A Study Guide by Marguerite O'hara
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http://www.metromagazine.com.au https://theeducationshop.com.au A STUDY GUIDE BY © ATOM 2018 ISBN: 978-1-76061-244-5 MARGUERITE O’HARA Dara from Sydney ‘Normal to me sounds boring. It just sounds like there are no big major choruses in that world if you’re normal. And what’s life without a big major chorus?’ – Dara, Take That fan Runtime: 96 minutes INTRODUCTION I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story is a love, sexuality, family and faith, all while coming to feature documentary that follows four boyband fans terms with the problems and contradictions that are aged between sixteen to sixty-four from New York, part and parcel of being in love with a boyband. San Francisco, Sydney and Melbourne. Their ages and hometowns may vary, but each of their lives has The film was shot over four years in Australia and been profoundly shaped by their love of a boyband the United States, and includes animation, archival – whether it be One Direction, Take That, Backstreet footage, and home movies shot by boyband fans from Boys or The Beatles. around the world. The film presents the often surprising and intimate From The Beatles to the Backstreet Boys, Take That coming-of-age stories of four diverse, funny, honest and One Direction, I Used to be Normal: A Boyband and insightful girls and women who have all had their Fangirl Story takes the viewer back to the fun, fantasy lives dramatically changed by their love of a boy band. and feelings of their teenage years. These four women must navigate the challenges of CONTENT HYPERLINKS 3 CURRICULUM 5 DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT 7 WATCHING THE RELEVANCE DOCUMENTARY 6 THE FANGIRLS AND 3 THEMES THEIR BOYBANDS 8 STUDENT ACTIVITIES 2018 © ATOM 4 PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS 7 POPULAR CULTURE 14 REFERENCES AND RESOURCES 2 CURRICULUM RELEVA NCE I Used to be Normal could be used in a range of learning situations in secondary schools. In addition to being very entertaining, the film explores a number of aspects of contemporary life including: • the factors that establish and consolidate identity; • adolescent health, sexuality and education; THEMES • popular culture and why it matters; IDENTITY GROWING UP • obsession, fantasy, admiration • Why and how am I who I am? • While family always matters in and adoration – the psychology • What are some of the factors that one way or another, as we grow of fandom; cause growth and change in the up our range of connections • how bands and celebrities are shaping of our identity? extends and we often start to marketed; • Why is it important to choose look for relationships outside our • how the recordings and boxes and take ownership of your own immediate family amongst our of materials and scrapbooks connections and interests? peer group. kept by fans constitute invalu- able historical records; RELATIONSHIPS FANS AND FANDOM • popular music genres; • What is the importance of • The state of being a fan of some- • social media; friends, family and any other one or something, especially a • family relationships and connections you feel with other very enthusiastic one dynamics. people? • Fandom refers to the fans of par- • What do you share through these ticular TV shows, movies, books, For students in secondary relationships? games, bands, celebrities, sports schools these themes could be • How are family bonds formed teams or whatever else that at- approached from the perspective and strengthened (or weakened) tracts your enthusiastic attention. of several subject areas including: as we change and grow? It can be a private passion or • How do parents, brothers and part of a public position or major • English sisters or other close relatives obsession. It just needs to be • Music inform our choices? something central in your life. • Psychology • Gender studies SEXUALITY MUSIC AND POP CULTURE • Media studies • Is becoming infatuated by a - Do pop songs and movies give us boyband in any sense like falling useful models for how to live our Many students from ages twelve to in love? lives, or are they full of unrealistic eighteen will strongly identify with • Is the boyband/fangirl dynamic a and potentially damaging ideas? the intense devotion to the bands safe way of practising a boy-girl - What role can music play in depicted in the film. Students may relationship, or is it something improving mental health? already have their own experiences more innocent and unconnected - Is music better enjoyed solo, or being part of an adoring fandom with sex? in a group? or fanbase. They may also be - What is the history and value of surprised at how insightful and popular music? reflective the fans in this film are. Far from the hysterical, hormonal, foolish girls sometimes portrayed in the media, fans of boybands, both individually and collectively, are able to express a range of feelings and ideas that open up the 2018 © ATOM fangirl experience to a sometimes cynical world. 3 Animation scene.jpg Elif I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story is an Over Here Productions jointly financed by Screen Australia, Film Victoria, private investors, the filmmakers themselves, donations made to the Documentary Australia Foundation, and 552 Kickstarter supporters from around the world. Director and Jessica Leski Producer Producer Rita Walsh Editor Johanna Scott Cinematographers Jason Joseffer, © Sharok Hatumi, Rex, Shutterstock Rex, © Sharok Hatumi, Simon Koloadin, Eric LaPlante, Cesar Salmeron Fans of The Beatles at a concert Sound Designer Simon Rosenberg PRE-VIEWING Original Music Jed Palmer QUESTIONS (If you have never had a crush on a boy band, substitute sports star, musician, celebrity, 8. At what point do you think being a devoted fan of some- skateboarder, pro-surfer, or someone you one can turn into a controlling and even destructive admire who does any other activity you say you obsession? Are online gamers whose life is dominated by ‘love’.) screens escaping from a more challenging but ultimately more authentic world? Does your interest in a pop band or 1. Have you ever had a crush on a boyband? activity stop you from having a balanced life? Does your 2. Are these feelings known to your friends passion consume you? and/or family, or is it essentially a ‘secret 9. What opportunities would people who grew up before the passion’? rise of easy access to pop culture in the 1960s have had 3. Do you particularly like one member of a to listen to? pop group? Why do you think this is? 10. How did people show they were fans and participate in 4. If you were once a boyband fan, when did fandoms before the internet? your interest start to lessen and why? 11. Discuss the meaning of the following terms and words and 5. Have you kept photos, posters and other determine what you think each one means: material about your favourite group or • FANDOM singer? • EPHEMERAL 6. List the good things that your fandom • POP CULTURE brought you. Were or are there any • BOYBANDS negatives? • OBSESSION, ADORATION, INFATUATION, 7. What needs do you think boybands or MANIA, CRUSH 2018 © ATOM sports stars can meet in a person’s life? Which of these words have positive connotations? 4 their favourite band member at some point. On a deeper DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT level, there are other parallels between their lives; Susan and Elif clash with parents who don’t understand I fell in love with a boyband for the very first time at the or support their passions, Sadia and Dara struggle age of 31. It was one of the most confusing, surprising to understand why they can’t let go of their teenage and exciting experiences I’d ever had. At the time they boyband obsessions and wonder if it hinders their search called it ‘The One Direction Infection,’ and it hit me hard. for real romantic partners, Elif and Sadia battle with the expectations of their religion and culture, and all of the I had never liked a boyband before, despite having women say the boybands have changed their lives in been a teenager at the height of the Backstreet Boys some way. These were also experiences that I could and *NSYNC glory years in the 1990’s. Growing up, directly relate to - this is not just screaming and childish I thought boybands were cheesy and that their fans obsessions, this is something deeply meaningful to so were hopelessly unsophisticated. I remember thinking many people in so many places, at so many stages of to myself the first time I heard a One Direction song their lives. on the radio, ‘Do they think we’re idiots? They just repeated the same chorus 10 times over!’ But by the From a purely cynical perspective boybands are a end of the song I was hooked, and I wanted to know carefully engineered package of cute, young, mostly everything about them. I knew I was being manipulated white, boys in coordinated outfits, singing in harmony by catchy lyrics and a savvy marketing machine, but I about holding hands and broken hearts. As young men was loving it. I immediately wanted to know more about they are given more power and status than they may this phenomenon and was eager to meet other fans. I deserve, but their music is some of the most enduring decided to turn this obsession into my job and started and beloved in history, and their fans’ devotion is researching boyband fans for this film. legendary. Over the last five years of making this film, my producer Rita and I have met so many fans, both in I found Elif in Long Island first. The title of the film is a person and online, who deserve to have their stories quote from her - I found a clip of her on YouTube, where heard and celebrated without being mocked or judged.