Sometimes, if not most of the times, connection between fans and celebrities is something dangerous. Once upon a time, being a fan just meant appreciating a celebrities work, support them from afar, and just maybe get an autograph, and that's if you were lucky. But these days fans are not just admiring celebrities, they literally worship them, fight for them, and also cross their boundaries in ways that make even the celebrities uncomfortable. It’s as if people have forgotten that these celebrities are humans too, and no matter how much money, fame, or talent they have, they are not immune to being irritated, frustrated and being aggressive.
Example is that of a fan who took a video of Burna Boy, I think it was at club or at a performance, we all know Burna Boy is one of the biggest stars in Africa, a Grammy-winning artist, and someone with huge fan base. But on this particular night, the fan got a little too close and before anyone could process what was happening, Burna kicked him in the face, just because he was recording and getting nearer. The video went viral then and as usual, the internet divided into two, the first are those who believed the fan had no business invading Burna’s space and the other party are those who felt Burna shouldn't have react in such a violent way. The truth is, both sides had a point. The fan should have respected boundaries, but did that really justify Burna's kind of reaction. If every celebrity reacted like that, how many people would want to continue coming to concerts or clubs and not fear leaving with broken bones. There were better ways to handle such, but Burna chose violence, and that says a lot about how some celebrities actually view their own supporters.
Fans are not innocent either, some of them behave in ways that are completely suspicious and unreasonable, what if he wants to harm Burna.
Another example was the case of Toyin Abraham. She is incredible and a down-to-earth actress. But being loved by fans sometimes comes with unexpected drama. Something happened recently, I watched, a fan saw her in public and instead of just greeting her or asking for a picture, this fan just decided to throw herself at her, a whole adult, flinging herself onto another person like....she just shouted her name and flung at her before she(Toyin) could even process what was happening, she staggered and got injured. Just imagine that, minding your business, trying to live your life, and someone just came to give you an injury in the name of being happy to see her beloved celebrity. It’s good to be excited about seeing your favorite celebrity but lines showed be drawn. It can be dangerous.
The problem is that these fans won't stop and celebrities knowing that became impatient and aggressive. Some celebrities try to manage it, but some react in ways that make people wonder if they even like their fans at all. On the other hand, some fans act like they own these celebrities, like these celebrities should take note of them, like they matter too, are they not the ones streaming their songs, watching their movies, having their backs and all but does that give them the right to invade their personal space. Both sides are guilty and need to do better.
Admiration should not turn into obsession, and stardom also should not turn into arrogance. Fans need to respect celebrities as human beings, and celebrities need to understand that without fans, their fame would mean nothing. Which means, there's the need for balance. Until both parties understand that, a fan can love a celeb without treating/seeing him/her like a god, and you can also be a celeb without treating your fans like a nuisance, until both osrties understand that, the madness will continue.
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