Super Fans

Richard Nieto was 6 years old when he first heard Britney Spears' song "Baby, One More Time" through the car speakers. From that moment on he was in love.

Nieto, now 16, has come a long way since then in regards to his love for Britney. The walls of his Weslaco bedroom are adorned roof to floor with her photos and magazine covers.

But Nieto is not alone in his extreme love. The celebrity culture bred by constant paparazzi photos gives most members of celebrity fandoms 24/7 access to the object of their affection.

And just as generations before have fawned over Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia, new generations of fans are breaking records.

The Harry Potter and High School Musical franchises are breaking DVD and movie sales. Just last year, the seventh and final installment of J.K. Rowling's series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, smashes sales records, moving 8.3 million copies in the U.S. within first 24 hours of release.

Clever marketing? No. Fans.

Nallely Lozano, 21 from Pharr, has stood her own among big Harry Potter fans. She's waited in line in the wee hours of the morning to get tickets for the movies, stood in line at the book releases and stayed up for 48 hours straight so she could read spend every moment she wasn't working reading the last book.

While she says she's "not that bad," she admits the appeal of Potter and his friends is stronger than with any other fiction she's ever read.

"I've followed it since the beginning and I was young; it feels like I'm growing with the characters. It's kind of fun," she said.

Growing up as part of a fandom, she says, has helped avoid getting too involved with other temptations.

"I guess it's just something to do. I'd rather be obsessed with this than obsessed with drinking," she said. "But there is really no particular reason. I don't know why I do it."

As with all fans, dedication is a second thought.

Despite the very public hardships Spears has faced in recent years, Nieto remains a loyal fan.

"When I first started liking her I didn't care about her personal life. People don't like her because of that. That's not why she's a star," he said. "I ignore it."

He even laughs off the harsh criticisms she faces about her parenting and clothes. If anything, Nieto has a positive outlook on the constant coverage, saying it provides him an opportunity to get new magazine covers every week.

As he grows older, Nieto said he has no plans on disposing of his precious memorabilia. If anything, he wants to highlight it.

"I really want to open a Britney exhibit," he said. "I just want to think of a way to not get rid of it."

Until Spears releases new material, Nieto gets a daily dose of his beloved Britney via the MySpace page he created titled "Richard's Britney Comeback Site."

"It's to show she still has fans," he said.

Through thick and thin and with hair and without, Nieto said he will back his Britney.

"When she shaved her head, I wanted to also," he said, laughing. "But my mom wouldn't let me."

Sandra Gonzalez covers general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4427.