To no one’s surprise, former president Donald Trump handily won the Republican Iowa caucuses this week. Despite his recent bout of legal trouble, he still has the backing of a dedicated voting base. But at times, his base feels more like stans than supporters. This week on The Weeds, host Jonquilyn Hill sits down with Vox culture writer Aja Romano to discuss the origins of fandom, the toxicity of stan culture and online harassment, and how we’ve trained politicians to be performers first. 

Read More:

The “Dark Brandon” meme — and why the Biden campaign has embraced it — explained 

Zhang Zhehan is a deepfake: fandom conspiracy theories are getting worse — Vox 

What Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour Tells Us About Trump’s Appeal — Politico 

2024 campaign: Trump rallies aren't even about politics at this point — Slate 

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Credits:

Jonquilyn Hill, host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Cristian Ayala, engineer

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

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