Eminem Seeks “stans” for Documentary About His Superfans

Dear Stan, would you like to share your story for a documentary about yourself? Eminem Fan base?

That was the question Eminem, 51, asked his followers on Wednesday, April 10. “Looking for Stans for a documentary produced by Eminem & Shady Films,” the rapper posted on The Marshal Mathers LP.

Eminem directed fans to a questionnaire that asked questions such as: Do you collect Eminem merchandise, do Eminem art, write fanfiction, etc.?; What is your favorite Eminem song?; What song first touched you on a deep personal level?; What things in your life have you achieved thanks to Eminem/his music?; and Remember when Eminem took a break from touring/releasing albums around 2005? If so, how did this affect you?

There are also questions about whether they met Eminem or traveled to his hometown of Detroit. Applicants can also submit a one-minute photo explaining why they are superfans. They were encouraged to share everything they did for the love of Slim Shady, their merch collection and more.

diversity reported in February 2024 that Eminem co-produced the documentary, working title Stans. The project would be an “illuminating, edgy and disarmingly personal journey into the world of super-fandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most famous and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans who adore him.”

👀 Looking for Stans 🎬 for a documentary by Eminem & Shady Films. To share your story, please answer the questions here https://t.co/HlUXjtnZn6 pic.twitter.com/sVJ3km5D0v

— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) April 10, 2024

The term “Stan” comes from the song of the same name, which describes the downward spiral of an obsessive fan. Through increasingly unhinged letters, the titular Stan transforms from Eminem’s “biggest fan” with “a tattoo of your name on his chest” to a deranged quasi-stalker who ultimately kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend out of resentment because Em doesn’t wrote him back.

In the final verse, Eminem finally responds to Stan and apologizes for the delay before pointing out that his fan’s behavior was alarming (“What kind of shit is this that we’re supposed to be together? / This kind of shit doesn’t make me.” “to meet with us”). The song ends as Eminem realizes what Stan has done.

In the years since the song’s release, the Internet has adopted “Stan” as the term for a die-hard fan. There were toxic elements in stan culture, which led some stars to speak out against bullying and harassment on their behalf.

The Stans The film will be a chance to “turn the camera around and ask the audience if they are fans – and in some cases, fanatics,” per diversity. “This is a study of the relationship between fan base and artist from the perspective of one of Eminem’s most captivating songs and one of the world’s most important entertainers.”