粉絲文化的狂潮：1世代流行現象中的第三波英國入侵、後族裔政治與少女情慾革命

The New Wave of Fan Culture: The Third Wave British Invasion, Post-Racial Politics, And Teen Girls’ Sexual Revolution in One Direction’s Pop Sensation

本文將以近年來英國最成功的男孩團體1世代（One Direction）為例子，分析新一波的粉絲文化背後所隱含的各種文化意涵。1世代崛起於英國選秀節目《X音素》（The X Factor）在2011年推出第一張專輯，《青春無敵》（Up All Night）以後旋即成為當代最成功的英國男孩團體，不只成為披頭四之後第一個登上美國告示排行榜第一名的英倫團體，更席捲全球資本，成為亞洲地區最紅的西洋團體。文章第一部分將針對「英國入侵」（British Invasion）現象進行分析。英國入侵首先在60年代中期由披頭四樂團帶起，指的是英國搖滾樂在美國市場的大舉成功，80年代一群新浪潮搖滾龐克樂團再度席捲美國音樂市場，被視為第二波英國入侵。不過，在這個文化現象中，所謂的英國性其實是被建構出來的，這種「想像出的英國性」反映出的是美國社會對英國文化帶有陽剛形象、青少年反叛精神與勞工階層特色的文化圖像的一種想像投射。這樣「想像中的英國性」（Imagined Englishness）在1世代所帶起的「第三波英國入侵」已被問題化。所謂的「英國性」（Englishness）也轉變為「大不列顛性」（Britishness）。在2010年代這波英國流行樂對美國文化所進行的入侵中，不只顯示出英國文化徹底被「美國化」與「陰柔化」的結果，更反映出英國由「階層社會」轉化為「族裔社會」的過程。文章第二部分分析商品化的族裔身份。1世代在出道不久後即推出公仔玩偶，粉絲人手一個「男版芭比娃娃」，直接操控、玩耍男孩身體，2013年，1世代五個成員更被製作為蠟像，被擺放於杜沙夫人蠟像館中任粉絲拍照擁吻。這個商品化現象更與當代「黑色英國」（Black Britain）的概念有關，反映出80年代以後英國文化包含南亞移民與愛爾蘭人民的混種文化性。團中擁有巴基斯坦血統、擁有異國情調長相的贊恩（Zayn）以及出身愛爾蘭的奈爾（Niall）受到粉絲高度擁戴，使得族裔身份也進一步成為文化資本。本文認為這種文化現象暗示英國社會的族裔問題已成過去式，進入「後族裔政治」（post-racial politics）的時代，並點出「後」族裔政治不過是一種大眾迷思。文章最後一部分探討女粉絲的情慾革命與男性主體的陰柔化。1世代女粉絲大多為14歲到20歲的青少女，在追隨偶像的過程中，女粉絲不只進行各種空間僭越與佔據，無時無地包圍無助的男偶像；也展現出自主情慾，時常在網路上留下高度情慾化的留言；甚至自己成為小說家，創作自己與偶像之間的情慾小說。女粉絲的空間能動性、情慾主體與文化創造力證明了她們並非被動接受資本1世代流行現象中的主義產業的洗腦。隨著女粉絲情慾革命而來的是男性主體受到陰柔化的現象，男性主體在消費與商品文化的時代背景下，頻繁登上時尚雜誌，甚至推出香水品第三波英國入侵、後族裔政治與少女情慾革命牌，形象已高度陰柔化。本文最後將指出這種現象與90年代之後興起的後女性／張約翰主義（postfeminism）與女孩力量（girlpower）現象有關，並試圖超越過去主流女性主義學者對後女性主義的普遍批判，指出少女文化的突破力量。 This current paper uses One Direction to analyze multiple cultural and social changes during the new wave of fan culture. One Direction originally rose to fame from The X Factor. After releasing their first bestselling album Up All Night in 2011, they immediately became the most successful contemporary British boy band. They not only became the first British group to top the Billboard after the Beatles but also became the most popular western group in Asia, finally becoming a global music phenomenon. The first part of the article focuses on “British Invasion” as a unique music phenomenon. The first wave was brought by the Beatles in the mid-60s, signifying the enormous success of British rock ‘n’ roll in the United States. In the 80s, a new wave of rock/ punk music invaded in the States again, seen as the second wave of British Invasion. Interestingly, the so-called “Englishness” is actually imagined and constructed. This “imagined Englishness” reflects the American fantasy of a British culture that embodies working-class masculinity, youth subculture and subversive spirit. The “imagined Englishness” is, however, problematized in the third wave of British Invasion brought by One Direction. In this new wave, Englishness is turned into Britishness, and rock ‘n’ roll is replaced by classic teen pop. The third wave not only reveals how contemporary British society is invaded by American pop culture in the first place but also shows how Britain is gradually turned from a class society into an ethnic society after the 80s. The second part of the article analyzes commodified racial identity. One Direction’s dolls are produced and sold fast to the degree that almost every single fan owns a “male Barbie doll.” In 2013, the boys were further transformed into wax figures, displayed at Madame Tussauds wax museums globally and manipulated by their fans. The phenomenon is closely related to contemporary post-racial politics and the idea of the so-called “Black Britain,” reflecting how the British society embodies South Asian immigrants and Irish people since the 80s. Zayn Malik with his Pakistani descent and strong ethnic looks, along with Niall Horan, who is highly conscious of his Irish identity, are both highly celebrated by their fans, who are equally aware of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Ethnic identity is now turned into cultural capital. This phenomenon implies that the racial problems of contemporary British society are already in the past, demonstrating a “post-racial politics.” This article, however, points out that a post-racial politics is still but a popular fantasy. The last part of the article theorizes female fans’ sexual revolution and the boys’ feminized subjectivity. Most of One Direction’s fans are teen girls from 14 to 20 years old. While supporting their idols, they perform spatial transgression, sieging vulnerable male idols all the times. They also show their sexual desire by leaving highly eroticized statements online. They even become novelists themselves, creating erotic fan fiction about One Direction and them. The fans’ spatial transgression, sexual desire, and cultural creativity show that they are not just passive objects controlled and manipulated by consumerist culture and the cultural industry. Along with the female fans’ sexual revolution came the boys’ feminized subjectivity. The boys frequently grace the covers of major fashion magazines and they even create their own fragrance, “Our Moment.” Male subjects are highly feminized in contemporary consumerist culture. This article observes that these two phenomena are closely linked to postfeminism and “girl power” since the 90s. It also seeks to transcend the previous mainstream feminist criticism of postfeminism, acknowledging the subversive power coming from contemporary teen girl culture.

This current paper uses One Direction to analyze multiple cultural and social changes during the new wave of fan culture. One Direction originally rose to fame from The X Factor. After releasing their first bestselling album Up All Night in 2011, they immediately became the most successful contemporary British boy band. They not only became the first British group to top the Billboard after the Beatles but also became the most popular western group in Asia, finally becoming a global music phenomenon. The first part of the article focuses on “British Invasion” as a unique music phenomenon. The first wave was brought by the Beatles in the mid-60s, signifying the enormous success of British rock ‘n’ roll in the United States. In the 80s, a new wave of rock/ punk music invaded in the States again, seen as the second wave of British Invasion. Interestingly, the so-called “Englishness” is actually imagined and constructed. This “imagined Englishness” reflects the American fantasy of a British culture that embodies working-class masculinity, youth subculture and subversive spirit. The “imagined Englishness” is, however, problematized in the third wave of British Invasion brought by One Direction. In this new wave, Englishness is turned into Britishness, and rock ‘n’ roll is replaced by classic teen pop. The third wave not only reveals how contemporary British society is invaded by American pop culture in the first place but also shows how Britain is gradually turned from a class society into an ethnic society after the 80s. The second part of the article analyzes commodified racial identity. One Direction’s dolls are produced and sold fast to the degree that almost every single fan owns a “male Barbie doll.” In 2013, the boys were further transformed into wax figures, displayed at Madame Tussauds wax museums globally and manipulated by their fans. The phenomenon is closely related to contemporary post-racial politics and the idea of the so-called “Black Britain,” reflecting how the British society embodies South Asian immigrants and Irish people since the 80s. Zayn Malik with his Pakistani descent and strong ethnic looks, along with Niall Horan, who is highly conscious of his Irish identity, are both highly celebrated by their fans, who are equally aware of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Ethnic identity is now turned into cultural capital. This phenomenon implies that the racial problems of contemporary British society are already in the past, demonstrating a “post-racial politics.” This article, however, points out that a post-racial politics is still but a popular fantasy. The last part of the article theorizes female fans’ sexual revolution and the boys’ feminized subjectivity. Most of One Direction’s fans are teen girls from 14 to 20 years old. While supporting their idols, they perform spatial transgression, sieging vulnerable male idols all the times. They also show their sexual desire by leaving highly eroticized statements online. They even become novelists themselves, creating erotic fan fiction about One Direction and them. The fans’ spatial transgression, sexual desire, and cultural creativity show that they are not just passive objects controlled and manipulated by consumerist culture and the cultural industry. Along with the female fans’ sexual revolution came the boys’ feminized subjectivity. The boys frequently grace the covers of major fashion magazines and they even create their own fragrance, “Our Moment.” Male subjects are highly feminized in contemporary consumerist culture. This article observes that these two phenomena are closely linked to postfeminism and “girl power” since the 90s. It also seeks to transcend the previous mainstream feminist criticism of postfeminism, acknowledging the subversive power coming from contemporary teen girl culture.