Yanan Wang -
Liang Shanshan considers herself a mother of two: one child is her biological son, the other is a 16-year-old Chinese teen pop star she has never met.
She is a “mother fan” and part of a group of women in their mid-20s to 60s whose maternal instincts are set off by China’s boy band sensation TFBoys (The Fighting Boys).
The band has won millions of Chinese followers since their 2013 debut, rapidly amassing a following ardent enough to buy a giant ad in New York’s Times Square for a band member’s birthday.
Liang insists her feelings are no fleeting fancy: just like a real mother, her devotion to TFBoys’ singer Roy Wang (Wang Yuan) is unwavering.
While tween fans are attracted to the teenagers’ boyish good looks, Liang and her friends are drawn to their cherubic personas and wholesome values, with songs that explore the trials of growing up.
Some, like 24-year-old Yang Andan, even make annual pilgrimages to Wang’s hometown of Chongqing in southern Sichuan province.
“The more I learn about (Wang), the more I like him,” Yang said.
Liang’s family has embraced her fandom. Her four-year-old refers to TFBoys as his “big brothers”, and her husband accompanies her to concerts to see Wang, describing him as their “kid”.
Anthony Fung, a Chinese University of Hong Kong professor who studies pop culture, said this trend of mothers who “worship young idols” began with stars of Korean dramas, which are popular in China.
TFBoys are “quite Korean in aesthetic”, he pointed out.
Nearly a quarter of TFBoys fans are at least 30 years old — double the band members’ age, according to a survey by Chinese media giant Sina.
Fung says in some cases the obsession with TFBoys is a symptom of empty nest syndrome.
To celebrate the birthday of TFBoys member Jackson Yi (Yiyang Qianxi) in November, fans flew a cake-shaped hot air balloon over New York and held a party on a cruise ship in Shanghai.
Sometimes, their loyalty is rewarded. On his 15th birthday, Wang debuted a song dedicated to his fans called Because I Met You.
Aside from his entertainment career, Wang also works with several charities. “My dream has always been to make enough money to buy my parents and grandparents a house,” Wang said during a TV interview in February.
Yang and Liang, both vowed to remain loyal to Wang, whom they firmly believe is more talented and a better person than the other TFBoys.— AFP
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