Stans

by Mike McGranaghan

Back in 2000, Eminem released a song called “Stan” that was about an obsessed fan writing him letters. It was such a huge hit that the word “stan” entered the national lexicon. Often, the term is used in a derogatory fashion to describe somebody irrationally fixated on a public figure, although a lot of people self-apply it to make their hardcore fandom known. The insightful documentary Stans takes a look at why Eminem has inspired his own legion of diehard admirers.

Part of the film is a rundown of Eminem’s career: his early days participating in rap battles in Detroit, his discovery by Dr. Dre, the controversies generated by his lyrics, the arrival of explosive mainstream popularity with the release of the semi-autobiographical movie 8 Mile, his drug addiction and subsequent recovery, etc. The rapper appears on-camera to discuss these and other milestones, backed up by a treasure trove of awesome archival footage.

The rest of doc is comprised of interviews with roughly two dozen of Eminem’s own stans, like the woman with a world record-setting 33 tattoos of the rapper on her body and the Frenchman who’s still sporting the trademark “Slim Shady” outfit of short blonde hair, white t-shirt, and baseball cap. They speak in depth about the extent of their shared obsession, specifically revealing what it is about Eminem that has given birth to such loyalty. For many, the emotional rawness of his lyrics touched something in them. Other times, they’ve related to his own life struggles. His music has almost universally helped them through personal hardships.

Director Steven Leckart shrewdly does two things. The first is that he lets these fans be themselves. They bare their souls in a way that’s meaningful rather than exploitive, so that we can grasp their devotion to Eminem. The other is that he isn’t afraid to make them look a little weird at times, despite the overall empathy the film shows. Several of these folks have done things that are a bit on the absurd side, like the young woman who moved to Detroit and worked in a local restaurant for ten years, hoping Eminem would come in for a meal. (He never did.)

What this does is achieve a fascinating balance. Even at their most unusual, these fans come from a place of real sincerity. If illogical behavior occasionally exhibits itself, it’s only because they’re profoundly moved. Making a documentary about crazy fans would have been too easy. Through raw, unvarnished interviews, Stans offers enlightenment about the intimate connection that can be created between strangers through art, as well as the way fans visibly express the power of that connection.

Aside from being a stirring psychological documentary, Stans is often quite funny. Everybody, Eminem included, has a sense of humor. One minute you’re laughing at the woman sporting a homemade costume designed to replicate a character from an Eminem music video, and the next you’re getting choked up by the tale of the teenage girl who felt unloved by her parents and found solace in his lyrics. Fandom is humorous and sentimental, and you may not view stans the same way after seeing things from their perspective for 102 minutes.

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