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Politics and Pleasures of Fandom as Celebrity Counterpublics
  • ISSN: 2046-6692
  • E-ISSN: 2046-6706

Abstract

This article relies on survey data I collected from the Hiddleston fandom in June of 2018, to gauge their long-lasting impressions of the highly publicized three-month relationship between Tom Hiddleston and Taylor Swift in 2016. Their responses reflect three significant (and overlapping) anti-fan expressions: extreme dislike of Taylor Swift, frustration with the media coverage of the ‘Hiddleswift’ spectacle and acknowledgement that it was difficult to be a fan of Hiddleston during that time. By pairing with Swift, an act many survey respondents felt was played for publicity, and simultaneously distancing himself from social media, he became inaccessible to those who had been loyal to him early in his career. I interrogate Hiddleston’s own references to himself as an ‘authentic’ public figure and then conduct close readings of the only two extended profiles that have been published since his relationship with Swift ended in 2016: one in (2017) and another from the (2019). Although it was neither publication’s intent, both pieces led to further media scrutiny and mockery, which only exasperated his fans further. Ultimately, I argue that Hiddleston’s name remains pejoratively linked to Swift’s, but not vice versa, thereby proving the negative impact this short-lived romance had upon his celebrity narrative and fandom.

© 2020 Intellect Ltd
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2020-09-01
2026-04-21

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/content/journals/10.1386/jfs_00025_1
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‘My wish is for the media to stop bringing up Hiddleswift and let him live his life’: How Tom Hiddleston’s celebrity narrative was shaped by a summer romance
Journal of Fandom Studies, The 8, 289 (2020); https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs_00025_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jfs_00025_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jfs_00025_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): anti-fans; celebrity relationships; clickbait; fandom; gossip; Taylor Swift; Tom Hiddleston

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