Parrotheads, Cheeseburgers, and Paradise: Adult Music Fandom & Fan Practices
PARROTHEADS, CHEESEBURGERS, AND PARADISE: ADULT MUSIC FANDOM & FAN PRACTICES Kelly C. MacDonald Weeks A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2012 Committee: Dr. Radhika Gajjala, Advisor Dr. Cindy Hendricks Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Susana Peña Dr. Donald McQuarie Robert Sloane © 2012 Kelly C. MacDonald Weeks All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Radhika Gajjala, Advisor Jimmy Buffett’s beach bum lifestyle music was essentially solidified with his album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes in 1977, and it is his fans, collectively known as Parrotheads, who have continued to help him achieve such success. This dissertation examines not only Parrotheads, but also the ways in which this fan group has invested in, and engaged with, the “Margaritaville State of Mind” that Buffett and his fans have cultivated together. Derived from Buffett’s hit song, “Margaritaville,” Buffett’s beach bum escapism ethos has transformed his fandom into an experience and, further, a lifestyle – a state of mind and a state of being – to be enjoyed by his fans whether it is through their celebration of their fandom, or even in the goods and services they purchase. Moreso, this work explores various ways that a tropical escapism lifestyle is evoked and developed by Parrotheads through the many fan activities they engage with as part of belonging to their local Parrothead clubs. Parrotheads have chosen, as an integral part of their fandom, to raise money for local social and environmental charities, all in the name of their fandom.
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