Stan

[shipperx]

Okay, I had to look this up because I've seen this beginning to pop up (repeatedly) and (because I am too old for this shit to be 'in the know') I wanted to understand what this meant beyond squinting and guessing from context:

From Urban Dictionary:

Stan

Based on the central character in the Eminem song of the same name, a "stan" is an overzealous maniacal fan for any celebrity or athlete.

I guess I can see the Stan -> Eminem connection but...erm... is this enough of a deviation from 'fan' (whose origin is "fanatic") to merit its on term based on a celebrity who is already aging out of fashion?

Comments

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Besides Eminem, the other origin for "stan" that I've heard is that it's a portmanteau for "stalker/fan." I've seen it as a noun, but "stanning" is also a verb. And I guess "stannish" might be an adjective? Anyway, I've mostly heard it in terms of one's favorites - favorite character mostly (I'm such a Klaus stan!) rather than something more general (I'm a gadget stan!)