In Bethan Jones’, “The Fandom is Out There: Social Media and the X-Files Online,” she talks about the emergence of the X-Files TV show that originally aired back in 1993. Despite the show ending in 2002, fans’ adoption of the show on social platforms like Facebook and Twitter has led to continual resurgence of online activity.It was noted that before these two social platforms even emerged, fans had newsgroups, email lists, and chat rooms to compile together details about specific episodes, share information on the actors roles’ and appearances, and analyze both the text and where subsequent episodes would be leading to. The first website that was initially started for this fan-based cultured TV show was called alt.tv.x-files. Although this site initially started out with the same intentions as previous chatrooms and email list serves, it eventually transformed into topics about feminism in previous episodes and series, collaborations and comparisons with other TV shows like Fringe and Lost, and even discussions of the crew members’ other commitments and lives outside of the show.
What I found interesting then is where this excerpt talks about XFilesNews.com and its analogy of being the “CNN of fandom.” Yes, chat rooms, email list serves, and preliminary websites had popped up before, but the establishment of XFilesNews.com unintentionally set the boundaries between fans and aca-fans. This is because as stated by the journalists and other crew members, “XFilesNews is a news site, not a fan-board and that makes us different from the hundreds of other sites out there.” However, it takes a different turn when we look at what this website has done to fans and producers and the nature of their relationship. Websites like XFilesNews are considered “Big Name Fans” and inherently possess cultural capital and information, and usually account for fan-fiction writers who are both credible and have a large amount of followers. Lastly, one other notable thing about fan websites like XFilesNews is that they have a much more developed and solidified relationship with the producers and in someway act as a gateway for information about cast and crew members that normal fans cannot get access to. Thus, because of their power over this information, they have disrupted the natural projectory of fan to fan as well as fan to producer relationships. Furthermore, because of the credibility of websites like XFilesNews and websites alike, they try to maintain a sense of seriousness and some aspects of the fan process are inherently taken away. This then makes us question if websites like these have transformed fandom into something too academic and too political and have stripped too much away from normal fans alike?
0 Comments
In Louisa Ellen Stein’s excerpt, “Fannish Storytelling,” she talks about three different avenues that bridge online fan texts: new media’s focus on technology, the idea of a genre category as being shifted, cultured, and shared, and lastly the idea that existing fans contribute to already existing notions about a particular fan culture. I really liked her post because it related a lot to me about the machinima fan culture and how it allows a lot more freedom for spectators and fans-alike and for them to have a much more direct engagement. Here, she talks about how fan fiction is not simply a derivative of the source text. Instead, the authors of these new fan fictions have the ability to play with the limitations and rules set out by the source text and this varies from author to author. She also brings about the idea of canons and writing with them includes both a degree of creativity, but also delineation. Yes, authors write with differing degrees of canon, some that don’t break any canonical characterization or plot and also some that break the canonical universe and compose an alternate one. Which one is more true and more fan-like is debatable. For the more academic-fan, it may be working more inside the realms of the canons that the original author had set out, while other fans may appreciate bringing upon the original canonical representation into a new context and see what fans alike think. I really liked her talk about the game “The Sims” at the end because it is a great representation of what fan fiction is about. Yes, the original game-maker of Sims had certain canonical representations, but as a player of the game and because of its unpredictable nature, the player or “new author” can explore and create and make their characters do whatever they wish, but obviously in the canonical limits. Thus, the fandom is not static, but includes some sort of dynamic creativity, whether it be completely within the canonical limits of the original fandom that the author or creator had set out or put into the context of the alternate universe. Either way, I think it is interesting to see the interplay between both and see what fans appreciate which more!
In Robert Jones’, “Machinima and the Transformative Play of Video Game Fan Culture,” he explains how fandom theory differs, specifically in regards to the video game world. With video games, you have a different relationship, then say passively watching a television show. Yes, you can be a regular, have watched every season ten times, know every single character’s history and family life, have posters, know specific quotes or sayings, and trying to add parts of the show into your own life, but there are certain limitations, since the media platform and trajectory of the show is out of your control. However, with video games, this is not true because there is a higher element of control. Yes, the video game itself has been coded to allow the player to do only certain actions and things, but the fact that the gamer or fan can control up to some extent their reality and perception of the game through their actions is quite fascinating. Where this becomes even more interesting is with machinima: the manipulation of architectural video game code, which allows the player to gain control and makeshift their own 3D environment. Those who engage in machinima then go on to post and share their new creations over the web, which consumers and spectators can engage in directly. What it offers from spectator to spectator obviously differs, but may give them a new outlook on the already existing game, but also motivate or inspire them to create their own machinima, which subsequently contributes to the certain video game fan culture. I think the most interesting part about the article for me was about “mods,” especially since it distinguishes itself from normal visual fan media. Although the video game is initially created to be made to play throughout the given levels, the ability of becoming the game-creator to some extent allows you to more freely engage, and in some respect, realize what the game means to you and what you wish, as the players, to be freely do and what your character in the game can do. It is not only an entitlement of freedom that machinima brings upon, but also seeing if other gamers or spectators who watch your machinima enjoy your new rules or modifications more than the ones created initially by the game creators. If so, this not only brings upon credibility, but also a deep appreciation from other fans alike and ties the community together as a whole. In Duffet’s article, “Understanding fandom: an introduction to the study of media fan culture,” he talks about what fandom is and how it is best understood. In simple terms, he defines the primary practice of fandom being “the act of simply consuming the text or engaging with the performance,” whether that be listening, watching, thinking, or feeling. He then goes on to talk about the three different pleasures associated with fandom: pleasures of connection, pleasures of appropriation, and pleasures of performance.
Pleasures of connection is about being able to connect with their fandom, whether it be going to a concert of their favorite singer, or meeting their favorite baseball player and getting an autograph. The excitement for getting autographs is quite prevalent and has been around for ages, as it offers the idea of “exchanging value,” as well as use value (because it demonstrates that he or she acknowledged you). However, autographs also don’t tell us a lot. They are also a way of alienation. Yes, you may engage in media, have posters of whoever up on your wall, and feel special because you met them. However, think about the other thousands of consumers that have not only engaged in the fandom, but also feel that they are specially different because they got an autograph. It gives them a sense of false entitlement, because in reality, there is no substance behind that signature or that relationship (in most cases). In fact, in this article, a quote from Roland Berthes demonstrates this idea quite well. He says “photography is a memorial to the dead, a way of making the dead present to us again while also confirming their absence,” because the photo reminds that you knew them then and not now, and even if known before, for how long and was there a true relationship? Secondly, he talks about the pleasure of appropriation, which he talks about, in regards to “spoiling.” Spoiling as defined, is the act of publicizing information that will in short, give away the show’s plot or other critical information before it is fully released. However, there’s a lot more to it. Before a show or continuous season of a show comes out, there are so many blog-pages, twitter posts, Facebook posts, about what the new plot is, what characters will do what, etc, and this speculation is what drives that specific fan culture and has consumers look forward to something. However, it also represents the balance of power among media makers and spectators like us because it is able to give spectators some sense of power or control and dictate over others fans whether this upcoming show or season will be of any interest or any good. Lastly, he talks about the pleasure of performance. Pleasure of performance encompasses such a wide range of activities, such as going to a live band and singing along, possibly “boo-ing,” screaming out loud, singing along the words. It can even be citing quotes from a certain TV show you love, or mimicking the voice of one of your characters, or pretending to act/do that something one of the characters do. And the funny thing is that sometimes, we even do it unconsciously, which really demonstrates the pervasive nature of certain fan cultures. Henry Jenkins’, “Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide,” is about three concepts: media convergence, participatory culture, and collective intelligence. What do these terms even mean, and more so what do they mean specifically in regards to fandom and fan culture? Media convergence here is a general term for the flow of content across a variety of media platforms as well as the behavior of migratory audiences, who will go and search for different kinds of entertainment experiences they want. He starts out by laying out convergence in broad terms, which I think really gave a good perspective on what the term means. He talks about the realm of Sesame Street, prevalent throughout the world on both TV and via photoshop means, the idea of Ignacio’s bedroom from a print shop in Bangladesh, and even “posters held by Anti-American protestors that are captured by CNN and into the living rooms of people around the world.” I think quite frankly this captures the essence of media convergence not only because it depicts the idea of technology being able to bring about so many media functions and different ideas together, but also because it represents the cultural shift that, we as consumers, are part of, which then segments its way into fandom.
Participatory culture is then about you (the spectator). However, you are no longer just a spectator in this day and age, but can also participate and interact with other spectators as well as media producers. Yes, corporate brands will have a larger role in the so-called “participatory culture,” than any individual and be able to exert more power, but the individual, collectively, also contributes to the fan culture. Furthermore, here, collective intelligence is about seeing the media platform as an alternative to being solely media power. Instead of the media being the only one in control of the works or ideas or culture, it is about the collective nature, of all us spectators, and being connected to this platform. Lastly, one more concept that really intrigued me was the idea of convergence being a top-down drive corporate-process and a bottom-up driven consumer process. It explains how media corporations are trying to expand their horizons, increase revenues, and broaden markets, while the consumer, is learning how to use this new media technology to bring these media platforms under more control and better interact with other consumers, in this so-called fan culture. Since childhood, I have always been fascinated by cars. Whether it was a road trip and I would be obsessed with the variety of cars we would pass by or going to a local car show that I dragged my dad along to or simply watching car videos and researching car sites for endless hours, my fasciation has yet to cease. However, in the last few years my fandom for cars has changed in terms of specificity. I use to be into Japanese, tuner cars, as I was influenced heavily by the fast and furious movies, but my fandom has now turned more toward British and German cars like Porsches, Aston Martins, BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes Benz. But, surprisingly my fandom for these cars is not because they are more lavish and expensive and I feel the need that as I grow up I should be more into mature things, but I have become more fascinated behind the craftsmanship and engineering that these so called cars undergo in comparison to their Japanese counter-parts. Some genuine research questions I have include what are the differences in how BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes Benz are crafted, what parts are used to make the car, which sell better, which brand is meant to sold to what kind of customers, which of the three companies is most successful, what general people think of when I mention each of these three car names, and also what do each of these car brands think they have to prove to each other. Also, I am wondering which brand leads each car class and segment as there are so many, such as the compact cars like the M2 and audi rs3 and cla45amg, while there is the S-class and 7 series on the other end of the spectrum.
What I really liked about Duffet’s article was the idea that he premised upon: does fandom or academia come first? For what he describes as fan-scholars, they are fans first and not viewed as true academics, while for academic-scholars, academics come first but are not seen as true fans. I think this is really interesting and brings about the concept marginalization that Duffet talks about. Academic-scholars will marginalize fans from academia and fans will marginalize academics from fandom, which basically becomes a debate of insider versus outsider. I also really liked the idea of unsolicited data because that is what true fandom is about. It’s about before personal research is conducted, what is already out there on your subject and what part of that interests you the most. I think unsolicited data is what captures fans first, and personal research then takes them the extra step. Moreover, I really liked Duffet’s two concepts “affective fallacy” and “decontextualized.” Although they may not seem to go together at first, I find them quite interesting when compared directly. Affective fallacy is more about being emotionally swayed a certain way about a topic that may cause the fan to lose objectivity. But then again, without this emotional component, how can a fan really understand the true value of this within the context of the specific fandom topic. This brings into the idea of “decontextualized,” which talks about an outsider not understanding the importance of a situation or idea because they don’t have appropriate background context. Thus, is it better to be more subjective or objective? And at what point, can you call yourself a true fan. Besides sharing a common interest, are you allowed to disagree on certain topics, and to what extent, and who draws the line besides insiders versus outsiders? These are the kinds of questions that Duffet’s article raises for me, which was quite engaging.
Henry Jenkins talks about why remixing is so important in the political process. He talked about how remixing political advertisements and news episodes can really help people understand and evaluate the media appropriately. Nowadays, the political process is so highly campaign based and it is hard to tell whether we are actually choosing the better and more capable candidate or the one with more mass-media campaigning and funding. I really liked this specific blog because at first glance I didn’t really see how remixing is the most effective way to help someone understand the political debate and media coverage, but Jenkins quickly cleared that up. In remixing and specifically in the platform that was created called MediaBreakers/Studios allows students who are not ready to yet vote become fully engaged. And Jenkins explains that remixing involves the student to “access, analyze, evaluate, and create.” Personally, I think this four step process is the beauty behind remixing and why it can be such a learning and effective process. Material has to be sourced appropriately, which requires researching on your own, and also analyzed and evaluated to see what the ad is trying to see, what its message is, what it may be trying to hide, the wording, sentence structure, and so much more. Once that is all done, you have to create the remix and question the ads or messages you have found by using other ads or clips in the media. This process is very holistic and because it requires attention from multiple news sources and much critical thinking, I think it is a great way for someone to really learn how the media works and the whole campaigning process for the presidential race.
My relationship to fandom is actually quite undeveloped. I believe I understand somewhat what true fandom is, but when I personally think about my own relationship to fandom, I see myself being a fanatic only about cars and maybe a couple of TV shows. I think this is because traditionally when I think of fandom, I think of very extreme cases, but in my own life, this is not the case. |
Sahil ParikhCar Fanatic ArchivesCategories |