Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer
Content warning: this article contains topics of murder and suicide.
On April 10, rap artist Marshall Mathers, better known by the stage name, Eminem, posted an announcement to his official Instagram account stating that he is looking for “Stans” to feature in an upcoming, untitled documentary. This film will be directed by Steven Leckhart and produced by Shady Films alongside Eminem himself.
According to its synopsis, the film is a “…revealing, edgy and disarmingly personal journey into the world of super fandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans that worship him.”
The term “Stan” is used to describe an overzealous or obsessive fan and was popularized by Eminem’s famous song of the same name in 2000. The music video made waves as its depiction of an obsessed fan by the name of Stan who took the life of his wife and himself due to his troubled captivation with receiving the attention of Eminem. This dramatic statement made an impact and earned Eminem several award nominations including Best Song, Video of the Year, Best Rap Video, Best Direction and Best Cinematography at the MTV Music Awards. Today, the term is still commonly used among fans of Eminem and multitudes of other online fandom communities.
“Hey Slim, I filled out your survey but you still ain’t callin’?” The announcement was posted to his Instagram and included a link for a questionnaire to fill out. The site reads as follows: “Share your story with the world in an exciting new documentary film produced by Eminem and Shady Films.” The questionnaire contains 27 different questions about being an Eminem super fan. Some of the questions are straightforward and others go to a much deeper level — explaining the reason one is a fan. The first section asks for basic information like name and where one is from.
The next section provides questions about being an Eminem super fan. These questions include the kind of merch one has, how Eminem’s music helped one get past challenges in life, which song hit the deepest on a personal level, whether there are any parts of Eminem’s story that one relates to and more to determine if one is truly a Stan.
The final section is the photo and video section — here, they ask for a photo of the person filling out the survey, requesting one’s face be clearly shown. It also asks for a one-minute-long video explaining “Why you are Eminem’s biggest fan” and sharing anything unique about one as an Eminem super fan.
Shady Films and long-time manager of Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, says “‘Stans’ will be the opportunity for us to turn the camera around and ask the audience about being fans — and in some cases fanatics. This is a study of the relationship between fanbase and artist.”
Little information about the true details of the documentary has been provided, but one thing is for sure, Eminem is calling for all Stans.
Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu
