“Considering idols as role models, embracing our homeland with love. The BTS fandom in Vietnam - before being fans, we are the Vietnamese". This is a shared sentiment on the blog "Not a tasteless ratatouille" with over 135,000 members, created by a fan of the boyband BTS from the Republic of Korea. In mid-September, BTS fandoms in Vietnam raised over VND866 million (US$34,900) to support victims of natural disasters in the country.
Concurrently, numerous other fandoms joined hands to share the burden and alleviate the consequences of Typhoon No.3. The fandom of the music band EXO also from the Republic of Korea contributed over VND213 million ($8,600); the fandom of Super Junior raised over VND100 million ($4,000) after two fundraising campaigns; LILIES - the fandom of Lisa (a member of the Black Pink group) also donated VND40 million ($1,600).
Many fandoms of Vietnamese artists were also not left out. Sky, the fandom of singer Son Tung, contributed a total of VND236 million ($9,500). The fan club of Ho Van Cuong also donated over VND375 million ($15,000). The fandom of Soobin Hoang Son raised several hundred million VND.
This is not the first time fandoms have engaged in such positive activities. A few years ago, the Super Junior fan community donated over VND260 million ($10,500) to support the Mekong Delta in combating salinity, and VND165 million ($6,600) to jointly prevent COVID-19. The BTS fandom also donated over VND630 million ($25,300) to rescue citizens affected by floods in central Vietnam in 2020, or contributed over VND115 million ($4,600) to the COVID-19 vaccine fund.
Fandom is considered a new term, broader than the previous concepts of clubs and fan groups (fanclub, fanbase). The concept of fandom can be applied not only to the entertainment industry but also to other fields such as sports, food, and comics.
After an initial period of leaving many negative impressions from excessive fan behavior, fandoms in Vietnam have gradually become more organized in recent times.
Besides activities to support idols such as "streaming" (increasing views for MVs) whenever idols release new music products, conducting voting campaigns, buying banner hanging positions or LED advertising screens, fandoms also organize charitable activities under the name of idols, both to promote their image and contribute to the community. This is considered a unique feature of Vietnamese fan culture that few other places have.
However, due to their mainly spontaneous nature and being managed by fans themselves, some issues have arisen, such as a lack of financial transparency, internal or external conflicts. Recently, the phenomenon of "fake" donations from some fandoms has caused many negative consequences for these communities.
To maintain stability and sustainable development, fandoms are also becoming more professional and meticulous. For example, the BTS fandom has issued 10 clear regulations, including no arguing, no posting negative content, no using abusive language, no discrimination.
For fandoms to operate effectively and sustainably, close cooperation between management companies, artists, and the fans themselves is essential as civilized and well-organized fandoms will contribute significantly to perfecting that image. Conversely, non-transparent activities and internal conflicts not only affect the idol's reputation but also reduce the strength of the fan community, creating a bad impression in the eyes of everyone.
