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In the 1976 movie Taxi Driver, there is a scene
where Travis (played by Robert De Niro) volunteers to work for a political
campaign and flirts with Betsy (played by Cybill Shepherd), telling her that she
is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. That’s charming, but later in the
movie, we see Travis’s dark side as he practices shooting his gun and confronts
his reflection in the mirror, saying:
“Huh… Faster than you… I’m standing here. You make your
move. You make your move. Your move… You talkin’ to me? You talkin’ to me? You
talkin’ to me? Who the hell you’re talkin’? You talkin’ to me? Well, I’m the
only one here. Who the f—k you think you’re talkin’ to? Oh yeah? Ok. Huh.”
This scene captures the contrast between Travis’s
outward appearance and his inner turmoil, as well as his obsession with Betsy
and his violent tendencies. It also foreshadows his eventual attempt to
assassinate a senator and presidential candidate, and to rescue a teenage prostitute.
Lea Salonga might have felt a similar sense of alarm
and discomfort when she encountered some of her fans who allegedly barged into
her dressing room without her consent or invitation after watching her
performance in the Broadway musical Here Lies Love. A fan named Christopher
Carpila posted a video of their encounter with Lea on his Facebook page, which
showed Lea looking visibly annoyed and uncomfortable with their presence.
The video went viral and sparked a lot of reactions from netizens, some of whom criticized Carpila for his lack of respect and etiquette, while others defended him for being a fan.
FAN ENTITLEMENT
This incident raises an important question: What is
fan entitlement and why is it a problem? Dr. M. Scott Peck, author of the
classic The Road Less Traveled explains,
“Many people – whether they are rich or poor – tend to
believe they are entitled to something for nothing, or to behave as if the
world owes them rather than the other way around.”
Peck said that some feel entitled based on a
superiority complex. Lea’s words”, “If I lose fans as a result, so be it” may
be interpreted as a sign of such an attitude. On the other hand, Peck said that
for others the sense of entitlement arises from an inferiority complex. Carpila’s
exaggerated words, “Para kaming mga basurang pinagtabuyan sa harap ng mga taong
andoon” conveyed his feeling of being rejected and humiliated.
Fan entitlement is a phenomenon where some fans feel
that they have the right to demand or expect certain things from their idols,
such as personal attention, access, or control over their lives. This can lead
to toxic and harmful behaviors, such as stalking, harassment, invasion of
privacy as in Lea’s case, or even violence like what happened to some
international artists.
FANS CROSSED THE LINE
“Bebe Rexha made headlines in June 2023 after a fan
threw his cell phone at her face, simply because he ‘thought it would be funny.’
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. The singer ended up having to go to the hospital,
suffering a nasty cut and bruise around her eye…
“Pink looked understandably shocked and horrified when
a fan handed her a bag of human ashes, which turned out to be the remains of
the fan’s dead mother, in the middle of a BST Hyde Park performance in London…
“Even Drake couldn’t escape the phone-throwing
epidemic of 2023. At a concert in Chicago, Drizzy was pelted with hotline bling
while in the middle of singing Ginuwine’s ‘So Anxious,’ with the cell phone
clipping his wrist before falling to the ground…
“Taylor Swift has… one of the scariest instances of
this happened in front of tens of thousands of people during a stop on the 1989
tour in 2015 when a fan launched himself on stage and grabbed hold of her ankle…
“Steve Lacy fought fire with fire after he was hit in
the stomach with a disposable camera a fan threw at him…
The above examples reported in Billboard are only a few
among the list of artists whose fans crossed the boundaries.
Fan entitlement can have negative consequences for
both the fans and the celebrities. For the fans, it can make them lose touch
with reality and become obsessed or delusional. It can also make them feel
disappointed or angry when their expectations or demands are not met. For
celebrities, it can make them feel violated or threatened, stressed or
uncomfortable when interacting with their fans.
On top of that, it can damage their reputation and relationship.
FAN-CELEBRITY RELATIONSHIP
So how can fan entitlement be avoided or addressed?
The answer lies in respecting the fan-celebrity relationship and its
limitations. Fans and celebrities have different roles and expectations in this
relationship, and they should be aware and respectful of them.
Fans are the ones who support and admire the
celebrities’ work and talent. They should respect their idols’ boundaries and
privacy. They should not invade their personal space, stalk or harass them, or
interfere with their lives. They should not impose their preferences, fantasies,
or agendas onto them. They should not feel entitled to anything from them that
is not related to their work or talent.
Celebrities are the ones who entertain and inspire
their fans with their work and talent. They should not exploit, manipulate, or abuse
them. They should not lie to, deceive, or betray them. They should not feel
entitled to anything from them that is not related to their support or
admiration.
Both fans and celebrities should maintain a healthy
and respectful fan-celebrity relationship. They should recognize their roles
and expectations. They should be empathetic and accountable for their actions.
They should constructively communicate with each other.
The following episode Homer Meets Mel Gibson
from The Simpsons might illustrate this point better than the above
paragraphs.
HOMER: Wow, Mel Gibson! You’re my favorite actor! I’ve
seen all your movies, even the ones that don’t have your face on the poster!
MEL: Well, thank you, Homer. That’s very kind of you.
HOMER: Can I have your autograph? And your hair? And
your face?
MEL: Uh, sure, I guess. Here you go. (signs a paper
and gives it to Homer)
HOMER: Thanks! And can I also have a picture with you?
And a hug? And a kiss?
MEL: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on there, buddy. I
appreciate your enthusiasm, but you’re crossing the line here. I don’t know you
that well, and I‘m a married man.
HOMER: Oh, come on, Mel! Don’t be a spoilsport. You
owe me this much for being your biggest fan.
MEL: No, I don’t owe you anything, Homer. You’re just
a fan, not a friend. You need to respect my boundaries and privacy.
HOMER: Fine. Be that way. But don’t expect me to watch
your next movie.
So, there you have it, folks. That sums up Lea’s “I have boundaries. Do not cross them. Thank you.”
Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft
Bing AI-powered co-pilot
Head photo courtesy of Philippine Star
Video clips courtesy of YouTube
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