Henry Jenkins is an expert in fandom and participatory culture. Key to
this idea is the concept of the ‘prosumer’ – audiences that create as well as
consume media. This culture has revolutionised fan communities with the
opportunity to create and share content. It also links to Clay Shirky’s work on
‘mass amateurisation’.
Fandom is now big business – with Comic-Con events making millions. More importantly, the internet has demonstrated the size of fan communities so it is no longer a minority of ‘geek’ stereotypes but mainstream popular culture (such as Marvel, Harry Potter or Doctor Who).
https://youtu.be/ZCKoLB1kUsY
Jenkins defends fan cultures and argues that fans are often stereotyped negatively in the media because they value popular culture (e.g. films or games) over traditional cultural capital (high brow culture or knowledge). The irony is fan culture is often dominated by middle class, educated audiences.
Jenkins discusses ‘textual poaching’ – when fans take texts and re-edit or develop their meanings, a process called semiotic productivity. Fan communities are also quick to criticise if they feel a text or character is developing in a way they don’t support.
EU copyright law: a threat to participatory culture?
A new copyright law currently moving through the European Parliament has been described as a potential 'meme-ban'. It would place the responsibility for the distribution of copyrighted material with the platform rather than the user or copyright holder - and therefore could lead to huge amounts of content being removed. If implemented in full, it could end textual poaching, fan-made texts and re-edits and many more examples of fandom and participatory culture. You can read more on the potential implications in this Wired feature.
Fandom is now big business – with Comic-Con events making millions. More importantly, the internet has demonstrated the size of fan communities so it is no longer a minority of ‘geek’ stereotypes but mainstream popular culture (such as Marvel, Harry Potter or Doctor Who).
https://youtu.be/ZCKoLB1kUsY
Jenkins defends fan cultures and argues that fans are often stereotyped negatively in the media because they value popular culture (e.g. films or games) over traditional cultural capital (high brow culture or knowledge). The irony is fan culture is often dominated by middle class, educated audiences.
Jenkins discusses ‘textual poaching’ – when fans take texts and re-edit or develop their meanings, a process called semiotic productivity. Fan communities are also quick to criticise if they feel a text or character is developing in a way they don’t support.
EU copyright law: a threat to participatory culture?
A new copyright law currently moving through the European Parliament has been described as a potential 'meme-ban'. It would place the responsibility for the distribution of copyrighted material with the platform rather than the user or copyright holder - and therefore could lead to huge amounts of content being removed. If implemented in full, it could end textual poaching, fan-made texts and re-edits and many more examples of fandom and participatory culture. You can read more on the potential implications in this Wired feature.
CAN YOU FIND SOME
FANDOM OR EXAMPLES OF PROSUMERS FOR EACH OF THE CSP’s?
Or literal music videos?
First list ALL your
CSP’s. Then find an example!
Then Answer these…
Henry
Jenkins - fandom blog tasks
The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following:
Factsheet #107 - Fandom
The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following:
Factsheet #107 - Fandom
Fanatic: a person
with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal - shortened to fan.
·
Hard core fan: identify themselves as the ‘insiders’ within any given fandom and
consider themselves to be aficionados of their chosen media text. They spend a
lot of time and often money in becoming hard core fans. They take pride in how
long they have been a fan and also the quantity and quality of the knowledge
they have amassed whilst being a fan.
·
Newbies: new fans of any given text and do not have the longevity of
devotion or depth of knowledge that hard core fans have and are initially
viewed as the ‘outgroup’ within fandoms.
·
Anti-fans: those which identify themselves with media texts but negatively
so; they loathe or hate the text but unlike ‘true’ fans they do not form their
relationship with a text through close readings, they develop their emotional
attachment ‘at a distance’ (Gray) through marketing publicity such as trailers.
Hills argues that the ‘anti-fan’ seems to be a negative stereotype of a text or
genre such as ‘all people who watch chick flicks are dim’ or ‘people who watch
horror must be sick in the head’.
Fandoms exhibit a ‘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 are subcultures within which fans experience and share a sense of camaraderie with each other and engage in particular practices of their given fandom. 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.
Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.
Fans
use the original media texts and get creative and innovative with the material.
Crawford suggests that it is this which distinguishes fans from ordinary
consumers. They engage in diverse activities such as ‘the production of
websites, mods and hacks, private servers, game guides, walkthroughs and FAQs,
fan fiction and forms of fan art, fan vids’ all of which have been aided by
digital technology. Digital fandoms use technology in multiple ways and
Fiske sees this as the ‘cultural economy’ of fandoms, one that is focused not
on making money but on expressing the complex ideas and value systems behind
fandoms.
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?
- A person who has a strong interest in or admiration for a particular person or thing.
2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?
- Hard core fan: identify themselves as the ‘insiders’ within any given fandom and consider themselves to be aficionados of their chosen media text. They spend a lot of time and often money in becoming hard core fans. They take pride in how long they have been a fan and also the quantity and quality of the knowledge they have amassed whilst being a fan.
- Newbies: new fans of any given text and do not have the longevity of devotion or depth of knowledge that hard core fans have and are initially viewed as the ‘outgroup’ within fandoms.
- Anti-fans: those which identify themselves with media texts but negatively so; they loathe or hate the text but unlike ‘true’ fans they do not form their relationship with a text through close readings, they develop their emotional attachment ‘at a distance’ (Gray) through marketing publicity such as trailers. Hills argues that the ‘anti-fan’ seems to be a negative stereotype of a text or genre such as ‘all people who watch chick flicks are dim’ or ‘people who watch horror must be sick in the head’.
3) What makes a ‘fandom’?
- The fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture.
4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
- Bordieu argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom.
5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?
- Fandoms exhibit a ‘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 are subcultures within which fans experience and share a sense of camaraderie with each other and engage in particular practices of their given fandom. 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.
6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
FANDOM Examples For Media Close Case Study Products
The Killing
No Offence
On IMDB
User Reviews
Love this
One of the best cop shows, comedy-wise. Great portrayals of strong female officers along with witty comebacks. Wish there were more episodes. If you take offense at off-color jokes - stay away. You are too weak to handle this!
Score Advert
Maybelline
- Manny Mua an actor in the ad does a tutorial on his YouTube channel and says "Hey guys! Who's ready for a DRUGSTORE edition with my One Brand Tutorial series here on my channel?! And yes! Todays is going to be MAYBELLINE! I am so beyond excited to make this video cause not only is Maybelline one of my favorite drugstore brands of all time BUT I did an online campaign with them for Big Shot Mascara which was such a sick ass thing to do! Thank you for all the love and support! I couldnt do what I do without you guys. I hope you enjoy the video :D "
Billie Jean
- On YouTube you can many remixes of the music videos e.g. "BILLIE JEAN - 35th Anniversary (SWG Extended Mix) - MICHAEL JACKSON (Thriller)"
Letter to the Free
- JON BLISTEIN a reporter reviews Commons "Letter to the Free" on the website "RollingStone" and says "Common portrays the cruel legacy of slavery, Jim Crowe and mass incarceration in the stark new video for “Letter to the Free.” "
Teen Vogue
- Does a fan video series in which celebrity guess How Fans Responded to a Survey About Him from Teen Vogue.
The Voice
- On their YouTube channel comments show appreciation for the things they post e.g. a commenter called, All Fall Down commented "Thank you for posting this video. And for those of us watching, please if you know anyone who has been affected by the Windrush Scandal, please share this video with them. Thanks."
Lara Croft
Metroid
Sims Freeplay
- Sims Freeplay machinima is a narrative story instead of being just a game and is made by the fans of the game. Can be found on YouTube and is called "Sims freeplay Machinima".
Daily Mail
- DM has their own YouTube channel and on one of their videos called "Suspect dances in front of cops after a police chase" and commentators like Jase King respond with game references e.g. " He's not dancing. He's using LB, RB, Left, Right, Left, Down, Up cheat code to lower his wanted level." which is done to show that their news is nothing bit a joke.
i
- A person on YouTube called "Centrist Philosopher" makes a video called "The i newspaper is sold to Daily Mail owner" and talks about this issue and his take on the situation.
Surgery 1 (Life Hacks)
- BBC Radio 1 YouTube channel shows a video on "Big Mike talks to Cel Spellman for BBC Radio 1's Life Hacks about all things #merky, including his new book, and the recent controversy around his scholarship for black students." Commentors like "Adam" say they have "have a huge respect for Stormzy, definitely one of the truest artists out there." Which shows the approval of the people on Life Hacks content.
Orson Welles - War Of The Worlds
- On YouTube a video can be found on the War of The World called "Orson Welles - War Of The Worlds - Radio Broadcast 1938 - Complete Broadcast." In the comment section a commenter called "Tom McCarthy" said "This will forever be the greatest prank of all time" with 3.5k likes.
