For the love of fangirls | Yve Blake

Translator: Júlia Ramírez Reviewer: Alba Gabaldon

Four years ago,

Fa quatre anys,

a teenage girl changed my life

una adolescent em va canviar la vida

in one conversation.

en una conversa.

She was 13 years old,

Tenia 13 anys,

she was a friend's little cousin

era la cosina petita d'una amiga

and she casually told me

i em va dir despreocupada

that she had met the man she was going to marry.

que havia conegut l'home amb qui es casaria.

So I said, "OK, tell me about him."

Vaig dir-li que em parlés d'ell

And she told me that his name was Harry Styles.

i em va dir que es deia Harry Styles.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

So I laughed a little, like you,

Jo també vaig riure una mica,

and then she said, "I know you don't think I'm serious,

però em va dir: "Sé que creus que no ho dic seriosament,

but I'm actually going to be with him.

però em casaré amb ell.

Because I love him so much

Perquè l'estimo tant

that I would slit someone's throat to be with him."

que tallaria el coll a algú per estar amb ell."

(Laughter)

(Riures)

And that was the moment

Aquest és el moment

that I became obsessed with fangirls.

en què em vaig obsessionar amb les fans.

I didn't know it then,

Llavors no ho sabia,

but that moment would transform the course of my life

però allò canviaria el curs de la meva vida,

and go on to change everything that I thought I knew

canviaria tot el que pensava que sabia

about being an adult,

sobre ser adult,

being a woman

ser dona

and being truly happy.

i ser realment feliç.

But before we get started,

Però, abans de començar,

what is a fangirl,

què és una fan

and what is a Harry Styles?

i què és un Harry Styles?

Well, according to the dictionary, the Merriam-Webster dictionary,

Segons el diccionari, el Merriam-Webster,

a fangirl is a "girl or woman

una fan és una "noia o dona

who is an extremely or overly enthusiastic fan

extremament o excessivament entusiasta

of someone or something."

d'algú o d'alguna cosa."

Technically, you can have fangirls of anything,

Tècnicament, hi ha fans de qualsevol cosa,

but my specific interest was in fangirls of boy bands.

però el meu interès era en fans de grups masculins.

Because of their somewhat lethal reputation.

Per la seva reputació una mica letal.

I remember, my dad had told me this story of some Beatles fans in the '60s,

Recordo que el meu pare em va parlar d'unes fans dels Beatles als anys 60

who apparently had torn a parked BMW to literal pieces,

que sembla ser que van treure totes les peces d'un BMW aparcat,

because the band had supposedly just been sat in it.

perquè, suposadament, el grup s'hi havia assegut.

In the '60s, the Beatles were the biggest boy band on the planet,

Als 60, els Beatles eren el grup masculí més important del planeta.

but when I met this girl in 2015,

Quan vaig conèixer aquesta noia el 2015,

the biggest boy band on the planet was none other than One Direction.

el grup més important del planeta era One Direction,

And Harry Styles was a member of One Direction.

i Harry Styles era un membre de One Direction.

Harry Styles was reputed for his compassionate demeanor

A Harry Styles se'l coneixia per ser compassiu

and perfect hair.

i per tenir el cabell perfecte.

I learn this when I read thousands of tweets about him.

Ho vaig saber perquè vaig llegir milers de tuits sobre ell.

I learn that he is a sweet cupcake.

Vaig saber que és una monada,

I learn that he is a perfect angel.

que és l'àngel perfecte,

I learn that one time,

que una vegada

he vomited on the side of a freeway in California

va vomitar en una autopista a Califòrnia

and that within two hours,

i, en menys de dues hores,

fans had turned the site of the vomit into a sacred shrine.

les fans havien transformat el lloc en un santuari sagrat.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

I scroll through --

Vaig mirant...

(Laughter)

(Riures)

I scroll through fan-made paintings of Harry,

Vaig mirant dibuixos d'en Harry fets per fans,

baby photos of him,

fotos d'ell de petit,

paintings of baby photos of him.

dibuixos de fotos d'ell de petit.

I watch videos that show me how to make DIY love totems for Harry --

Vaig mirant tutorials per fer tòtems d'amor per a ell,

for example, a lampshade covered in photos of his face,

com una làmpada plena de fotos de la seva cara

or a key ring that states the exact time of his birth.

o un clauer amb l'hora exacta del seu naixement.

I read hours of fan fiction,

Vaig llegint hores de fanficció

and I fall down this specific rabbit hole

i caic en un bucle

of stories that actually place me as a protagonist

d'històries on jo soc la protagonista

inside of various imagined romances with him.

de diverses històries d'amor amb ell.

So in one, I tell him that I'm pregnant with his child.

En una, li dic que estic embarassada del seu fill.

In another, we meet in hospital where we're both fighting cancer,

En una, ens coneixem en un hospital on lluitem contra un càncer.

and in another, we fall so deeply in love

En una altra, ens enamorem tan perdudament

that we become fugitives who kill people.

que esdevenim fugitius que maten gent.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

But then ...

Però llavors...

something unthinkable happens.

passa una cosa inimaginable.

One Direction, the biggest boy band on the planet,

One Direction, el grup més important del planeta,

loses a member.

perd un membre.

Zayn Malik quits the band,

Zayn Malik deixa el grup

and the internet explodes with feels.

i Internet explota d'emocions.

I read tweets as these girls describe the physical pain of this loss,

Llegeixo tuits de noies que el descriuen dolor físic de la pèrdua,

how they can't eat or sleep or walk.

que no poden menjar, parlar o caminar.

I read them describe how much Zayn had meant to them.

Descriuen com d'important era en Zayn per a elles.

And I watch videos of 10-year-old girls crying.

Veig vídeos de nenes de 10 anys plorant.

But, like, really crying.

Plorant de veritat.

And then I watch as people repost these videos but with new titles

I veig com la gent comparteix els vídeos amb títols nous

that contain words like "crazy" and "creepy" and "insane."

amb paraules com "boja", "esgarrifós" i "dement".

And suddenly, my YouTube sidebar contains

De cop, YouTube em suggereix vídeos com:

"Compilation: Fans react to Zayn leaving.

"Recopilació: Fans reaccionen a la marxa de Zayn.

Psycho alert!"

Alerta! Boges!"

Then I watch as mainstream news outlets cover the story.

I veig com els mitjans parlen del tema.

I read them describe these "young banshees."

Les descriuen com a "joves cridaneres".

I read one journalist say,

Un periodista diu:

"It's a commonly known fact since the age of the Beatles

"Des de l'època dels Beatles, ja se sap que

that there is nothing scarier in this world

no hi ha res més aterridor

than a group of excited teenage girls."

que un grup d'adolescents entusiasmades."

(Laughter)

(Riures)

And then I ask myself a question I've never considered in my life.

Llavors em plantejo una cosa que mai no havia considerat:

Why is it that the image of young girls screaming their lungs out with excitement

Per què la imatge de noies joves cridant a ple pulmó i entusiasmades

for a pop star

per una estrella del pop

is considered crazy, psycho,

es considera dement, psicòtica,

scary, a bit much?

aterridora o exagerada?

But the image of young boys screaming their lungs out for a footballer

Però la imatge de nois cridant a ple pulmó per un futbolista

is perfectly normal?

és completament normal?

Boys crying at the footie,

Els nois que criden al futbol,

that's the love of the game.

estimen l'esport.

Girls crying at a Justin Bieber concert?

Les noies que ploren en un concert de Justin Bieber?

That's pathetic.

És patètic.

And as soon as I realized this double standard,

Quan em vaig adonar d'aquesta doble moral,

I realized that all of my curiosity about fangirls

em vaig adonar també que la meva curiositat

had been sparked by exactly the same judgments.

havia sorgit d'aquesta mateixa reflexió.

I, too, had suspected that they were a bit crazy.

En el fons, jo també pensava que eren una mica boges.

I'd looked at images of girls screaming for the Beatles,

Havia mirat fotos de noies cridant pels Beatles,

the Backstreet Boys, One Direction,

pels Backstreet Boys, One Direction

and the word that had come to mind was not "excitement"

i no havia pensat en "entusiasme",

but "hysteria."

sinó en "histèria".

And what I did not know was the history of that word.

No coneixia la història d'aquesta paraula:

That in the 19th century,

durant el segle XIX,

hysteria was considered to be a legitimate female mental disorder

la histèria es considerava una malaltia mental femenina

that could be diagnosed by doctors

que diagnosticaven els metges

if women displayed excessive emotion or difficult behavior.

si una dona mostrava emoció excessiva o comportament difícil.

The word "hysterical" comes from the Latin word "hystericus,"

El mot "histèria" prové del mot llatí "hystericus",

meaning "of the womb,"

que significa "de l'úter",

because it was thought that this condition was caused by a dysfunction of the uterus.

perquè es pensava que la causa era una disfunció de l'úter.

And so, a treatment for hysteria

Per això, el tractament

was a hysterectomy.

era una histerectomia.

Which is what we still call a removal of the womb.

És a dir, l'extirpació de l'úter.

And at this point,

Llavors,

I decide to redeclare my obsession.

vaig decidir reanomenar la meva obsessió,

Because I am no longer just obsessed with fangirls.

perquè ja no només estic obsessionada amb les fans,

Now, I'm obsessed with the way that the world talks about fangirls

també ho estic amb la manera com el món en parla

and the way that the world looks at young, female enthusiasm.

i la manera com el món veu l'entusiasme femení i jove.

Because, I want to know,

Perquè vull saber una cosa:

if girls grow up in a world

si les noies creixen en un món

where words like "crazy" and "psycho" and "hysterical" are casually used

on s'usen paraules com "boja", "psicòtica" i "histèrica"

to describe female enthusiasm,

per descriure l'entusiasme femení,

then how does that shape the way that those girls get to see themselves?

com les afecta en la manera com es veuen elles mateixes?

And if girls grow up in a world that tells them

Si les noies creixen en un món on els diuen

that they are designed just a bit crazier than the boys,

que estan fetes una mica més boges que els nois,

then isn't that a little bit like telling them

no és el mateix que dir-los

that they are born less capable of rationality than men,

que han nascut menys capaces de ser racionals que els homes,

less capable of reason

amb menys capacitat de raonar

and unworthy of the same intellectual respect as their brothers.

i indignes del mateix respecte intel·lectual que els homes?

Separately, I become obsessed with female screams.

A banda, em vaig obsessionar amb els crits femenins.

Not in a creepy way.

No en un sentit negatiu.

I'm talking about, like, those shrieks and squeals

Em refereixo als xiscles i al xerroteig

that fangirls let out at concerts.

de les fans en concerts.

I want to know why it is

Vull saber per què

that some people instinctively flinch when I merely describe the sound,

hi ha gent que instintivament s'encongeix només amb descriure el so,

like it's painful just to think about it.

com si pensar-hi fos dolorós.

Then I meet Amy Hume.

Llavors vaig conèixer l'Amy Hume,

She's a voice coach.

una professora de cant,

And she blows my mind.

i em va deixar impressionada.

Because she tells me that the female voice

Em va explicar que la veu femenina,

between the ages of 11 and 13

entre els 11 i els 13 anys,

is one of the most interesting things to study.

és un dels estudis més interessants.

Why?

Per què?

Because there's this research by Carol Gilligan

Perquè hi ha un estudi de Carol Gilligan

that says that is the age

que diu que en aquesta edat

when girls begin to perform and alter their voices.

les noies comencen a alterar la veu.

For example, adding breath for maturity,

Com afegir-hi la respiració per indicar maduresa

(Imitating vocal fry) or adding vocal fry for apathy.

(imitant la veu nasal) o afegir-hi veu nasal per l'apatia.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

But tell me, according to this research,

Però, segons aquest estudi,

when do you reckon boys begin to perform and alter their voices?

quan creieu que els nois comencen a alterar la veu?

Now, I guessed 18,

Jo vaig dir als 18,

because "men mature later," right?

perquè "els homes maduren més tard", oi?

Wrong.

Incorrecte.

The answer was four years old.

La resposta és als 4 anys,

Because that is when boys learn not to cry or squeal.

perquè és quan els nois aprenen a no cridar, ni xisclar,

That those are not manly sounds.

perquè no són sons masculins.

And that's when I realized

Aquí em vaig adonar

that a fangirl's shriek is therefore like a superpower.

que el xiscle d'una fan és com un superpoder.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

Because it's this fearless and honest expression

Perquè és una expressió valenta i honesta

of pure celebration and joy,

de pura celebració i felicitat;

and it's a sound

és un so

they have not forgotten how to make.

que no han oblidat com fer.

I actually reckon that fangirls have a second superpower,

Crec que les fans tenen un segon superpoder,

because they know how to do something

perquè saben fer una cosa

that most of my adult friends have no idea how to do.

que la majoria dels meus amics adults no saben fer:

Fangirls know how to love something without apology or fear.

les fans saben estimar alguna cosa sense perdó ni por.

My years of researching fangirls

Tots els anys de recerca sobre fans

culminated in this determination

van culminar en la decisió

to write something that celebrates and vindicates them.

d'escriure alguna cosa que les celebri i les defensi.

So I decided to make this thriller comedy musical

Vaig decidir fer una comèdia musical de suspens,

that sounds like a Beyoncé concert meets rave meets church.

una barreja entre concert de Beyoncé, 'rave' i església.

I called it "Fangirls,"

El títol era "Fangirls"

and I designed it like a Trojan horse.

i ho vaig dissenyar com un cavall de Troia:

So it appears to make fun of these young women,

sembla que et riguis d'aquestes noies,

only to, like, smuggle them into your heart.

però, al final, te n'enamores d'elles.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

Thanks.

Gràcies.

(Applause)

(Aplaudiments)

At one point --

En un moment...

Thanks.

Gràcies

At one point, a girl sings,

En un moment, una noia canta:

"Why should I hide my feelings?

"Per què he d'amagar els sentiments?

Because they annoy you?

Perquè et molesten?

Or because it isn't what the boys do?"

O perquè no és el que fan els nois?"

And as a former fangirl cynic,

Com a ex-fan cínica,

that is the question that I want to leave you all with.

és la qüestió que us vull plantejar.

Why should fangirls tone it down?

Per què haurien de baixar el volum?

Because they're crazy?

Perquè estan boges?

Or because our definition of "reasonable"

O perquè la nostra definició de "raonable"

is based on what it is acceptable for men to do?

es basa en el que és acceptable fer per als homes?

What if we rethink the judgments we've been conditioned to feel

I si reflexionem sobre com ens han condicionat que sentim

when we see young women screaming their lungs out with excitement?

quan veiem noies cridant d'entusiasme a ple pulmó?

What if we decided to rethink the words we use

I si reflexionem sobre els mots que usem

to describe that joy,

per descriure la felicitat?

and what if we didn't allow ourselves to diminish girls

I si ens permetem no subestimar-les

with words that undermine their intelligence,

amb paraules que menystenen la seva intel·ligència,

their interests and their capability?

interessos i capacitat?

Because, according to my research,

Perquè, segons la meva recerca,

they are capable of building a shrine to Harry Styles's vomit

són capaces de construir un santuari al vòmit de Harry Styles

on the side of a freeway within two hours.

en una autopista en menys de 2 hores.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

That takes some executive skills in logistics and communication.

Per a això cal habilitat en logística i comunicació.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

If that isn't "capable," I don't know what is.

Si això no és "capacitat", no sé què és.

(Applause)

(Aplaudiments)

I reckon, instead of judging fangirls, we can learn from them.

Crec que, en comptes de jutjar-les, n'hauríem d'aprendre.

We can all die tomorrow,

Si podem morir demà,

so why not love things while we're still breathing?

per què no estimem mentre som vius?

And with that,

Per acabar,

I'd like to ask you all to try something with me.

m'agradaria que provéssim una cosa:

Can I get you all to stand up?

us podeu aixecar?

Stand up if you can, stand up.

Aixequeu-vos, si podeu, vinga.

Alright, so here's what's going to happen.

D'acord, farem el següent:

I'm going to count to three

comptaré fins a tres

and when I finish,

i quan acabi,

I'm going to ask every single one of you

us demano que tots

to let out your very best fangirl scream.

deixeu anar el vostre crit més fan.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

Yeah?

D'acord?

Here is why I am asking you to do this.

Us ho demano per una raó:

Because if all five-or-so thousand of you do this and really commit,

si les cinc mil persones que som aquí ho fem,

we all get our first chance to hear that sound

tenim la oportunitat de sentir el so

and to decide that it is not a crazy sound.

i decidir que no és una cosa de bojos,

It is a hopeful sound.

és un so d'esperança.

So shall we do this?

Ho fem?

I said, shall we do this?

Repeteixo, ho fem?

(Audience: Yes!)

(Públic: Sí!)

Alright. OK, I am going to cheat and I'm not going to go full volume,

D'acord, jo faré trampes i no cridaré tant

because I'm miked and we don't want to hear that.

perquè tinc el micròfon i no cal sentir-ho.

But it means you all have to go 110 percent.

Això significa que vosaltres heu de cridar un 110%.

You ready? Take a deep breath with me.

Preparats? Agafeu aire,

Think of someone you love, let's go,

penseu en algú que estimeu, vinga.

one, two, three.

Un, dos, tres:

(Audience screams)

(El públic crida)

(Laughter and applause)

(Riures i aplaudiments)

You all just sounded stunning

Heu sonat increïbles

and as sane and as intelligent

i tant sans, intel·ligents

and as dignified

i dignes

as when you walked in this room.

com quan heu entrat.

(Laughter)

(Riures)

Thank you.

Gràcies.

(Applause)

(Aplaudiments)