About the book
Winner, 2025 Diamond Anniversary Book Award, given by the National Communication Association
Highlights the importance of considering contemporary public culture through the lens of fan studies
The Gamergate harassment campaign of women in video games, the “Unite the Right” rally where hundreds of Confederate monument supporters cried out racist and antisemitic slurs in Charlottesville, and the targeted racist and sexist harassment of Star Wars’ Asian American actress Kelly Marie Tran all have one thing in common: they demonstrate the collective power and underlying ugliness of fandoms. These fans might feel victimized or betrayed by the content they’ve intertwined with their own identities, or they may simply feel that they’re speaking truth to power. Regardless, by connecting via social media, they can unleash enormous amounts of hate, which often results in severe real-world consequences.
Fandom Is Ugly argues that reactionary politics and media fandoms go hand in hand, and to understand one, we need to understand the other. Mel Stanfill pushes back on two mainstream assumptions: that media and the pleasure of consumption are frivolous and unworthy of study, and that fandoms are inherently progressive. Drawing on a corpus of angry social media posts, Fandom Is Ugly finds that ugly moments happen when deep emotional attachments collide with social structures and situations that have been misunderstood. By holistically examining the forms of ugly fandom in cases that touch upon race, gender, and sexuality, Fandom Is Ugly produces a comprehensive theory of the negative sides of fan attachments.
Editions of Fandom Is Ugly
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781479824953
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781479824977
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781479824960
Read an Excerpt
Winner, 2025 Diamond Anniversary Book Award, given by the National Communication Association
Highlights the importance of considering contemporary public culture through the lens of fan studies
The Gamergate harassment campaign of women in video games, the “Unite the Right” rally where hundreds of Confederate monument supporters cried out racist and antisemitic slurs in Charlottesville, and the targeted racist and sexist harassment of Star Wars’ Asian American actress Kelly Marie Tran all have one thing in common: they demonstrate the collective power and underlying ugliness of fandoms. These fans might feel victimized or betrayed by the content they’ve intertwined with their own identities, or they may simply feel that they’re speaking truth to power. Regardless, by connecting via social media, they can unleash enormous amounts of hate, which often results in severe real-world consequences.
Fandom Is Ugly argues that reactionary politics and media fandoms go hand in hand, and to understand one, we need to understand the other. Mel Stanfill pushes back on two mainstream assumptions: that media and the pleasure of consumption are frivolous and unworthy of study, and that fandoms are inherently progressive. Drawing on a corpus of angry social media posts, Fandom Is Ugly finds that ugly moments happen when deep emotional attachments collide with social structures and situations that have been misunderstood. By holistically examining the forms of ugly fandom in cases that touch upon race, gender, and sexuality, Fandom Is Ugly produces a comprehensive theory of the negative sides of fan attachments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fandom Is Ugly about?
Winner, 2025 Diamond Anniversary Book Award, given by the National Communication Association
Highlights the importance of considering contemporary public culture through the lens of fan studies
The Gamergate harassment campaign of women in video games, the “Unite the Right” rally where hundreds of Confederate monument supporters cried out racist and antisemitic slurs in Charlottesville, and the targeted racist and sexist harassment of Star Wars’ Asian American actress Kelly Marie Tran all have one thing in common: they demonstrate the collective power and underlying ugliness of fandoms. These fans might feel victimized or betrayed by the content they’ve intertwined with their own identities, or they may simply feel that they’re speaking truth to power. Regardless, by connecting via social media, they can unleash enormous amounts of hate, which often results in severe real-world consequences.
Fandom Is Ugly argues that reactionary politics and media fandoms go hand in hand, and to understand one, we need to understand the other. Mel Stanfill pushes back on two mainstream assumptions: that media and the pleasure of consumption are frivolous and unworthy of study, and that fandoms are inherently progressive. Drawing on a corpus of angry social media posts, Fandom Is Ugly finds that ugly moments happen when deep emotional attachments collide with social structures and situations that have been misunderstood. By holistically examining the forms of ugly fandom in cases that touch upon race, gender, and sexuality, Fandom Is Ugly produces a comprehensive theory of the negative sides of fan attachments.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Fandom Is Ugly?
Biography, Literature and Literary studies > Literature: history and criticism
Where can I read a sample of Fandom Is Ugly?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781479824953
How long is Fandom Is Ugly and how many pages does it have?
Fandom Is Ugly has 264 page(s)
Is Fandom Is Ugly part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Critical Cultural Communication
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Fandom Is Ugly?
Mel Stanfill
Who is the Publisher of the book Fandom Is Ugly?
NYU Press
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Fandom Is Ugly is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781479824953) and hardcover(ISBN 9781479824977) and paperback(ISBN 9781479824960)
Where can I buy Fandom Is Ugly online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Fandom Is Ugly from below
Where can I buy Fandom Is Ugly?