Four Fanatical Friends and Other Alliterative Allegories

Abstract

Elizabeth thinks of herself as a true fan of the Kerrigan Brown book series. Usually pursuing this passion privately, she is challenged when a friend claims that authentic fans always display their devotion through public consumption. Fortunately, Elizabeth’s grandfather finds a fable of Four Fanatical Friends, who were also challenged to rethink the meaning of fandom after an encounter with a mysterious Genius Fanum. But will our protagonist realise the moral of the story in a journey of self-discovery? Through this fictional short story, the concept of private fandom is implicitly introduced to marketing theory. To date, collective and public expressions of fandom have been the focus of marketing and consumer research. These lines of inquiry have greatly advanced understandings of fans and their consumption. However, private pursuits have been largely overlooked. This short story serves as a fictive framing for future research in this area.