RUDEBOYS RUDEBOYS! (i'm not a boy but okay)

Being a fan of something is a common occurrence nowadays however people don't understand how significant their fandom is, or even that they are part of one. I am part of the rudeboy fandom and The Specials are one of my favourite bands however I didn't realise this until I studied this course. People won't class themselves as being members of a fandom because of all the negative connotations that come with it, as expressed perfectly in People's Weekly (sourced from J.Jensen: 10)  "We’ve given the losers in life or sex a rare chance to express their dominance.' calling people who are fans 'losers' does automatically create a sense of exclusion and segregation within friendships, families, communities, workplaces etc. as Jensen states (9) 'Once fans are characterized as deviant, they can be treated as disreputable, even dangerous ‘others.’ and this fear and ostracisation of fans does create fragmented communities in wider society. However, it also helps create sub-communities and various sub-cultures. 

As said by Phill Jupitus in Horace Panter's book 'Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials' "To say The Specials changed how I looked at music would be an understatement." and I completely agree. The political messages, catchy rocksteady beats and bounds of energy that come from their music is enticing, there's nobody else out there like it. When you see them live you really do feel part of a community and it makes you proud to be a fan of such an amazing band. The beauty of being a part of this fandom is the variation in ages of the fans, there's 50 year old men standing next to 19 year old girls, all dressed in their Fred Perry polo's, Levi jeans and Dr Martens'. That's another thing that comes with the fandom, the fashion. It helps you identify other 'moon stompers' and 'rude boys' in public and so that you can acknowledge and identify with each other with a simple look. There's no hierarchy in the sense of a divide between older and younger fans, everyone is simply one big family. The rocksteady/ska movement - especially The Specials, helped break down many political and social barriers, specifically racist and sexist barriers e.g. in 1981 The Specials and Hazel O'Connor played a concert called "Peaceful Protest Against Racism" after a Sikh man was killed in Coventry by a gang of neo-nazi skinheads. These acts of defiance helped destroy barriers and help unify fragmented communities which is extremely admirable and significant for our local community as the band are Coventry born & raised. I am very proud to say I am a Specials fan and to be a part of such a loving fanbase. 
  

Jensen, J. (1992) ‘Fandom as Pathology: The Consequences of Characterization’. In Lewis, L. A. (Ed.) The Adoring Audience. London, Routledge, pp9-29.
Panter, H. (2008) 'Ska'd for Life: A Personal Journey with The Specials", Pan. (Foreword not in actual book).