Editing Fan (person) (section)

==Types==
===Celebrities===
[[File:Tobey Maguire greets fans at Spiderman 3 by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|[[Tobey Maguire]] greets fans at ''[[Spider-Man 3]]'' premiere.]]
These fans will often hold a crush on a major [[movie star]], [[pop music|pop star]], [[athlete]] or [[celebrity]] (see [[teen idol]]). The [[groupie]] is an example, a fan of a particular band or musician, who will follow them on concert tours. The degree of devotion to celebrities can range from a simple crush to the [[delusion|deluded]] belief that they have a [[Parasocial relationship|special relationship]] with the star which does not exist. In extreme cases, this can lead to [[celebrity worship syndrome]] or [[stalking]] behavior. This can easily switch to [[hatred]] of the previously loved celebrity, and result in attempts at violent attacks; one notable incident being the death of [[Rebecca Schaeffer]] by a stalking fan, [[Robert John Bardo]], in 1989.

The latter is somewhat related to the concept of [[parasocial interaction]] where audiences develop one-sided relationships with media personalities and celebrities.

Not all fans have a crush on their idols. There are also fans who want to become their friends or respect an idol's relationship. In fact, there are fans who idolize celebrity couples.

===Gaming===
{{further|Gamers}}
Gaming fans, or "gamers", are fans focused on playing non-sport games, usually [[role-playing game]]s, [[board game]]s, [[miniature wargame]]s, [[collectible card game]]s or [[video game]]s.

===Music===
[[File:Music fan.jpg|thumb|A [[cowboy pop]] fan shows off a rare CD at a [[music festival]].]]
Music fans can differ somewhat from fans of particular musicians, in that they may focus on a genre of music. Many of the trade journals around music, such as ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', were created by music fans. A notable music fan was groupie [[Cynthia Plaster Caster]], famous for making numerous plaster casts of rock stars' penises. Another was [[Pamela Des Barres]], author of the book ''[[I'm with the Band: Confessions of a Groupie|I'm With The Band]]''. In the 1960s, the extreme frenzy of music fans surrounding [[the Beatles]] became known as [[Beatlemania]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/05/1964-beatlemania/100745/|title=1964: Beatlemania |last=Taylor|first=Alan|website=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> In 2019, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' observed that popular musicians such as [[Tyler, the Creator]] had leveraged the power of fans to drive digital downloads using merchandise bundles.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8533363/mondo-nyc-what-influences-charts-panelists-recap|title=Merch Bundles, Memes & More: Mondo.NYC Conference Discusses What's Influencing Music Charts|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> Similarly, ''[[GQ]]'' recognized [[Vampire Weekend]] for their commitment to extensive band merchandising for dedicated fans.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/vampire-weekend-merch|title=The Very Deep Merch Galaxy of Vampire Weekend|website=[[GQ]]|date=October 9, 2019 |language=en|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref>

====Musicals====
Popular [[musical theatre|musicals]] have their own particular sets of fans. ''[[Rent (musical)|Rent]]'' has boasted a sizable number of 'Rentheads' since its Broadway debut.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/theater/a-multitude-of-fans-with-a-high-regard-for-broadway.html|title=A Multitude of Fans, With a High Regard for Broadway|last=Paulson|first=Michael|date=January 21, 2016|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 18, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/rent-live-funniest-reactions-twitter|title=The Funniest Reactions to the Not-So-Live 'Rent' Live Show|website=Vogue|date=January 28, 2019 |language=en|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> Similarly, fans devoted to ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' have been dubbed 'Phans'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hypable.com/author-interview-roseblood-ag-howard-phantom-of-the-opera/|title='RoseBlood' author A.G. Howard talks 'Phantom,' lore, and more|date=January 12, 2017|website=Hypable|language=en-US|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, ''[[Playbill]]'' included ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in its list of the "Top 10 Musical Fandoms" of the year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.playbill.com/article/the-top-10-musical-fandoms-of-2018-on-tumblr|title=The Top 10 Musical Fandoms of 2018 on Tumblr|last=Fitzpatrick|first=Felicia|date=November 29, 2018|website=Playbill|language=en|access-date=October 18, 2019}}</ref>

===Otaku===
{{further|Otaku}}

''Otaku'' is a Japanese term for people with obsessive interests. In Japan, the term is normally derogatory, a connotation lacking in English, where it generally refers to people in the [[anime and manga fandom]].

===Politics===
People who approve of or associate themselves with certain [[politician]]s or political groups are generally called "supporters" rather than "fans", although there are politicians with official or unofficial "fan clubs".  Intense and organized support for a politician may be referred to as a [[personality cult]], particularly in authoritarian or totalitarian regimes.

===Professional wrestling===

Fans of [[professional wrestling]] can be divided into two groups: [[Mark (professional wrestling)|marks]] and [[Smark (professional wrestling)|smarks]]. Derived from the same term for the prey of [[Confidence trick|conmen]], a mark is a fan who believes that everything associated with professional wrestling is real. In contrast, a "smark" is a fan who recognizes that they are witnessing a stage-managed work ("[[kayfabe]]"), but appreciates it nonetheless, including its backstage aspects.

===Science fiction===
{{Further|Science fiction fandom}}
[[File:Star Trek cosplayers in Dragon Con Parade 2010.jpg|thumb|alt=People wearing Star Trek: the Next Generation uniforms in a parade.|''[[Star Trek]]'' fans cosplaying at Atlanta Dragon Con 2010]]

Since the 1920s, an increasingly elaborate sub-culture of organized [[science fiction fandom]] has arisen, initially among correspondents to the [[letter column]]s of [[science fiction magazine]]s. This non-centralized movement has given birth to [[science fiction fanzines]] (and [[amateur press associations]]), [[science fiction conventions]], the [[Hugo Awards]] (and various imitators/derivatives), [[filk music]], "fan funds" such as the [[Trans Atlantic Fan Fund]], and a variety of other institutions, jargon and customs. It has nurtured writers and artists such as [[Ray Bradbury]], [[Roger Ebert]], [[Lenny Kaye]], [[Michael Moorcock]] and [[Trina Robbins]]; and has generated such spin-offs as comic book fandom, [[media fandom]], the [[Society for Creative Anachronism]], [[game|gaming]] fandom, and [[furry fandom]], sometimes collectively referred to as "fringe fandoms".

Science fiction fandom developed its own slang, known as [[fanspeak]] after the "Newspeak" of the novel ''[[Nineteen Eighty-four]]''.  Fanspeak is made up of [[acronym]]s, blended words, obscure in-jokes, [[pun]]s, coinages from science fiction novels or films, and archaic or standard English words used in specific ways relevant or amusing to the science fiction community.  Some fanspeak terms, like [[fanzine]] have become standard English.  Some fanspeak terms relate to fans themselves:
* An [[wikt:actifan|Actifan]] is a fan involved in "[[wikt:fanac|fanac]]" (fan activity), such as producing a fanzine or running a convention.  The opposite is a [[wikt:passifan|Passifan]], who enjoys the subject of the fandom and is not directly involved in the fandom.
* A [[Big Name Fan]] (BNF) is a fan who has become well known within fandom for their contributions of various sorts, such as chairing a [[Worldcon]] or contributing to the genre itself.
* [[wikt:fanne|Fanne]] was used in early fandom as a feminine equivalent to "fan".
* [[wikt:fen#Etymology 2|Fen]] was used within fandom as the plural of the word "fan", by analogy with "men" as the plural of "man".  This extended to other fanspeak terms, resulting in actifen, passifen, trufen, and so forth.
* A [[wikt:trufan|Trufan]] is a very active and dedicated fan.

Specific sub-groups of science fiction fandom are often known by a collection term.  For example:
* [[Trekkie]]s are fans focused on the ''[[Star Trek]]'' [[science fiction]] franchise. Arising out of [[science fiction fandom]] they, to some extent, have served as a template for other organized fandoms in the [[science fiction television]] and [[science fiction film|film]] genres.  Some "Trekkies" prefer to be referred to as "Trekkers" as they feel the term "Trekkies" was used in the past as a derogatory name for them and they hope to avoid the traditional stigma sometimes associated with being known as a "Trekkie".  Many "old school" fans of the ''Star Trek'' universe defiantly, and proudly, refer to themselves, and other ''Star Trek'' fans, as "Trekkies" rather than the kinder, gentler "Trekkers" name used by many of the newer generations of ''Star Trek'' fans.{{original research inline|date=October 2022}}
* [[Doctor Who fandom|Whovians]] are fans of the BBC series ''[[Doctor Who]]''.

===Sports===
{{main|sports fandom}}
{{see also|Sociology of sport|:Category:Sports fandom}}
[[File:Fenerbahçe SK fans.jpg|thumb|A family of [[Fenerbahçe S.K. supporters]].]]
A sports fan can be an enthusiast for a particular athlete, team, sport, or all of organized sports as a whole. Sports fans often attend sporting events in [[stadiums]], in [[sports bars]], or watch them at home on television, and follow news through newspapers,  websites, and social media.<ref name="understanding">{{cite book |last1=Earnheardt |first1=Adam C. |last2=Haridakis |first2=Paul M. |editor-last1=Earnheardt |editor-first1=Adam C. |editor-last2=Haridakis |editor-first2=Paul M. |editor-last3=Hugenberg |editor-first3=Barbara |title=Sports Fans, Identity, and Socialization: Exploring the Fandemonium  |publisher=Lexington Books |date=May 30, 2013 |pages=1–6 |chapter=Understanding Fans' Consumption and Dissemination of Sports: An Introduction |isbn=978-0739146217}}</ref>

The mentality of the sports fan is often such that they will experience a game, or event while living vicariously through players or teams whom the fan favors.<ref name="fandom1">{{cite journal |last1=Earnheardt |first1=Adam C. |last2=Haridakis |first2=Paul M. |date=October 1, 2009 |title=An examination of fan-athlete interaction: Fandom, parasocial interaction, and identification |url=https://digitalcommons.kent.edu/commpubs/2 |journal=Ohio Communication Journal |volume=47 |pages=27–53}}</ref> This behavior manifests itself in a number of different ways, depending on the venue. At a stadium or arena, sports fans will voice their pleasure with a particular incident, player, or team by [[cheering]], which consists of clapping, fist-pumping, or shouting positive exclamations toward the field of play and ultimately, the favorable object. Likewise, displeasure toward a particular incident, player, or team may be met by fans with booing, shouting of expletives, and sometimes throwing of objects onto the field. This violent type of fan reaction is often called [[hooliganism]].

[[File:Shea Crowded.jpg|thumb|left|Shea Stadium filled with fans prior to the start of a [[New York Mets]] game in 2008. The stadium had the best attendance in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] that year, garnering over 53,000 fans per game on average.]]

Lighter, more harmless objects are also occasionally thrown onto certain fields of play as a form of celebration of a favorable sports feat. This is most common when a member of the home team scores a [[hat trick]] in hockey. Other, more mild forms of displeasure shown by sports fans at sporting events involve simple groans of disappointment, and silence. These actions often denote that the favored home team is being outperformed by, or has lost to the much less-favored road team.

In North America, extremely enthusiastic fans are often called  "superfans": fans who dress up in outrageous and ostentatious costumes or outfits showing their devotion. Fanbases well known for their tenacious love and undying support are called ''[[Rabies|rabid]] fans'' or fanatics. These fans often congregate hours before kickoff in what is known as a [[tailgation]] or tailgating.
[[File:Portugiesische Fans bei der Euro 2004.jpg|thumb|Fans of the [[Portugal national football team]] at the [[UEFA Euro 2004|2004 European Championship]]]]
At [[Bar (establishment)|sports bars]], sports fans will gather together, often while consuming food and alcoholic beverages, with the purpose of following a particular sporting event on television as a group. Sports bars often advertise in hopes of drawing fans of a particular player or team to watch together to increase bonds between fans and prevent fights. This can create the sense of unity in a sports bar as all cheers and boos will appear to be synchronized due to similar feelings and reactions by nearly all fans at the fortunes and misfortunes of the favored team or athlete. Due to the level of devotion and intensity of feeling towards the favored team or athlete by sports bar patrons, as well as partially due to the alcohol being served, behavior that would be seen as unruly or fanatical outside a sports bar is generally more common inside of one. The intensity of cheering and jeering at a sports bar by sports fans can often range from equal to stronger than that of fans actually at the sporting event for particularly significant games and matches.

At home, sports fans may have few fellow fans but also more freedom. This is sometimes where the most intense cheering or jeering will take place. In the fan's own home, unbridled and lengthy screaming, crying, acts of destruction to household objects, and other manifestations of joy or anguish, are perhaps seen as most acceptable in comparison to the sports bar or sporting venue simply because such acts taken to such an extreme can be seen as disruptive to a large number of fellow fans even if they share the same sentiment if it is of less intensity. The greatest variables of the reaction of a sports fan in their own home are the intensity of the fan's desire to see their team win or perform well, and the presence of another: often a wife, children, or friends who may be significantly less ardent sports fans or not sports fans at all, which may significantly temper the fan's reaction to a highly positive or negative moment due to the fear of causing a scene or scaring those close to the fan, or alienating themselves from said others. Often sports fans will invite other fans of relatively similar rooting intensity over to their house to experience a sporting event together so that all involved can voice pleasure or displeasure to their heart's content and increase [[male bonding|shared bonds]] in the process. It is becoming common for this type of bonding to take place over sports-related [[social networks]].