In that regard, Stans, the new MTV-produced documentary created in close collaboration with Eminem and Shady Films, does not cover new ground. Any person who considers themselves an Em fan on even the most surface level will not be provided with new information about the Detroit legend. In fact, it leaves most of the aforementioned details out of the story entirely. Instead, the film provides a fairly superficial meditation on the pitfalls of fame as it relates to Em’s story, using “Stan” as an inflection point in the greater narrative. It’s a rather disappointing and sanitized rehashing of one of entertainment’s most well-worn success stories. Moreover, the exposition from the “stans” do not add a lot of color to the film, instead coming off as largely cringeworthy.
Eminem’s Origin Story, Again
From the very beginning, it’s clear that the intended star “stan” of the dozen or so civilian interviewees is a Frenchman named Zolt. He introduces himself as “Zolt Shady” and wears an Eminem-inspired outfit, with a plain white T-shirt and a grey hoodie. He bears a mild resemblance to Em and people have mistaken him for Em in the past. From there, the doc details how Eminem came into stardom, with cameos from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. They retell the story of how Iovine gave Dre a copy of The Slim Shady EP. Once he heard it, Dre flew Em out to Los Angeles to sign him. Of course, 1999’s Slim Shady LP turned Eminem from a modestly popular local act to the hottest new mainstream rapper since Snoop Dogg, another product of a Dr. Dre co-sign.
“Stan” Shapes Stans, Literally And Figuratively
Going into 2000, the film’s tone shifts. That shift coincides with the release of The Marshall Mathers LP and “Stan.” The latter track and accompanying video chronicles an obsessed young Eminem fan named named Stan. He writes a series of increasingly unhinged letters, at one point suggesting he and Em should date. After not getting a response for six months, he kidnaps his pregnant girlfriend. He drives himself, his girlfriend, and their unborn child off the side of a bridge. After that, Em finally begins writing a response letter before realizing the story he heard on the news was Stan’s. Over 25 years later, the track remains a poignant commentary on the extremes of idol worship.
We also learn that “Stan” also caused some of the interviewees to look inward. For good reason as well, as, in the most diplomatic terms possible, some of these subjects are Eminem fans to a frankly unsettling degree. For example, Zolt’s fandom led to him missing three months of school in 2006 because Proof‘s death left him too distraught. When he’s asked about the difference between himself and Stan, his only response is that he’s never killed his girlfriend.
There’s also Nikki, who holds the Guinness World Record for having the most tattoos of a single musician. As of 2021, she had 31 Em-related tattoos on her body, 20 of which were portraits. And Katie has worked at Gilbert’s Lodge for over a decade because Eminem worked there in his youth. In an unintentionally funny sequence near the end of the film, Em drives right by Gilbert’s while the crew interviews Katie inside. Once again, she is left empty-handed. Broadly, these actions are all off-putting. None of them seem particularly self-aware either, though Em himself calls “Stan” a PSA against these behaviors.
The Continued Relevance Of “Stan”
Rap singer Eminem performs on stage at the 43rd Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles 21 February 2001. AFP PHOTO Hector MATA (Photo by HECTOR MATA / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images)
It is interesting to consider “Stan” through a modern lens, especially with its undeniable cultural impact. In 2017, the Oxford English Dictionary added it to their list of hundreds of thousands of words, defining a stan as an “overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity.” These days, it is nearly impossible to scroll through X or Instagram for longer than 10 minutes without running into a self-described “stan account.” There, you can find them their favorite artists and putting down fans of other artists who may not also be fans of their favorites. Asking a K-pop “stan” if they prefer BLACKPINK or TWICE is the online equivalent of trying to start World War III.
Beyond providing the echo chamber needed for these stan accounts to proliferate, social media has also given people a false sense of proximity to those artists they love. Which is why Eminem’s more lowkey style of handling his superstardom feels “old-school.” He rarely touches social media and only clues fans in on as much as he wants them to know. Generally, that is not a lot.
Stans Struggles To Tell Viewers Who Eminem Really Is
With all of that in mind, it is still frustrating, but not unexpected or unprecedented, that Stans is not really a dive into who Eminem is away from his music. Sure, Em is in the film, but he’s not the main focus at all. Let’s consider the film’s cold open, for example. It features him walking through the studio to sit down and start the interview. Audio clips of several fans asking questions about his personal life and career history play in the background of this walk. In the following 95 minutes, he answers a grand total of… zero questions. Instead, the spotlight remains on the “stans.” Viewers do not know these people, nor do we have the time to grow to care about any of them.
Zolt, Katie, and Nikki are just three interviewees, but they get the most airtime. Their stories may be compelling to some. However, promoting this as a film where one of the industry’s most elusive artists (relative to his star power) finally answers burning questions and it not being that at all in execution makes it very difficult to invest in anything they have to say. Still, we do get one genuinely touching moment across all 100 minutes of Stans. Specifically, regarding the release of “Not Afraid,” and its status as a track that inspired multiple interviewees to get sober. It’s a heartfelt sequence that speaks to the healing power of music and human resilience. Everyone who has had to travel the road these individuals traveled deserves respect.
An Empty Ending To An Underwhelming Film
The film concludes with the documentarians asking the “stans” if they expected to meet Eminem at the conclusion of their interviews. Most of them gave iffy answers that leaned toward “no.” And they were right, as Em did not surprise any of them with his presence. Following that, we focus, once again, on Zolt. This time, it is revealed that he is only one who’s actually met Eminem, which happened in France in 2013. Because of that, it is fitting that he’d be the one who starts and ends everything. But even with the ending, where one of them has actually met their guy (to that point, as Em eventually met some of them at the film’s premiere), it all feels a bit hollow. Perhaps that was the feeling of missed potential really setting in.
Overall, Stans is a mixed bag. Once it becomes clear that this is not really the introspective documentary it was positioned as and is instead primarily over an hour and a half of fans and friends talking about how his music impacted them both personally and professionally (with mentions of parasociality, that ironically, come from some of the most unhealthily attached people they could have possibly called on), one can’t help but feel as if MTV and Shady Films left something much more candid and moving on the table. If you are a dedicated Eminem fan that cannot live without new Em-related media, this is the film for you. Otherwise, using the time spent watching this to instead give another front-to-back relisten to The Marshall Mathers LP may be more ideal.