If you’re listening to this show, you are a music fan...any arguments?...probably not...
“fan” is short for “fanatic”–a person who is extremely passionate and enthusiastic about something...could be sports, could be movies, could be music...and fans tend to be reasonably uncritical about the objects of their affection...
But all “fanaticism”–and we’re using the proper dictionary terms here–is not the same...we can go from being a casual fan of something to being a devotee...but then “fan” gives away to the negative connotations of “fanatic,” all the way up to “zealot” and “militant”...this is where things get unbalanced, obsessive and dangerous...
If you’re a public figure—say, a famous musician–your whole goal is to attract fans...your whole life is about finding people who really, really like what you do....
The problem is, however, that with the good come the weirdo’s...and this is where things can get very, very strange...
This is part three of “100 weird things about new rock”...ten tales of fans, stalkers and the downright crazy...
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