Thailand’s Boys’ Love (BL) genre has become an influential part of queer popular culture. It has developed beyond its original function as a form of representation and has grown into a commercial industry. This industry extends beyond media content and includes various offline activities, especially fan events. A key example is private events organized through systems such as "top spender" and "lucky fan". In these formats, fans accumulate purchasing power or lottery system to gain access to this exclusive BL actors events. In which fans with entry to the events have opportunities for more intimate interaction. This research aims to explore fan culture and consumer behavior within the context of Thai BL private events. The study adopts a critical ethnographic approach, using participant observation and in-depth interviews to collect data. Fan and fandom studies are used as the primary theoretical foundation, along with neo-capitalism theory to analyze the commercialization of fan practices. The findings show that consumerism significantly influences fan culture. Neo-capitalism contributes to the creation of pseudo-individuality, in which fans form identities based on their consumption. Fans spend money to become top spenders or lucky fans in order to establish a distinctive fan identity and gain acceptance within the broader fan community. The research also identifies a further concern: when event participation is based on lotteries or purchased chances, it may resemble gambling and carry potential risks of addictive behavior.

Authors:
Anzilna Mubaroka, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Anzilna Mubaroka is currently PhD candidate of International Development, Chulalongkorn University in topics of Neo capitalism and Queer pop-culture, combining both economic development and gender development.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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