickly fans can come together and take collective action. In terms of what we saw this year, K-pop fans and BTS fans definitely gained a lot of attention, especially with their involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement,” Santero said. “They’re very aware of the power they have.”
While Santero said K-pop stans weren’t trying to be political in their activism, some experts say the act of engaging in an issue like Black Lives Matter, though outside the typical U.S. political binary of left and right, is inherently a political act.
“Everything you do that is personal is political, meaning that everything you do is informed by some systemic or political ideology,” said Casidy Campbell, a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan who studies the internet, technology and Black girls. “If I as a Black person or anyone can offer a critique to what you do, there is something political in what you did.”
Politics and stans
As the protests marched through the nation in June and the coronavirus continued to ravage the country, Trump was preparing to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
His supporters who planned to attend were encouraged to reserve tickets online. But once corners of the internet like stan Twitter got word that tickets could be reserved for free, they seized on the opportunity for a troll.
Although it’s unclear if stans and TikTok users, who had teamed up for the troll, had any effect on the rally’s low turnout, they still took a victory lap on social media.
oh no! I just reserved my tickets for 45’s rally on JUNETEENTH in TULSA and completely forgot that I have to mop my windows that day! now my seats will be EMPTY! I hope that everyone who sees this doesn’t make the same mistake I did! We want to see all 19,000 seats full! ???? pic.twitter.com/R9xVM3BXay
As the election approached, stan accounts used their platforms to advocate for certain candidates.
“We were actively tweeting ‘vote blue,’ so people were engaged,” said Moyin Sekoni, 17, who helps run Doja Crave, a stan account for singer and rapper Doja Cat. “And that was just the icing on top, when Doja put on her Instagram story that she voted.”
In most cases, the political leaning of a stan account will take its cues from the values and public stances of the star the account is stanning.
“It just shows our fan base, the stans, we can all rally behind Gaga and talk about her music, but we can also rally behind the same causes because Gaga is passionate about them, too,” said Jake Phillips, 19, of Los Angeles, who runs a Lady Gaga updates Twitter account. “I think it’s important because I have this small following that other people can find these resources from my account, as well.”
Stans in 2020 used their influence for causes they believe in and have earned praise from some for their role in helping move social issues forward. But stan culture itself has long wrestled with toxic and problematic behaviors, which include racism, appropriation of Black culture and bullying.
Under a microscope in the mainstream
Although stan culture made the leap from an online niche group to the mainstream after its involvement in the social and political issues of 2020, the spotlight of this year has also laid bare the issues that have long plagued stan culture — especially on social media.
Moyin said she’s witnessed racism and bigotry in the stan community, sometimes in the form of “troll accounts,” which are accounts created only to incite a mob against those who a stan feels has wronged their favorite icon.
“They’ll put Lady Gaga as their profile picture and then they tweet out mean things, racist, xenophobic things so people be mad at Lady Gaga,” Moyin said, describing an example of the impersonation and racism that takes place in the stan community.
Santero mentioned that many K-pop fans actually prefer not to be identified as stans because of the often negative connotation stans have earned over time.
K-pop has been plagued by accusations of appropriating Black culture, for example, wearing Black hairstyles like braids and cornrows, “talking Black” and even wearing blackface, according to Vox.
In recent months, white and non-POC stans in the community have also been scrutinized for appropriating African American Vernacular English, or AAVE.
“The language gets appropriated, and often there’s no sort of recognition of where it comes from. It becomes gimmicky. It can almost come off as a caricature of Black folk,” Campbell said. “On top of that … you get access to different opportunities or you’re thought to be funny when really your idea of how you use language really isn’t that original.”
Related
Campbell said there is a Catch-22 when it comes to stan culture, especially as stan culture moved into the political realm this year.
Stans supporting movements that are pushing for equality and an end to systemic oppression is appreciated, but the effort has to be more than a one-time event — especially when so much of the culture is rooted in Black culture.
“There’s a line you have to be aware that you’re crossing. When are you being influenced and when are you taking on too much?” Campbell said.
All of the account managers who spoke to NBC News acknowledged the toxicity that exists in the stan community. But many said they wanted to find ways to continue to advocate for causes they believe in, saying their participation in social and political issues won’t end in 2020.
“I plan to use my account to support political activities again in the future. That’s something that I really want to do. That’s still something that I still do right now, when I see something that I don’t feel is right, or that I really want to lay the stress on, like a social issue or anything,” De Sousa said. “I just want to use my account to lay the stress on that and just to make more people aware of what’s going on.”
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says it’s “disgraceful and demeaning” that a Halifax-area school would request that service members not wear military uniforms to its Remembrance Day ceremony.
Houston’s comments were part of a chorus of criticism levelled at the school — Sackville Heights Elementary — whose administration decided to back away from the plan after the outcry.
A November newsletter from the school in Middle Sackville, N.S., invited Armed Forces members to attend its ceremony but asked that all attendees arrive in civilian attire to “maintain a welcoming environment for all.”
Houston, who is currently running for re-election, accused the school’s leaders of “disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country” in a post on the social media platform X Thursday night.
“If the people behind this decision had a shred of the courage that our veterans have, this cowardly and insulting idea would have been rejected immediately,” Houston’s post read. There were also several calls for resignations within the school’s administration attached to Houston’s post.
In an email to families Thursday night, the school’s principal, Rachael Webster, apologized and welcomed military family members to attend “in the attire that makes them most comfortable.”
“I recognize this request has caused harm and I am deeply sorry,” Webster’s email read, adding later that the school has the “utmost respect for what the uniform represents.”
Webster said the initial request was out of concern for some students who come from countries experiencing conflict and who she said expressed discomfort with images of war, including military uniforms.
Her email said any students who have concerns about seeing Armed Forces members in uniform can be accommodated in a way that makes them feel safe, but she provided no further details in the message.
Webster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At a news conference Friday, Houston said he’s glad the initial request was reversed but said he is still concerned.
“I can’t actually fathom how a decision like that was made,” Houston told reporters Friday, adding that he grew up moving between military bases around the country while his father was in the Armed Forces.
“My story of growing up in a military family is not unique in our province. The tradition of service is something so many of us share,” he said.
“Saying ‘lest we forget’ is a solemn promise to the fallen. It’s our commitment to those that continue to serve and our commitment that we will pass on our respects to the next generation.”
Liberal Leader Zach Churchill also said he’s happy with the school’s decision to allow uniformed Armed Forces members to attend the ceremony, but he said he didn’t think it was fair to question the intentions of those behind the original decision.
“We need to have them (uniforms) on display at Remembrance Day,” he said. “Not only are we celebrating (veterans) … we’re also commemorating our dead who gave the greatest sacrifice for our country and for the freedoms we have.”
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said that while Remembrance Day is an important occasion to honour veterans and current service members’ sacrifices, she said she hopes Houston wasn’t taking advantage of the decision to “play politics with this solemn occasion for his own political gain.”
“I hope Tim Houston reached out to the principal of the school before making a public statement,” she said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
REGINA – Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck says she wants to prove to residents her party is the government in waiting as she heads into the incoming legislative session.
Beck held her first caucus meeting with 27 members, nearly double than what she had before the Oct. 28 election but short of the 31 required to form a majority in the 61-seat legislature.
She says her priorities will be health care and cost-of-living issues.
Beck says people need affordability help right now and will press Premier Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party government to cut the gas tax and the provincial sales tax on children’s clothing and some grocery items.
Beck’s NDP is Saskatchewan’s largest Opposition in nearly two decades after sweeping Regina and winning all but one seat in Saskatoon.
The Saskatchewan Party won 34 seats, retaining its hold on all of the rural ridings and smaller cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia‘s growing population was the subject of debate on Day 12 of the provincial election campaign, with Liberal Leader Zach Churchill arguing immigration levels must be reduced until the province can provide enough housing and health-care services.
Churchill said Thursday a plan by the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to double the province’s population to two million people by the year 2060 is unrealistic and unsustainable.
“That’s a big leap and it’s making life harder for people who live here, (including ) young people looking for a place to live and seniors looking to downsize,” he told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
Anticipating that his call for less immigration might provoke protests from the immigrant community, Churchill was careful to note that he is among the third generation of a family that moved to Nova Scotia from Lebanon.
“I know the value of immigration, the importance of it to our province. We have been built on the backs of an immigrant population. But we just need to do it in a responsible way.”
The Liberal leader said Tim Houston’s Tories, who are seeking a second term in office, have made a mistake by exceeding immigration targets set by the province’s Department of Labour and Immigration. Churchill said a Liberal government would abide by the department’s targets.
In the most recent fiscal year, the government welcomed almost 12,000 immigrants through its nominee program, exceeding the department’s limit by more than 4,000, he said. The numbers aren’t huge, but the increase won’t help ease the province’s shortages in housing and doctors, and the increased strain on its infrastructure, including roads, schools and cellphone networks, Churchill said.
“(The Immigration Department) has done the hard work on this,” he said. “They know where the labour gaps are, and they know what growth is sustainable.”
In response, Houston said his commitment to double the population was a “stretch goal.” And he said the province had long struggled with a declining population before that trend was recently reversed.
“The only immigration that can come into this province at this time is if they are a skilled trade worker or a health-care worker,” Houston said. “The population has grown by two per cent a year, actually quite similar growth to what we experienced under the Liberal government before us.”
Still, Houston said he’s heard Nova Scotians’ concerns about population growth, and he then pivoted to criticize Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for trying to send 6,000 asylum seekers to Nova Scotia, an assertion the federal government has denied.
Churchill said Houston’s claim about asylum seekers was shameful.
“It’s smoke and mirrors,” the Liberal leader said. “He is overshooting his own department’s numbers for sustainable population growth and yet he is trying to blame this on asylum seekers … who aren’t even here.”
In September, federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller said there is no plan to send any asylum seekers to the province without compensation or the consent of the premier. He said the 6,000 number was an “aspirational” figure based on models that reflect each province’s population.
In Halifax, NDP Leader Claudia Chender said it’s clear Nova Scotia needs more doctors, nurses and skilled trades people.
“Immigration has been and always will be a part of the Nova Scotia story, but we need to build as we grow,” Chender said. “This is why we have been pushing the Houston government to build more affordable housing.”
Chender was in a Halifax cafe on Thursday when she promised her party would remove the province’s portion of the harmonized sales tax from all grocery, cellphone and internet bills if elected to govern on Nov. 26. The tax would also be removed from the sale and installation of heat pumps.
“Our focus is on helping people to afford their lives,” Chender told reporters. “We know there are certain things that you can’t live without: food, internet and a phone …. So we know this will have the single biggest impact.”
The party estimates the measure would save the average Nova Scotia family about $1,300 a year.
“That’s a lot more than a one or two per cent HST cut,” Chender said, referring to the Progressive Conservative pledge to reduce the tax by one percentage point and the Liberal promise to trim it by two percentage points.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail, Houston announced that a Progressive Conservative government would make parking free at all Nova Scotia hospitals and health-care centres. The promise was also made by the Liberals in their election platform released Monday.
“Free parking may not seem like a big deal to some, but … the parking, especially for people working at the facilities, can add up to hundreds of dollars,” the premier told a news conference at his campaign headquarters in Halifax.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2024.
