Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks

 Factsheet #107 - Fandom

Read Media Factsheet #107 on Fandom. Use our Media Factsheet archive on the M: drive Media Shared (M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets) or log into your Greenford Google account to access the link. Read the whole of Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of a fan?

Fan are people who follow and enjoy a particular type of media text. Even if you are not interested in these texts it could be argued that that we are all ‘fans’ of a media text in the sense that we like them and consume them regularly, but is not the same as being a Fan of a media text. 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?

Different types of fans identified within the factsheet are 'Hardcore/True Fan'. This is fans who 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.

Another type of fan there is are 'Newbie Fans'. This is fans that are relatively new to 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. 

Lastly, another type of fan there are is 'Anti-Fans'. These are certain individuals or groups of people who 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’ such as commenting on a trailer or preview of a video they hate and making it public. 

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?

What makes a fandom is ‘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.

4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?

Bordieu's argues a kind of ‘cultural capital’ which confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom. This means that fans can form a deeper relationship within a particular media or media text.

5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?

* Sherlock Holmes - (Earliest ever forms of fandom)

* Liverpool LFC - Supporting and watching every single match the team plays shows you are a devoted fan

* Family Guy - Fans having the power to still keep the show going even after it stopped airing such as buying copies of DVD's. 

6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?

Imaginative extension and text creating is a vital part of digital fandom as 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.. etc'. In addition, 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.

Henry Jenkins - degree-level reading

Read the final chapter of ‘Fandom’ – written by Henry Jenkins (note: link may be blocked in school - try this Google Drive link if you need it.) 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 quote "It's not an audience it's a community" simply means that the platforms audiences use such as the ones given in the book 'MySpace and Flickr' shows that it's not just a place to go but it helps to form deeper relationships with the media producers and consumers and it gives them audiences a space to connect with others creating that sense of 'community' as they are all there for the same reasons and interests. 

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!)

Some call such people “loyals,” stressing the value of consumer commitment in an era of channel zapping; some are calling them “media-actives,” suggesting that they are much more likely to demand the right to participate within the media franchise than previous generations; some are calling them “prosumers,” suggesting that as consumers produce and circulate media, they are blurring the line between amateur and professional; some are calling them “inspirational consumers” or “connectors” or “influencers,” suggesting that some people play a more active role than others in shaping media flows and creating new values.

3) What are the different names Jenkins discusses for these active consumers that are replacing the traditional audience?

Jenkins has discussed many different names for these types of audiences in the new digital media suggesting that new roles have been created for consumers such as calling people "loyals" who stay dedicated to one type of media producer whereas others are called "prosumers"  who consume as well as produce their own media to share around. Another type is called "infuencers" who try being a role mole for others and try getting their followers to listen to them and try out the new latest trend that is going on in the media such as the latest product that has been released. 

4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?

Chris Anderson suggests based on the economic argument in favour of fan communities by producers 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?

 Jenkins provides that fan culture has gone mainstream by saying the new multipliers are simply a less geeky version of the fan—fans who don’t wear rubber Spock ears, fans who didn’t live in their parents’ basement, fans who have got a life. In other words, they are fans that don’t fit the stereotypes. These writers are predicting, and documenting, a world where what we are calling “fan culture” has a real economic and cultural impact; where fan tastes are ruling at the box office (witness all of the superhero and fantasy blockbusters of recent years); where fan tastes are dominating television. 

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’.

"A new generation of media makers and viewers are emerging which could lead to a sea change in how the media is made and consumed."

I agree with this statement from Andre Blau's quote as what he is saying is correct. This is because in today's digital society ANYONE can become a producer due to having many different ways of accessing editing software from just our devices such as our phones. This gives young people especially the power to create whatever they wish and share it around. I feel like this will create a drastic change for the media landscape more bad than good as young people today are very quick to react to certain things and voice their opinions through typing a comment onto a YouTube video or creating their own sort of content and sharing it around which can get reposted and shared with across millions different other platform users which can cause an uproar of the type of content they are producing and sharing to other consumers which can go against their beliefs or certain viewpoints they might have. 

7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?

Jenkins suggest the ideal consumer watched television, bought products, and didn’t talk back. Today, the ideal consumer talks up the program and spreads word about the brand. The old ideal might have been the couch potato; the new ideal is almost certainly a fan

8) Why is fandom 'the future'?

Fandom is 'the future' as the consumers and producers can create, share, like, post and comment on anything now which gives everyone the power to do what they wish especially when it comes to fandom communities. Fandom is 'the future' because fandoms are what creates the media such as superhero films as Jenkins has mentioned. Fans has the power to build up a certain type of buzz in the media or has the power to destroy a piece of media that has been released it's all up to how the fans react which gives producers the power to go further with their content. 

9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?

Jenkins says we shouldn't celebrate 'a process that commodifies fan cultural production' because fans can take what the producers are creating and create their own meaning towards the interpreted media that the producer is sharing to its fans which can get shared to their fans but then their fans recreating the original text and making new meaning of it and sharing it across to other people who are not associated or relevant to the original text from the producer. 

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 think the future of fandom looks promising and looks to carry on growing and developing as more new movies, films, TV series come out more new fans are created and with that fandom and fan communities. I feel like we are all fans towards something even if it's a niche media text. I believe that fandom has developed so far it has now become mainstream and this is due to the rise of technology and today almost everyone owns a smartphone device or computer or laptop. Fan communities have grown out from being an niche media audience as everyone loves a certain piece of media text or film or whatever it is as we can't escape technology it's all around us meaning if a consumer enjoys watching a favourite TV show for example the chances that their already is a fan community around it is high as most people have access to the internet meaning it is so much more easier now to publish comment and share viewpoints and opinions to others online or even join a fan community based around the consumers interests such as their TV show where everyone is talking about it.