Too loud, too excited, and too passionate? The relationship between fan identity, feminist identity, personal empowerment, and stereotypes of K-pop fangirls

The present study sought to address the gender issues concerning the perception of female fans in the context of K-pop fangirls. In media portrayals and public discourses, female enthusiasm is often ridiculed and criticized for being too loud and too passionate. Fandoms of the non-Western music genre K-pop are known to be female-driven and experience various forms of sexist stereotyping and marginalization. Simultaneously, they display feminist awareness and feelings of empowerment. Consequently, the underlying factors of fans’ feminist identity and empowerment were examined. To extend the previous research on feminist K-pop fandoms and to fill the gap in the feminist literature, the current study proposed the following research question: What is the relationship between fan identification, feminist identification, personal empowerment, and stereotypes of K-pop fangirls? A global online survey was conducted (N = 483) to investigate whether fan identity has intersections with feminist identity by building a second pathway to personal empowerment. Results supported the notion that many K-pop fans identify as feminists. Compared to feminist identification, fan identity was not a strong predictor of empowerment. However, the analysis contributes to recent studies on K-pop fans’ increased well-being in relation to their fan identity. Furthermore, positive stereotypes of fangirls and feminists play an important role in fostering these identities. Notably, the exploratory approach to measuring fangirl stereotypes gives valuable insights for future research. Female K-pop fans are further challenging and changing the image of a “fangirl”. The findings suggest that being a fangirl and being a feminist do not exclude each other. Social and practical implications for the fans and their social environment, as well as entertainment agencies, are discussed.