Links (APA formatted):

Ryfle, S. (n.d.) When Fans Go Too Far. Retrieved September 1, 2012, from http://webcenters.netscape.compuserve.com/celebrity/becksmith.jsp?p=bsf_fansgotoofar

'Sasaeng' fans: who and why. (2012). Retrieved August 30, 2012, from http://angrykpopfan.tumblr.com/post/21845287854/sasaeng-fans-who-and-why-1-2

SHINee fan account & Manager abusing fans. (& EXO) [at DisneyLand]. (2012). Retrieved August 30, 2012, from http://hallyu8.com/topic/5119-shinee-fan-account-manager-abusing-fans-exo-at-disneyland/ 

Video of JYJ’s Park Yoochun being assaulted by a Sasaeng fan revealed online. (2012). Retrieved August 30, 2012, from http://www.allkpop.com/2012/03/video-of-jyjs-park-yoochun-being-assaulted-by-a-sasaeng-fan-revealed-online

Yoochun (DBSK/JYJ) hitting a fan. (2012). Retrieved August 30, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPgvtGnp-_g

Introduction.

Celebrities have always given us "normal people" something to aspire to be, to talk about and to fawn over. They are a kind of indulgence in the world today, people that many of us wish to be. However, it seems that some of their fans are not so "normal" as it appears. Celebrities often play victim to stalkers, thieves, violence and other criminal acts, many of which are actually carried out by so-called "fans."

There are many different mindsets in the world today, which is why it makes it difficult to class what an "obsessive fan" is, but their actions speak for themselves. Obsessive fans are the type to go as far as assaulting their own "beloved idol" in order to leave an impression. They take simple love and/or adoration to the point of no return, basing their entire lives off a human being that does not even know they exist.

The (in?)sanity of the fans.

As stated by Steve Ryfle, a healthy love for an idol can turn into a worrying and ghoulish obsession. These people sometimes cross the line, going from simple fans to obsessed stalkers, bordering on the line of criminals. A study was conducted in 2003 on obsessive fans, concluding that many, in fact, did suffer from a syndrome known as "Celebrity Worship Syndrome." The syndrome ranges from checking up on the given star's updates regularly for social purposes (the most common and docile group), to believing that one shares a special and irrefutable connection with the given star (a more concerning group), and, lastly, to fans that border on being outright pathological (the most worrying of the entire category).

Some examples of the latter variety would be cited in a blog post written by an anonymous blogger on the website tumblr a few months ago. They included (but are not limited to): paying taxi drivers to follow their chosen idol(s) twenty-four seven; sending nude pictures to idols; breaking into the homes of the idols (and even, in one infamous case, peeing on the towel of the idol and replacing it on the rack); sending grotesque gifts (e.g. period blood); and so on. They go so far as to harm, hinder and complicate the lives of the ones they so ardently claim to "love."

In another infamous case, Park Yoochun, a member of the popular Korean band 'JYJ,' was physically assaulted by a fan. The fan justified her actions by stating, "If I hit him, he will surely remember me."

There are several other propositions as to what may cause certain fans to act as they do towards their beloved idols, including the Attachment Theory (in which fans simply develop, for whatever reason, an over-attachement to the given celebrity) and the Hero Syndrome (in which a fan deliberately creates a situation in which he/she may act as the "hero" and "save" their idol[s]).

Of course, it is not impossible to love a celebrity in a "healthy" manner. There are millions of people who adore their idols but still manage to restrain themselves. Knowing boundaries and having limits is an important part of life, which is exactly what some fans need to learn to put into practice. It is said over and over again, but I do not think it can be said enough: celebrities are humans too. They too need breaks, want to occasionally be left alone and are entitled to free will. They are not the "property" of the fans - a misconception, I fear, that may be a little bit too common.

Celebrities reactions.

If one thing can be confirmed about obsessive fans, it is that they truly love their celebrities. However, just because some of the fans are more "enthusiastic" than usual, does it condone being abused (whether verbally or physically)? Though it can be said that these fans are not expressing/showing their love in a conventional manner, they are still trying to support the celebrities. Assaulting another human being is not warranted by anything. There is no mitigating factor for violence (especially as it is against the law). Though I understand Park Yoochun was assaulted by his fan, it does not condone his own reaction, as well as his label-mates, to an obsessive fan. It is evident that the girl in the linked video did try to harm - for whatever reason - Yoochun first, which is why he retaliated (making it more of an act of self-defence), but the violence that is apparent from both the celebrity and the fan is still shocking.

And it is not always the idols, by the way, who "deal" with their fans, but the ones working around them. According to a fan account written by a netizen, the manager of the popular boy band 'SHINee' assaulted her when she tried to approach the group at an amusement park. Some of the members of SHINee treated her kindly upon seeing how their manager reacted, but his actions were not unnoticed by the fans as a whole. SHINee was also unable to give the fans proper "fanservice" due to their schedule and the possibility of demand. In this sense, you can understand that they simply wanted to have fun at the amusement park but were, once again, burdened by their own fame. Though they are the ones who have ultimately decided their fate, it is questionable as to whether or not they have brought this upon themselves.

However, how far do these idols have to be pushed to resort to violence? Is it wrong to get angry when someone constantly and endlessly harasses you? Though I think it all could have been dealt with in a cleaner manner, I do not think celebrities are wrong to get upset.

Drawing board.

(Just a post dedicated to my own thoughts, general facts and other titbits. It makes writing up cleaner pieces easier!)

• Obsessive: an unhealthy and compulsive preoccupation with something or someone; haunted: having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something.
• Obsession is considered a mental instability? Visit this thread.
• I can understand OCD, because most people have a mild form of it, but the obsession linked in that disorder is simply about oneself - not another. Or can it be influenced by another? Can OCD stem from the influence of another person - a celebrity, perhaps?
• There are many debates over whether or not obsession is a psychological disorder. I remain on the fence about it, having found that both sides make good arguments.
• To be honest, the entire "obsession vs. love" idea was brought around by my own interest in "sasaeng fans." In Korea, they have these crazily obsessed fans that stalk their beloved celebrities 24/7. I occasionally saw updates on allkpop.com about how far "sasaeng fans" were going to meet/see/leave an impression on their favorite idols, and my curiosity grew. I didn't know what a "sasaeng fan" was, but it basically means an overly-obsessed fan. Because I myself am very interested in the same idols (for the most part) and do not spend my life stalking them, I started to wonder about their mental health/the things they thought/just how much they "loved" their idols.
• Love: an intense feeling of deep affection; a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.
• To be honest, I find all definitions of "love" to be inadequate, but it's better than nothing.
• Because there are no boundaries to love, can we really understand at which point love becomes an obsession?
• That seems like more of a philosophical question...
• This is a socio-political topic, not a philosophy paper. I'd better try to find out more on the socio-political aspect of it all.
• Socio-political: the study of the relations between state and society... the discipline draws on comparative history to analyze socio-political trend; of or pertaining to a combination of social and political factors.