Simone Driessen speaks with NOS about hysterical Justin Bieber fans

Simone Driessen
Simone Driessen

Recently hysterically loud fans caused pop star Justin Bieber to leave the stage at his concert in Manchester. Why do fans act so hysterical when they see their idol? PhD candidate Simone Driessen, who researches fandom, talked about this with NOS, 

According to Driessen, the loud screaming has a social function. "Girls go to such concerts together and experience it together. Screaming is a very basic and primitive expression of the joy they experience there."

Driessen explains that a pop idol could actually be seen as the first boyfriend of a teenage girl. "It's a very unattainable boyfriend, of course. But it is the first time that a young girl likes something a lot herself, not her parents.

The same effect goes for boys, however they tend to express it in different and less 'hysterical' ways. 

In the NOS article, examples of other popular artists are mentioned who did not appreciate the hysteria either. You can read the full article (in Dutch) here.