[scan DE 2005] Yam#51

Scans


Article - Translation by Juliane

The crass world of TH fans

Oaths of love, yes, but stalking and death threats? Many TH fans don’t shrink from anything to be as close to their idols as possible ...

"You Bitch!", "I'll slit your throat!", "We'll beat you up!" Never ever had Ann-Kathrin reckoned that someone would hate her that much and send her such ICQ messages. But since she's been photographed while standing closely entwined with Tom (16) of Tokio Hotel, this horror vision has come true! And this although the 16 year old from Emmerich only has accomplished what thousands of girls dream of: being really close to one of the TH boys ...

24th November 2005: the mother of Ann-Kathrin's friend works at a radio station and procures the girls ribbons for the aftershow party of "Eins Live Krone". There, they get into conversation with the boys of Tokio Hotel and at some point Ann-Kathrin dances with Tom. Although she notices that she's being photographed in doing so, she doesn't bother about it any further. Neither does she as a photographer tells her to move even closer to Tom and to give him a kiss on the cheek. "In that moment I totally wasn't aware of the fact that it must indeed have looked pretty explicit", remembers Ann-Kathrin.

However, the next morning already brings the rude awakening, for the pictures spread like wildfire across the internet. A newspaper article that reports on the "Party-, snog- and grope – marathon" of a completely trashed Tom doesn't help either. The TH-fans are shocked, hurt and hopping mad at Ann-Kathrin. It's obvious that the pictures – most of them staged because someone sniffed a chance for a hot story – boil up the emotions. But is this a reason or an excuse to send someone death threats?

"I only danced with Tom and the photographer shot his pics just at the right time. Seriously, nothing else happened!" assures the high school student and hopes that this nightmare will come to an end soon. Cause there’s one thing she does not want: having to hide from these "fans"! Her initial shock has given way to complete lack of understanding: "Every girl that digs those boys would have done the same if they had been in my place!" believes Ann-Kathrin.

How true! Fans resort to increasingly crass methods to see their beloved ones up close. Rebecca from Langenfeld near Düsseldorf for example. She only has one goal: to meet Bill & Co. in person. But the 14 year old does not only want to dream but to put her one great wish into practice. In the morning of the 2nd November she packs her backpack and leaves home like every day. "It wasn't midday yet when the mother already got informed on behalf of the school that her daughter didn't show up in class." tells the press spokesman of the police. Rebecca's mum immediately informs the police, for her child had run away before: on October 28th 2005 Rebecca hitch-hiked to a TH-concert in Berlin – and was seized by the police on the city highway. For this reason the parents and grandparents think they know where the missed one might hide this time and search in cooperation with the police. They hope to find Rebecca in the area Magdeburg and Loitsche, the village of 700 souls where Bill and Tom live. Without success. The girl remains lost for a month, finds shelter at other TH-fans' houses. On December 1st finally the releasing call: Rebecca calls from Magdeburg and says that she wants to go back home. Since December 2nd she's at home again. The question is: how long will she stay this time?

also: the analysis~ of the expert, in the top right-hand corner:

The hype about the boys of Tokio Hotel gets bigger and bigger – and results in mania in some cases! Yam spoke with the psychologist Hannes ****enaber (59) about extreme fan love ...

Yam!: What’s so fascinating about Tokio Hotel?
HN: The boys of Tokio Hotel represent the "ideal" boyfriend to many girls, the one that never bugs you and is always there for you – although actually don't even know them. Especially Bill and Tom personify "ideal boys" to these girls. Also, the boys appear somewhat freaked out, that's why some use their commitment to this band as their personal protest against their parents.

Yam!: Why are the fans for the most part young girls?
HN: In the female fans, most of them between 11 and 14 years old, sexuality is awakening right now. For many girls of this age boys are still "aliens". They already have the desire for a relationship though. In their enthusiasm for bands like Toko Hotel they can live out this desire.

Yam!: Can extreme fan-cult be dangerous?
HN: Girls that totally enmesh themselves in their love for a band are in danger. They can't sleep anymore, talk about about nothing else anymore and lose interest in school or their real friends. Things become really dangerous when these girls try to act out their phantasies ...

Yam!: How long can such a condition last?
HN: For the most part it's over after one or two years. At the latest when the first boyfriend appears, "real" love becomes more important!