Fan Club

On the season finale of Fan Club, Ross talks about two art forms he’s a fan of: mixed martial arts and poetry. MMA fighter Chael Sonnen explains his relationship with his fans and his own fandom of Olympic gymnast Simon Biles. Then David Lehman, poet and editor of the Best American Poetry series, speaks to Ross about writing his newest book, Poems in the Manner Of, in the style of other poets he admires.

This week on Fan Club, Ross Martin talks to a pair of outsiders having a massive impact on the art world. Shepard Fairey, best known for Obey Giant and his Barack Obama "Hope" poster, tells Ross about how being a fan himself has inspired his generation-defining work. Then legendary hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz explains his latest project, "No Commission," a cross between a concert and an art fair that lets artists keep 100% of their profit.

Our host Ross Martin isn’t just a fan of sneakers—he’s a superfan. For this Fan Club episode we're going inside the lives (and closets) of people like Ross whose lives are consumed by sneakers. First we tour Ross's expansive sneaker collection with Ryan Babenzien, CEO of Greats, a Brooklyn sneaker company. Then Ross talks with Ron Faris, GM, Nike NYC Digital Studio & SNKRS App, about the power of digital fanatical communities and the depths fans go to express their love of sneakers.

In this episode of Fan Club, we look at what happens when food becomes an obsession. Ross Martin talks with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio about how he delights fans of his restaurants. Then Bon Appétit's Carla Lalli Music explains whether foodie is the term to love or hate. We also stand in line with people willing to wait hours for the latest New York City food craze, cookie dough.

How do celebrities truly connect with their fans? For some, it's by oversharing on social media. For others, it's through a podcast. But the medium matters less than the message these days — what counts is authenticity. On this week's episode, Ross goes deep with Charlamagne Tha God, host of The Breakfast Club and Uncommon Sense on MTV2, about the power of radical honesty in a era when everyone is putting their most polished self forward. 

Think of your favorite TV show. Now, think about its theme song. Can you feel that little pang in your heart? This week on Fan Club, Ross tries to figure out how TV theme songs burrow their way into your subconscious. He talks with neuroscientist Dr. Kimberly Clark of Dartmouth about how just experiencing South Park’s opening title sequence affects its fans’ brains, and then interviews Shelly Palmer, who’s written some of the world’s catchiest and most memorable jingles. (Here’s a hint: Meow!)

Welcome to Fan Club, a six-episode exploration of why we love what we love. Our host Ross Martin goes down a different rabbit hole of fandom every week. He talks with celebrity chef Tom Colicchio about delighting your customers, learns about the brain chemistry of a South Park superfans, and tries to figure out why anyone would wait on line for four hours for cookie dough. Fan Club is presented by Viacom and launches May 16.