Panic! At The Disco has had a long history of inappropriate fan behavior.
From the early 2000s when graphic fan fiction drove a stake in the relationships of former members, to the 2017 stalking that caused lead singer Brendon Urie and his wife to vacate their Los Angeles home, Panic! Fans have always been relatively out of control.
But- from an outside perspective- it always seemed like it was getting better.
Beyond a few tweets asking fans to chill out, no drastic measures had been taken to prevent fans from meeting, taking pictures with, or even hugging the band. They would stop to talk in airports, outside hotels, outside venues, or wherever it was they would run into fans.
That was until late 2017/early 2018, when the band was forced to cancel all meet and greets due to the out of control nature of fans.
While it hasn’t ever been confirmed- it is likely that this cancellation was caused in part by rowdy fans who saw Urie during his stint on Broadway as Kinky Boots’ Charlie Price.
In July 2017, just six months after fans forced him to move, Urie took to Twitter to announce that he would no longer partake in stage door signings after Kinky Boots shows, due to fans pushing others out of the way and screaming in his face- despite asking them to stop multiple times on multiple occasions.
And while most thought Urie speaking out and the meet and greet cancellations would FINALLY help the issue at hand, and get fans to settle down, it seemed to only make things worse.
Instead of calming down, many fans then went into a frenzy- worried they would never have their shot to meet the band, specifically Urie. This caused many to then go out of their way to meet Urie at shows during his nightly walk through the crowd, often referred to as the “death walk.”
After a few months of tour, this caused outrage once more after many fans touched Urie inappropriately during his walk; and, in February, Urie had to once again publically make a statement about fans touching him without his consent. Specifically after one fan kissed his neck, in addition to dozens of others kissing and licking him.
(To read more about this story, read our previous article about it here.)
And, if that wasn’t enough- now, less than two months later, Panic!’s longtime friend and security manager, Zack Cloud Hall, has taken to Twitter once again to tell fans that their behavior is unacceptable after a group of fans stalked the band at their hotel asking for photos and autographs.
Now, the Panic! Fandom is at odds with one another, debating what is and isn’t appropriate behavior when it comes to meeting Urie and crew.
Many fans are tweeting asking how they are supposed to meet the band since they have done away with meet and greets and now hotel encounters. These tweets are not sitting well with Hall, who has replied to many fans telling them what is wrong with their logic.
And that is a problem.
The fact that so many fans cannot process why showing up at someone’s hotel room, or airport gate, or home is a violation of privacy is a huge issue.
And claiming Panic!’s lack of meet and greets is the reason fans are going to desperate measures is even worse. It is victim blaming.
And this is an issue that extends far beyond the realms of Panic! At The Disco.
Countless celebrities have shared stories about fans taking it too far.
Kylie and Kendall Jenner both were stalked and had their homes broken into. Taylor Swift has had fans crash into her gates and has been assaulted during a meet and greet. JLo has had a stalker break into and stay in her guest house AFTER she filed a restraining order against him.
And it doesn’t end there. Almost every artist has a story like this.
And maybe some fans don’t see that as clearly as others.
Working full time in a venue, this behavior and the idea of crazed fans is normal. Tours come and go, papers with names and faces of people we have to alert security about and refuse entry to are passed about and we are constantly on high alert for behavior that seems out of the norm or too over the top. We see fans break down in tears. We see security pull fans off stage, and prevent audience members from crowd surfing too close to the performers. We see people try to sneak into backstage or VIP areas. It’s all too common.
At what point do celebrities agree to give up their privacy?
Is it when they sign their record deal and produce their first single? What about when they make their first music video or score their first magazine cover- and subsequently have their face plastered on every street corner or newspaper stand.
Do they ever actually agree? Or are they forced into agreeing due to a culture that violates privacy and treats the idea of the celebrity as an object to consume rather than a living breathing human?
Would this behavior be acceptable if it was happening to a family member?
What about to you?
Would you want people following you around and constantly taking photos of you without your consent?
What about touching you just because your music “helped them” or because “you’re a fan and you mean no harm.”
What about then? Is that okay?
No.
There is a line where being a fan turns into being a stalker. Where trying to make a connection turns into violation, and where what seems like an “innocent” action becomes a violation of consent and enters the territory of sexual harassment or assault.
Don’t cross that line. Be respectful of your favorite artists and remember that they do not owe you anything.
They are human. They have anxieties, boundaries, and a right to privacy. Just like you.
They signed a contract, they agreed to tour, they agreed to be in the public eye. But they did not consent to harassment, stalking or abuse.
Let them be. They are not here for consumption at will.
A real fan would understand that.
Leave a Reply