Stan Twitter 101 The term “stan” was inspired by the Eminem song of the same name, released in the year 2000. The song follows the story of a man who is clearly obsessed with Eminem and his lifestyle; he writes the artist several letters, hoping to hear back from his idol. The crazed fan, named Stan, is eventually driven to suicide and murder because he wasn’t receiving a response. With lyrics such as “I know you probably hear this every day, but I’m your biggest fan,” and “I got a room full of your posters and your pictures, man,” it’s not hard to understand why the term has become synonymous with the cult-like groups that make up the “fandoms” of Twitter. A stan is someone who is so mentally and physically obsessed with a person or group that they will stop at nothing to prove that they are the most deserving of the artist’s love. To stans, the person they love can do no wrong. The concept of a fandom is not a new one, but social media has given the fans of famous entertainers a larger platform than ever before. Twitter is the chosen battleground for these die-hard fans to compete to be the ultimate stan. As a part of Stan Twitter myself, I have seen firsthand how this subculture has grown in popularity, and I have made a lot of mutuals who have had their own journey with Stan Twitter. By Andra Dumitru Chapter 1: History
Chapter 2: The Do’s and Don’ts
ILLUSTRATIONS Sarah Ditterline Twitter Brand Resources https://about.twitter.com/en_us/company/brand-resources.html
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