Taylor Swift's Toxic Fans

Swifties—the moniker given to devoted Taylor Swift fans—can be broken into two factions: those who fervently support the pop superstar, and those who do the same while also serving as unhired attack dogs on her behalf.

With the 34-year-old musician securing her position as one of the world's most famous stars in any category, all things Swift have become cause for debate, celebration and analysis across social media. Converging from all corners of the globe, her fans have become an online community of millions. They often dissect her lyrics, hunt for clues of album releases, and generally discuss her life and work.

However, when non-Swifties wade into the public discussion to express anything but praise, an army of the Pennsylvania native's most dedicated defenders usually lies in wait, ready to go to bat against their queen's perceived detractors.

Back in June, Business Insider's defense reporter Chris Panella wrote about receiving death threats for having "gently criticized" Swift's hugely successful Eras Tour. Panella stated that while he found the show to be an "incredible feat," he also felt that it "sometimes fell flat." He also said that he preferred the "cohesion, themes, production, and community" of Beyoncé's Renaissance.

Meeting the full wrath of die-hard Swifties as a result, Panella stated that he was hit with accusations of pedophilia and grooming, and told that members of his family would be "doxxed," or have their private information released in retaliation. "I was shocked and chilled by how far it went," Panella wrote.

Newsweek has contacted a representative of Swift via email for comment.

Identifying Swift's most battle-ready fans on social media takes little effort. Their handles are often variations of Swift's name, albums or hit tracks. Their bios usually declare some form of allegiance to the singer. And their profile pictures normally depict Swift, either from photos or album art.

This level of fandom is often referred to as "stanning," which is a measurable leap above somebody who just happens to enjoy an artist's work. The term was popularized by Eminem's 2000 hit "Stan," which tells the story of a zealous fan.

The 'Stanning' Phenomenon

Jeffrey R. Dudas, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science at the University of Connecticut, told Newsweek that there is a "grand irony" in the claiming of the term.

"The 'stanning' phenomenon points to how a great many fan communities are informed by what scholars call 'parasocial' relationships, where fans imagine themselves to have a close personal relationship with their favorite celebrity," he said.

"[Eminem's 'Stan'] is unambiguously and harshly critical of these kinds of parasocial celebrity relationships," Dudas continued. "That song describes an unhinged fan, 'Stan,' who imagines a close personal relationship with Eminem and then, when his entreaties go unanswered, holds Eminem responsible for the homicidal violence that he commits.

"'Stan' is meant as a cautionary tale, but its title has been appropriated in contemporary times in an uncritical, frequently unknowing, way by fans in order to signal to one another their commitment."

Beverly Hills psychiatrist Carole Lieberman, M.D. told Newsweek that this type of fan does more harm than good in their quest to uphold their idol's glory.

"Rabid fans—or 'stans'—are an unhealthy cultural phenomenon, growing because of the anonymity of social media and the internet," Lieberman said. They may think they're supporting their favorite stars, but connecting their negativity to a star is not good for anyone—neither the people they attack, nor the star, nor themselves."

Parasocial Element of Fandom

Of course, Swift is not the only star of her magnitude to have an army of fans marching in her honor. BTS is backed by its ARMY, Nicki Minaj embraces the support of her Barbies, or Barbz, and Beyoncé's Beyhive remains a devoted juggernaut (the Beyhive's tireless hunt for "Becky with the good hair" remains the stuff of legend).

These groups, and others, are known to promote their favored artists with vigor, often pitching their idols against others, even when no such rivalry exists between the stars themselves. While fans of Michael Jackson and Prince may have argued over their preferred artist in decades past, the ugliness often displayed online in support of today's stars shows that stan status has become something of a badge of honor.

"This parasocial element of fandom is not new," UConnPopCast co-host Dudas told Newsweek, "though ... it has been turbocharged in the contemporary era of social media, where fans can now create and sustain widespread, even global, communities with a few swipes of their touchscreens."

Also not new, Dudas explained, "are the sorts of extreme behaviors that can result from the operation of parasocial relationships—aggressive 'defenses' of favorites at the mere hint of critique, vitriolic attacks on the fans of perceived or actual rivals (and sometimes on the actual rivals themselves), and occasional acts of physical violence.

"Think, for example, of the 1980 murder of John Lennon by longtime fan Mark David Chapman, who decided that Lennon's lifestyle was a personal affront; or consider John Hinckley Jr.'s 1981 attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan because he imagined that doing so would impress the actress Jodie Foster, on whom he had developed an obsessive fixation.

"Indeed, Taylor Swift has herself been the subject of a recent stalker who has been arrested (multiple times now) outside of her New York City home. Her attempt to stop the college student who tracks and then posts online the flight plans of her private jet is almost certainly informed by this."

Dudas told Newsweek that "we should not imagine that these sorts of parasocial relationships are exclusive to entertainment figures: autocrats and would-be dictators the world over have cultivated and benefited from identification of their bodies, their interests, and their desires with those of the public."

Positive Interactions

Still, these are extreme examples that mar the positive aspects of pop superfandom that unite supporters of an artist, Dudas added.

"Parasocial relationships are not always, or even regularly, so dangerous and extreme," he said. "For most people, this sort of fandom is mostly harmless and can even contribute to positive communal relationships.

"In the case of Taylor Swift fans, think about the atmospheres at her Eras Tour shows, or at the screenings of the movie in theatres—an atmosphere that has been regularly described as inclusive, powerfully communal, and deeply moving.

"Think also of the joy and playfulness that Taylor orchestrates with her fans when she plants the various 'Easter eggs' and other puzzles for them to figure out in advance of big announcements, or when she picks up on, and validates, an online meme that her fans have been distributing. All of these things actually encourage and strengthen the parasocial bond with her fans, and they are all pretty positive."

Picking up on this sentiment, Mark Goldman, managing partner at New York City-based Goldman McCormick PR, said that when such a bubble of adoration is popped by detractors, there's a natural instinct to defend.

"Individuals who adore entertainers and public figures may feel personally attacked when their idol receives criticism," Goldman told Newsweek. "It's not uncommon for fans to swarm an individual who they feel disrespected their hero. Some may believe they are defending that person's honor. Core audiences like Taylor Swift's aren't going away anytime soon.

"Swift and other celebrities are in a unique position because they can actually galvanize their followers to partake in virtuous activities such as helping charities and raising awareness of causes."

An example of this occurred in the fall. On September 19, National Voter Registration Day, the singer took to Instagram to share a message urging her fans to register on the nonpartisan, nonprofit Vote.org. According to the organization, Swift's post was followed by a surge of more than 35,000 registrations—an almost 25 percent increase over the same day the previous year.

Per NPR, Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org, said in a statement that the single-day surge in registrations was a "highly encouraging sign of voter enthusiasm," particularly as there was a 115 percent spike across 2022 in newly eligible 18-year-olds registering to vote.

Political Power

Swift's undeniable power has seen her roundly criticized by several prominent Republicans as America prepares to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Her past criticism of GOP frontrunner Donald Trump and previous support of incumbent President Joe Biden has unquestionably ruffled conservative feathers.

While the petty jabs from Swift's critics could be seen as justification for fans hitting back harder, Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Newsweek that such extreme reactions clearly breach the bounds of reasonability.

"An unfortunate modern-day byproduct of zealous fandom is that some of these people go to great lengths to attack those who don't share their views or are seen as being critical of their beloved celebrity," Nierman said.

"Doxxing and death threats are common tactics employed in cancel culture campaigns, as well as efforts to destroy people's reputations and get them fired. When the superfans known as 'stans' do these sorts of things, it is clearly abhorrent. While the behavior is done with neither the blessing nor the knowledge of the celeb, that does not make it any less outrageous and deplorable."

Nierman has authored the book The Cancel Culture Curse, in which he extensively discusses such behavior and warns that online mobs pose a threat to everyday people—not just the rich and famous.

"Mob mentalities and witch hunts aimed at targeting other people have been around for centuries, but the attacks taking place today are a uniquely modern phenomenon that relies upon the internet as a rallying point," Nierman said. "Sadly, social media is a double-edged sword that can bring communities of people together, but also be used to ostracize, bully and attack.

"The 'cancel vulture' stans who react with hostility and far-reaching action should bear in mind the humanity of the people on whom they pounce. Real people are hurt every day by online mobs, and this type of abuse should not be taking place."

Speaking Up

Back in 2019, Beyoncé's publicist, Yvette Noel Schure, informed members of the Beyhive that they were doing their beloved Queen Bey no favors by attacking a woman they believed had upset the star by having a conversation with her husband, Jay-Z, at a basketball game.

Schure said in a social media comment that while she knows their love for Beyoncé "runs deep," that same love "has to be given to every human." She also warned that attacks on the star's behalf "will bring no joy to the person you love so much if you spew hate in her name."

The statement showed that stars are often aware of their fans actions. Dudas has included Swift in this batch of celebrities.

"Taylor herself is clearly aware of the ambivalences of these fan relationships," he said. "[The track] 'Anti-Hero' is, I think, about exactly this; and she puzzles over how Swifties will passionately defend her even when her narcissistic behaviors are worthy of criticism."

For psychiatrist Lieberman, if there is an awareness of the more extreme behaviors of their fans, then "the stars have to take some responsibility for the actions of their 'stans.' They can't just pretend that they don't know what's happening, because if the stars told them not to attack people, the stans would stop."