Skip to main content

Post Office stan culture is here — and it’s glorious

The internet is home to many obsessive fan bases — but you’ve never seen one like this before. Now the Post Office has its own stans.

Yes, you heard that right. The internet’s latest obsession is none other than the United States Post Office (USPS), as teens around the country are stanning postal workers and those iconic blue boxes.

Related Videos

What started as a strategic move to celebrate the U.S. institution allegedly under attack by the Trump administration has morphed into an entirely different beast: Stan culture — the kind of all-consuming fandom that takes its name from combining “stalker” and “fan” — at its finest.

Social media has been buzzing with support for the USPS since it was targeted by the Trump administration for cuts and restructuring. While new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the changes were implemented to make the Postal Service more efficient, President Donald Trump recently said that funding was being blocked to prevent mail-in voting, which he has long railed against and believes would benefit Democrats, according to AP.

Activists in many states are pushing to expand mail-in-ballots as the coronavirus threatens participation in the upcoming 2020 presidential election. The Trump administration’s changes have reportedly included removing sorting machines, which could cripple the ability to handle an influx of ballots and cause important mail — from ballots to prescription medication — to pile up.

In response, Democrats in Congress have called on DeJoy to testify before the House and have vowed to protect the Postal Service. But outside the Capital Building halls, social media users have been going above and beyond to show their support of the American institution, usually in meme format.

‘The boys in blue’

Memes about the best ways to save the “boys in blue” have been inundating social media in the past few days, hijacking hashtags normally reserved to support police officers.

These are the boys in blue that matter pic.twitter.com/ezkNj99n7K

— ???? ???????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???? (@Its_Planty) August 9, 2020

@willye6

Respect the uniform!! #fyp #foryou #trump #usps #election #blue #usa

♬ My Type – Saweetie

Beyond memes, some supporters have started Post Office fan cams.

A fancam is a short and quickly edited video, usually focusing on a singer from a popular group and popularized by K-pop fan culture. While the style of video has since been applied to actors, TV stars, and even famous politicians, the Post Office’s inclusion is not typical.

fuck it. USPS fancam. pic.twitter.com/jKTwIjS3Sk

— taylor???????? (@ScribblnTaylor) August 15, 2020

“I couldn’t tell you exactly when I first heard [about the Post Office controversy] because we’ve been dealing with the topic of mail-in-ballots for pretty much this entire pandemic, but this past month especially, I feel like it’s been impossible to ignore,” said Taylor, an 18-year-old artist from Southern California and the creator of Twitter’s biggest Post Office fancam. “As an artist, I have many close friends who rely on the USPS to run their businesses/stay afloat, so it’s definitely a really scary time for all of us right now. I figured a fancam would be a way to bring a little bit of awareness, but also make some people laugh.”

Her video reached more than “some people.” As of Monday, Taylor’s USPS fancam has over 176,000 likes, and has close to 61,000 retweets and comments, marking the video as decidedly viral for an account with less than 5,000 followers.

“I figured it might get a little bit of traction, but I didn’t realize it was going to do some numbers until I posted it and it took off,” she told Digital Trends.

And hers isn’t the only one.

@shanemeyers1

TEXT USPS TO 50409 #bluelivesmatter #blm #liberal #usps

♬ In The Party – Flo Milli

Stan culture and politics

Of course, this isn’t the first time stan culture has touched modern politics.

Since the advent of meme culture, political accounts on both sides of the aisle have long tried to skew fandom culture in their favor, creating recognizable political groups like Bernie Bros or the #KHive (for fans of Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris).

But its rare to see such obsessive support for an institution as normally innocuous as the Postal Service.

At the end of the day, the fate of the USPS won’t be decided because of a viral fancam, but young users on Twitter and TikTok creating their own content around the Post Office shows a growing sense of political awareness among younger constituents.

And while there is no evidence that inclusion in stan culture contributes to real votes, it does prove that the creators know enough about current political topics to tap into a popular awareness.

“I think Gen Z has realized how exactly to grab people’s attention,” Taylor said. “Meme culture, especially with its potential vitality, provides such a large platform for activism, so it’s no wonder our generation has used it to their advantage.”

@averygracehodge

I don’t care how stupid this video is I’m literally crying because I doubt they ever sell any of this stuff & they tried so hard???? #fyp #usps #foryou

♬ Chicago Freestyle – Remix – Losfrms800

Editors' Recommendations

Microsoft explains how its Office suite will use the MacBook Pro Touch Bar
microsoft touch bar support office apple

During Apple's special event yesterday, it was briefly mentioned that the Microsoft Office suite would support the new MacBook Pro's Touch Bar. Now, Microsoft has stepped in to explain exactly what this functionality will entail.

In a blog post published shortly after the event, Kirk Koenigsbauer — Microsoft's vice president of the Office team — shared some details of what users can expect to accomplish using the Touch Bar.

Read more
Microsoft offers a Windows 10 Office update to its insiders on the Slow ring
microsoft office mobile october 2016 update insider header

Microsoft offers two versions of their Office productivity suite to Windows users. There is the full desktop version, Office 2016, which provides the most complete set of features and functions for the office warrior. If that is overkill, then Microsoft also offers their set of Office Mobile apps for Windows 10 PCs and phones, which have limited functionality but are optimized for touch and more lightweight.

If you are particularly courageous, or just like to gain early access to the latest software updates, Microsoft also hosts an Office Insider program that provides just the sort of early access that you might crave. Recently, Office Insiders on the Slow ring -- there is also a Fast ring for the most adventurous -- received an update to Office Mobile providing a few new features, as WinBeta reports.

Read more
Microsoft is putting artificial intelligence to work in its Office 365 suite
microsoft shutting down docs com document sharing service ifa 2015

Artificial intelligence has long been heralded as a new technology with the power to change the world, but typically it is its demonstrative applications, like composing music or beating human players at board games, that make the headlines. Now, Microsoft has announced plans to unleash the power of AI in a manner that's more likely to benefit the average user, via new Office 365 functionality.

"We have reached a point in our industry where the collective power of technology exceeds that of the individual," reads a blog post by Microsoft's executive vice president of worldwide business, Judson Althoff. "Where, in a matter of hours, a person can generate insights that previously would have taken days."

Read more