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 who likes a specific text and consumes it regularly

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

Hardcore/True - Fans who spend a lot of time and money on a specific text

Newbie - Fans who just started to like the text

Anti-fan - People who hate/dislike the text

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?

While it is now used to apply to groups of people fascinated with any subject, the term has its roots in those with an enthusiastic appreciation for sports.

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?

Apple, Sherlock Holmes, Football, The Rocky Horror Show, Harry Potter and Family Guy

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

It 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?

It argues that such services transform the relationship between media producers and consumers.

As they explain, “MySpace, Flickr, and all the other newcomers aren’t places to go, but things to do, ways to express yourself, means to connect with others and extend your own horizons”.

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?

"loyals", "media-actives", "prosumers", "inspirational consumers", "connectors" and "influencers".

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 offered a particular version of this argument about grassroots intermediaries creating value, what has come to be known as the “long tail.” He 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?

He suggests that “fan culture” has a real economic and cultural impact.

Examples include fan tastes ruling at the box office, fan tastes dominating television, and fan practices shaping the games industry.

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 media is made and consumed."

I agree that audiences will "reshape" the media landscape seeing as audiences are their own producers now, or can be.

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

The new ideal consumer talks up the program and spreads word about the brand; the new ideal is definitely the fan.

8) Why is fandom 'the future'?

Fandom is "the future" as most of the consumers are the active participants and help shape the media with their own ideas and contributions.

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

We shouldn't celebrate these trends as they sell it back to consumers with a considerable markup.

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 is a complicated topic. Not everyone is specifically a fan, but the people who actively engage and consume are fans. I'd say fandom is mainstream seeing as social media platforms easily allow fandoms and communities to talk to one another.