Videogames: Henry Jenkins - fandom and participatory culture

 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?

A person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal 

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

Hardcore/True Fan, Newbie, Anti-fan

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?

fandoms consist of passion that binds enthusiasts in the manner of people who share a secret — this secret just happens to be shared with millions of others.

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?
Fans of Sherlock Holmes, fans of The Lord of the Rings

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

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 such services transform the relationship between media producers and consumers.

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!)

In the age of the internet, no one is a passive consumer anymore because everyone is a media outlet.

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

prosumers

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 argues that 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?

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’.

This bottom up energy will generate enormous creativity...'-  I agree that audiences will reshape the media landscape because they have the ability to remix content and create their own versions of media. This makes the accessibility of media production easier and less exclusive. 

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

The new ideal is almost certainly a fan.

8) Why is fandom 'the future'?

The wake of digital media has introduced advanced participatory culture and fandoms are the key drivers of this of this cultural and political policy at the present moment.

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

He believes that companies take advantage of fandom dedications to media and profit of it. For example, Comic Con makes money off of a fandoms love for the actors and bring actors to Comic Con to meet the fans. 

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 fandoms are mainstream and will continue to be mainstreams in the future. I believe textual poaching will quickly grow with mass consumers taking part in fan fiction and fan art.