Dear Stan, do you want to share your story for a documentary about your Eminem fandom?
That was the question Eminem, 51, posed to his followers on Wednesday, April 10. “Looking for Stans for a documentary produced by Eminem & Shady Films,” the rapper posted on X. The documentary is about Eminem superfans, as depicted in the song “Stan” from Em’s 2000 landmark album, The Marshal Mathers LP.
Eminem pointed fans to a questionnaire that asked, among other things, questions like: Do you collect Eminem merch, make Eminem artwork, write fan fiction, etc.?; What’s your favorite Eminem song?; Which song first hit you on a deep personal level?; What are some things in your life that you’ve accomplished thanks to Eminem/his music?; and Do you remember when Eminem took a break from touring/releasing albums circa 2005? If so, how did that impact you?
There are also questions about whether they’ve met Eminem or traveled to his native city of Detroit. Applicants can also submit a one-minute photo explaining why they’re superfans. They were encouraged to share anything they’d done out of their love for Slim Shady, their collection of merch and more.
Variety reported in February 2024 that Eminem was co-producing the documentary, working title Stans. The project would be a “revealing, edgy and disarmingly personal journey into the world of super fandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans that worship him.”
The term “Stan” originated from the song of the same name, which depicts an obsessive fan’s downward spiral. Through increasingly unhinged letters, the titular Stan changes from being Eminem’s “biggest fan” with “a tattoo with your name across the chest” to a deranged quasi-stalker who eventually kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend out of spite because Em hadn’t written him back.
In the final verse, Eminem finally responds to Stan, apologizing for the delay before pointing out his fan’s behaviors were alarming (“What’s this s—t about us meant to be together? / That type of s—t’ll make me not us to meet each other”). The song ends when Eminem realizes what Stan did.
In the years since the song’s release, the Internet has adopted “Stan” as a term for a diehard fan. There have been toxic elements of Stan culture, prompting some stars to speak out against bullying and harassment done in their names.
The Stans film will be a chance “to turn the camera around and ask the audience about being fans — and in some cases, fanatics,” per Variety. “This is a study of the relationship between fanbase and artist through the lens of one of Eminem’s most fascinating songs and one of the world’s most important entertainers.”
