Fan Culture
Fan culture can be seen in all forms of entertainment in today's modern society. This auto ethnography will focus extensively on the film and TV medium, where I will analyze the mass following that Lost and Star Wars have created. I will also include what my sources have to say regarding the fandom behind these two respective forms of entertainment, which will help explain the whole fan culture behind it. I am also going to explain how fandom has exploded through the usage of online streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Go. For movies, fandom is created through the "quality of the movie and the merchandise promotion" (Choi). As for my perspective, I believe Lost is the first of its kind for any TV show. It was maddening just to follow that show on Netflix, and the cliffhangers always left me immediately going to the next episode. Imagine following Lost when it was on TV, that must have sucked to wait a week before the next one. That brings me to the question, are cliffhangers a significant factor in determining the quality and fan following of a show? Does the same apply for movies? Other critics argue the factors that make shows or movies have a fan culture behind it.
Henry Jenkins is an American media scholar whose works on analyzing fan culture are well noted among specialists in his field. He states, "the process of designing a fictional universe that will sustain franchise development, one that is sufficiently detailed to enable many different stories to emerge but coherent enough so that each story feels like it fits with the others" (Jenkins). Jenkins is exploring the growth of fan cultures and how technology plays a prevalent role in that growth. TVs, computers, and the big screens are all devices that bolster the impact of fan culture in everyone's lives. Recently, Jenkins' research has focused on how individuals in contemporary culture themselves tap into and combine numerous different media sources. So, the culture of one's society helps form the impact of certain fan cultures. Jenkins remains one of the most profound researchers in the world revolving around fan culture, and he keeps his followers constantly updated with posts and tweets on his website and social media sites. Jenkins also notes that "establishing a following is considerably easier in today's world, making fan following more convenient" (Jenkins). So now after analyzing why fan culture exists in today's world and how technology applies to its prevalence, we move on to what makes a show or movie have that kind of following? What factors determine how good a show or movie is? The more popular the show or movie, the bigger the following?
So what makes Lost such a good TV show? Why did it have such a big following? Even though Lost did lose a little bit of heat in viewership as it neared the later seasons, one critical aspect still made the show a huge topic of discussion. Rob Owen of Gazette states in his article that viewers did not just watch Lost but also participated in the show's development by talking about the last episode the next day at work or contributing in website forums online. "Lost requires us to be involved, the story which has blossomed into a marathon of cultural, literary, scientific and religious allusions, offers to its faithful adherents ideas worth wondering, books worth reading, scientific theories worth exploring and ideas that very nearly burn a hole in our pockets" (Gazette). Though many viewers found the show confusing at times with its flashbacks and wide array of characters, one thing remained clear. Lost encouraged viewer involvement, something most television shows don't necessarily inspire towards. Even me personally, I became a huge fan of the show and checked out online merchandises and joined the worldwide group discussion. I admit, I even sometimes checked the plot online even before I finished the next episode. I was that into it. Judging from the article has to say regarding Lost, it is fair to say that the show was able to create a following through everyone's insatiable desire to know what happens next. The show kept fans on their feet for most of its run.
The Star Wars saga should be the benchmark of all film series. It created a legacy of mass entertainment that many believe is unparalleled to this day. If Lost had a huge following, then Star Wars is on a totally different magnitude. Lost may have changed the way people followed TV shows, but it can be said that Star Wars changed the world. The whole series was just mind blowing in its popularity. When the movies first came out in the 1970s, its impact on fans was tremendous. The lightsabers and toys from it remain extremely popular to this day, and an entire spin off of books and TV shows came from the original Star Wars. Apparently, people waited days in advance of the midnight screening of The Phantom Menace, the first Star Wars movie in 20 years. Who knows just how popular the next Star Wars movie is going to be when it comes out this Christmas. But what makes this movie have such a big fan following? Critics argue that the setting of Star Wars in an advanced galaxy is humankind's "dream for the future" (Brooker 71). Society now may aspire to achieve that kind of technological advancement. Maybe it comes down to just how cool it all looks in the movies. In fact, Star Wars pioneered "the modern special effects blockbuster as well as the modern movie trilogy, leading the way for 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Matrix' among others" (Choi). People had never experienced movie effects like that on the big screen before. That too could be a factor that led to the movies' popularity and the fan following. Regardless, Star Wars continues to have a massive following, and it is the series that inspired all forms of science fiction media to new levels. Movie followings in its fans changed considerably because of Star Wars.
Fan followings in movies and TV shows are important to their success respectively. How well fans interact with each other regarding the TV show or movie is all part of the culture. Lost and Star Wars are shows that reflect this characteristic.
1) "Fan Culture: Definition and Genres." Grassroots and Fan Culture. 12 February, 2010. Web. 21 April. 2015.
2) Larsen, Katherine. Fan Culture: Theory/Practice. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. Print.
3) Nisbet, Matthew. "Fan Culture: Time to Get a Life or an Overlooked Opportunity to Educate?" BigThink. 2011. Web. 21 April. 2015.
4) Jenkins, Henry. "Transforming Fan Culture into User-Generated Content: The Case of Fan Lib" HenryJenkins.org. Web. 22 May 2007. 21 April. 2015.
5) Rose, Frank. "Henry Jenkins on Spreadable Media, Why Fans Rule" Deepmediaonline.com. Web. 17 January, 2013. 21 April. 2015.
6) Stevenson, Luke. "100 Reasons why Lost is the Greatest TV Show of All Time" whatculture.com. Web. 21 August, 2012. 21 April. 2015.
7) Fan Edits. Lostpedia - The Lost Encyclopedia. Web.
8) Owen, Robb. "Not Everyone got 'Lost,' but the series will have lasting impact" Post-Gazette.com. Web. 19 May, 2010. 21 April. 2015.
9) Choi, Charles. "How Star Wars Changed the World" Space.com. Web. 10 August, 2010. 21 April. 2015.
10) Brooker, Will. Using the Force: Creativity, Community, and Star Wars Fans. Continuum, 2002. Print.
Henry Jenkins is an American media scholar whose works on analyzing fan culture are well noted among specialists in his field. He states, "the process of designing a fictional universe that will sustain franchise development, one that is sufficiently detailed to enable many different stories to emerge but coherent enough so that each story feels like it fits with the others" (Jenkins). Jenkins is exploring the growth of fan cultures and how technology plays a prevalent role in that growth. TVs, computers, and the big screens are all devices that bolster the impact of fan culture in everyone's lives. Recently, Jenkins' research has focused on how individuals in contemporary culture themselves tap into and combine numerous different media sources. So, the culture of one's society helps form the impact of certain fan cultures. Jenkins remains one of the most profound researchers in the world revolving around fan culture, and he keeps his followers constantly updated with posts and tweets on his website and social media sites. Jenkins also notes that "establishing a following is considerably easier in today's world, making fan following more convenient" (Jenkins). So now after analyzing why fan culture exists in today's world and how technology applies to its prevalence, we move on to what makes a show or movie have that kind of following? What factors determine how good a show or movie is? The more popular the show or movie, the bigger the following?
So what makes Lost such a good TV show? Why did it have such a big following? Even though Lost did lose a little bit of heat in viewership as it neared the later seasons, one critical aspect still made the show a huge topic of discussion. Rob Owen of Gazette states in his article that viewers did not just watch Lost but also participated in the show's development by talking about the last episode the next day at work or contributing in website forums online. "Lost requires us to be involved, the story which has blossomed into a marathon of cultural, literary, scientific and religious allusions, offers to its faithful adherents ideas worth wondering, books worth reading, scientific theories worth exploring and ideas that very nearly burn a hole in our pockets" (Gazette). Though many viewers found the show confusing at times with its flashbacks and wide array of characters, one thing remained clear. Lost encouraged viewer involvement, something most television shows don't necessarily inspire towards. Even me personally, I became a huge fan of the show and checked out online merchandises and joined the worldwide group discussion. I admit, I even sometimes checked the plot online even before I finished the next episode. I was that into it. Judging from the article has to say regarding Lost, it is fair to say that the show was able to create a following through everyone's insatiable desire to know what happens next. The show kept fans on their feet for most of its run.
The Star Wars saga should be the benchmark of all film series. It created a legacy of mass entertainment that many believe is unparalleled to this day. If Lost had a huge following, then Star Wars is on a totally different magnitude. Lost may have changed the way people followed TV shows, but it can be said that Star Wars changed the world. The whole series was just mind blowing in its popularity. When the movies first came out in the 1970s, its impact on fans was tremendous. The lightsabers and toys from it remain extremely popular to this day, and an entire spin off of books and TV shows came from the original Star Wars. Apparently, people waited days in advance of the midnight screening of The Phantom Menace, the first Star Wars movie in 20 years. Who knows just how popular the next Star Wars movie is going to be when it comes out this Christmas. But what makes this movie have such a big fan following? Critics argue that the setting of Star Wars in an advanced galaxy is humankind's "dream for the future" (Brooker 71). Society now may aspire to achieve that kind of technological advancement. Maybe it comes down to just how cool it all looks in the movies. In fact, Star Wars pioneered "the modern special effects blockbuster as well as the modern movie trilogy, leading the way for 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Matrix' among others" (Choi). People had never experienced movie effects like that on the big screen before. That too could be a factor that led to the movies' popularity and the fan following. Regardless, Star Wars continues to have a massive following, and it is the series that inspired all forms of science fiction media to new levels. Movie followings in its fans changed considerably because of Star Wars.
Fan followings in movies and TV shows are important to their success respectively. How well fans interact with each other regarding the TV show or movie is all part of the culture. Lost and Star Wars are shows that reflect this characteristic.
1) "Fan Culture: Definition and Genres." Grassroots and Fan Culture. 12 February, 2010. Web. 21 April. 2015.
2) Larsen, Katherine. Fan Culture: Theory/Practice. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2012. Print.
3) Nisbet, Matthew. "Fan Culture: Time to Get a Life or an Overlooked Opportunity to Educate?" BigThink. 2011. Web. 21 April. 2015.
4) Jenkins, Henry. "Transforming Fan Culture into User-Generated Content: The Case of Fan Lib" HenryJenkins.org. Web. 22 May 2007. 21 April. 2015.
5) Rose, Frank. "Henry Jenkins on Spreadable Media, Why Fans Rule" Deepmediaonline.com. Web. 17 January, 2013. 21 April. 2015.
6) Stevenson, Luke. "100 Reasons why Lost is the Greatest TV Show of All Time" whatculture.com. Web. 21 August, 2012. 21 April. 2015.
7) Fan Edits. Lostpedia - The Lost Encyclopedia. Web.
8) Owen, Robb. "Not Everyone got 'Lost,' but the series will have lasting impact" Post-Gazette.com. Web. 19 May, 2010. 21 April. 2015.
9) Choi, Charles. "How Star Wars Changed the World" Space.com. Web. 10 August, 2010. 21 April. 2015.
10) Brooker, Will. Using the Force: Creativity, Community, and Star Wars Fans. Continuum, 2002. Print.