The boys of summer : my life as a closeted One Direction fangirl

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Authors
Cavanagh, Natali
Advisor
Hansen, Silas
Issue Date
2018-05
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Degree
Thesis (B.?)
Department
Honors College
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Abstract

In 2011, One Direction took the world by storm, reviving the boy band craze in the West; even after the band went on official hiatus in 2016, it's difficult to deny their influence on the music industry and British/American culture. Despite their popularity, the stigma of One Direction, One Direction fan culture, and the boy band genre is persistent. In a culture that fears both the exacerbation and lack of female sexual desire, the One Direction fan girl (or Directioner) faces shame and the pressure to suppress excitement and desire (at least, most of the time). Through her personal experiences as a closeted Directioner, a closeted asexual, and a budding writer, the author will reflect on present day fangirl culture, understanding how young girls are taught to think about femininity and analyzing our relationships with artists and celebrities. Through cultural criticism and creative nonfiction personal essays, the author will critique, praise, and remember her teenagehood with the lenses of sexuality, the roles of the artist and the audience, and what it means to be a woman.In 2011, One Direction took the world by storm, reviving the boy band craze in the West; even after the band went on official hiatus in 2016, it's difficult to deny their influence on the music industry and British/American culture. Despite their popularity, the stigma of One Direction, One Direction fan culture, and the boy band genre is persistent. In a culture that fears both the exacerbation and lack of female sexual desire, the One Direction fan girl (or Directioner) faces shame and the pressure to suppress excitement and desire (at least, most of the time). Through her personal experiences as a closeted Directioner, a closeted asexual, and a budding writer, the author will reflect on present day fangirl culture, understanding how young girls are taught to think about femininity and analyzing our relationships with artists and celebrities. Through cultural criticism and creative nonfiction personal essays, the author will critique, praise, and remember her teenagehood with the lenses of sexuality, the roles of the artist and the audience, and what it means to be a woman.