The idea of a “fake fan” is one that has a lot of associations with gatekeeping, the idea that fans of something prevent any newcomers from getting involved due to a perceived lack of prerequisites being met. This isn’t something that you should ever let get in the way of you enjoying something, and hobbies should, of course, be open to everyone. However, something might hold you back when you think about buying some merchandise that you like the look of, despite not having any familiarity with the brand in question.

Obviously, you can do whatever you want, but looking at some examples of when people do this might have you looking to get involved regardless of your inhibitions.

Famous Classics

When it comes to huge names like Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, or iconic films like Pulp Fiction, you might not need any intentional familiarity to want to get involved with them. Certain iconography is so widespread through pop culture alone that getting involved with the merchandise might not suggest a direct association, simply an appreciation for the aesthetic. 

Led Zeppelin t shirts can suggest to people that you’re a huge fan of their music, but it might equally suggest that you’re simply a fan of the t shirt, in much the same way that someone might be of any clothing brand like Hollister. 

You don’t need a justification to like a certain design of clothing, but seeing how many people wear shirts like these might have you understanding just how natural it would be to join them.

“I Just Like the Design”

Of course, a situation that you might encounter regularly in this regard is one where the design of the shirt, ornament, decoration, or whatever it might be, simply calls out to you. Especially when it comes to the previous example of rock or metal bands, the aesthetic associated with them can be quite visually distinct, so you might feel a certain pull toward it even if there’s an unfamiliarity.

Funnily enough, this might be something that actually encourages you to get more involved with the initial brand in question, as seeking out more information on where that initial design came from could be how you get introduced to them in the first place.

Promotional Material

A lot of the time, the decision to get involved might not even be directly yours to make. When a new film comes out, as can be seen with big pop culture titans like Marvel or Star Wars, it’s natural to see an influx of shopping bags, cereal boxes or just about anything, with that marketing pasted all over it, something that some audiences might find themselves fatigued by over time.

Now, this might not count so much as merchandise in your eyes, but functionally, it serves the same purpose. If you’re concerned about how it might look to fans getting involved with branded clothing when you wouldn’t consider yourself to be one of them, ask yourself if you feel the same way when you put your groceries in a Star Wars bag at the grocery store.