For some people, entertainment consumption is merely a form of leisure, but for some superfans, it is much more. What happens when a person flirts with the line between passion and obsession? When a form of entertainment is no longer just something that someone likes, but it is actually part of their identity?

Prince superfan Chris Aguilar Garcia joins the Lear Center’s Adam Amel Rogers to discuss fandom and fan culture. Watch the full interview below and scroll down for excerpts and pictures.

 

After Prince died, scores of people issued their condolences directly to Chris and he explained the complexities of receiving sympathy for a celebrity death.

 

How does one become a superfan? Chris explained how his relationship with Prince began and what it had to do with his sexual orientation.

 

Chris has several Prince tattoos – below he shows them off and talks about how people respond to his tattoos.

 

Celebrities don’t always live up to the expectations that fans have for them. Chris explained how Prince has disappointed in the past – specifically, when he began to push his new religious beliefs on his fans.

 

Chris is a lifelong LGBTQ advocate and Prince has a complicated history with the gay community, so Chris explained how he reconciles these diverging ideas.

 

For Chris, Prince is more than a musician, Prince and Madonna provide him with religious and moral guidance.

 

After Prince died, Chris headed to Minneapolis to mourn at Paisley Park and he provided an opportunity for his community to mourn with him.

 

A big part of Chris’s fandom for Prince is centered around Wendy and Lisa, who both appeared with Josh Kun and Ann Powers in an event the Norman Lear Center.

Images of a Superfan