Stan

The word describes fandom that has tipped past ordinary liking into identity: defending the creator by reflex, tracking every post, treating criticism of the work as a personal attack. Stan culture is a genuine asset. These are the people who buy on day one, show up to everything and recruit others. It carries a sharp edge too. Stans pile onto critics, rival creators and sometimes each other, and the pile-on gets attributed to you whether you asked for it or not. Creators with intense audiences tend to set the tone out loud and early, because a comment section polices itself in whatever direction it was taught.