Henry Jenkins - 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

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?


‘fans’ of a media text in the sense that we like them and consume them regularly.


2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?


Hardcore

Newbie

Anti-fan


3) What makes a ‘fandom’?


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


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


Fandom is not simply about preferring one team over another, it is, as 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?


Fan art of Sherlock Homes and Bedsheets of football teams and enduring brands like Apple creating a fandom for thei products.


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


It 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.


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?


This means that the audience and producers now have an understanding and therefore have an easier outlet to express and connect with audiences.


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!)


‘ “influencers” suggesting that some people have a more active role than others in shaping media flows and creating values’


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


Loyals

Media-actives

Prosumers

Inspirational consumers

Connectors

Influencers

Multipliers


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 suggests that using these niche fan communities make economical sense as it can lower production cost and reduce marketing whilst still making audiences happy and engaging as the media is targeting them as a specific audience.


5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream


Superhero and fantasy blockbusters dominate the box office.

Serialized television shows with complex narratives cater to fan demands.

Modders in the gaming industry influence game design and are often hired by companies.


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’.


“Media created by amateurs and hobbyists as a matter of course. This bottom up energy will generate enormous creativity,“

I think as there is a much larger majority which as amateurs create media their will be more creativity and at some sorts is reshaping the media landscape as it isn’t from a professional aspect anymore.


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


He suggests that the ideal consumer talks up the program and spreads it from word of mouth.


8) Why is fandom 'the future'?


Fandom is the future as it is a focus on the individual fan and how they perceive it not the wider audience it allows them to see it and recommend it to how they see fit.


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


It means that fandom is something fans do for free and celebrating the fact that we gain profit off of it is wrong as they are helping the media get the coverage it deserves through their fandom 


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?


Fandom is the ability to enjoy a piece of a media and help it reach its platform through due to the love from fans. As geuthing is media is so likeable and tailored to our taste very one has to be a fan of one thing or the other. Fandom is a mainstream subject now but technically fan communities are still niche in their way as they take likeing into something many people may not.



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