“How Fiction Provides a Safe Place for Young Readers to Explore Celebrity, Fame and Fandom”
When I began writing my YA paranormal fantasy novel Channeling Marilyn, I wasn’t thinking of celebrity or how young people relate to fame and fandom. Through drafting a book that included Marilyn Monroe’s spirit as a main character, however, I grew more and more convinced that fiction could provide a safe place for young readers to explore these concepts. With fiction, young people are able to experience the lives of characters from their safe reader position. And how great for those readers to have the possibility of exploring fame and fandom from the shoes of a fictional or fictionalized celebrity in a completely made-up story? The magic of fiction, too, is that it allows those readers draw their own conclusions about whether the experience felt positive or negative.
In Channeling Marilyn, part of the inspiration behind the book was me acknowledging the fact that even though Hollywood superstar Marilyn Monroe has been dead for over 70 years, a huge number of fans are still obsessed with her and her films. That fandom spoke to me. I wanted to look more deeply at it—at the why of it. Because these Marilyn fans are not necessarily young people, I became even more interested in the possibility that focusing on a celebrity like Marilyn Monroe could be an inspired bet for a YA audience: to take a celebrity from long ago, and imagine how her persona and her fame could affect a young person, and tell that story.
My main character, seventeen-year-old Lexa, is one of those non-obsessed with Marilyn Monroe people, yet via the story—no spoilers—she becomes aware of Marilyn, and then encounters Marilyn’s well-known allure. Ultimately, Lexa is not immune to the power of Marilyn (after all, her influence on pop culture is everywhere), and that’s where Marilyn’s fame comes into play in the story. That is also the place where Lexa’s teen sensibilities reflect what I’ve come to learn are documented observations about how young people relate to the concepts of fame, celebrity and fandom.
Between social media and reality tv, everyone is obsessed with celebrity these days—their own and that of others. For most people, the fascination is merely a diversion, but let’s look more closely at some reasons young people fixate on celebrities. Common Sense Media points out, “Celebrity obsessions are a natural part of growing up. As kids enter adolescence and begin forming their identities, they begin to seek out media figures for cues on how to look and act… Tweens in today’s media environment can feast on an endless supply of information.”
This observation didn’t surprise me, or that celebrity crushes for young people are deemed by some authorities to be a natural and even potentially positive aspect of growing up. Dr. Alan Ravitz of New York’s Child Mind Institute states: “As kids individualize themselves from their parents, which is a natural part of development and growing up, they try to establish psychological and emotional independence … No matter the culture, they need somebody to look to, aside from their parents, for guidance and a model for becoming an adult. In our culture, this is often a sports figure, an actor, or a pop star.” In recent articles in both Psychology Today and at www.modernrecoveryservices.com, writers agree with Dr. Ravitz’s statement, going a step further to suggest that in our modern world, fandoms often provide a positive and inclusive community for teens.
These observations suggest a teen’s fascination with a celebrity is most likely harmless: Harmless until people—young or older—take their fandom too seriously. In a recent article in The Teen Mag on how fans feel about their celebrity crushes, journalist Arrohi Shah says, “When a celebrity looks like us, loves like us, or struggles like us, it validates our own experiences. It’s not just about them– it’s about what they represent to us. But we often forget that what we see is carefully constructed: behind every photo is lighting, editing, media training, or even cosmetic enhancement. If even they need help to appear that way, why do we hold ourselves to those impossible standards?” Even more harmful, the Common Sense Media article goes on to point out that a young person’s fixation on a celebrity can, “… go to extremes that have a negative impact. They may spend all their money to try to look like their favorite stars. They may engage in risky body alterations to imitate them. Or they may actually inflict physical harm on themselves … to demonstrate the depth of their feeling.” In the Modern Recovery Services article, it’s noted that, “For teens already struggling with heavy psychological burdens, being a member of a toxic fandom can intensify their trials. It can be particularly tough for fan girls, who often face more scrutiny and pressure than boys because toxic fandom communities tend to be sexist.” And, “The development of parasocial relationships—one-sided relationships in which fans feel deeply connected to a celebrity based on illusions of intimacy—is another way fandom can become unhealthy. Teens might start to believe they have a special connection with a pop-culture icon, which can lead to unrealistic expectations and crushing heartbreak when their fantasies inevitably don’t come true.”
Fandoms have always existed, but it’s perhaps due to the wealth of information now available on social media that heightens and intensifies the celebrity adoration teens experience today.
The darker sides of teens’ relationship to celebrity, fame and fandom reveal where fiction could come in, providing that safe space for young people to explore these concepts outside of social media, without the baggage of an actual celebrity crush or of belonging to a fandom community.
In Channeling Marilyn, Lexa has the opportunity to see Marilyn Monroe as a real person, not as a celebrity. To see her as a human being who makes mistakes, who has needs, who wants friendship and love. Through the fictional lens of Marilyn’s spirit coming back as a kind of fairy godmother to Lexa, the book avoids the cliché of more common storylines like: Marilyn’s rugged early years, her abuse by handlers, her physical and mental health, her lack of privacy, her dealing with fans, etc. Instead, this story is about Lexa bonding with Marilyn as a spirit, and Marilyn guiding her through a tough time. And, wonder of wonders, through the power of fiction, Lexa is able to help Marilyn’s spirit move forward on her journey, too.
Bibliography
Leno, Michele, PhD, “The Healing Power of Pop Culture Communities” www.psychologytoday.com July 17, 2024, The Healing Power of Pop Culture Communities | Psychology Today
Shah, Aarohi, “Why are we so obsessed with Celebrity Drama? The Psychology Behind our Obsession” https://www.theteenmagazine.com May 8, 2025. Why Are We so Obsessed with Celebrity Drama? the Psychology Behind Our
“Should I be Concerned about My Kid’s Celebrity Obsession?” www.commonsensemedia.org June 4, 2020 Should I be concerned about my kid’s celebrity obsession? | Common Sense Media
“The Psychology of Fandom—Pop Culture’s Influence on Teens” www.modernrecoveryservices.com The Psychology of Fandom – Pop Culture’s Influence on Teens
“Why Teenagers Obsess Over Pop Stars?” www.childmind.org May 5, 2011, Why Teenagers Obsess Over Pop Stars – Child Mind Institute
Publishes June 1st, 2026 by She Writes Press
About the Book: Seventeen-year-old Lexa Donovan’s timid, plus-size life goes sideways when the spirit of Marilyn Monroe takes up residence in her body.
High school senior Lexa Donovan longs to be more than a bit player in her own drab life—and when she’s chosen to be part of her school’s spring production of Bus Stop, she thinks her wish has come true. But her thrill turns to panic when she’s tapped to play the leading role, sexy showgirl Cherie. One thing tall, plus-size Lexa knows for sure is that she is the exact opposite of the most famous Cherie ever: sex-goddess Marilyn Monroe.
Lexa wants out before she makes a fool of herself in front of everyone. But then something entirely unexpected happens: the spirit of Marilyn Monroe appears, ready and willing to be Lexa’s personal acting coach. Before the curtain rises on opening night, Lexa and Marilyn learn to trust their own hearts and act on what each truly needs to move forward—in life and in death.
About the Author: Half Greek, half American, Mima Tipper and her writing reflect her heritage—a little bit old-country, a little bit rock and roll: one foot wandering through the dreamy realms of myths and faerie tales, the other running on the solid ground of fast-paced, contemporary story. She earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is the award-winning author of the YA novel Kat’s Greek Summer (SparkPress, ISBN-9781684633067). Mima has also published YA fiction in Hunger Mountain and Sucker Literary Magazine. Her novel Kat’s Greek Summer was the 2025 silver medalist for YA fiction in the 2025 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, her YA short story “A Cut-out Face” received an honorable mention from Hunger Mountain’s Katherine Paterson Prize, and her work-in-progress version of Channeling Marilyn came in second place for Paranormal Romance in the Chesapeake Romance Writer’s annual Rudy contest. Beyond devoting most of her time to writing, Mima helps at Inklings Children’s Books in Waitsfield, Vermont, volunteers at her local library, and is committed to promoting literacy and supporting the writing community. Currently, Mima lives in Vermont with her family; find her at www.mimatipper.com.
Follow Mima Tipper on social media:
Facebook: @mimatipper | X/Twitter: @meemtip
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Thank you, Mima, for this thought-provoking look at a topic that affects many teens!
