The presence of fandom culture cannot be denied because according to the book Cultural Economy of Fandom, “fandom is a common feature of the popular culture in industrial societies” (Fiske 1992, 30). Scholars have struggled in assigning a general academic description for fandom. Fiske’s study suggested that fandom has something to do with cultural formations. The idea of relating fandom with cultural formations led Fiske to define the fans or the member of the fandom as productive, active, and participatory. Fandom is usually associated with the cultural taste of the subordinate group that are disempowered by the ruling class in the value system. The process involved in a fandom is similar to the process of production of media texts. …show more content…
These social formations lead to the union of group of people with the same interests, ways of life, beliefs, and values. The sharing of these peoples’ interest, ways of life, beliefs, and values then leads to the idea of the cultural community. In the context of cultural community, fandom involves cultural works that are based on the fan’s performance that are created and shared with others. These performances are constructed by the norms within the fan culture. The cultural works within the fandom are treated as cultural artifacts that asserted the fan’s identity. “Fans of a popular television series [and/or film] may sample dialogue, summarize episodes, debate subtexts, create original fan fiction, record their own soundtracks, and make their own movies” (Jenkins, 2004, 34). The variety of these media and cultural texts produced and may be produced from the participative fandom culture as a new form of cultural artifacts also contributes to the fan’s …show more content…
It is a community built out of shared understanding of the media texts and their cultural texts. In a dissertation “Participatory Fandom in American Culture: A Qualitative Case Study of DragonCon Attendees,” fandom was defined as “not solely a private process, rather, a social and public one” (Flemming 2007, 17). The process of building the fandom itself is collective. Almost every fan within the fandom has a significant contribution in creating and utilizing both the media and cultural texts. These are perpetuated to the fans’ culture through their interaction within the fandom’s public and social space. The interactions lead to a common sense of understanding of the fans, a sense of collective consciousness. The manifestation of collectivism within the fandom constitute to the shared understanding building the fandom’s unique cultural community. Furthermore, Zillmann, et al. said that there are social benefits that are acquired by the fans that join a fandom where these benefits involve a feeling of belongingness provided by the sense of amity (as cited in Flemming 2007, 10). The feeling of camaraderie within the fandom constituted to the physical closeness of the fans which was later on transmitted into the virtual realm of the fandom. Meanwhile, this sense of belongingness felt by the members of the fandom is acquired in the process of socializing and spending time both with the
So by bring in these new, captivating components, writers are bringing in new audience who can become lifelong listeners to ensure that the genre will continue to persevere and last for a long
At most high school sporting events, the announcer gives a speech about sportsmanship typically ending with “and let us all be fans and not fanatics.” What really is a fan? Is a fan the person that has season tickets? Or is a fan the person that can spit out any random fact without even thinking? Is Tom Ricketts, the owner of the Chicago Cubs, any more of a fan that the people listed above?
In addition to the Brown’s lack of success, my personal identity, my social connections, and different cultural forces have caused my personal Browns fandom to become what it is today. Fiske argues that fandom is “a heightened form of popular culture in industrial societies and that the fan is an ‘excessive reader’ who differs from the ‘ordinary’
Throughout the years, pop culture has imposed a large amount of trends and shaped the lifestyle of its closer followers. It has achieved this impact because people have always been in contact with the different pop culture expressions and they often enjoy this type of entertainment. Moreover, according to Gerald Graff in his article “Hidden Intellectualism” pop culture or how he calls it “being a street smart” goes beyond entertainment and it is another type of intellectualism. Although pop culture can somehow promote critical thinking, its advantages in the long run should not be overestimated nor should the school knowledge be undermined. With regard to critical thinking, it is intriguing how pop culture; as vague as it may sound, has actual benefits to individuals and general culture.
“ Every successful individual knows that his or her achievement depends on a community of persons working together, ” said the American politician Paul Ryan. Communities have existed for as long as we have known about our existence: birth, school, work, and at home. We separate by appearances, or common interests to create groups called communities. Communities have always been in the cycle of life. They’re everywhere.
Gans observed that, “powerful boards of directors regulate the various media; writers, casting agents, directors, and producers decide what goes into sitcoms, soap operas, and afterschool specials.” When a handful of companies are able to influence everything a nation watches and reads about, it begins to influence culture. Why is it that the ideal family vacation for a middle-class family is a trip down to Orlando see everyone’s favorite mouse? Why is it that we automatically know what everyone’s “favorite mouse” is referring to? It is because Disney World has become a cultural
Rich also mentions in the article that a girl’s mother is not satisfied by the fact that her daughter would much rather read and write fan fiction- fictional stories made up by fans and published in order to let others read their own ending or spinoff of a cartoon, movie, book, game, etc. - on the internet than to read books (Rich, Literacy Debate, The New York Times). Reading fan fiction requires as much skill as reading an average book because fan fictions are stories
Subcultures form due to our deep rooted preference for likeminded individuals and ideas. We hold anxieties about how people are different and we worry about our own status within society (Andrew Campa 2015 YouTube). Schouten and Alexander (1995) describe that “a subculture of consumption is a distinctive subgroup of society that self-selects on the basis of a shared commitment to a particular products class, brand or consumption activity” (43). It is through this continued communal consumption that an individual finds social validation for their beliefs, value and way of life. Popular culture has magnified high school subcultural identities.
Between films, television, novels, and the Internet, there are many different types of popular culture in which society is immerged. One might argue that studying pop culture is shallow and worthless, but this is debatable because most of what we do is shaped by pop culture in some way. Studying pop culture may allow us to understand trends in culture that can aid in other society-based careers, as well as study societal and power constructs with greater accuracy. As technology and media develops further and further, pop culture should be studied in academia, as it is a relevant way to examine the moral constructs of the society and understand trends in culture. In the future, if pop culture is included in academia with the same importance as other subjects, future graduates may be more in tune with society than ever
Furry Fandom (FF): a leash of self-image and social discrimination against minority groups. As society grows, opinions will differ as our society is integrated based on different perspectives, mindsets, and cultures which differs from one another (Anthony., 1997, P.2). However, sometimes people would extremize their exhibition of their repulsive behavior, or "social control" against minority groups (Lamm & Schaefer, 1998. P.185-186), which the Furry Fandom is an example.
Literature Review Since this work aims to take on a new approach to fandom studies, namely putting male idols under the framework of affective labor and focusing on the emerging relationships between fans and idols, several theories need to be addressed in this section. First we need to consider not only what affective labor is and how it can be applied in this case study but also look at other parts of the Japanese entertainment industry where affective labor is visible. Hardly any attention has been paid to this connection and therefore affective labor is rarely explicitly mentioned but the thought of affective labor being a key element to Japanese entertainment industry should become clear throughout this chapter. A second important point
Appropriation is the act of borrowing and changing the meaning of cultural products, images, slogans and elements as well as reusing existing elements to create new works and meanings. Many artists believe that in borrowing existing images or elements of imagery, they are able to recreate the idea as it is now placed within a new concept. This essay will discuss how appropriation has been used in cultural and social contexts in order to create controversy and sell products, as well as be a form of expression. Pop culture often uses brash ways when trying to provide interest in society. As humans we are constantly wanting more and are never fully satisfied without entertainment, thus in order to meet these high demands many often turn to cultural appropriation as a void of entertainment.
We share the same cultural identity as we consume those cultural artifacts of narratives, memories, stories and fantasies to incorporate their cultural representations in similar or different ways into our everyday rituals and practices of daily life. Besides, the social and cultural construction of identity is highly influenced by media communication in the modern age. Technologies have empowered the media to communicate their meaning to a variety of people; (Hall, 1997) Social and cultural identity are linked to issues of power, value systems, and ideology. The media uses representations, such as images, words, and characters or personae, to convey specific ideas and values related to culture and identity in a society.
Over the last few decades, the world has witnessed the evolution of many different aspects of popular cultures, such as movies, technology, music, and fashion. Although the medium of Pop Culture has a lot to do with whether or not it actually causes change or if it just reflects on what has taken place. The general trend is that Pop Culture is utilized to reflect changes in people’s attitudes and beliefs, and only in rare instances does it actually cause significant changes. Movies in the 1970s and 80s are prime examples of how popular culture reflects on what is going on in society at the time, however, technological advancements in the 1990s is an anomalous example of when popular culture has caused changes in society.
People are immersed in popular culture during most of our waking hours. It is on radio, television, and our computers when we access the Internet, in newspapers, on streets and highways in the form of advertisements and billboards, in movie theaters, at music concerts and sports events, in supermarkets and shopping malls, and at religious festivals and celebrations (Tatum,