ABSTRACT
Studies of real-person fan fiction (RPF) often focus on how RPF exploits the flexibility of
celebrity identity. Yet social media have introduced an unprecedented level of proximity
between fan fiction communities and their subjects. This article focuses on “bandom,” a
fan fiction genre focused on American rock bands like My Chemical Romance. Bandom
thrived on the constant contact of social media, but some participants became troubled by
their subjects’ behavior, particularly some musicians’ acts of theatrical homoeroticism
termed “stage gay.” Such controversies, coupled with the constant online presence of
bandom’s subjects, threatened to overwhelm the flexibility that RPF often requires.
