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The new documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, tells an extraordinary story about fandom and obsession, and touches on many of the themes we often discuss in this column.
Directed by Erin Lee Car, the film tracks an insidious catfishing scheme that has targeted fans of Tegan and Sara since 2008. Someone posing as Tegan reached out to numerous fans and began online relationships with them, relationships that in some cases, lasted for years.
The imposter had all kinds of personal information that made the messages seem legitimate, until these fans came to the devastating realization that it had all been a lie—a cruel manipulation.
Tegan and Sara’s fandom became a tight-knit community
Fanatical lays the foundation for how something like this could happen, much of which relates to the unique, tight-knit nature of Tegan and Sara’s fandom. The Canadian twin sister duo formed in the late ‘90s and slowly built a dedicated fan base, which grew following the release of their 2004 album So Jealous. At this point, their audience “started to feel like a fandom,” Tegan notes.
There was a sort of symbiosis between audience and performer during these early days. It “started to feel like there were people who understood what we were trying to do and understood us,” Tegan explains. Fans of Tegan and Sara felt bonded to one another because of their shared experiences. Many were queer, like the sisters themselves, and didn’t have much support from friends and family. The band was like a “lifeline” for some fans, a member of their former management team suggests.
To that end, Tegan shares that she felt like it was their “responsibility to take care of them.” Tegan, more so than Sara (known by fans as the more reserved half of the duo), would often spend hours after the show talking to fans and getting to know them. The band, and their fans, were also very active online in the early days of social media, which further cemented this sense of community.
Fans and band devastated by catfishing
These conditions help explain how the catfishing scheme found such purchase within the fandom. Tegan’s reputation for being extremely open with fans made it believable that she would reach out to these individuals. Indeed, the movie never pathologizes or shames the fans who were victims of the scheme, instead contextualizing their fandom and desire to connect.
The consequences of the catfishing scheme ran deep. For the victims, there was a deep sense of betrayal, shame, and mistrust. Many cut themselves off from the fandom and the band’s music because it was too painful to revisit.
Tegan and Sara were also devastated by the hack, which targeted their personal friends and family as well. Tegan pulled back from the fans, worried someone (or someones) sinister was among them. When the band became more popular and they introduced VIP ticketing at their shows, many fans felt betrayed, but the added security measures were necessary.
The dark side of fan culture
While the first portion of the film highlights the positive aspects of the fandom, the latter half delves into the darker side of fan culture.
Things got more intense for the band as they grew in popularity. As Tegan puts it, “You get to a certain size, and a certain part of your fanbase gets so intense they ruin it for everybody else.” This gets at the issue of toxic fandom that we discussed earlier this month.
Though most within the fandom are not manipulative catfishers, the existence of this scam points to a larger issue. Within fandoms of all sorts, there is a sense that fans always want more from their idols—more content, more access, more intimacy. This desire is “insatiable because you won’t ever really know me,” Tegan explains.
What’s unique about the documentary is that it gives us a chance to hear about these dynamics from the perspective of both the fans and the artists. These fans’ love for the band was manipulated and turned into something malevolent. It’s a reminder that most fans are just looking for connection and belonging, but there is a danger in taking things too far.
On the other hand, Tegan and Sara were (and are) very much affected by these events. “Nobody thinks of you as a person that can be hurt,” the director notes, responding to the assumption that Tegan wasn’t also a victim here.
The film emphasizes the fact that both fans and their faves are simply fallible human beings with their own struggles and triumphs. It serves as an insight into the need for human connection and an indictment of those who exploit that need for personal gain.
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