THE FOREVER DONNA CHEST
The best of FOREVER DONNA's old pages 

FOREVER DONNA > HOME > EXTRA > CHEST > Q'S CORNER FEBRUARY 2003

Is There An Explanation For The Donna Summer Phenomenon?

Q wonders if it's conditioning or mental connections that explain why the Diva's fans are so loyal 

The truth is that I don't have the least idea of what Sandro had in mind when he invited me to collaborate in his website with this section. What can this Donna Summer's fan offer to others which can be of interest? Truly, nothing about confidential information nor memories of her live concerts (since, unfortunately, I've never had the chance to see her live). So, what?

Recently, Denis (a.k.a. Bricko) asked me for information about how I became a Donna's fan for his new section "The fanremixer" in his Brickomania website, and, while I was struggling about how and when that happened, I realized that I was also very interested in reading about the experiences of other fans like me. Personal experiences, one's own memories, particular sensations and feelings that, though geographically apart, create a rapport making us closer to each other as the artist's fans we are.

And, while I was wondering about what prompted me to go on being a Donna Summer's admirer (even though she hasn't released a new whole album in more than a decade), I also thought about what caused the same phenomenon in other fans like me. Especially when the Diva's musical tastes for a long period of her career, for not mentioning her constant preaching of her religious beliefs and other knotty subjects, didn't seem to agree with those of a certain sector of her fans (me included).

A tentative explanation of this phenomenon is provided by the psychological approach based on Conditioning. It's possible that a big part of her more veteran fans, at first, associated her music to a lot of life sensations and experiences belonging to those times when we were happier. To take an obvious example, when I listen to "Try me I know we can make it" I can't give up remembering a fantastic day on the beach with all my family. Or when "No more tears (Enough is enough)" plays, I always remember the first time I listened to it, hidden behind an armchair in order to not be discovered by my mother and given a good telling-off for not being studying for the next day exam. Happier times, innocent times... or, for others, less innocent and more savage times living the 70's disco crazy life ;o)

Anyway, it's possible that we've associated Donna Summer's name and music to positive memories, experiences and sensations belonging to a golden age of our lives. Just like previous generations did the same with, for instance, Diana Ross, and next generations associated those sensations with the Diva of the moment, Madonna, Mariah Carey or (ugh!) Britney Spears. This association can be explained, in a sintetic way, according to Paulov's theories about Classic Conditioning (do you remember the dog drooling at the sight and sound of a bell which previously had been associated with the presentation of food?) or, in a more complex way, with Skinner's theories about Operating Conditioning. And all that without going deeper following the cognitive-behavioural approaches of the current Psychology.

Well, leaving aside the psychological bore, it's possible that our admiration for the artist is based on that mental connection, which operates in a level that escapes from rationality or conscience. I mean, how is it possible that I keep being a fan of a singer whose many points of view about the world I don't agree with, and whose big part of her musical productions I don't like? Why do I feel this nice chill every time I listen or read her name on the radio or in the press in a way that I don't feel with any other artist? Is it something similar to when Paulov's dog kept drooling at the sound of the bell even when there wasn't any food later?

The truth is that I keep drooling each time I have the expectative of acquiring a new song or remix by Donna, or a filmation of one of her live concerts... for not mentioning the (future?) release of her next album (here I need a mop to clean such ammount of slobbering). If then I like it or not, if then there's food or not, it doesn't matter... I'm sure I'll drool again next time I know about something new of hers. Hey! We're talking about Donna Summer... and I'm a big Donna Summer's fan.

back to FOREVER DONNA'S CHEST