bandwagon fan

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Alas, we don’t have many real bandwagons anymore. But, in the 1800s, they were all the rage. Bandwagons were wagons that carried musicians and entertainers (i.e., bands) around in circus parades or to political rallies.

Circus Historical Society

By the late 1800s, getting (or jumping, climbing, etc.) on the bandwagon described, usually dismissively, joining a party, cause, or movement because of its mass appeal or strength, often to benefit from it. The original notion, apparently, is of wanting to join the winning side (band). Teddy Roosevelt notably used bandwagon fan in 1899.

Today, for instance, a company may be accused of jumping on the Gluten-free bandwagon if it’s perceived to attempt to profit from interest in gluten-free foods and diets (while lacking a genuine interest in gluten intolerance).

By at least 1991, we can find the term bandwagon fan in online message-boards for hockey fans. In contrast to fans who show up for their team win or lose, a bandwagon fan snubs people who to start follow or root for a particular sports team (they jump on the bandwagon) after they they start winning a lot of games and become more popular.

In 2019, for instance, people who celebrated the Toronto Raptors after the won the NBA finals for the first time in their history but had never shown prior interest (or knew anything about the team) were called bandwagon fans.

Psychologists refer to this phenomenon (in sports and elsewhere) as the bandwagon effect.

@NFL_memes