Crossing the Line: Fans/Fandoms

So, lately I've been really bothered by something.
Now, I listen to a few 5 Seconds of Summer songs, although I wouldn't consider myself a fan. I like them, they're decent enough. Apparently Tumblr hates them? So I looked up 5SOS Rant in the tags to see if I could find a specific reason.
I didn't, not one that would cause that much shame, but I found something more disturbing that made me sit down and evaluate the 'fandoms' of the things and bands I like. All (and more) of these things are happening to them now that they're fame is increasing, and I'd just like to remind everyone that small alternative bands go through this too, and it needs to stop.

Things that are not okay:

-Taking a band member's clothing off of their body (without them giving it to you).
-Or fucking touching them inappropriately without their consent.
-Crowding their hotel/restaurant/tour bus/fucking RESIDENCE/whatever else (without an invitation to come meet them).
-Chasing them.
-Seriously, what the fuck.
-Getting mad at them for not complying with your wishes. Say, asking them to touch their hair. Why.
-Ignoring the rest of the band/group just because they aren't your favorite.

Now, let's talk about these. For obvious reasons, you should never touch someone without their fucking consent. Do you think anyone wants to get their clothes and hats ripped from their bodies without being able to do anything about it? Example: Calum got his beanie stolen from his head while performing; David Schmitt has to buy new wardrobes whenever he goes on tour because people tear his shirts and pants (I know someone with a piece of his belt, and they're proud of it). Literally. No. I get it; maybe you want a keepsake from them. Get a fucking picture or something. You do not need a piece of their clothing to remember that night or whatever, I promise you. Chill out. You're being creepy. Do you really want your favorite band member to, in that moment, want to get as far away from you as possible?
Exception: I understand crowd surfing can rip clothing, I got that. You shouldn't TRY to take their clothes. Okay? Okay.

I saw a video of someone slapping Dave's ass because he danced a little too close to the edge of the stage and was in reach. It freaked him out so bad he stayed as far back from the edge as he could. That's really fucked up. Can you imagine someone doing that to you? Like seriously, chill. Sit down and think about your life. You do not get to touch someone just because they're in a band, or they mean a lot to you, or they're your hero. You do not give up your body just by making music. That's not how it works. Please, understand this. Have you ever had a stranger touch you in a way that made you uncomfortable? If you're doing this shit, obviously not. I'm not going to explain what it feels like to be so degraded. You should take that into consideration the next time you think about doing something like that. I get it, he's hot, but it still doesn't give you the right to touch him.
Exception: I get that while crowd surfing, you may not be able to control which part of their body lands on your hands, or how you move them, but that is a mistake. If you're purposefully touching them just to do it, that's not alright.

Next up is crowding them. I went to a Rixton/T.Mills show a couple of weeks ago in Denver at a small theater. The back alley where they parked was guarded, but we stayed because my friend was set on meeting Travis. Obviously, that didn't happen. He needed to leave for a flight. Personally, I felt creepy waiting there like that. To me, it doesn't feel right to do that. Anyway, Lewis from Rixton came out and hung out with us for about an hour and a half. The security lady's shift ended and she left. Lewis brought our small group of like five people up to the parking lot the bus was parked in. About 40 girls were scattered getting signatures from the entire band. To me, that was nice. They came out and attracted the fans there, meaning that the fans were not sitting there beforehand. When a band comes out and flags fans over, fine. That's their choice. I can somewhat understand the attraction of a tour bus. However, waiting outside their hotel or restaurant or even their fucking residence isn't okay. That's crossing the line. They're people too, and I think some fans forget that. They are literally just people who make music. I promise you, they aren't these extravagant human beings delivered to the earth from godsend. Lewis was the most chill person I've ever met; after about ten minutes, it felt like he was just a new friend sitting in an empty alley in the middle of the night with a group of friends. It's exciting to meet your favorite people in the world, I know! However, you have to remember, they are one of us. They are people trying to live their lives, that's all. Please, don't stalk them.
Chasing is worse than anything, oh my gosh. If you decide that it is okay to run after someone running away, I'm sorry, you've crossed the line and need to put in time out and have all privileges revoked. Jesus, no one should have to explain this.

I think I've covered the four main things that are the most disturbing. I don't need to go on. Basically, don't be creepy. Whatever makes you think that it's okay to do any of the things I've listed, erase it from your mind. All of that is not okay. Okay?

PSA over.
August 29th, 2014 at 07:45am