Taylor Swift is not the only celebrity with a hive-like fandom, although hers is among the largest. Yet, as Prof. Lori Morimoto notes, fandom is not exclusive to teenage girls, but instead is accessible to all. “Fandom simply involves being so excited about something that you want to engage with it.”
This excitement can manifest around all kinds of media objects, including political candidates. The kinds of advertisements, short videos, and public appearances that proliferate in an election year are all designed to generate the kinds of enthusiasm that, like fandom, motivate us to participate. “I think in creating resonances between a political figure and voters, through messaging and public persona, you’re engaging in a kind of fan cultivation.”
Fannish engagement with political candidates helps them to build support. As Prof. Morimoto says, “Grassroots political activity involves a very fannish passion about candidates. It motivates supporters/fans to get out there, canvass and be loud about how candidates represent us, care about us, and just generally bend over backwards to try and ensure their candidate wins, in the same way that fans of someone like Taylor Swift show up for concerts, manipulate algorithms to keep her trending on social media, and so on.”