To begin with, every individual possesses a whim that he/she wants to materialize at any cost. Supporting or loving something is not a big deal or a heinous crime but what would be your reaction if those desires are purported to be problematic for society? Is doing something that may irk people a good activity? And is it logical to fight and brawl over the likes another person does not love? These are the perplexing questions that undoubtedly have once again risen from the casket thanks to the ongoing FIFA World cup. Before the inception of the FIFA World cup, there were reports such as “man painted his home with colors of Brazil flag”, “Restaurateur promises to freely distribute ‘Biryani’ if Argentina wins” and “Boys having an image of Cristiano Ronaldo on his face seen shambling on the streets”. One may be totally bemused to know why the writer has elaborated on these questions which actually seem to be quite futile at this point when more than half of the population of the world considers it to be so common that no one even dares to stop someone doing something strange. It is true that the notion of “fandom” is being misinterpreted. People’s actions regarding their respective obsession with teams have deadly altered the meaning of ‘fandom’, ‘calmness’, ‘serenity’, and ‘tranquility’. It is even explicated as ‘craziness’ and the forces by which it is being disseminated have even made us all forget the difference between ‘craziness’ and ‘fandom’, ‘morally acceptable’ and ‘ethically unacceptable’, and ‘good’ and ‘bad’. As a matter of extreme grief, there are many people who have crossed all the lines morally by doing bizarre things. Finally, Argentina’s thumping victory over a spirited France rose to life like a phoenix on account of the fabulous shows displayed by Kliyan Mbappe but it was Argentina’s turn to seal the deal and help its greatest player Lionel Messi kiss the much-loved trophy.

It might be a shimmering night for all the enthusiastic fans who cheered for Argentina as their lodestar was about to add a golden jewel to historical annals. Donning an expression of puzzlement coupled with surges of jubilation, all the spectators ran leaving their booked seats and creating a hustle-bustle in the stadium as Messi’s men started to celebrate their pyrrhic victory over the strongest European team. It is natural to have the ripples of excitement when something great or glorious happens which is closely or indirectly related to us. For instance, there is a ‘Spelling Bee’ contest and all the participants have prepared well to ace the competition in the last round when you witness hear the name of your friend, neighbor, relative, or native as the champion. What will be your reactions? How will you express yourself? And will you be able to control your emotions? Not really. You are going to round your mouth with your eyes opened wide and your lips having a distance of three inches with a loud sound such as “Yes”, “Wow”, “You made my day”, “Great” etc. Most people in today’s era are highly inclined towards their respective thoughts, funs, views and stances. Whenever there is news of a boy abusing a celebrity, such people are quick to troll the abuser defending their beloved icons. At the same time, there is a set of people who are too obsessed with their like ones that they even do not forget to take a morsel without muttering or glorifying their ideals or their teams if achieve a smash hit.

Bafflingly, the way people react is weird. There should be some limitations to the reactions expressed by people. The best way might be that of consoling the losers’ side as they might have been broken. Another praiseworthy act may be that of expressing solidarity with them so that they could simply come out of the darkness, wretchedness, and sadness. Distribution of sweets, clothes, and other necessary goods to all the people instead of spending colossal amounts of money on mere celebration could also be done so that those who have not tasted some luscious edibles could enjoy them. This is just shocking that more and more cut-outs are being erected by the votaries, especially in Kerala. Today, there might be a limited number of cut-outs of celebrated athletes but what about if the numbers keep magnifying? It might then turn into serious fights among individuals as each of them may claim that this place is for the erection of the lodestar’s cut-out. I have a question for those people who encourage all the fans to do so and that is “Is erecting a cut-out good for a stable society and will this have a good impact?” It could be argued with a sufficient degree of certainty that cut-outs will only bring cheers for a specific time and then the very aura will disappear once the matches are over. It costs an arm and leg for the construction of a cut-out and that amount of money could be offered for some other works that may be used for a good thing. However, why people engage in such futile activities is a big point that has multiple answers but there is no logic. I am not here to hate any specific team or a special or reputed player. I respect every individual and will continue to do so and I respect their choices. We all need to reflect on this issue. We should make efforts to alleviate poverty. We all should try our best to feed a morsel to a famished soul. We should make attempts to please every individual so that he could relieve and enjoy this colorful world.

So, basically, here is a list of what should be done which accurately defines the very notion of ‘fandom’:

• To respect every individual.
• To express solidarity with the losers’ side.
• To please every individual by distributing something that might cheer them all.
• To freely distribute whatever we have.
• To involve the losers’ side in celebration so that they could also feel special.
• To lessen the pains of the losers’ side by treating them with the utmost caution, love, and respect.
• To promote mutual understanding.

Here are the proposed things which should not be done:

• Contempt towards the losers’ side.
• To avoid insulting them.
• To ensure that they are not being trolled.
• To stop the erection of cut-outs.
• To shun brawls and enmity.

To conclude, it could be simply explicated that fandom is a social phenomenon that needs to be cautiously expressed. Being a fan is not a crime. We have to think of the people who live with us and society needs mutual understanding, love, and togetherness to survive. Those who think that doing things that make them satisfied without caring for the impact they will leave are not real fans. The genuine fan often thinks and cares for his ideals to be discussed, dissected, and respected by the whole members of a society. Furthermore, we have to be the ‘embodiment’ of a fan so that people would say he is a genuine protagonist, an honest votary, and a loyal creature on the face of the earth.

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