New Club “Worships” Actor

One of FCHS’ newest after-school clubs is a self-described “cult” for movie star Danny DeVito. What started as a Sociology project for seniors Ashlyn Fayard and Mackenzie Swain has now become a full-fledged, monthly club at FCHS with the purpose of watching, discussing, and “worshiping” Danny Devito and his work.

Danny DeVito is a 77-year-old American actor who has starred in many movies, such as Terms of Endearment, Matilda, and Disney’s Hercules. He has accumulated a large, cult following on the internet. You might think that he received these fans due to him having a credited role in almost 100 movies, but his devoted following appears to stem from memes. Fans of his work have taken to using his likeness for fun and social commentary using screencaps of his films, paparazzi photographs, and audio clips of his quotes. Just googling the phrase “Danny DeVito reaction image” provides you with a plethora of images and videos that went viral on Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok.

 DeVito is so prevalent in current internet culture that he was in the running for “Meme of The Decade” back in 2019. His fans go so far as to print his face on shirts and adopt slogans such as “Danny Devito is the one that we need-o.”

The club’s co-founders, Fayard and Swain, were originally tasked with starting a cult for their Sociology class. “Part of [the project] was going around and recruiting people. We got so many people that said, ‘Oh, if you made it into an actual club, we’d join,’” Swain said. 

“Our original plan was to base the club around [actress] Kathy Bates, but we switched it to Danny DeVito because we decided she didn’t fit our brand. We wanted somebody who not only had the same social beliefs as us, but also matched our energy,” said Fayard.

When asked if the club was meant for worship, Fayard mentioned a “shrine” and candles honoring DeVito they made for the Sociology project. “The shrine to him definitely started out as a joke, and I think it still is, but if anyone asks, it’s dead serious,” said club member Joey Hagan. 

A typical club meeting involves watching a movie starring DeVito and refreshments. According to Fayard, around 10-15 people attend a meeting on average. “We come in, and we watch a movie, and there’s snacks and drinks,” said junior Tyler Davis, who describes the club environment as “chill and positive.” 

“When Ashlyn asked me to sponsor the Danny DeVito Enthusiasts, I was initially pretty ambivalent about it,” said club sponsor Carolynne Hagan, “but once we had the first meeting, I realized it was a great stress relief for students in a really stressful time… and Danny DeVito is super funny. “