“I Think I Love Beyonce More Than I Love My Family” - The Crazy World Of Celebrity Idolisation
It’s 2016 and superstar Beyonce has just kicked off her anticipated ‘Formation World Tour’ – tickets sold out in seconds and fans have spent hundreds of pounds to see their favourite artist live. One fan is more prepared than most – Michael Sherning. Michael has been saving money from his part-time job since 2013 and knew “this day was coming – I think I can say I was the most devoted fan out there”.
Sherning, now 27 years old, has been following Beyonce since he was 12.
“I remember my first ever concert was in London for her ‘Mrs Carter World Tour’ - I was literally sat in the furthest row in the arena but I didn’t care! I was in the same room as Beyonce and that’s all that matters”.
Michael is a devoted member of ‘The Beyhive’ (the moniker given to the most devoted Beyonce fans) and was once the owner of a popular Instagram fan page, garnering over 900,000 followers.
“Back when I was in school, I had this really popular (Instagram) page, posting anything from concert clips to awards speeches, outfits and even sightings of Beyonce” Michael recollects.
“I used to have this group of thousands that would share the same love for Beyonce that I did. The shit thing is this came with people that hated her and would come to my page and comment all sorts of negativity. I was someone who was easily wound up and I hated the idea of anybody hating on the woman I idolised the most – I think I love Beyonce more than I love my family!”
Michael used to deal with the negativity that came to his fan page by entertaining it and starting arguments online, fighting a battle that his idol would never know he fought.
When posed with the question of whether he thinks he suffered from ‘Celebrity Worship Syndrome’ Michael replies.
“Is that even a thing?” Michael takes out his phone and reads the definition:
Celebrity worship syndrome (CWS) is an obsessive addictive disorder in which a person becomes overly involved with the details of a celebrity’s personal and professional life.
“If they tested for it back in 2016, I would have definitely been on that list! The fact that I would write 8- or 10-page essays back in school about Beyonce tells you everything”.
Michael’s obsession with Beyonce grew to be so big that he would part with multiple sums of cash just to see her in real life.
When Beyonce embarked on her worldwide ‘On the Run 2’ tour alongside her husband Jay-Z, Michael spent over £5,000 booking multiple concert dates, hotels and transport.
Celebrity Worship Syndrome forces fans to do the craziest things. During Beyonce’s ‘On The Run 2 Tour’, a fan ran onstage during the finale and was tackled by dancers and crew. After later being charged and arrested, the fan said he “Just wanted to meet the Queen'“.
Why do so many people idolise celebrities to such a terrifying extent? Remez Sasson from SuccessConsciousness.co.uk labels a desire to emulate a famous person’s life as one of the leading reasons.
“Most people have an unconscious desire to be famous and popular, even if they do not admit it openly. When they adore people who are famous and popular, they feel that they associate with them, and a part of their lives”.
In 2023, social media is at its worst with thousands of people trying to be perceived to live a life that they don’t, so instead, they turn to celebrities to fulfil their fixation.
Celebrity Worship Syndrome (CWS) is a multi-faceted disorder, not just characterised by one element. For example, a branch of CWS is ‘love obsessional’ where individuals develop a love obsession with somebody to who they have no personal relation and begin to stalk them. Love obsessional stalking accounts for roughly 20–25% of all stalking cases.
Renee Jackson (a fake name given to cover her identity) is a 23-year-old student from Bath. Her love obsessional dream (or nightmare) came to fruition when her favourite band was touring in London in 2015. One Direction was headlining the iconic Wembley Stadium. With the help of her best friend, Jackson managed to track down the hotel the band was staying at (as well as the floor they were on) and waited for her teenage heartthrobs to emerge.
“I can’t believe I ever acted that way... I mean tracking down a hotel one direction were staying at. That’s absolutely crazy. I don’t know I managed that at 16. I’m so happy I have a job now and I’m not insane anymore” Jackson jokes.
Renee isn’t the only one that feels she went through an obsessive phase with her favourite artist. Newport Academy reports that over 30,000 teens have experienced the syndrome, which has had direct links to poor mental health, impaired social skills, difficulties with romantic relationships and a lack of interpersonal boundaries.
Newport Academy suggests that there are some benefits to idolising celebrities – as some celebrities share positive messages on body image and speak out against problems such as substance abuse.
Popular singer and entrepreneur Rihanna recently spoke out against the beauty standards women are facing.
“You shouldn’t be pressured into trying to be thin in the fashion industry… you have to remember it’s not practical or possible for an everyday woman to look like that”.
It seems that as society progresses, we are still stuck in the warped ideologies that have plagued pop culture for centuries. As more celebrities such as Selena Gomez and Regina Hall talk out against being viewed as ‘idols’ – how long will it take before fanbases alike realise that their favourite celebrity is not a means of worship, but only somebody that entertains?
In 2016, Beyonce flashed a message during her VMA’s performance – one that should be digested by fans across the world.
“God is God. I am not”