Fandom Nationalism: Participatory Censorship and Performative Patriotism in East Asia

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Erika Ningxin Wang (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen) Dr. Qian Huang (University of Groningen, the Netherlands)

Fandom Nationalism

Name: Fandom Nationalism
Price: 110 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9798765125151

Participatory Censorship and Performative Patriotism in East Asia

Erika Ningxin Wang (The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen), Dr. Qian Huang (University of Groningen, the Netherlands), Qian Huang (University of Groningen the Netherlands) , Rukmini Pande (O P Jindal Global University India)

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Hardback

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English

Bloomsbury Academic
19 February 2026

Media studies; Globalization

Series: Bloomsbury Fandom Primers

This book delves into the world of ""fandom nationalism,"" where the lines between fan devotion and nationalistic fervor blur within the East Asian media landscape.

Taking a non-Western perspective in fan studies, this book challenges conventional understandings of fandom nationalism. While the concept usually describes how citizens passionately adore their nation akin to idolizing celebrities, this ground-breaking research adds a captivating twist: such passion encompasses not only the expressions of love fans shower upon their idols but also the intense hatred anti-fans direct towards stars - fans strategically employ nationalism as a weapon to win fan wars. This enriches the concept of fandom nationalism, exploring how fans use participatory censorship practices to accuse celebrities and their followers of problematic political stances, thereby channeling collective nationalist anger to exact revenge on despised celebrities, such as Zhang Zhehan, a Boys' Love drama actor who was banned by the authorities and the industry for taking photos at the Yasukuni Shrine in Japan.

Through a thorough review of relevant literature and detailed fieldwork data, this book reveals how fans and anti-fans participate in various stages of the banning process, leading to the career downfall of top stars in China. This brutal battleground, akin to cancel culture, is a product of the collusion among fans, netizens, the party-state, media platforms, and businesses, where fans' participation in nationalist practices can also be performative patriotism, driven by the desire to protect their idols and themselves. Using examples from China and beyond, Fandom Nationalism explores the relationship between fandom and the state more broadly.

By: Erika Ningxin Wang (The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen), Dr. Qian Huang (University of Groningen, the Netherlands), Qian Huang (University of Groningen the Netherlands)
Edited by: Rukmini Pande (O P Jindal Global University India)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9798765125151
Series: Bloomsbury Fandom Primers
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 19 February 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction 1. Fan Mobilization and Nationalism 2. Cancelling Stars as Participatory Censorship 3. The Paradox: Exploited Fandom with Agency Conclusion Index

Erika Ningxin Wang is Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. Erika’s research interests lie at the intersection of youth culture, digital media, and state governance. Qian Huang is Assistant Professor of digital cultures at University of Groningen in The Netherlands. She has published articles on Chinese digital vigilantism, digital visibility, cancel culture in fandom, and nationalism in China in peer-reviewed journals.

Reviews for Fandom Nationalism: Participatory Censorship and Performative Patriotism in East Asia

This book redefines fandom beyond a trivial youth fad, taking a non-Western perspective to reveal how fandom in East Asia and China becomes an arena for youth political engagement. Wang and Huang show how fans mobilize nationalism not only to support idols but also to confront rivals, introducing the concept of participatory censorship to explain how fans collectively defend and negotiate political boundaries. Fandom Nationalism offers a compelling analysis of performative patriotism and collective mobilization, enriching our understanding of the politics of pop culture. * Anthony Fung, Dean of Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China *