Article: 1989 vs. 2009: A Comparative Analysis of Music Superstars Michael Jackson and Josh Groban, and their Fans

by Gayle S. Stever, January 2011

Data from previous studies compared two celebrity fan communities and their superstar honorees. This comparison included the nature of the fan-celebrity interaction, the nature of fans’ interactions with each other, and motivations fans reported for their participation in the fandom of the target celebrity. A structured, focused, and largely qualitative post hoc comparison of the cases of Michael Jackson compared to Josh Groban fandoms make up this discussion with each case study set in a different time in media history. The researcher used ethnographic participant-observer methods to collect much of the data for this research with findings reported from both previously published articles and also research notes kept on the two tours. The likely impact of the Internet on such relationships, the differing personalities of the celebrities, and the changing nature of media and how that may affect fandoms are discussed. Toffler’s (1991) “demassified” media is offered as a partial explanation for why the nature of fan celebrity interaction might be changing as the 21st century progresses.