Factsheet #107 - Fandom
Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) to find Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Save it to USB or email it to yourself so you have access to the reading for homework. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:
1) What is the definition of a fan?
Fans do more than just like or even love a particular media text, ‘true fans’ have a devotion that goes beyond simply consuming media texts, and is, as Matt Hills argues, part of a person’s identity in much the same way as gender, class and age define who we are.
2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?
- Hardcore Fans
- Newbie Fans
- Anti-Fans
Fandoms can be described as ‘passion that binds enthusiasts in the manner of people who share a secret — this secret just happens to be shared with millions of others.’ Fandoms can be narrowly defined and can focus on something like an individual celebrity, or be more widely defined, encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions.
4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
Big media businesses are exploiting their fans for profit, as fans will do all they can to support the show and talk about it.
5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?
The Lord of the Rings has intensified following the release of Peter Jackson’s film versions, leading many to conclude that the Hobbits and in particular Frodo Baggins and his servant and companion, Samwise Gamgee are homosexual. Such readings have also intensified through fan-fiction, and in particular the sub-genre of ‘slash fiction’, which focuses on depicting same-sex relationships between characters such as Frodo and Sam or Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock.
Tomb Raider and Metroid fandom research
Look at this Tomb Raider fansite and answer the following questions:
1) What types of content are on offer in this fansite?
There is game news, save files, cheats, support, screenshots, levels, collectibkes and wallpapers.
2) What does the number of links and content suggest about the size of the online fan community for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft? Pick out some examples from this page.
Different sits available for the Lara Croft community shows how diverse the community is for the Lara Croft franchise.
3) Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the short ‘About me’ bio and social media updates. Is this a typical example of ‘fandom’ in the digital age? Why?
I think that the fandom community is shown in the tomb raider site very well as it shows the old sense of the community but also the different outlets the community has to share its views and beliefs.
Now look at this Metroid fansite and answer the following:
1) What does the site offer?
This website is Metroid fansite which provides it's audience with information about Metroid Character Changes as well as providing interviews and q&as for their audience to interact with. The website is similar to the Lara Croft website besides featuring other fansites were they have an active social media page with content being uploaded daily.
2) Look at the Community Spotlight page. What does this suggest about the types of people who enjoy and participate in fan culture?
The Community Spotlight page is a page for the hardcore fans which go beyond just consuming the media product and go out their way to further engage themselves with the product, e.g. through cosplay, art and music. These people can also be identified as true fans.
3) There is a specific feature on Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. What do the questions from fans tell you about the level of engagement and interest in the game and franchise from the fan community?
The questions the fans ask go beyond the normal 'gamer' questions as they are more focused on specific parts of the game which only a handful of fans would understand and find interesting. Some questions also include asking for statues of Samus to be made and puton sale which reflects the hardcore fan behaviour.
Henry Jenkins: degree-level reading
Read the final chapter of ‘Fandom’ – written by Henry Jenkins. This will give you an excellent introduction to the level of reading required for seminars and essays at university as well as degree-level insight into our current work on fandom and participatory culture. Answer the following questions:
1) There is an important quote on the first page: “It’s not an audience, it’s a community”. What does this mean?
The audience are a group of people united as they are all doing the same thing, taking interest in the same thing, and they are all able to share similarities and raise questions.
2) Jenkins quotes Clay Shirky in the second page of the chapter. Pick out a single sentence of the extended quote that you think is particularly relevant to our work on participatory culture and the ‘end of audience’ (clue – look towards the end!)
the idea of a fandom was for consumers to take anything that is thrown at them and not necessarily become fanatic about it.
3) What are the different names Jenkins discusses for these active consumers that are replacing the traditional audience?
connectors or influencers
4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?
Anderson argues that investing in niche properties with small but committed consumer bases may make economic sense if you can lower costs of production and replace marketing costs by building a much stronger network with your desired consumers.
5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?
harry potter
6) Look at the quote from Andrew Blau in which he discusses the importance of grassroots creativity. Pick out a sentence from the longer quote and decide whether you agree that audiences will ‘reshape the media landscape from the bottom up’.
"The media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists as a matter of course." I agree with this quote and consumers are can now create and publish their own products online and create profit.
7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?
A person who talks up the program and spreads word abut the brand.
8) Why is fandom 'the future'?
Its because media companies cannot operate without them as they are the reason why they still exist.
9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?
It means that they will sell it back at us with a considerable mark up.
10) Read through to the end of the chapter. What do you think the future of fandom is? Are we all fans now? Is fandom mainstream or are real fan communities still an example of a niche media audience?
I believe that it is definitely growing and will continue to but at a slow pace. This is because fandom will remain niche as there are not many audiences that full engage with with media texts
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