Fandoms are an amazing way for fans of a shared interest to unite with one another and converse on the shared interest. They can be beneficial for people to share character art they create or covers of a band’s song. On the contrary, they can be a breeding ground for toxicity when there are disagreements within the groups.
Arctic Monkeys was one of the first bands to become popular through the internet after being formed in 2005 This was achieved by the band handing out CDs of their songs at shows and people who attended would upload the songs from the CD onto the internet. As a result, more people would find out about the band and create a fan base for them. However, in the modern day, the fan base has grown tremendously on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram.
Whilst most parts of this fandom tend to share art and humorous content, there are some who start ‘fan wars’ and create a toxic environment within the community. ‘Fan wars’ in the Arctic Monkeys fandom are between those who like their new sound and those who want the old sound back. Arctic Monkey’s newer sound, seen in albums like ‘The Car’ (2022) and ‘Tranquillity Base Hotel And Casino’ (2018), adopts a psychedelic rock sound, which is a stark contrast to their older, garage rock sound seen in albums like ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ (2006) and ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ (2007). In 2022, when ‘The Car’ came out, it was their first album to not enter the British album chart at number one like its predecessors. Furthermore, many fans over the internet branded the album as “boring” and “not like Arctic Monkeys,” despite the album before it having an almost identical sound with a better reception from fans.
So, is fandom culture toxic? Well, it all depends on which way you look at it. If you only focus on the harsh side of a fandom where it’s not open to change or accepting others' opinions, then it could be interpreted as toxic. However, if you look at the amazing art, music and community that can come from fandoms then it is not a toxic environment. In conclusion, fandom culture is a positive thing yet can have toxic aspects.