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Fans dominated internet discourse this year. As Hollywood executives continued to make decisions that perplexed audiences, it was the fans who worked to make their voices heard. Sports fandom grew this year as well, as fans finally started getting behind women’s sports in a big way. 2024 also provided plenty of excitement for pop music fans, with summer anthems representing paradigm-shifting cultural moments and even political movements.
These viral affairs sparked both controversy and celebration, leading many to speculate about the nature of fandom itself. Is it a force for good, or a corrupting influence? It all depends on where you look. If you haven’t been following fan culture this year, here’s your crash course—it’s the top ten fandom moments of 2024.
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⮩ 💫 10) Jenny Nicholson’s Disney/Star Wars takedown
In 2024, internet users loved coming together to cheer on the downfall of massive corporations. On the fandom side of things, one great example of this collective impulse is YouTuber Jenny Nicholson’s massively popular Star Wars hotel takedown video.
Nicholson’s 4-hour-long video essay details her experience staying at the Star Wars hotel, including her many well-evidenced critiques of the property. “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” received 5 million views in the first week, and as of this writing, now has over 11 million views on the platform.
Star Wars has been in the news a lot this year, in part because its parent company Disney is often mired in controversy, but also because many accuse those in the fandom of being toxic. Nicholson’s video touched on both topics.
Her critique of the company captivated viewers, but a minority of fans were offended by her takedown and clapped back. Nicholson’s position as a “professional fan” puts her in a unique position of power, as she’s respected by other fans but feared by the corporations she engages with. And fearful they should be, considering Nicholson’s success.
⮩ 📺 9) Our Flag Means Death fans launch viral campaign
Few contemporary trends embody the relationship between production studios and their viewers better than online fan campaigns.
Internet denizens have been dunking on Max since it debuted under its new name in 2023, and subscribers often rail against the company for canceling their favorite shows and/or removing them from the platform entirely. As such, it’s no surprise that one of the most prominent fan campaigns this year was aimed at the streaming service. Fans of the Taika Waititi–produced show Our Flag Means Death began a campaign to hold Max accountable for their actions, hoping to get Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav fired in the process.
As a strategic move, fans tracked Max’s falling stock prices to prove that canceling interesting, diverse shows actually does hurt the bottom line.
We spoke to the fans behind the campaign and they told us it’s about more than the show—it’s also about the power of representation and community, and speaks to larger systemic issues within the industry. Never underestimate the power of a hashtag.
⮩ 🎸 8) The #SwiftiesForPalestine movement
It would be difficult to argue that fandom is ever truly apolitical, though certain folks may want that to be true. While some profess a desire to keep politics out of pop culture, others argue that the intersection between the two should be utilized rather than hidden away. We’ve all seen what Swifties can do when they put their mind to it, and this year, some fans tried to use their voice to get Taylor Swift to take a stand. After a fan brought a Palestinian flag to Swift’s show in Lisbon, others began using the hashtag #SwiftiesForPalestine on X, urging Swift to speak out on behalf of Palestine.
Some shared specific requests, such as calling on Swift to demand an immediate ceasefire, stop attending NFL games until the NFL supports a ceasefire, and not release the Eras Tour movie through Disney, a financial supporter of Israel, until they cut ties. Others created pro-Palestinian friendship bracelets to wear to her shows.
Though Swift has yet to acknowledge these fans, many felt energized by the momentum and awareness that was built within the fandom.
⮩ 💻 7) X gets banned in Brazil
When your social media feeds are filled with English-language posts, it’s easy to forget many internet users reside outside of the United States. In August, X was banned in Brazil following a legal battle between Elon Musk and the Brazilian Supreme Court.
X users were shocked to discover what an impact Brazilians have on the social media landscape, particularly within the community known as “Stan Twitter.” Non-Brazilian X users suddenly realized that many Stan accounts—ie. accounts that exclusively provide updates or other content about celebrities—are run by Brazilians. Many of these accounts “came out” as Brazilian following the announcement of the ban, posting hilarious yet somber notes to their pages.
“it’s lindaover,” wrote a Linda Cardinelli fan account. Many online noted how much labor Brazilian fans do to help their favorite stars and pieces of media achieve success, often without thanks. Luckily, the ban has since been lifted, so we will never again be without updates on actress Emily Blunt.
⮩ 🎙️ 6) Kendrick Lamar vs Drake beef
Celebrity feuds provide endless fodder for tabloids and the chronically online. A perennial favorite, rap beef is one of the most entertaining subsets of this phenomenon, as artists hurl insults back and forth in the form of biting diss lyrics.
This year, the internet was captivated by the feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which lasted many months and spanned numerous songs, public performances, and even legal motions. There’s much to unpack here in regard to celebrity culture and the hip-hop music industry, but the beef also highlighted some interesting characteristics of fan culture.
Following the initial gauntlet throwdown, Lamar’s verse on the Future and Metro Boomin’s song “Like That,” rap fans took their places on the battlefield. In the song, Lamar compares himself to Prince and suggests that Drake is Michael Jackson, implying that one artist is more impressive than the other.
Fans immediately took sides, with Lamar’s fans aligning themselves with Prince’s musical virtuosity and intelligence and Drake’s fans arguing about record sales. Fans’ opinions on who “won” the beef depends on what they believe makes a rap legend, and the debate is still ongoing.
⮩ 🎬 5) Marvel loses fans, then gains some
Can Marvel’s reputation among audiences recover after last year’s disappointing performance? To answer this question, it’s best to look to the fans.
Over the summer, Marvel tried to shake things up by announcing Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom in two upcoming Avengers movies. While fans at San Diego Comic-Con were thrilled by the news, Marvel fans online were skeptical of the casting decision, which seemed like a publicity stunt by many. These fans have lost faith in the studio’s ability to make interesting content that honors the comics. But all is not lost. In the fall, the Marvel series Agatha All Along premiered on Disney+, and despite the naysayers, the show became a hit.
In particular, the show captured a passionate group of lesbian and queer fans who latched on to the relationship between Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) and Rio (Aubrey Plaza). Agatha All Along marks one of the first instances of Marvel successfully spawning a queer fandom based on canonically queer characters, brewing a renewed sense of hope about the MCU’s future.
Of course, one’s take on where Marvel should be headed depends on what fans are looking for from their projects – do they want accurate lore or characters and stories to relate to?
⮩ 🏀 4) The WNBA fandom grows
2024 was a great year for women’s sports, from the accomplishments of superstars like Ilona Maher and Simone Biles at the Olympics to up-and-coming legends like tennis player Coco Gauff.
One of the biggest cultural shifts this year came in the form of women’s basketball and the renewed attention the sport has received. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese captured the nation’s attention while playing college ball, and this year’s WNBA draft pick received unprecedented press coverage.
With this new awareness came critiques, as many onlookers were outraged by Clark’s meager first-year salary, especially compared to NBA players. The continued success of the WNBA depends on the dedication of fans, both new and old, which includes online discussions about equal pay. While longtime fans already knew this, new fans are starting to discover how fun it is to be a WNBA fan—there’s on and off-court drama, amazing fashion, and even romances between players. All sports leagues prevail by virtue of their fans, and the WNBA’s growing fandom spells out great things for the league, and hopefully, for player salaries as well.
⮩ 🗣️ 3) Chappell Roan calls out fan entitlement
Few pop stars in recent memory have had as meteoric a rise as Chappell Roan.
The so-called Midwest Princess skyrocketed to fame this spring and summer following several viral performances and a new hit single, and her previously small but dedicated fan base grew exponentially. With Roan’s massive rise in fame came further scrutiny and obsession, resulting in inappropriate fan behavior like stalking. In August, Roan posted a pair of TikTok videos where she argued that invasive fan behavior should be called out, and that she is a human being who is allowed to have personal boundaries. Many of Roan’s fans voiced their support for the singer and her message, though others criticized her “complaints,” often as a way to prop up their faves.
Several weeks later, Roan clapped back at a rude paparazzi at the VMAs, enacting her boundaries in real time. Roan’s actions sparked a discussion about how fans feel entitled to every aspect of their faves’ lives, and the support she’s received indicates that she could be ushering in a paradigm shift.
⮩ 🎤 2) Charli XCX fans were on top of the world
2024 was the year of Brat. When British singer Charli XCX released her sixth studio album in June, few could have predicted its impact. From viral dances to political endorsements, Charli ruled the summer, turning our world into a lime-green playground.
But all Brat listeners are not made equal, and Charli XCX’s fans have been feeling lots of feelings all year long. For fans, one of the most thrilling moments of 2024 was the release of the track “Girl, So Confusing.” Fans speculated long and hard about the subject of the song, and when the remix featuring Lorde dropped, listeners were moved beyond words by the display of solidarity.
Part of what makes the Brat phenomenon so interesting in terms of fandom is the supposed divide between new and old fans. Those invested in the “Girl, So Confusing” lore had been around long enough to know Charli’s history with other artists in the industry. Longtime fans feel vindicated by Charli’s success this year, though some are skeptical of newcomers’ lack of knowledge about her artistry and beloved back catalog.
Nonetheless, the reason Charli has become so successful is precisely because she understands fan culture. With Brat and its many iterations, she’s given OG fans a reason to celebrate while pulling in hordes of new listeners.
⮩ 😡 1) The debate about toxic fans
Discussions about toxic fans have been years in the making, and in 2024, we witnessed several key moments in that story.
Unsurprisingly, one of these instances revolved around Star Wars, a fandom famous for its toxic elements. When the Disney+ series The Acolyte premiered over the summer, haters came after the show and review-bombed it online. Anti-woke Star Wars “fans” posted rude statements about the show’s diverse representation, and it was canceled just a month later.
Should these haters be allowed to call themselves Star Wars fans, or are they something else entirely?
This question emerged once more in October following a Variety article detailing studios’ response to toxic fans, which is to “avoid provoking fandoms in the first place.”
Some fans responded to the article by proving its point, spewing vitriol at the studios and their “woke” content. However, others took issue with the article’s premise, suggesting that these fans should be referred to as bigoted rather than toxic. Such debates highlight the distinction between a fan and a consumer, illuminating the sense of entitlement many audiences feel.
It’s unlikely this discourse will die down any time soon, so you can expect more fandom controversy in 2025.
The Daily Dot looks back at the year that was in our 2024 Year in Review.
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