A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work,[1] often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, book, musical artist, television series, or video game, among other things, is said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fanbase.
A common component of cult followings is the emotional attachment the fans have to the object of the cult following, often identifying themselves and other fans as members of a community. Cult followings are also commonly associated with niche markets. Cult media are often associated with underground culture, and are considered too eccentric or anti-establishment to be appreciated by the general public or to be widely commercially successful.
Many cult fans express their devotion with a level of irony when describing such entertainment. Sometimes, these cult followings cross the border to camp followings. Fans may become involved in a subculture of fandom, either via conventions, online communities or through activities such as writing series-related fiction, costume creation, replica prop and model building, or creating their own audio or video productions from the formats and characters.[2]
- ^ "Definition of CULT". Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ "The Official Cult TV Magazine". Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2020-07-31.