A Struggle To Pin Down, But Seen Everywhere

OVERVIEW:

Coming up with a single definition of the term fandom has been a struggle. Prior to the internet age, fandom was used classically to solely identify fans of a person or a sport. However, with the advent of modern technology, particular online forums, social networks, and of course the web, fandom has taken on a different definition that has been supported by historic trends. Fandoms have been described as “microcosms, communities, and domains” that surrounds comics, books, tv shows, video games, fiction genres etc. Within certain subdomains fandoms take on different contexts. For example, within the sphere of fanfiction, a fandom may refer to canon, the original work or text from where inspiration for fanfiction was drawn. What draws all fandoms together is the act of participating in “fannish” activity. Fannish activity consists of participation on message boards, livejournal communities, conventions, amateur magazines (fanzines), etc. Depending on the particular type of fandom, fans can pursue multiple avenues of fannish activity. Members of a fandom community do not necessarily have to actively participate in the community, but they must share a similar ‘obsession’ for the overarching work with other fans. Fans who consume media are participating in a type of fannish activity, as are those who are creating the media.

 

FANDOM ACTIVITIES:

So, what distinguishes, for example, a fandom of a famous group of individuals from a fandom of a popular novel? Both groups are definitely ardent supporters of their chosen individuals or group, and likely seek out other fans in the real world (ie. at conventions, sporting events, award ceremonies etc.). The primary differences between these groups lie in the use of online tools provided for and created by fandom members.

Fans of a particular individual (perhaps a sport hero), may indulge in posting reaction gif’s to reddit or tumblr, they may post messages regarding the individual’s most memorable quotes or actions, they may ardently admire the individual’s physical characteristics or clothing style on social networks. However, most fandoms do not create individual content surrounding an individual. Perhaps if the individual was a famous pop-star, they might create memetic videos such as parodies or spinoffs of an existing music video. However, for the most part fandoms in this scenario are limited by content that plays off real-world interactions or their ability to modify existing media.

However fans of a specific novel or TV series rely more upon their ingenuity and imagination to create new content. These fans alter the foundation of existing content. For example, a fan may draw a cartoon of two characters behaving in a certain manner that is relatively contradictory to canon. Perhaps this is because no libel or slander charges could be considered for ‘playing’ with fictional content whereas modifying events of a celebrity’s life could be cause for some judicial action. In a fandom that spans fictional realms users typically create literary content loosely based off the plot of the original work. They draw art relating to canon, make music, create and attend conventions etc.

SCOPE OF FANDOMS:

An interesting question to ask is, can fandoms be considered the face of modern communication?

When looking at the usage of social network and other popular media sharing sites, a predominant activity consists of engaging with fandoms. Tumblr, in particular, has become “fandom central” where entire Tumblrs are devoted to the support of a particular fandom. Even the structure of Facebook supports this shift towards fandoms, with the constant sharing of pictures and memes posted on Facebook pages, and the hundreds of thousands of ‘likes’ appearing on pages for popular individuals or books for example. Facebook, encourages the participation of fandom activity with the use of two sidebars. One sidebar constantly suggests pages to like or groups to join which are either popular or that your other friends have joined recently/in the past. This technique is interesting because through hosting locations for fans to engage, Facebook is adding a ‘safer’ social component to typical fandom interaction. On Facebook, an individual can learn about their friends are interact with them online concerning a particular fandom. Of course, this model is not necessarily limited to fandoms, but also companies for example, looking to get the word out about a particular product. However, the trend of Facebook post comments has shifted slightly away from a sole focus on divulging personal details to sharing memes, picture content, or other insights relating to fandoms. Facebook’s Top 20 pages (Nov 1, 2012) appears at first glance to be an eclectic mix of artistis, novels, companies, etc. However when looking at the Top 20 Facebook pages in the context of fandoms, only YouTube, Coca-cola, and Texas Hold ‘Em Poker are not fandoms.

Top 20 Facebook Pages

When engaging with people, individuals typically look for certain commonalities. With sites dedicated to, or supporting, the rise of fandoms, individuals find it easier to converse with others sharing similar interests. Because this online friendship is based of common ground, it is easier for this friendship to translate into the physical world. The presence of social fandoms encourage users, by use of implicit incentives, to generate their own fandom-related content. This, in turn, appears to have a positive correlation with sparking creativity and ingenuity – especially among younger fans. Harry Potter is considered responsible for brining a niche genre, Fanfiction, to main stream audiences, it has also encouraged individuals to get active through the creation of ‘Muggle’ Quidditch, and the list continues. If all of these are positive attributes of an extremely popular fandom’s success, are there any significant negative repercussions of fandoms? There is the odd case, where an individual may become obsessed with a fandom to a certain extent that they become a hazard to society. However, these are far and few between in the grand scheme of a fandom’s scope. Perhaps issues with identity are a problem with fandoms’ primarily online communities. However, cyber-security is not the sole problem of fandoms, but is a ever-pressing concern in a world where the internet and the web are becoming a necessity. But, do online fandoms compromise an individual’s identity? Individuals participating in a fandom may become more susceptible to mob mentality and more likely therefore to indulge in crazy or obsessive behavior. As users age, their maturity and participation in certain fandoms may shift as well and they may outgrew certain irresponsible behaviors. Yet, overall, online interactions between fan members augment reality and make for a more cohesive and comprehensive experience regarding a particular work.

 

Fandom Origins

This first post is meant to inform the reader of the origins of fandoms and how the internet and various social networking sites spawn and perpetuate the spread of fandom culture.

The Science Fiction genre has long been a hearth of science-fiction and fantasy loving communities. Readers and writers have perpetuated cult-followings that have become its own distinct subculture known commonly as a fandom. Fandoms began with the publication of Hugo Gernsback’s science fiction pulp magazine Amazing Stories. Gernsback, for whom the prestigious Hugo Award is named after, snuck scientifiction stories (as they were then called) into his science magazine prior to the appearance of Amazing Stories. His stories predate the creation of the modern superheros, Spider-man, Superman, Batman etc. and spawned the first cult fandom movement. Fans were encouraged to comment on the stories and send letters to Gernsback who would publish them. Soon, fans were corresponding with each other and began initiating in-person meetups. [1]

With Gernsback’s followers came the Scienceers, a local club, and other groups sprang up in metropolitan areas in the United States. This progression continued and naturally exploded with the introduction of the internet. The  demographic of the first ‘users’ of the internet being primarily male ‘nerds’ (for lack of a better term), supplanted and even expanded the reach of fanzines (fan magazines) and other publications. Communication became instantaneous and conventions were soon organized that reached a broader audience than the small metropolitan club meetings.

One case study of online fandoms is the star trek phenomena. [2] An ethnography of star trek fans shows that the idea of computerization has acted as a catalyst for the creation of and integration of these fangroups in modern society. Social networking sites such as twitter, facebook, tumblr, etc. have aided the spread of these fandoms. I will discuss particularly the use of reddit and tumblr in subsequent posts. But, essentially the interent and online interaction has made fandoms moer prevalent in modern society. The social implications of these fandoms will also be discussed later. This post was mainly concerning the history of fandoms. It is important to note, that fandoms are now no longer limited to science fiction (by any means of the word). They have widespread influence from music, to art, to ideas.

[1] History of the Scienceers: The First New York City Science Fiction Club, 1929; Allen Glasser. http://www.fanac.org/timebinders/scienceers.html

[2] Star Trek fandom as a religious phenomena http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/indv10258/readings/JindraTrek.pdf