Happy Thursday Y'all!
This week's Gen-Z Phrase of the Week is...
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Definition:
An extremely enthusiastic, devoted, or even
obsessive fan of a celebrity, artist, or
brand (noun) or the act of intense fandom
(verb)
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Context:
The term derives from Eminem's 2000 song
"Stan," which tells the story of an obsessed
fan whose devotion turns dangerously toxic,
giving the word an initially negative
connotation of unhealthy fandom.
Through the 2010s, internet communities
(particularly on Twitter) reclaimed and
transformed "stan" into a largely neutral or
positive term, with fans self-identifying as
stans and using phrases like "we stan" or
"we have no choice but to stan" to express
support.
Today, "stan" is used both genuinely to
declare devoted fandom, as well as
ironically / playfully with exaggerated
enthusiasm. Stan culture has created
dedicated online communities where fans
unite to promote their favorites (though a
shadow side is that these spaces can
sometimes become echo chambers of uncritical
groupthink).
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(all names & events in the
following scenario have been made
up)
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Meghan:
“Are we really arguing about which Taylor
Swift music video is better?”
Nevaduh:
“You're right - united we
stan, divided we fall”
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Fun Fact:
In 2010, an Alabama football
superfan stan was so
consumed by his hatred for rival Auburn
University that he secretly poisoned their
beloved 80-year-old Toomer's Corner oak
trees with massive amounts of
herbicide. He got caught a few months
later after calling into a radio show to
brag about the crime, resulting in six
months in jail and an $800,000 restitution
bill.
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Cheers,
ZACH GEORGE
†
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