Cult Following: Niche Fandoms, Flaunted Merch and Legends in the Making:

Fans screaming at the top of their lungs at concerts and sports events can be deemed fitting representations of the modern-day cult following. “Cult”, though as a term, hadn’t alluded to anything remotely positive, let alone connoted glory, until it was reinterpreted by the entertainment industry in the 1960s, in terms of “cult classics” and “cult movies.” This puts the audience (or, “cultists”) in the driving seat, since we are literally the ones who decide which movies, artworks or artists climb that pedestal.

Looking at the movies that have been deemed cult classics, a familiar pattern emerges. Most of them exemplify at least a couple, if not all, of the following aspects: ahead-of-their-time themes, non-traditional storytelling, unique filmmaking or controversial characters or subject matter, initial commercial failure that picks up a dedicated following much later.

Why does the discussion take a sharp turn towards movies whenever we talk about “cult classics”? It doesn’t have to, of course, as books, poetry, artwork, music, famous personalities, etc. have also garnered cult-like followings over the years. For example, nobody can deny that the People’s Princess, Diana Frances Spencer, has a massive following to date, and it’s anything but restrained.

What actually prompts a cult following? Unless a massive audience (though, not all) finds it relatable, no artwork, idea or individual can make waves in the hearts of many. This often stems from how they inspire, the change they preach, or the exemplary struggles that are overcome.

Zero-to-Hero Trope

Devout following that borders cult, lifting the focal individual or group to superstardom, is often fuelled by a rags-to-riches backstory. Just like how the protagonist who succeeds (despite all the odds stacked against them) wrests the readers’ attention particularly well throughout a novel, providing the grounds for emotional connection, the same character arc works fantastically well for any artist who inspires a cult following.

Korean pop sensation, BTS have the perfect backstory, which has been an invaluable tool for them to attract a hyper-dedicated fandom, enormous in size. Nothing can be more emotionally resonant than to see seven young boys starting their careers coping with extreme financial difficulties, training overtime, making their own music, contesting industry norms, being the voice of change throughout- before going all the way to reaching the very peak of global stardom. Shattering linguistic and cultural barriers while building one of the most influential music labels on their backs would probably classify them as legends. Unwelcome to their native music industry at the start of their career, now boosting the Korean economy tenfold, BTS fans might just be the biggest example of cult following in terms of size, enthusiasm, repeated consumption of art and flaunting merchandise.

Inspiring Ideologies

The 1949 book by French existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex (Le Deuxième Sexe), has inspired readers to think about the place women hold in society and opened conversations about taboos like puberty and prostitution. It created a general awareness around women’ s basic rights, not to mention the feminist dialogues it has initiated, and later followed, as a blueprint for necessary change in society. It is no wonder feminists, philosophers and scholars still refer to this revolutionary piece in their speeches and university lectures. This, perhaps, enables the book’s already cult-level following to further amass, undergoing constant revision yet still.

On a different note, fans of Spanish tennis legend, Rafael Nadal, would tell you enthusiastically that they connect to his fights till the very last point, as well as his enduring resilience amid seemingly never-ending injuries. Each medical hurdle could potentially end his career, but he has remained the biggest contender for the top spot even whenever inevitably sliding from there, consistently a formidable opponent throughout his twenty-three year career. Nadal is one of the biggest ambassadors of the quintessential “never-say-die” attitude in sports. It has not only won him a cult following, but also inspired the next generation of top-ranked tennis champions like Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Poland’s Iga Świątek. They proudly proclaim Nadal their idol since growing up. His legend lives on through such young players he has inspired, who themselves show glimpses of their idol’s signature fist pump or sheer persistence on court.

The X Factor

At the very heart of what differentiates cult following from conventional following has to be an X factor that’s not exactly everyone’s cup of tea; when someone or something garners a cult-like following, it almost always has a non-traditional element or two that raise a lot of eyebrows at the same time.

Be it the instrumental-heavy songs with minimal lyrics that inspire a psychedelic vibe by English rock band, Pink Floyd, or their choice to attract as little media exposure as possible at an individual level–that’s the X factor. The same goes for the explicit honesty and eerie imagery of revolutionary Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo, as seen in her autobiographical artworks, which are not supposed to be everyone’s jam.

That very element motivates the followers to proudly flaunt their devotion by wearing the Pink Floyd logo on t-shirts or sticking numerous Frida Kahlo artworks across their walls, signposting their adherence to their respective cults.

Stories Connect

Stories have always been the biggest connector for an audience; a lot of people can like something very much, but unless they particularly feel connected on a super personal level, it’s rather difficult for something to go viral on social media or garner a dedicated following that goes above and beyond.

If you ask football enthusiasts why they keep cheering for a football club that is way past its glory days, or a music fan about their favourite artist who has stopped making music, they would tell you stories of how they fell in love in the first place. It’s often comprised of emotional details connected to what touched their souls or served as great memories during a particularly difficult phase in their lives. Individual accounts may vary, but why they started loving, say, the English Premier League club, Manchester United (currently starving for some winning momentum), sitting in the furthest geographical proximity from the city of Manchester, will often follow similar grooves.

These modern-day cults are handcrafted by their followers, flocking to their favourite sports events and music concerts in packs and jumping to their favourite artists’ or athletes’ defence on social media like a swarm of bees. They often form official fan clubs, create unique fanchants or songs, and even build their own brands in some cases (like the England Cricket team’s “Barmy Army”). Close-knit fandoms provide their members with a sense of belonging, and perhaps a much-needed escape from the all-too-familiar grind of life.

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Cover image: Frida Kahlo, Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940.