Essay on Lana fandom and religion

[annedauphine 36,054]

Hi everyone, as I presented myself in the Welcome section, I'm a fine arts student. As part of one of my second year units on fans and amateurs experts, I had to write an essay on fandoms. Being a Lana stan and being fascinated by religion, I decided to do it on how the Lana Del Rey fandom can bring criticism on the relationship between fandom and religion. I immensely enjoyed writing it and I really want to explore it much further. It's called "Kissing God - Lana Del Rey is my religion". 

 

Please keep in mind that:

_ I only got B+ for it because I only cite pop culture sources

_ I was immensely depressed and suicidal during the whole time I wrote it

_ English is not my first language and I'm not a particularly good writer

_ I was still a pretty basic Lana stan when I started to write it.

 

I hope you'll like it Feedback would be much appreciated!

 

PS this is what my tutor said about it, it adds some insight.

 

 "This is a well structured, thought-provoking and insightful essay on the relationship between fandom and religion focusing on contemporary pop star Lana Del Rey. 

 

You usefully introduce the etymology of the term "fan" in order to substantiate your focus on it's relation to religion, and go on to make useful parallels between the two with relevant and some times intriguing examples. In particular your example of a moment when Del Rey breaks down in a concert in Ireland and questions her role as an icon, claiming that fans might believe in her more than she believes in herself is interesting. I wonder whether this was an authentic and sincere questioning by Del Rey, or whether this too was part of her act? I'd like to "believe" in the former! 

 

Your case for the difference between Fandom and religion as based on fandom being around a human figure and religion being based on a "higher" entity is convincing and substantiated with relevant examples throughout. In order to achieve a grade A you would need to draw on and implement more theoretical examples, not only references from blogs, youtube and internet sources. For instance you could have used Bourdieu's theory of cultural capital or Adorno's discussion of Mass culture to substantiate your claim that fandom is a denigrated form because of it's relation to pop culture. Your bibliography is too long for such a short essay and images should be numbered i.e fig. 1, and embedded in the text. Nevertheless, this is an exciting essay to read, well thought-through and full of ideas and intrigue!" 

 

The essay:

 

KISSING GOD – LANA DEL REY IS MY RELIGION

 

The term "fanatic" roots its origin in Latin "fanaticus", indicating a person insane as inspired by a god, such as devote temple servants. The word "fanum" also means shrine, consecrated temple. This connotation to religious membership continues during the 16th and 17th centuries, where "fanaticus" becomes synonym of "furious", "insane", "characterised by excess enthusiasm", used within the context of the behaviour of possession by a demon or deitie, particularly used by the Nonconformists around 1640. Today, the Oxford Dictionary defines "fanatic" as "a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause". The term however evolved, and its shorten version, "fan", is now more commonly used to define extreme dedication towards an element of popular culture, "fanatic" still being mostly reserved for negative connotations within religious and political contexts. Religion is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods", "a particular system of faith and worship", and "a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion". The term's etymology stems from Latin "religio", "obligation, bond, reverence". Lastly, "fandom", designs for the Oxford Dictionary "the fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc., regarded collectively as a community or subculture" This ensemble of definitions already shows the overlaps between religion and fandoms. But what, exactly, are the boundaries between them? Does the term "fanatic" still has the same implications as its etymology? In essence, are fandoms really religions? In order to bring light on the blurred frontier between fandom and religion, we will in this essay use the fan technics of rewriting, archiving and appropriation, and use the strategy of taking the place of a fan of the singer Lana Del Rey, in order to explore and analyse what criticism can be brought on the relationship between fandom and religion. We will first explore, using Lana Del Rey fandom as a guideline, the similarities and patterns between the general definitions of fandom and religion. We will then approach how Del Rey's very fandom show that some criticism can be brought and that fandom can only be defined as religion to a certain extent.

 

Finding religious fan art of Lana Del Rey is rather easy. One doesn't necessarily have to be a fan of the songstress to stumble upon edited pictures and collages representing Del Rey as an icon. The singer often portrays religious and especially Christian imagery within her work, and is quite expansive about her beliefs and faith in interviews. In her short film Tropico, released December 5th, 2013, on YouTube, she plays the role of both Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and Eve, the First Woman, in the Garden of Eden, drawing her inspiration from the Bible's Genesis, and is sent on Earth after eating the apple from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Promotional pictures, shot by her photographer sister Caroline "Chuck" Grant, shows her wearing a blue mantilla, the blue colour being traditionally used for the veil of Virgin Mary since the Renaissance, for its symbolism of heaven as it is the colour of the sky. She also is photographed as Eve, carrying the snake representing the Devil, wearing nothing but flowers to mask her nudity, the flowers being red as the colour of passion. This theme and its imagery had a deep impact on fans, who heavily reused it in their art and edits, confirming the idea of seeing the singer as a divinity, by portraying her as either a pure or evil being, perhaps to symbolise the spiritual idea of Yin and Yang. Digital collages and edits picture Del Rey as Virgin Mary, reusing the visuals of icons. The adoration of the fans is so extended that they use traditional representations of sacred to express their love. This feature is but one of many clues showing the intrinsic patterns that can be found between the worshipping of a god and the idolization of an element of popular culture. Another work from Chuck Grant, the series "Superfan", 2013, bears an uncanny resemblance to what is usually described as the act of worshipping in religion. Black and white as well as colour photographs shows some hands reaching out to the sky, with a subtle "Lana Del Rey" wrote on the arm, trying to grasp the hand of the singer, recognizable to the microphone cable and expensive jewellery, on top of the photograph. Del Rey's hand can be seen as the hand of God, which another picture, strikingly similar to Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, strongly confirms. The singer loses its humanity to become a sacred idol, an archetypal and possibly shape-shifting idea of perfection because unattainable, a mere receptacle for love, as the fans transform in the purest version of humanity, only defined by their emotions and feelings. Another photograph shows a single tear at the corner of a fan, looking in adoration towards the singer that we cannot see, such as we cannot see God. These intense, strong emotions, can of course be linked to religious ecstasies and mystics. Stigmata, unexplained wounds appearing on the body of some mystics and corresponding in their emplacement and pain to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion, can be compared to the act of fan tattooing itself the exact same tattoo as its idol. Tattoos in general are an excellent example of the similarities of the relationship between religion and fandom, the reason perhaps being the physical implication and the pain required seen as a sacrifice, and representing the dedication of zealots, as only a small portion of extremely dedicated fans use it, due to the fact that tattoos last for life. In several cultures are tattoos considered as sacred and bearing mystical symbolism, such as Yantra tattooism practised by Buddhist monks. Tattoos can also arguably confirm the idea that the ultimate goal of a fan, like the one of a religious person, is to impersonate the object of their worship, as a process of sanctification. Some photographs shows some fans kneeling on the ground in the street, in prostration, as if in prayer, in front of some advertisements of Lana Del Rey for H&M clothing brand in 2012. They are but only semi parodic. This visual can be strongly related to the practice of prayer in Islam. Other patterns of worshipfulness can be found both in fandom and religion, such as the use of shrines, and the strong resemblance between a ceremonial mass and such thing as a concert, who can be compared to pilgrimages. Waiting several hours in line in order to get to the front row, especially since Del Rey is famous for often going into the pit and taking photographs and kissing her adoring fans, is common. Fans brings offerings to their god, such as Lana Del Rey fans bring letters and presents to the singer, which she collects when she goes down into the pit. The act of sanctification can again be mentioned, as the singer states in an interview that the most common element found in the letters she receive is the fans mentioning how much they relate to her. Shrines are not necessarily physical; it can took the form of homage or particular dedication. The fan technic of archiving is widely used within the Lana Del Rey fandom, with websites such as LanaBoards, the most complete and broad social forum on the singer, cited as a reference, whose extent goes far beyond the simple "basic" fan approach, with threads such as "Lanalysis", a 68 pages thorough investigation of the singer's lyrics, in order to determine all her potential love interests, to an extent that is has legal implications, the fans investigating the private lives of said love interests, always going further in their obsession, but still conscious that all their work is purely hypothetical. We can also cite LanaDelReyFan gallery's, who proudly claims containing more than 11000 photos of the singer, divided meticulously by categories and regularly updated. LanaBoards can interestingly be compared to a virtual religious community, where fans not only talk about absolutely anything relating to the songstress, but also to subjects of actuality, other entertainment news, and play games as a community, affirming itself as valid beyond popular culture by showing its moral implication through the use of communication and debates.

 

We've seen that Lana Del Rey fandom exposes clearly how can religion be compared to religion in many ways. However, some criticism can be brought, as fandoms do differ from religion on several aspects. Using again the example of Lana Del Rey fandom, we will approach what are the differences within the relationship between fandom and religion. In order to dissociate these two elements, we need to interest ourselves in what precisely is the purpose of both. Religion, fundamentally, exists to propose a meaning to life and the reason we exist and have been created on a spiritual level, it's primarily extent being the assumption that there is a greater power controlling and defining the role of humanity and its place within the universe, put in practice through the use of moral codes. Fandom, on the other hand, only exists for itself. Fandom has no other purpose than existing for its subject. As the intense emotions of fans show it, there is a definite emotional connection to a "greater power" that is represented by the idol - perhaps only greater as unobtainable, but not necessarily on a spiritual level. Fandom does not proposes an answer to why we exist as humans, but to why the idol exists, and the relation that as humans we have towards it. Where religions demands as a rooting definition the belief in the divine, fandom only requires the belief in its own subject, not on a metaphysical level. As the blogger Lady Geek Girl states in her essay "Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Fandom as Religion?", September 2014, " fans know that their favourite content was created by people." The object of a fan love is either human, or created by a human. Religion is precisely defined by the fact that it proposes that the origin of all is not human but greater. In the Lana Del Rey fandom, the humanity of the singer is what pinpoints her divinity in the eyes of a fan. One of the most viewed videos about Lana Del Rey is a concert excerpt from May 26th 2013, during her Paradise tour, at the Vicar Street Theatre venue in Dublin. Upon performing one of her most famous songs, who noticeably is the one that precisely made her famous, Video Games, the singer breaks down in tears and asks her fans, "you're going to have to sing it for me". Which the crowd does, singing in adoration, covering her voice. When asked about the experience, Lana Del Rey answers in her interview for Rolling Stones, June 4th, 2014:"It was just heavy. It's just heavy performing for people who really care about you, and you don't really care that much about yourself sometimes. I thought it was sad. I thought my position was sad. I thought it was sad to be in Ireland singing for people who really cared when I wasn't sure if I did." This quote highlights the fact that fans tend to worship what is more the idea of a person or element of pop culture, rather than the subject in itself and rather than a greater, more metaphysical element, often through an archetype, possibly the one of the Lover as proposed by Carl Jung. It goes to the point of having a direct influence on the idol's emotions and feelings, manipulating them. With religion the worshipping of the person of the god is essential, especially since part of what makes a god a god is the fact that it is ethereal, unreachable and beyond, greater than humanity, and the assumption that there is precisely no possibility nor desire to manipulate or change what makes the god itself is critically fundamental. An adept of a religion believes in it for what it is. A fan's reaction is much more different, as it can have an impact on the subject of its love, on emotional and practical levels, allowed by the fact that the object of their adoration is not divine but precisely human. Because the object of the fandom is human, and not a complex idea of a god, human laws apply with fandom that wouldn't be practised within religion. Copyright issues are required within fan art where there is engagement with the source material. This doesn't exist in religion, where the only barrier is ethics, without law implication other than decency, if a profane work is considered obscene or blasphemous - the exception being perhaps the representations of the prophet Muhammad in Islam, which is punished by the law. One can use a quote from for instance the Torah in their work without legally have to give credit to the source in a work designed to be marketed, whereas a fan has to credit its idol when it for instance uses copyrighted lyrics. But sacred texts in religion can become law, drawing an important dissociation from fandom. What also characterizes fandom is the fact that it is rooted and stems from pop culture. Because of this, it is often denigrated and considered as irrelevant, unable to have an impact further than popular culture. Although fandoms actually can have political impact through activism, collectives and networks, and although the acts of celebration and mobilization can be linked to some elements of religion, they are less powerful in a sense that, may they contain millions of people, what unify them is their love and dedication for a pop culture element. Religion, because of its history and because of its purpose, is much more accepted and powerful, to the point that they are some religious states, where religion dictates the law. The fans often also use primarily social media to express their veneration, rooting themselves even more in pop culture. On Twitter, we can find several examples of fans expressing clearly, "Lana Del Rey is my religion". However, what can be considered as sacred in a religion is often considered as parodic in fandoms. The iconic representations of Lana Del Rey that we mentioned earlier are parodic in a sense that they would be considered as profane and blasphemous for the members of the religion it refers to, here Christianity. The notion of sacred is important to divide fandoms from religions. The humanity of the object of devotion of Lana Del Rey's fans highlights that what is sacred for a fan is often for a great part the fetishism linked to the sexuality of the singer, often portrayed in photoshoots as sexual, which can also be found in interviews and in the purest form in the very art of the singer, in the lyrics. As we mentioned earlier, Del Rey is famous for her proximity with her fans, often seen kissing them on the mouth, naturally, as a pure disinterested act. This breaks the idea of an unobtainable and unreachable divine entity, creating a definite barrier between the representation of passionate love, Eros, and the love for the divine found in religion, Agape, all while reaffirming that fandoms differ from religion by showing the purest physical act of love, as a token of the humanity that defines a fandom, existing not to explain the purpose of our existence on a metaphysical level, but just as a simple, symbolic act of human love, existing for no purpose other than existing.

 

Lana Del Rey fandom and its practices and common fan technics are but one of countless examples of always reaffirmed similarities and overlaps between fandom and religion. Fandoms, using the fan technic of appropriation, mimics religions practises in many ways. However, as we explored in this essay, there are some definite boundaries that prevent us to completely associate these two primarily human elements. Connections on the spiritual level, notions of profane and sacred create disparities, only reinforced by the denigration of fandom being valid because of its intrinsic implication in popular culture that defines it and the applications of laws and ethics it ensues. Basing ourselves in the conclusions we have found in this essay, we could suggest that fandoms are actually not religions, although borrowing most of their methods of practices, but more accurately subcultures. We could extend our analysis by interesting ourselves in exploring if in a broader fashion, subcultures are actually religions, and if religions are not actually subcultures. 

 

 

[luminom 3,286]

omg i love this 

[Trash Magic 28,472]

the term "fandom" makes me want to vomit up my internal organs

[annedauphine 36,054]

omg i love this 

 

Thanks omg it means the world to me

the term "fandom" makes me want to vomit up my internal organs

 

Me too I'm sorry, but there's not much more choice available

[BlueJeans 2,608]

Great read ! ^^

[annedauphine 36,054]

Great read ! ^^

Thank you so much 

[kingadam 765]

wow great read

[annedauphine 36,054]

wow great read

Thank you so much, I'm happy you liked it

[longtimeman 9,011]

This was an interesting read - thanks for sharing it. Your tutor had to put that note about using theorists to back it up, despite the fact that most of the interesting discussions about sociology and pop culture are happening outside academia and on the internet.

 

 As we mentioned earlier, Del Rey is famous for her proximity with her fans, often seen kissing them on the mouth, naturally, as a pure disinterested act. This breaks the idea of an unobtainable and unreachable divine entity, creating a definite barrier between the representation of passionate love, Eros, and the love for the divine found in religion, Agape, all while reaffirming that fandoms differ from religion by showing the purest physical act of love, as a token of the humanity that defines a fandom, existing not to explain the purpose of our existence on a metaphysical level, but just as a simple, symbolic act of human love, existing for no purpose other than existing.

 

I've never seen it put quite like this, but watching Lana kiss her fans is such a break from what is expected in this relationship or transaction that it's more transgressive than Sid Vicious writing 'Gimme A Fix' across his chest. It's a breaking of the fourth wall, or a destruction of boundaries that is startling. I think people can question its 'authenticity' because it's so startling, but all the evidence appears to show that it's not affectation or gimmick.

[annedauphine 36,054]

This was an interesting read - thanks for sharing it. Your tutor had to put that note about using theorists to back it up, despite the fact that most of the interesting discussions about sociology and pop culture are happening outside academia and on the internet.

 

 

I've never seen it put quite like this, but watching Lana kiss her fans is such a break from what is expected in this relationship or transaction that it's more transgressive than Sid Vicious writing 'Gimme A Fix' across his chest. It's a breaking of the fourth wall, or a destruction of boundaries that is startling. I think people can question its 'authenticity' because it's so startling, but all the evidence appears to show that it's not affectation or gimmick.

Wow thanks for the feedback.

 

Yeah I agree about the theorists. I don't understand why it's academically required, it's frustrating. Just because it's not printed in a book doesn't mean it's less worthy. Besides I'm pretty sure the people he named are a bit far stretched from my subject and in only 3500 words I couldn't expend much. But I also recognize I should have researched more. I found so many things after finishing and submitting it ugh. I want to continue writing on the subject including all I didn't found first.

 

That is extremely interesting. To be honest I wasn't quite sure about what I was writing, and I actually found that using only Lana fandom to confront religion and fandoms was restricting, so again it seemed quite a reach when I wrote this. I'm fascinated by this act though, the act of kissing fans on the mouth, with all the cultural implications it has, and I highly appreciate your Sid Vicious input, thank you! It's part of what makes Lana so peculiar in my eyes; her acts of transgression are so "connected" and relevant to the rest of what she does, like she does what she wants and she means it, it's cheesy bit it's a bit like a """"soft revolution"""",  and I absolutely agree with you saying that it's what makes people question her authenticity. In my eyes she's obviously authentic, even in her lies and fantasies. Because she puts her idea of what is beautiful before everything, like her Grazia quote, "I like the idea that truth shouldn't cross the path of a good lie", something along the lines. I find it very elegant of her to express this kind of unsettling bare-boned authenticity in a way that remains completely accurate to herself. Oh God sorry I'm not sure if that sounds as good as it did in my head. Anyway, I'm really haunted and fascinated by this particular subject so thanks a lot for your input! 

[longtimeman 9,011]

Sure.
 
It occurred to me that Lana, as a woman, is also taking quite an interesting approach to creating a kind of iconic (and iconoclastic) image in her performances.
 
Her instagram photo:

She's absorbed in her music, but she's also standing in that no man's land between artists and audience, and has given her hand to the people in the front row. The perspective of the photo also gives the feeling that she's 'lowered herself' to meet her minions, but her gesture of offering her hand without reservation is also an act of placing her fans on her level.
 
Compare with two other semi-religious rock images, both showing men whose idea of 'godlike' is in their aloofness.
 
Nick Cave crouches above the audience, while they reach out their hands unable to touch him, and his hand is also outstretched but is making no effort to actually make contact.
 
http://collections.theartscentre.com.au/paminter/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=35446&width=524&format=jpeg
 
Iggy Pop walks across the crowd, referencing Jesus walking on water

 
While Iggy is in physical danger, and he's making direct contact with the audience, he's still mostly using them as a prop, and foot-to-hand contact has very different connotations to hand-to-hand. 
 
Anyway, thanks for making me think about this stuff
 

[annedauphine 36,054]

Oh God, I didn't even thought about her being a woman, you make an excellent point I'm pissed haha. This is so relevant. I'm obsessed by Chuck's photographies, it's a big part of why I wanted to do my essay specifically on Lana. In this particular photo, I think that two important things is that first she shared it herself, she specifically chose this one, and secondly she's turning her back to her fans, and facing therefore the stage. I could rant forever on this, don't even get me started ugh. In this photo too, unlike the others, there is a physical contact. I should have talked more about how she actually goes into the pit and collect stuff and all. I mean it's not that uncommon but she talks about it a lot and I also remember this Kroq interview from 2012 if I recall well where the dude asks her why people cry upon meeting her... Arghhhggh so much more stuff! Anyway the more I look into this photo and the more peculiar and masterful it appears to me, the composition is so good and it seems that there is so much more to it. Chuck (if I'm not a fake stan and it's really her who took it) is really freaking talented. 

 

I find the connection you make to these other artist hella interesting, first thing that I notice is that the dudes remain "superior" to their public in the sense that they're not on the same level, they're still on the stage, even though Nick Cave is crouching. I recall some Beyoncé performance too where she touches the hands of fans but stay on the stage. I wonder if Lana actually "showing her proximity", "showing her humanity", by descending into the pit and interacting much more with the fans - to the point of recreating what is usually seen as an act of love, kissing on the mouth - actually makes her more of a divinity in the eyes of fans. I'm repeating myself, I know. I def agree with what you said about Iggy. I also recall the famous "let me fucking do what I'm fucking doing, signing things" vid. It's iconic and hilarious and super Lana precisely because of what we all said, and it precisely makes us (or at least me haha) adore her even more. Her proximity, her humanity. It's a fascinating vicious circle.

 

No thanks to you for being interested in what I wrote, it's really what I enjoyed the most to write ever and it's a real luxury to be able to discuss it about the very concerned people, especially when you're kind enough to provide me with references I wouldn't have thought of myself

[DeadAgainst 1,515]

Great connections … I observed much the same in Tropico way back when http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/3823-tropico-analysis/page-7&do=findComment&comment=152372

 

Lana is very self-aware of what she is doing, for sure

[annedauphine 36,054]

Great connections … I observed much the same in Tropico way back when http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/3823-tropico-analysis/page-7&do=findComment&comment=152372

 

Lana is very self-aware of what she is doing, for sure

 

Omfg that is beyond fascinating, I'm panting thank you so muchhhh, still have to read this thread thoroughly! Your observations will definitely have a huge impact on my thinking. And Lana having studied Metaphysics is def part of what makes her stand out in a stellar way in my eyes. I wish I could sit with her for an hour and discuss it with her ugh. I really super wonder what she would think of all of this, especially being the person concerned. I always forget that idols can be fans too, too. 

 

Thank you to everyone who have read the essay, I'm just so happy to be able to discuss it.

[delreyfreak 5,342]

Brilliant essay! I loved reading it. I think using Lana to justify your views regarding this topic worked extremely well. She is definitely one of the more "worshipped" artists out there and using her definitely helped to get your point across to whomever was reading/marking it. Good job! 

[annedauphine 36,054]

Omfg!!!! Finally managed to fix the html tag after 7 months

 

 

Brilliant essay! I loved reading it. I think using Lana to justify your views regarding this topic worked extremely well. She is definitely one of the more "worshipped" artists out there and using her definitely helped to get your point across to whomever was reading/marking it. Good job! 

 

Thank you so much, it means the world to me! I became a Lana fan in December and a huge part of it was because I watched interviews and lurked on Lanalysis so it was important to me to pay it kind of an homage. It was kind of frustrating actually to only talk about Lana because this subject unbelievably interests me and it kind of limited the discussion, but it's not every day that you're able to present a totally valid academic paper on the very person you're spend all your nights dreaming about. I appreciate that you agree with the fact that she's one of the most worshipped. God. I really regret not having talked about the fact that she's a woman. Bless you thank you again