1. Introduction

This study aims to conduct in-depth research on fandom culture from a cross-cultural research perspective, in order to fill the research gap in this field. This study is mainly a retrospective study, analyzing existing research data and results, proposing research innovation points and future effective intervention methods, aiming to promote the healthy development of fandom culture.

2. Main body

2.1 Research background

With the rapid development of globalization and information dissemination, the cultures of countries around the world are intertwined, forming diverse cultural backgrounds. In this context, the emerging cultural phenomenon of fandom culture has gradually become a focus of attention in research. In China, fan culture originates from the celebrity fan community, which is formed by fans to express their love for their idols. This cultural phenomenon, through the interaction between the internet and reality, not only promotes the promotion and socialization of celebrities, but also spawns a series of activities such as ranking and voting. However, with the continuous expansion of fan culture, some negative impacts it has caused have gradually surfaced.

Multiple studies in China have focused on Chinese fan culture, pointing out its potential negative impact on social values and potential hidden dangers in social governance and youth growth. However, fan culture is not limited to China; it exists globally. In this context, this article aims to conduct cross-cultural research using the fan culture of China and the United States as an example, to deeply explore the similarities and differences of fan culture in different cultural environments and its impact on society.

In the context of globalization, the development of fan culture is influenced by multiple factors, including the popularity of social media, the shaping of personal brands of celebrities, and the activity of online and offline activities. This article aims to explore the development characteristics of Chinese and American fan culture in different cultural contexts through a comparative study, and analyze the impact of these characteristics on society, entertainment industry, and fan groups. Through cross-cultural research on fan culture, this article aims to provide useful reference and guidance for the future development of Chinese fan culture, as well as a deeper perspective for the global understanding of this emerging cultural phenomenon.

2.2 The positioning of fan culture

For the present, the phenomenon of "fans" and "fan culture" is a very complex phenomenon, which is no longer just a general "subculture" of teenagers, but has evolved in recent years and formed very negative effects. Zhang believes that the fandom culture has already experienced a significant degree of "interest oriented" and "influence oriented" phenomenon, and related intermediaries play an essential role in this bound, interest oriented, and influence oriented relationship. These are the organizers of some fan circles known as "fandom". "Fan Tou" has influence and appeal, and to a certain extent, is a professional person who relies on the "fan circle" to live a professional life. They manipulate the speech direction of the "fan" group, organize the "fan" group, connect the two in multiple ways, and build an intimate interactive relationship. Unlike ordinary fans, there is a highly close interest relationship between fans and idols. They are fully involved in the entertainment industry of celebrities, building a bridge between fans and celebrities, and benefiting from professional operations. Under the influence of the interests of all parties, the relationship of "one prosperity, one loss" forms the foundation for the connection between celebrities and "fans". Due to the formation of a community of interests, the collapse of celebrities means the collapse of the community. Fans will experience severe anxiety and stronger reactions, leading to increasingly extreme remarks. The phenomenon of "fan influence" and "interest" has caused quite serious social problems, which have a severe impact on the social atmosphere, especially in the entertainment industry[1].

Stars are a paradoxical existence in modern society. They are symbolic commodities, but also real people with fragile physical bodies; It is "real, sincere, but also dreamy and ideal. To become a celebrity fan, one must have the ability to deal with the many contradictions in the phenomenon of celebrities, and adjust emotions and rationality to an appropriate ratio. When examining" girlfriend fans ", Wu stated that the relationship between girlfriend fans and celebrities is" knowing their vanity but disregarding their own interests, knowing their unattainability but still being addicted. "[2].

Long term idol worship is a typical entertainment activity with multiple meaningful clues pointing to it[3]. It helps the fan community establish self-confidence and naturally formed group cohesion. Gradually, a culture of "star chasing nationalism" has also emerged. Unlike previous nationalists, these nationalists, mainly composed of little pink, have shifted their way of chasing stars to the country. They believe they have a country, they invest their emotions, and they believe they have a responsibility to make the country the best in competition with other countries. When the country is subjected to unfair treatment, they will actively declare war on their competitors. They view and participate rather than look up and worship, personalizing the country[4].

Ling and Wei believe that the negative star chasing phenomenon and increasingly deviant, unqualified, and out of control behaviors promoted by the "fan circle culture" have a certain impact on social order, good customs, and mainstream values, posing hidden dangers to ideological security and social governance, especially having a negative impact on the cultivation of correct values and healthy growth of young people. The internal circle shaping of "fan circle culture" has strong social organizational power and inciting force. The development of "fandom culture" 's internal competition promotes vicious competition among its circles, leading to some social deviant behaviors[5]. As a consumer culture, fandom culture is a continuous emotional consumption, that is, consumer goods that cannot be consumed completely. This worship and fanatical consumption can permeate into every corner of society. In Chinese universities, the fluctuations in the influencing factors of fan group consumption views are mainly caused by rational interests and emotional values. Only by continuously adjusting and balancing the impact of these two factors can achieve a dynamic balance of personal consumption views and achieve healthy and long-term development [6]. Most of the time, fans are well aware of the Internet capital squeezing system, but due to the lack of "initiative and choice", they can only follow the logic of capital to maintain the star chasing game of food circle[7].

In Hu and Liu' s "Mirror of Reality: Social Symptoms Behind Fan Circle Culture"[8], what is seen is the social phenomenon reflected by fan circle culture. Due to the excessive internalization of reality, people place their happy emotions on the shining stars, and there are also many stars who have debuted from the bottom, carrying the expectations of ordinary people for their own stage and projecting their own vision onto Idol. In the development process of fan culture, it constantly develops a "female oriented" cultural consumption direction, which can provide female audiences with space for creation and expression when women counter "stare" at male idols or "get high on tanbi culture".

2.3 Current research status abroad

By now, reading mass media coverage as symptomatic of the cultural status of fandom has become a central genre in fan studies[9].Newsweek reduces the phenomenon of “social media” or “web 2.0” to the phrase, “it’s not an audience, it’s a community,” arguing that such services transform the relationship between media producers and consumers. The socialization of social media is driving fan groups to become consumers in the social media community.

Barbara Ehrenreich, Elizabeth Hess and Gloria Jacobs travel back intime to 1964 and rediscover the meaning of girls' hysterical adoration of the Beatles. After investigating the social expectations placed on female adolescents of the period, they explain how sexual repression and narrow sex-roles gave rise to Beatles fandom. They raise a number of important issues about the nature of fan-star relationships, including the point that female fans often choose stars that represent subversive versions of heterosexuality. The authors are led to the conclusion that the mass organization of girls around the Beatles constituted a significant advance towards the political movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s [10]. In fan culture, celebrities can provide fans with emotional release and imaginative beauty in a repressed environment, which is also why fans pursue celebrities.

At present, there needs to be more discussion on regulating and restricting the development of fan culture in foreign countries, and more emphasis is placed on respecting its free development while studying the economic, political, and cultural benefits it brings. The unrestricted development of fan culture can make certain trend predictions for the future development of fan culture in China.

According to research by Henry Jenkins and others on fans, becoming a fan is not only related to consumption, but also involves affiliations, cultural production, cultural expression, and so on[11]. Under the influence of capital operation and the internal structure of fan groups, "fan culture" exhibits characteristics such as high internal consistency, collective fanaticism, and religiosity. In fan research, fans are often seen as uncontrollable, irrational, and easily influenced by external forces. Leiden and Steiner found that fans have two main characteristics - intensity and paranoia[12].

American psychologist and pioneer of emotional research, Silvan Tomkins, believes that one of the overall goals of human emotional life is to maximize positive emotions. This goal may seem simple, but it is not easy to achieve. This people will directly or indirectly associate positive emotions with negative emotions, believing that extreme happiness leads to sorrow; At the same time, those who strive for happiness will also be regarded as hedonists and narcissists, believing that their pursuit is destined to fail and their fate will be tragic[13].

2.4 The difference between American fan culture and Chinese fan culture

As a consumer powerhouse, the United States is the country where consumerism is most prevalent, and fans are also a major consumer group in the United States. Under the cultural background of the United States, individual heroism is prevalent, which is reflected in literary works. The United States created individual heroism represented by cowboys in Western films with the spirit of exploring freedom, while China created heroism represented by "heroes" in martial arts films with the Confucian spirit of benefiting the world. They are both part of hero culture but exhibit cultural differences in their specific expressions[14].

In the West, celebrities are a product that personifies social significance and ideology, serving as a social symbol, a marketing method, and an individual and collective consumer object. In the economically prosperous modern American society, with the development of digital media technology, more and more people regard "star chasing" as a consumption behavior to meet their spiritual needs. In "The Big Bang of Life", it is common to see four male protagonists spending a lot of money to attend their favorite movie star meetings. Various model toys and posters of film and television dramas can be seen everywhere in their respective rooms. The comic store on the street corner has even become one of the regular scenes in the show, and fan consumption behavior can be said to be commonplace. Meanwhile, with the increasing demand for culture, the concept of "celebrity" is also expanding. For example, renowned scientists Stephen Hawking, Marvel Studios director Stan Lee, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and others all play their real-life selves as regular guests in the show, portraying the "stars" pursued by several leading actors. The transformation of fan consumption behavior reflects the birth of scholar stars, director stars, and commercial stars in real life, and a new consumer culture where entertainment stars no longer dominate the film and television industry[15]. Its diverse and unique fan culture has a certain reference value for research. It is not just "stars" that are "stars", but their consumption is a means for consumers to satisfy their spiritual world.

In China, fan culture elevates the people or things loved by fans to the "altar". When they believe that their own celebrities are facing injustice, they will take the initiative to protect their rights, and the initiative of celebrities is greatly reduced. However, in most irrational and fanatical fan communities, when conflicts intensify, there is more collision between emotions, and problem-solving is delayed or even put on hold. In the United States, celebrities will promptly and quickly defend their own rights, personally confront each other, and their initiative can better drive the fan base, causing a greater likelihood of positive or negative impact. Moreover, American celebrities are more proactive in accessing social resources, and they do not overly care about "occupying" public resources. Instead, they prioritize individuals over everything else.

3. Conclusion

3.1 The reference significance of cross-cultural research on fan culture

The initiative of artists needs to be improved: For celebrities in the entertainment and sports industries, due to their significant social influence, especially entertainment stars, who have a large fan base, their behavior often has a certain impact on the fan base or the group that pays attention to them. Therefore, as public figures, they should play a positive and guiding role in society. If an artist, due to their own public identity, is afraid of occupying public resources and hands over their initiative to the fan community too much, allowing events to continue to ferment and deviate, it will actually occupy public resources to a greater extent and have a negative impact on society. Moreover, as the parties involved in the incident, they should actively protect their own rights and respect public resources, actively control the development of the incident, clarify the information obtained, and reduce the aggressive behavior and negative impact of fan groups due to information asymmetry. Promote the resolution of disputes as soon as possible while occupying smaller social resources.

Restrictions and norms on the capital operation behind celebrities: Standardizing the capital operation behind celebrities is crucial for shaping a good fan culture. Establish transparency and integrity mechanisms, publicly disclose financial reports, to enhance fan trust in celebrities and their teams. At the same time, celebrities should establish ethical standards, emphasize social responsibility, and encourage active participation in charitable and public welfare undertakings. By involving fans in decision-making, such as selecting public welfare projects, and through educational guidance, advocating rational celebrity chasing and respecting the privacy of others, a positive and healthy fan culture can be established, promoting closer relationships between celebrities and fans, and having a positive impact on the entire society.

Strengthening the management of social platforms: By strengthening the management of social platforms, it is possible to effectively shape and maintain a good fan culture. Social platforms can provide fans with a safer and more friendly environment by establishing clear rules and guidelines to restrict inappropriate speech and behavior, prevent the spread of rumors, online violence, and irrational language. This strengthened management not only helps to protect the rights and interests of celebrities and fans, reduce disputes and conflicts, but also creates a positive atmosphere and promotes the development of fan culture towards rationality, sharing, and unity. The active management of social platforms not only helps to promote the healthy growth of fan groups, but also makes a positive contribution to the improvement of the entire social network environment, creating a new trend of excellent fan culture.

Public education and aesthetic enhancement: Strengthening the promotion of public order and good customs, synchronously cultivating cultural confidence and inclusiveness among the people, helping them establish a good sense of cultural support, reducing their anxiety and anxiety, alleviating their life pressure, and thus reducing their excessive behavior among netizens.

Scientific application of law enforcement measures and management based on respecting the fan community in the fan circle: Through scientific application of law enforcement measures, management can be carried out on the basis of respecting the fan community in the fan circle, thereby establishing a good fan culture. This includes establishing clear regulations and rules, regulating online behavior while respecting the rights and wishes of fan groups, and strengthening the prevention of deviant behaviors such as online violence and privacy infringement. By emphasizing the principle of respect and implementing reasonable and fair law enforcement measures, the relationship between celebrities and fans can be effectively maintained. Through the guidance of social values and good culture, a fair and transparent "fan circle community" management system can be created. This practice of scientific law enforcement not only helps to reduce disputes and conflicts, but also provides a sense of order and security for the healthy development of fan culture, emphasizing the importance of respecting the fan community in the entire social network environment.

3.2 Theoretical value

In this article, based on domestic and foreign research content, this study conducted a more in-depth study on the perspective of cross-cultural research and found that research in the field of cross-cultural research on fan culture is still in a state of scarcity. However, its significant reference significance for the improvement and optimization of fan culture can promote cultural communication and exchange, as well as the renewal and iteration of fan culture. However, due to the lack of research content in this field, there is still a lack of supporting literature in this article, and the content discussed is still relatively simple. It is hoped that this article can provide the public with a new perspective and insight, help optimize and update the culture of the fan circle, and create a high-quality cultural industry that people enjoy.

3.3 Suggestions and Outlook

In addressing key issues, this study focus on the guiding role of artists in fan culture and the standardization of platform capital operations behind them. Firstly, regarding the guiding role of artists, this research suggest that they strengthen their positive guidance towards their fans, and through active social participation and exemplary behavior, guide the fan community to form a rational and civilized star chasing culture. Artists can use social media platforms to have more direct communication with fans, emphasizing the importance of rational dialogue and sharing positive energy to resolve potential negative emotions and behaviors. In addition, artists can also set positive examples for fans and promote the development of fan culture in a more beneficial direction by participating in charitable activities and other social welfare undertakings.

This study suggest learning from advanced management technologies and experiences both domestically and internationally regarding the standardization of capital operations on the underlying platform. This study can learn from successful cases abroad and learn from their effective management mechanisms in capital operation to ensure that the relationship between celebrities and fans is properly handled. It is recommended that the platform establish a transparent and standardized mechanism, publicly disclose financial reports, to enhance the trust of fans in the platform. At the same time, the platform can introduce international management concepts, fully consider cultural differences, and better meet the needs of fans worldwide.

Most importantly, this study encourage the full integration of cultural advantages in creating a better fan culture. Each country's culture has unique values and traditions, which can become positive elements for the development of fan culture. On the basis of cross-cultural research, this study can draw essence from various cultures and integrate it into the shaping of food circle culture. By promoting traditional culture and positive energy, fan culture can be better integrated into society, and positive cultural concepts can be disseminated globally.

Overall, by guiding the positive role of artists, regulating platform capital operations, and combining the cultural advantages of various countries, this study can provide a more beneficial path for the development of fan culture. This requires joint efforts from all parties to form a joint force, in order to ensure that the fan culture can prosper and flourish in a multicultural context. This study hope that future practice and research can delve deeper into these issues and make greater contributions to the sustainable development of fan culture.