Swarm deserves every Emmy for tackling toxic 'stan' culture

To be clear, these are not typical fans. It's still possible to take a reasonable interest in supporting an inspirational figure or compelling piece of art. But these specific sects are altogether more extreme and toxic.

The 'stans' derive their name from an Eminem song in which a man kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend after failing to get attention from the rapper he obsesses over. That they are associated with such a grim narrative kind of tells you everything you need to know about the unhealthy culture that defines this growing craze.

Swarm is openly inspired by Beyoncé stans, with each episode declaring: "This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional."

Its main character, Dre (Dominique Fishback), covets a similarly-styled pop star called Ni'Jah, considering herself a proud member of the Swarm – an allegory for the real-life Beyhive. The satirical thriller sees her damaging online activity escalate into an actual killing spree, driven forward by an insatiable desire to meet her "queen".

Swarm takes the Beyhive as its main inspiration, but it's important to note that other pop stars and actors have similarly troubling followers among their fans – from Taylor Swift to Harry Styles – while certain films and TV shows breed the very same habit.

Obsessive stalkers are not a recent phenomenon, but toxic 'stan' communities are a worrying new form of such activity that aren't treated with enough severity. Back in the 1970s or '80s, an individual with several pinboards of photos, news clippings and information about a celebrity might have been regarded a danger to themselves or others.

These days, extreme examples of this behaviour are trivialised by the perpetrators and those who seek to monetise them. To social media managers, they represent easy engagement. To merchandise and ticket sellers, a veritable goldmine. And to streaming platforms, just another core demographic to keep the algorithm ticking along.

And so long as these clusters of toxicity serve a capitalist purpose, it appears very few people will be inclined to call them what they are.

At this point, I should declare my personal connection with the subject. In my time working at RadioTimes.com, I have provoked the ire of several 'stan' communities.

In the case of Lucifer, it was over a negative review of season 5 (and yes, I do stand by my opinion). It was truly bizarre to see my notifications flooded with hateful comments – I am not a public figure by any stretch of the imagination – but the timing made it particularly frustrating.

I had just suffered a major fallout with an old friend and learned just days later that my landlord was evicting me, so I was not in the best mental state. A bombardment of spiteful messages wasn't exactly what the doctor ordered, especially when my crime was so trivial.

There's clearly no consideration among the worst members of 'stan' communities that their targets are actual human beings, whose lives extend beyond whichever niche interest they have dedicated theirs to. The frequent anonymity of these accounts gives way to a mob mentality whose sole purpose is to search and destroy.

It's particularly surreal to see this tactic employed by some corners of the Heartstopper fandom; a series that preaches the virtues of being kind and embracing difference. As a gay man, being assumed heterosexual, accused of LGBTQ+ erasure and generally disrespected by individuals who know nothing about me or my experience was painful.

Kit Connor said it best after his own run-in with toxic fans: "I think some of you missed the point of the show."

But this article isn't about getting the world's smallest violin out for me. It's about praising Swarm for having the guts to draw attention to this problem when so few others are willing to.

Series creators Glover and Nabers attempt to understand what deep psychological trauma could compel someone to extreme irrational fandom through the character of Dre – with Fishback giving a mesmerising performance in the role. In doing so, the focus isn't purely on the damage she inflicts on those around her, but also that which she inflicts on herself.

So many toxic 'stans' are terminally online and a considerable number are – I can only assume – teenagers and young people, which raises serious questions over how this unhealthy habit will affect their development and later life. A quick scroll down an avid account certainly gets alarm bells ringing over the sheer rapidity of posts and dramatic strength of feeling behind each one.

Swarm theorises that, in rare cases, these online personas can be a crutch for people who are lonely and in need of psychological help, as demonstrated by Dre's tragic and disturbing arc. An ingenious documentary-style episode towards the end of the series hammers home the point that this story is not detached from our reality – it's happening now and society is turning a blind eye.

I sincerely hope that Swarm's Emmy success can be a catalyst for some tough conversations about this growing problem – and that other big name creatives can follow in the footsteps of Glover and Nabers. The time has come to de-escalate this worrying trend among fans, rather than exploit it for commercial gain.

Swarm is available to stream on Prime Video – subscribe today for £8.99 per month with a 30-day free trial. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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