Abstract
This chapter explores the diversity of celebrity fans in China, including their motives, activities and processes of celebrity idolization. Based on a grounded theoretical approach, the authors traced and analyzed the user-generated content posted on Weibo that was prepared by fans of the singer/actor Wallace Chung. The analysis reveals five fan segments with different motives: casual fans (playful), fascinated fans (aspirational), devoted fans (sense of belonging), dysfunctional fans (identification with celebrity), and reflective fans (solid self-identity), thus demonstrating fans' different characteristics. This chapter also outlines the typical developmental process as fans increase their investments into the celebrity. Variants of this process, given the fans' different psychological and demographic characteristics, were also discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Exploring the Rise of Fandom in Contemporary Consumer Culture |
| Editors | Cheng Lu Wang |
| Publisher | IGI Global |
| Chapter | 9 |
| Pages | 163-184 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Edition | 1st |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781522532217 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781522532200 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2017 |