Cult following
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article does not discuss cultist groups, personality cults, or "cult" in its original sense of "religious practice". See cult (disambiguation) for more meanings of the term "cult".
A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of pop culture. Cult followings most often develop around television shows, films, books, and radio programs. Some comic books, video games, musicians and writers also gain cult followings. Non-media items may also have what could be considered cult followings, for example the soft drink Tab.
Cult followings are often dedicated enough that many people of similar interest are familiar with one another due to convention gatherings, concerts, message boards, Internet chat rooms, word of mouth, or shops featuring related items.
These dedicated followings are usually relatively small and pertain to items that don't have broad mainstream appeal. An exception is Star Trek, whose followers call themselves "Trekkies" or "Trekkers". Star Trek has an extremely large following but can still be considered 'cult' due to the intense loyalty the franchise inspires.
"Cult following" is also used to describe the more obsessive fans of established mainstream performers. For example, many persons have been interested in Michael Jackson's music or in Disney films, but some fans take their interest to extreme levels, hoarding vast amounts of collectables. Some such "cult fans" occasionally veer into obsessive-compulsive disorders or stalking; however, cult followings do not necessitate that individuals partake in cultish activities.
Cult followings establish their own canons and cherish the notion of cult classics, which are individual items with cult followings. Cult followings are usually generated through a film or television show having targeted a particular genre, typically fantasy, sci-fi, comedy or horror, but occasionally other types of films or TV series will produce a cult following.
While cult followings are unquestionably more prevalent among the uncritical, examples of this phenomenon exist in serious culture as well, especially among certain sub-segments of the public, such as gay men and other cultural minorities. Thus we find cults of certain writers, such as Yukio Mishima, Colette, or Simone de Beauvoir; composers like Erik Satie or Edgar Varèse; or performers, like Maria Callas, Magda Olivero, Clara Haskil and many, many ballet dancers.
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[edit] Examples of cult followings
[edit] Sherlock Holmes
The Sherlock Holmes novels and films, mostly those films starring actor Basil Rathbone, sparked clubs who reenacted plots and mystery cases, often recreating the Baker Street apartment where the detective lived.
[edit] Dracula
Another novel, Dracula, written by author Bram Stoker, and the films that followed, most notably Dracula, led to a huge fan base that before the advent of take-home video would often prompt small theaters to have special showings of the film, usually with a lesser-known version showing just before the better-known 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi. 1992's version, Bram Stoker's Dracula, sparked new interest in the Dracula cult following which continues to the present.
[edit] The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show had such a huge cult following that small theaters would often have a marathon of the film, playing repeatedly for 24 hours or more. Actor Tim Curry has an enormous fan base from his role in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, despite his numerous film credits accumulated since.
[edit] Paranormal activity
During the 1970s, interest in the Bermuda Triangle and UFOs was at its height. Project Blue Book had just closed up in 1970, prompting many UFO enthusiasts to scream about a government cover-up of an alien presence, and the mysterious 1945 disappearance of Flight 19 in the Bermuda Triangle had reached legendary status. Several short-lived television series and films played on those particular public interests, and even when they initially failed, they often later became hugely popular in the science fiction communities, often sparking clubs or groups. With the advent of the Internet, the popularity of these cult classics only increased.
[edit] Cars
A cult car is an automobile that has a strong fan following, as such having numerous owners clubs, or websites dedicated to it. Fans will usually go to otherwise unheard of lengths for their vehicles; Many hard to find parts for cult cars have been reproduced at great expense for the sake of keeping the cars on the road. This, along with the detailed parts cross-references that are usually maintained, makes most cult cars easier to repair than others of the same age. As an example, the great majority of the parts for the Volkswagen Beetle can still be purchased new, despite the many years that have passed since the original car was discontinued. Less popular cars from the 50s and 60s can be nearly impossible to restore or maintain.
Examples of cult cars include the Ford Taurus SHO, 1957 Chevrolet, Chevrolet Bel-Air, Eagle Talon, Pontiac Fiero, and the Chevrolet Camaro.
[edit] Firearms
The Heckler & Koch P7's design advantages, unique cocking system, and high price tag give it the trappings of a cult following among American gun owners.
[edit] Professional Wrestling
Many professional wrestling promotions have garnered a cult following over the years. Two of the better known promotions are Extreme Championship Wrestling and Ring Of Honor.
[edit] Howard Stern
Howard Stern, a radio "shock jock", has developed an cult following consisting of millions of people. Howard claims that a recent example of his following is Sanjaya Malakar, who remained on American Idol after Howard told his listeners to vote for him.
