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Fan Culture, Fan Fiction, Fandom

Fan culture and the emergence of fandoms is an extremely interesting point of study when examining the roles of audiences in our culture. Audience members all over the world have joined together in a shared admiration for a media text and support the media as a unified group. Sullivan (2013) discusses the role of fandoms and how fans come together to connect. As stated in the text, when fans connect to other enthusiasts through face-to-face or online interactions, they immediately share a common bond of fascination with and knowledge of, a particular media text (P. 198). The increase of social media platforms has shifted the way fans connect with each other and interact with specific forms of media. Fans show their devotion to media through use of costumes, symbolic gestures and specific language or titles given to the fandom. Fans part of a large media following hold a power over media producers and have influence over the media being shared with the public. Creation of fan fiction makes fan groups not only passive consumers of media but active members of a participatory culture. Those belonging to fandoms have the ability to express their love of a media text without judgement to other fan members and can share their admiration to the public via social media.

The new age of digital media has significantly increased the amount of connection fan groups have with each other. Now, not only can fans meet up in person with their friends to share their admiration of a media text, they are able to communicate with each other constantly via social networking sites. Astigarraga, Pavon, & Zuberogoitia (2016) explain that media viewers nowadays have a greater ability to interact with the media thanks to the relatively easy use of technology and to advances in technological connectivity (p.2). Therefore the use of social media expands fan culture by reaching a wider audience of fans to connect with. Using the internet as a platform of communication, fans from all over the world are able to bond over television programs, movies, and music groups. Sullivan (2013) states fans spread their enthusiasm by interacting with their peers on internet chat groups and fan websites (p. 195). Personally, I have participated in fan culture by connecting with other fans on social networking sites such as Twitter. I was obsessed with the television show Pretty Little Liars and would religiously watch it each week. To ensure I was included in the fan following of the show, I would live-tweet my viewing. The use of hashtags was also a large aspect of live-tweeting to connect to the other people watching the show with me. The use of hashtags connected our fan group online and gave us access to relevant tweets regarding what was happening in the show. The actors in Pretty Little Liars live-tweeted the episode being televised as well, which was a huge deal for me and other Pretty Little Liar fans who were watching the show along with them. Twitter is a great social networking platform for fan groups as they are able to directly communicate with the person or group they admire. In the case of Pretty Little Liars, I along with millions of other viewers, tagged the actors in various tweets and were able to ask questions directly to them, in hopes they would actually reply back!

Fan culture however, goes way beyond just connecting with other fans online. Fans of media content with large followings have been known to stage conventions where fans can come together. Typically these conventions involve dressing up into costume, performing re-enactments and sharing fan fiction. Sullivan (2013) states, fans abandon any sort of critical distance from their favourite media. They experience these texts in a much deeper way by integrating them into their lives (p. 198). The various events that host thousands of fans have created a subculture among those who attend the conventions and participate through dressing up in costume.  Sullivan (2013) explains that the selection and fan internalization of mainstream cultural materials into their personal lives (by dressing up as characters [from their media text] distinguishes these individuals as a unique subculture (p. 196). A prime example of this is Cosplay, which is most popular in anime and comic book fan groups. Large conventions which incorporate Cosplay include Comic Con held in both San Diego and New York along with Anime North held in Toronto.

Sullivan (2013) explains media fans are members of subcultures in the sense that they adopt their own linguistic codes (use of codenames or titles) and symbolic forms (including style of dress) that delineate them from the rest of the population (p. 196). Fan groups have been known to create titles for themselves as a way to identify the fan group. For example, most people can recognize the terms ‘Belieber’ and ‘Bieber Fever’ as individuals who identify themselves as Justin Bieber fans. Many self-proclaimed ‘Beliebers’ have connected with others in the fan group to support and show love for Justin Bieber together. This is found through online forums, social media accounts as well as wearing Justin Bieber merchandise. Taylor Swift is another example of a mainstream artist with a dedicated fan base; identified as ‘Swifities’.

Fan groups typically have a negative stereotype associated with them, due to the lengths some fans may go to show their devotion and love of a media text. This is especially true for fan groups of mainstream media content, such as boy bands or major movie franchises that have been heavily marketed to the public.  Sullivan (2013) explains media fans are often portrayed as brainless consumers, willing to buy anything with a logo or image of their favourite media program or star (p. 193). Personally, when I am a fan of a band or artist I am very likely to purchase and wear their official merchandise. I even went as far as to camp overnight to have first access to an exclusive pop-up merchandise shop for mainstream band One Direction. While avid fans may be thought of as mindless consumers, they do possess a kind of power over producers of large media texts. As explained by Sullivan (2013), fans can be mobilized to press producers and media corporations for change (p. 196). This is found most notably with highly anticipated movie releases. For example, when it was announced the Fifty Shades of Grey book series would be turned into a movie franchise, fans of the books all over the world voiced their opinions on the casting choices for the film.  Various actors were announced for the role of the main character in the novel, however many of these actors received large backlash from the public who did not agree with the casting. Opinions of fans have influence over the producers of media texts through online posts expressing opinions and choices made about the film.

In some cases however, fans have the power to take over the role of the producer all together, by providing financial support to produce a media text. Booth (2015) states crowdfunding campaigns that successfully engage their fans in a more participatory manner highlight the temporal existence of a fandom (p. 3). Booth (2015) discusses the relation between fandoms and participatory culture. In many ways the activities engaged in by large fandoms reflect that of participatory culture. Sullivan (2013) explains that the internet has empowered audiences to create a new participatory culture in which fans and other consumers are invited to actively participate in the creation and circulation of new content (p. 219). Creation of fan fiction shows how audiences engage in active participation of the fandom, making fan group members active consumers of media versus being a passive viewer. Fan fiction stories are extensions of the original media text and incorporate various genres within them. Some fans ‘fill in the gaps’ of the central plot line in their fan fiction writing, while others may write in depth about a characters back story.

Booth (2015) discusses several popular television shows such as Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries that allow fan fiction to be sold as a commodity. As stated by Booth (2015), fans could write stories (following strict guidelines) to sell and collect royalties on (p. 5). The creation of fan fiction for these television shows has led the fans to actively participate in the production of popular media texts. As explained by Sullivan (2013), fans enjoy expanding the plot or rewriting endings of their favorite media texts, particularly when they are dissatisfied with the choices of the official writers or producers of the text (p. 204). As well, fans tend to create fan fiction focused on specific characters in media text and elaborate on their relationships with the other characters. For example, in many large fandoms it is not unusual for fans to ‘ship’ a relationship of two main characters. In the television show Gossip Girl for example, the two main characters were heavily ‘shipped’ by fans and had even been given a couple name by the fandom. #CHUCKANDBLAIRFOREVER

Many fans tend to incorporate themselves within their fan fiction stories as well. As stated by Sullivan (2013), concern has also been raised about the inability of fans to separate the fantasy of media texts from the reality of their everyday lives (p. 193). When fans are actively writing themselves into the stories of their favorite television shows or movies, they are blurring the lines between their reality and fantasy. Fans integrate aspects of media texts into their own lives which blur their understanding of the relationship they actually have with characters in a television show, versus the relationship they have created in their writing.

In conclusion, the development of fan culture and fandoms reflects the great influence audience members hold in our society. Social media platforms act as a tool to connect fan members from all over the world to get together and bond over their shared admiration of a media text. Large fan groups gather annually in large conventions where they are able to visually express their devotion to media through the use of costumes, re-enactments and shared fan fiction. Social media also acts as a place for fan members to post their fan fiction writings and create a plot line they believe best suits the characters. In my personal experience, being part of a fandom is a great way to connect with others who share similar interests and indulge in a favourite media text with like-minded individuals.

References

Astigarraga, I., Pavon, A., & Zuberogoitia, A. (2016). Active audience?: Interaction of young people with television and online video content. Communication and Society, 29(3), 133-147.

Booth, P. (2015). Crowdfunding: A spimatic application of digital fandom. New Media and Society, 17(2), 149-166.

Sullivan, J. (2013). Media Audiences: Effects, users, institutions and power. Sage Publications Inc., New York, NY.

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Audiences Influenced Interpretations of Media

Audience members are significantly influenced by media content in various aspects of viewing, interpreting and responding to media messages. Typically, large audiences are used by corporations for financial gain by positioning the mass audience size as a strategic tool when advertising media content to the public. As found in the text, large corporations invest time into measuring media audiences in order to be responsive to consumer needs and desires and ultimately generate revenue (Sullivan, 2013 p. 77). Online systems and tools are used to track audience members or consumers, and examples of this are television rating systems.  Although ratings are determined differently by utilizing various measurement methods, both television and radio advertising are based on the size of the audience. Buzzard (2015) states audience size, known as exposure, literally serves as the currency for determining the cost paid by advertisers for network and spot advertising (p. 512). Consumers of media are heavily influenced by marketing initiatives and in turn become a part of the capitalistic society. It is important to note however, that while audiences are influenced by marketing initiatives, audiences interpret media content through a lens of personal experiences, which influence their development of opinions, feelings and understanding of media content.

The idea of the audience commodity, as defined in the text book refers to viewers becoming a product that media corporations can sell to advertisers (Sullivan, 2013 p. 81). The key to understanding the audience commodity lies in the fact that audiences perform labor to advertisers by learning about brands of consumer goods featured in the commercial (Sullivan, 2013 p.81). We see this being done with corporations in order to create profitable media frenzies. For example, massive movie franchises are built around the idea of the audience commodity. A prime example of this is the Twilight phenomenon. After a smash success book series, the Twilight stories blew up in popular culture media when it was announced the novels would be turned into a four-part movie franchise. The corporations producing the films and the marketers promoting the movie to the public took great advantage of the audience commodity and manipulated the audience to their advantage. As stated in the text, audiences continue to generate economic value to the system of commercial broadcasting by internalizing advertising messages and turning them into demand for consumer goods and services (Sullivan 2013 p.81). The more the movie was marketed to the public, the more the public demanded a closer insight into the film. Not only did this strategy build up the release for the movie, it was also successful in creating huge demand for Twilight merchandise after the movie was released. Without the devoted fans or consumers of the Twilight series, the movie franchise would not have collected such large earnings from the film. The intense marketing initiatives behind the film series played a significant role in how the audience viewed and responded to the movies overall.

During the time of the Twilight era, a sort of Twilight culture emerged, where super fans immersed themselves wholly into the story of the novel. The advertisers promoting the film capitalized on the niche Twilight demographic and created a whole line of products and services to be marketing directly this specific group of audience members. Such products included Twilight inspired apparel, blankets, board games, dolls and even underwear.  At the time, I personally bought into the Twilight frenzy, and even went as far as to wait outside department stores to buy the movie on DVD the night of the release. I, along with the thousands of other Twilight fans dispersed around the world, had been formed into a taxonomic collective, in which our shared characteristic or spectatorship of the film franchise, connected us as a group for advertisers to target and build profit from.

Audiences view and interpret media through their own lens of personal experiences. Audiences take into account their own specific upbringing and view of the world when presented with new media content. A large portion of this is dependent on the audience member’s demographic. Factors such as age, race and gender all contribute to how an audience member will understand and respond to media messages. As stated in the text, different groups of readers or audiences will develop interpretations that coincide with their interests and experiences (Sullivan, 2013 p. 155).

A modern example of how demographics influence audience interpretation can be found through the backlash Pepsi Co. received following the release of a controversial commercial. The commercial depicted reality television star Kendall Jenner walking through a rally of protestors holding a can of Pepsi soda. She hands a police officer the can of pop, ending the riot and bringing peace amongst the protestors. The riots depicted in the video were said to be mirroring the protests by the Black Lives Matter movement and the events that had taken place during. While trying to bring light on unity and social change, Pepsi instead was faced with massive scrutiny from the public for its lack of sensitivity and over-simplifying serious national issues. 

What is interesting about this case are the audience members who band together to show their distaste for Pepsi.  Demographics were a heavy influence in the types of audience members who showed backlash and the themes surrounding why audiences found the commercial offensive. As audience members, we all interpret media differently based on our individualistic personal experiences. Those belonging to different racial groups and people of differing ages had conflicting views when shown the Pepsi commercial because of this.  Audience members typical have three ways to interpret media. Someone with a dominant-hegemonic view would interpret the commercial strictly for what it was and understand the intentions Pepsi had when creating the commercial. An audience member with a negotiated view, as stated in the text, would interpret the message with a mixture of adaptive and oppositional methods (Sullivan, 2013 p.143) ultimately seeing both sides to the issue. And lastly, an audience member with an oppositional view would fit into the group of audience members who were outraged by the commercial and who commented on the social and political themes present within it, most predominately on social media. The view each audience member takes depends on their social demographics. Age and race are the two large demographics which influenced the ways audiences perceived the commercial. The younger demographic were triggered more by the video because social movements and political rally’s for social change are prevalent aspects of our current society. As well, the younger generation have larger platforms to discuss their thoughts or opinions on media content; through social media platforms, where most of the backlash took place. Audience members of older generations are typically not as sensitized to racial movements due to the kind of world they were socialized in, and most definitely are not as connected with others online as the younger generation. The issue of race is also of play in this situation facing Pepsi. The use of a white model ending a riot for what looks to be similar to the Black Lives Matter riots was not the best choice on Pepsi’s part and played the primary role on why race was a big factor to the audience.

This case also showcases the power of the audience, and how much control audience members have over large corporations. Sundar & Limperos (2013) explain that the tools offered by modern media have expanded the range and scope of our interactions with media content (p. 505). As internet users, we have surpassed the assumption of an active audience, as our daily interactions with our smartphone, laptops and other technological devices show our frequent online activity. Using social media platforms, audience members prove they do not just consume media passively but that they are actively engaging in online content through sharing or posting personal views online. Social media platforms act not only as a communication tool for the public but also as a way to share information with others instantly. The amount of backlash the Pepsi commercial received from the public was worsened by how fast audiences were able to respond back, directly, to the Pepsi Co. official twitter account. Due to the rapid speed of social media, Pepsi was forced to release a public apology, posted to Twitter, and took down the commercial in response to the hate received from the public.

Audience members interpret content through a lens of personal experiences which also includes connecting their various other media experiences together. Intertextuality allows audience members to use their other media experiences as a tool to interpret and relate to media content.  YouTube is an example of a website that provides possibility for high intertextuality, as there are several recommended and related videos available to the viewer for consumption. Gathering information from other sources to make meaning of a media message influences the opinion and interpretation of the audience member. As stated in the text, “quite often linking the text that you are interpreting with other content or information is one of the primary pleasures derived from consuming popular texts (Sullivan, 2013 p. 154).

The Kardashian family is a prime example of an entertainment commodity in which audience members have high intertextuality. The public are constantly being updated with Kardashian related content through various media outlets on a daily basis. Television shows, commercial ads, as explained above, various social media accounts and online articles are all sources where Kardashian related content can be viewed and consumed by an audience.  Having access to all of this related content creates high intertextuality for avid Kardashian fans and ultimately influences how these audience members interpret the family on various levels. Continuing on from the previous example, how an audience views Kendall Jenner, the star of the Pepsi commercial, significantly changed because of her participation in the video. The family’s significant stake as popular culture icons is also a factor in how they are interpreted by the mass audience, as the family’s influence over the public is on such a large scale.

In conclusion, audiences are influenced and manipulated through marketing initiatives in order to create a profit and economic value for large corporations. Audiences internalize media messages and demand for more products and services. While audiences are influenced by marketing, they do experience media content through a lens of personal experiences. Demographics such as age, race and gender contribute to how an audience member will perceive or understand media content. Social media is used as a strategic tool to share opinions with other audience members, and has given audiences power over corporations that advertise to them. As well, intertextuality of media content contributes to the overall formed opinion or interpretation of media messages amongst various audiences.

References

Buzzard, K. (2015). The rise of market information regimes and the historical development of audience ratings. Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, 35(3), 511–517.

Sullivan, J. (2013). Media Audiences: Effects, users, institutions and power. Sage Publications Inc., New York, NY.

Sundar, S., & Limperos, A. (2013). Uses and grats 2.0: New gratifications for new media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 57(4), 504-25.

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Mass Shootings Reach Mass Audiences

Majority of the public are members of mass audiences every single day. Local and national news outlets, online articles, blogs, television and radio stations are all platforms of mediated communication which provide content of information to the public. It is through these media stations that the public becomes informed of recent events and are influenced on their opinions of what is occurring around the world. In the age of advanced technology and social media, national news is spread within minutes and reaches a mass audience worldwide; therefore it is crucial that what is being fed to the public is both factual and without bias.

The recent Las Vegas shooting, which occurred late night on Sunday October 1st 2017, has been deemed the deadliest mass shooting in all of modern American history, by several top international news outlets, such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, Fox News and CNN.

Any person with access to a computer, television or radio station woke up to news of the attack on Monday morning. Any person who has read an article about the shooting, been sent a video or listened to a news reporter speak of the horrors of the attack are a part of the mass audience this shooting effects.

As discussed in the text, mass audiences are loosely organized and are unable to act as a unified whole because individuals are geographically dispersed (Sullivan, 2013 p. 23). The extensive news coverage on the Las Vegas shooting has reached millions of people worldwide and most definitely has had some type of effect on the behaviours, attitudes and opinions of the public who are influenced by what is being said by these media platforms. As a mass audience who operates without a unified structure, it is up to each individual to make up their own mind about this attack and come to their own conclusions and opinions, which can be shared back with the rest of the world via social platforms.

The text describes audiences as objects that are acted upon by media messages and explains that audiences are ill-equipped to argue against or even process harmful messages provided by media outlets; instead audiences are misled into actions, beliefs or behaviours that may threaten society (Sullivan, p.23). While this statement may be true in some aspects, I argue that the public, who make up the mass audience of the Las Vegas shootings, and all other terror attacks occurring in the United States, have stood up and are actively arguing against what is happening nationwide. It is important to note that this Las Vegas shooting is much more complicated than a simple act of terror. There are both political and social implications intertwined into the seriousness of this violence which deeply affects both the public’s perception and reaction to this event.

The United States has been repeatedly attacked by violence over the last several years. Via national news coverage of these mass attacks, it seems as though they consistently involve the use of firearms. Recent examples include the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, 2016 Orlando Night Club shooting, and 2015 San Bernardino mass shooting, not to mention the several school shootings including the attacks at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and Columbine High school in 1999.The acceptance of firearms in the United States is constantly being questioned by media outlets and the public, a topic that seems to be regularly referenced when reviewing the attacks various American cities have endured. The Las Vegas shooting is no different. Under President Donald Trump’s government, there is no emphasis on tightening gun control laws or any efforts being made to discourage the public to own firearms.

Trump is no stranger to national news coverage, as he was heavily followed throughout the 2016 Federal election and continues to be as the current President of the United States. As stated in the text, the public makes decisions and evaluates their political leaders according to the ‘pictures in their heads’ which are comprised of the narratives and images that are provided by the news media (p. 36).  The constant news coverage of Trump’s government has painted a picture of him as a political leader in the minds of American citizens. The leniency in regards to gun control and possession of firearms from the US government, no doubt influences American citizens and the rest of the world. Almost immediately after news broke of the terrors of the Las Vegas shooting, articles began pointing to the 2nd Amendment and discussing how the right to bear arms in the US is to blame for this attack and the many others around the nation. While the Las Vegas shooting sparked a renewed call for stricter gun control laws in the United States, there has been a divide amongst the American audience on their stance on gun control as found through online news articles and personal tweets coming from Americans citizens themselves.

Social media has acted as the primary platform for public audience members to voice their own opinions or concerns on this matter and share their personal experiences with the world. The use of advanced technology allows for a mass audience to connect with each other and communicate on a global level. Twitter is the most notable social media platform that has been used by the public to voice their concerns, opinions and sorrows of the mass shooting. An alarming amount of public figures have come forward as well to use their own platform as a way to spread the word on gun control in the United States. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel spoke of the Las Vegas attack on his show, in which he showed his support for enacting tighter gun control laws and disappointment in the US government for allowing this massacre to happen.

It seems as though those who turn to social media to voice their concerns or opinions on important political matters such as gun control, are being an active member of the mass audience. However, I would argue that unless each person who is tweeting or sharing videos online has a large social media following, they remain a passive audience member. It is only through true social change will there be anything done about gun control and mass violence in the United States. That is why it is extremely important for those who do have a large social following to take a stand and use their voice. Public figures, who share their anger with the US government and frustration with those who firmly stand on the side of lesser gun control, are the people who have the power to influence the greater audience and hopefully make a change. 

The effects of media messages on the public are great. Extensive news coverage on television for example, is shown not only to adults worldwide, but also to children who see this kind of violent behaviour as a norm in our world. As found in the text, U.S Sen. John O. Pastore of Rhode Island suggested that violence had become a ‘public health risk’ and worried that images of violence on television (both in news and entertainment) were prompting children to be more aggressive” (Sullivan, p. 45). Albert Bandura’s 1965 Bobo doll study is a prime example of how violent behaviour in adults can be replicated, specifically by small children.

While it is important for news outlets to involve the public in the terrors that are occurring worldwide, there are major effects that come with showcasing such violence all over the globe. As members of a mass audience, it is up to each individual to be aware of potential harm violent media messages send to children and any other person who is constantly being shown the violent actions of others.

References 

Sullivan, J. (2013). Media Audiences: Effects, users, institutions and power. Sage Publications Inc., New York, NY.