Are fan clubs fantastic or fanatical?
Celebrity fan clubs have been a talking point this week after the one for local actress Rui En, who was involved in an accident, spoke up for her. But what are these clubs, and what do they do?
Fans show their dedication to their idols in many ways, including preparing banners and giving them things such as cards and soft toys.
But the fan club for local television personality Pornsak Prajakwit, 34, got him something bigger.
Better known as Pornsak, his 50-member fan club adopted an elephant for his 33rd birthday.Club president Yvonne Pan, 27, tells The New Paper on Sunday: "We got it for him because we knew he loves elephants, and he emphasises that we should give back to the society whenever we can."
The annual upkeep cost for the elephant of about $130 is outside of the club's regular activities, which include posting online updates about Pornsak's activities and achievements, giving out fliers at fan meets and cheering for him at concerts or road shows.
Pornsak is not the only one with fans doing good work in his name.
Rui En's fans do charity work in her honour. The 35-year-old actress' fan club, RBKD, has organised charity work events nearly every year since it was formed in 2008.
Says 28-year-old club president Peh Xin Yi: "We know that she appreciates all the work that we do, and spreading love is always a nice thing."
The fan clubs TNPS spoke to say the qualities these stars demonstrate strike a chord with them.
When asked what she likes about Pornsak, Miss Pan says: "He is a role model to me. I like how he always emphasises that we should be kind to one another."
Miss Peh shares the same sentiment about Rui En, saying: "Joining our fan club means you feel such a personal connection with Rui En that you want to contribute to her career, so we do what we can to support."
She points out that a year after RBKD was formed, Rui En won the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste award at the Star Awards and has done so every year since.
According to Miss Peh and Miss Pan, the average age of their club members is around 20s.
But joining a fan club is not limited to just the young.
Famed getai artist Hao Hao has a dedicated team of more than 120 fans, with ages ranging from 20 to 80.
They are a regular sight at his shows, cheering along to his dramatic performances as they wave banners and scream their support for their beloved idol.
COOK
Chairman of Hao Hao's fan club for eight years, 55-year-old office administrator Catherine Lee, says they cook for him and take the food to his shows as they are afraid he will get hungry.
Going a step further, six fans of Singapore-based Shanghainese actor Dai Xiangyu spent about $1,500 each in 2011to travel to Hengdian, China, to support him while he was filming for China a version of home-grown drama serial The Little Nyonya.
They also took along handmade gifts and a video recording of well-wishes for him.
When asked about fan clubs for celebrities here, sociologist from the National University of Singapore Dr Tan Ern Ser speculates that fan clubs give members "a sense of belonging, identity and common purpose".
But he adds that there is a tendency to be ignorant about the flaws of their idols, on account of this "hero worship".
He says: "One implication is that members are likely to impute wonderful, almost god-like qualities to their idol. They are also likely to rationalise away any bad behaviours on the part their idol."
- Additional reporting by Zachary Soh
Fan clubs around Singapore
RBKD
Rui En
Example of dedication:
Organising charity activities such as delivering food, distributing welfare packs and baking Chinese New Year cookies for senior citizens and the needy.
DAINAMICS
Dai Xiangyu, formerly known as Dai Yang Tian
Example of dedication:
Six members forked out about $1,500 each to travel to Hengdian, China, in May 2011 to support their idol while he filmed the China version of home-grown drama serial The Little Nyonya.
JEANIUS
Jeanette Aw
Example of dedication:
Since its formation in 2004, the club has expanded its fan base to regional countries such as Cambodia, China and Malaysia. Last year, a group of fans flew to Cambodia to support Jeanette for the inaugural Phnom Penh Cable Television MediaCorp Awards.
ELVINOLOGY
Elvin Ng
Example of dedication:
The fan club has been around for more than 10 years and has organised birthday celebrations for Elvin at all kinds of venues such as country clubs, bars, cafes and restaurants.
THE JULIET CLUB
Romeo Tan
Example of dedication:
More than 20 fans gathered at the airport in 2013 to send their beloved star off to Tasmania, where he filmed the Channel 8 drama Sudden.
