EVERYTHING I NEED I GET FROM YOU
How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It
by Kaitlyn Tiffany
An insider’s look at obsessive fandom in the internet age.
Using “the first internet boy band” One Direction as a foundation, Atlantic staff writer Tiffany’s entertaining debut explores how digital hyperconnectivity can transform personal passions into complicated and communal online lifestyles. She tracks One Direction’s early fame from episodes of The X Factor to sold-out arenas around the world and deftly articulates the perfect storm of social media, hysteria, and mythmaking that made such a success possible. A superfan herself, the author invites readers into the trenches of Tumblr and Twitter to chronicle his discussions with significant players in a diverse swath of fan scenes. Throughout her study, she embraces online slang, unabashedly detailing the nuances between stanning and shipping among a lexicon of new, evolving terminology. Discussing the popular trend of circulating niche, nearly incomprehensible One Direction memes, Tiffany coyly explains how their viral success was engineered because “we have talked so much about these people that we no longer have anything left to say that isn’t totally absurd.” This sentiment rings throughout the book, which later shifts into an enthralling study of how some fans try to create juicy lore out of nothing, often with problematic results. Dreaming up celebrity couples (and combining their names into a snappy portmanteau) is a common pastime for many fans, but some fantasies, such as the idea that band members Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson might secretly be an item, have barreled aggressively into the realm of conspiracy theories. Personal anecdotes elevate Tiffany’s book into a heartfelt memoir wrapped in an ethnographic analysis, as the author insightfully examines contemporary loneliness and our growing need to feel like we’re a part of something. Despite its focus on One Direction, the text buzzes with broader relevance that should appeal to readers interested in the “unlimited chaotic energy” of life online.
A finely balanced pop-culture investigation.