Through the different fandoms, we've been able to see some aspects belonging to specific ones. Nevertheless, all strong fandoms have a large number of traits in common. Fans must be passionate. Also, they are often very creative. Fan fiction has developed as a genre, with leaps and bounds in progress due to the advent of typewriters and personal computers, mostly over the last 100 years. Additionally, because of the improvement of living conditions, the fans have more leisure time. This extra time also translates into time to gather and discuss the franchise: this phenomenon is known as the convention. These traits coalesce to make a fandom what it is.
Fan fiction:
This is a variable aspect of any fandom. It can be both rewarding and dangerous. Fan fiction stems from a person's desire to play with someone else's toys. For instance, if I want Iron Man to meet Doctor Who and do battle with the entire army of Soviet-era Russia, I would write a fan fiction. Fan fiction, or fanfics for brevity's sake, have existed since literature began. However, early ones do not count as such because they were not written in the same manner. First, they differ in their authors: medieval "fan fiction" would have been written by learned scholars. Modern fanfics are written by fan girls and (not using the term offensively, honest!) nerds. The quality of both are often diametrically opposed. Nevertheless, both types have their good and bad stories.
Another reason that medieval authors wouldn't have been writing "fan fiction" as we term it is because the narratives that stories would have been based on had no official structure. What I mean by that is that the franchise did not exist. There was no "Iron Man" who was always the wealthy inventor Tony Stark, with his trusty friend Rhodey and various other acquaintances and enemies. Stories of eras before, not limited to just medieval, were based on legends and folk stories. King Arthur is a notable example. While there is some variety that occurs in franchises today, as with reboots and alternate continuities, King Arthur is far more open to drastic changes. In one story, the wicked Mordred may be a son by incest, or an evil nephew, and Merlin can range anywhere from being Arthur's protective guardian to being a feared enemy.
Conventions:
These events are where you would certainly find true fans of any given franchise. With their costumes and cast and creator appearances, conventions are a physical embodiment of the franchise itself. While some might consider dressing up as a fictional character, buying merchandise and writing stories to share at the convention weird, the activity is not as bad as all of that. As with all things, moderation is key. Many of the fans who attend can walk away from the convention and return to the rest of their lives, without being completely obsessed with the given franchise. Conventions also allow fans to meet their favorite actors, show staff, producers, animators, artists, etc... For some franchises, this allows direct feedback.
Result: Synergy
Conventions and fan fiction ultimately realize the quintessence of the fandom: synergy between fan and creator. For instance, in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the decision was made to kill a central lead character: specifically, the Vulcan science officer, Spock. Due to great fan backlash, the next movie was crafted to bring the character back to life. Still later, many show creators and staff are internet savvy, and see the general desires and ideas of the fans. Internet memes often appear in television series and comic books. In some cases, such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, fans can send in their own stories to be published. From starts like these, fan writers occasionally rise to become official writers. Sometimes fan episodes of animated series can spark the interest of the show's creators and bring the artist to their attention.
Synergy is what makes a fandom what it is. Without a connection between the fans and the creators, the fandom would merely be another literature-studying group. However, the fandom rises above being only literature. It is a symbiosis of imagination.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Culture - Fandoms, Episode II: Fandoms are Magic
Some fandoms, on the other hand, form because of either the obscurity or infamy of the work, or because of a non-traditional fan base of the franchise. Upon researching the topic a little (a little Wikipedia, heh...) I have found many great examples. For the sake of time, however, I must limit my study to only a few of them.
A cult following differs primarily because this form of fandom is a smaller, more intense variety. While it is true that many mainstream fandoms like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and most superhero franchises have a sub-fandom which could be identified as a cult following, they are not cult followings in and of themselves. In these instances, it is the dedicated fans that make up the sub-fandom: for Harry Potter, those who read the books before the movies and who can recite precise details from any given book; for Lord of the Rings, there is a similar aspect of book reading; and for super hero franchises, it is those who read the comics and can point out many (if not all) of the inconsistencies in the movies. The cult following, however, is usually based in an entirely obscure work, that for whatever reasons, only few people follow. It could be off-the-wall, eccentric, against the cultural norm, or something that has recovered from a bad start. Still others are obscure for a particular place, or divisive because of the structure of the thing itself.
Eccentric, against the cultural norm: One notable example here is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Fans of the movie would understand why I place it under this category in particular. The show itself is a difficult musical to describe. The basic premise is that two travelers, new husband and wife, somehow end up at a large castle/mansion thing. Initially, it seems rather mild, but as we meet other characters, it is anything but. To say the least, with its rampant sexuality and leading man dressed as a transvestite, it is not the kind of movie to watch with family. I say this not to judge, but rather to point to the fact that it would not garner much support from a main-stream audience. However, from some close friends (Theatre people, we know how they are!) I know that fans adore it.
Obscure for a particular place: My two examples for this are simple. Doctor Who and Monty Python, undoubtedly well-known in England, are more obscure here. Here, I must make a distinction: I do not consider someone who has only seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail to be a true fan. There must be knowledge of the other movies and of the television. Alas, my knowledge of the franchise comes mostly from the Grail movie and the (probably) sanitized reruns of the show that came on PBS a few years back. Nonetheless, these British television programmes managed to achieve their cult followings in the US. In starting with Doctor Who, I can see why people go for the older show: the characters are fun, and the old special effects and costumes are fun to poke fun at, especially from this side of 50+ years.
Unusual following: Some shows transcend their set audience and achieve popularity with a demographic that the show's creators might not have expected. One good example is the television series My Little Pony. Already from the title, one can tell that the show is aimed at pre-adolescent girls, and if it a cartoon, it is most certainly a marketing tool to sell toys, a la the original Transformers. However, like Transformers before it, the franchise has indeed gone beyond being a mere 30 minute toy commercial. One reason, although it is hard to tell which came first, are the pop culture allusions within the series. There is a background pony in many episodes who resembles a certain incarnation of the Doctor from Doctor Who. Another episode's featured song is based on a popular song from a Sondheim musical. Still another references several 90's cartoons. Clearly, Hasbro and the writers know that older fans are becoming attracted to the show. Unlike older generations of MLP, the latest iteration, Friendship is Magic was specifically designed to go against the "girly" nature of the franchise to that point. I wonder if they expected it would go this far? Even famous actor John de Lancie, who voiced an eventually-redeemed villain, has participated in the fandom, composed of what are known as "bronies" and "pegasisters."
(I was going to write on Glee, but decided not to. All that is needed to know, is that it is a sort of high-school soap opera concerning a school glee team, and it often has excellent covers of various pop songs. I've only seen a few episodes, but I first heard "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Dream On" as Glee covers.)
Anyhow, from these examples, I believe it is plain that cult followings often do have quality franchises behind them. For whatever reason, though, only a relative few people actively enjoy them. Be it obscurity or controversy, they are relegated behind the main stream giant franchises.
Tune in next article for some regular, non-sci fi fandoms! Or maybe a look at the development of the fandom as a whole. Or maybe something completely different!
A cult following differs primarily because this form of fandom is a smaller, more intense variety. While it is true that many mainstream fandoms like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and most superhero franchises have a sub-fandom which could be identified as a cult following, they are not cult followings in and of themselves. In these instances, it is the dedicated fans that make up the sub-fandom: for Harry Potter, those who read the books before the movies and who can recite precise details from any given book; for Lord of the Rings, there is a similar aspect of book reading; and for super hero franchises, it is those who read the comics and can point out many (if not all) of the inconsistencies in the movies. The cult following, however, is usually based in an entirely obscure work, that for whatever reasons, only few people follow. It could be off-the-wall, eccentric, against the cultural norm, or something that has recovered from a bad start. Still others are obscure for a particular place, or divisive because of the structure of the thing itself.
Eccentric, against the cultural norm: One notable example here is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Fans of the movie would understand why I place it under this category in particular. The show itself is a difficult musical to describe. The basic premise is that two travelers, new husband and wife, somehow end up at a large castle/mansion thing. Initially, it seems rather mild, but as we meet other characters, it is anything but. To say the least, with its rampant sexuality and leading man dressed as a transvestite, it is not the kind of movie to watch with family. I say this not to judge, but rather to point to the fact that it would not garner much support from a main-stream audience. However, from some close friends (Theatre people, we know how they are!) I know that fans adore it.
Obscure for a particular place: My two examples for this are simple. Doctor Who and Monty Python, undoubtedly well-known in England, are more obscure here. Here, I must make a distinction: I do not consider someone who has only seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail to be a true fan. There must be knowledge of the other movies and of the television. Alas, my knowledge of the franchise comes mostly from the Grail movie and the (probably) sanitized reruns of the show that came on PBS a few years back. Nonetheless, these British television programmes managed to achieve their cult followings in the US. In starting with Doctor Who, I can see why people go for the older show: the characters are fun, and the old special effects and costumes are fun to poke fun at, especially from this side of 50+ years.
Unusual following: Some shows transcend their set audience and achieve popularity with a demographic that the show's creators might not have expected. One good example is the television series My Little Pony. Already from the title, one can tell that the show is aimed at pre-adolescent girls, and if it a cartoon, it is most certainly a marketing tool to sell toys, a la the original Transformers. However, like Transformers before it, the franchise has indeed gone beyond being a mere 30 minute toy commercial. One reason, although it is hard to tell which came first, are the pop culture allusions within the series. There is a background pony in many episodes who resembles a certain incarnation of the Doctor from Doctor Who. Another episode's featured song is based on a popular song from a Sondheim musical. Still another references several 90's cartoons. Clearly, Hasbro and the writers know that older fans are becoming attracted to the show. Unlike older generations of MLP, the latest iteration, Friendship is Magic was specifically designed to go against the "girly" nature of the franchise to that point. I wonder if they expected it would go this far? Even famous actor John de Lancie, who voiced an eventually-redeemed villain, has participated in the fandom, composed of what are known as "bronies" and "pegasisters."
(I was going to write on Glee, but decided not to. All that is needed to know, is that it is a sort of high-school soap opera concerning a school glee team, and it often has excellent covers of various pop songs. I've only seen a few episodes, but I first heard "I Dreamed a Dream" and "Dream On" as Glee covers.)
Anyhow, from these examples, I believe it is plain that cult followings often do have quality franchises behind them. For whatever reason, though, only a relative few people actively enjoy them. Be it obscurity or controversy, they are relegated behind the main stream giant franchises.
Tune in next article for some regular, non-sci fi fandoms! Or maybe a look at the development of the fandom as a whole. Or maybe something completely different!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Culture - Fandoms, Episode I: In Space or in Time
Because of a culmination of several factors in the present day, an interesting new phenomenon has emerged. This phenomenon is the fandom. Certain elements are a given, such as the predominantly literate culture from which fandoms arise. However, other things are necessary. Due to the time required for one to be in a fandom, the culture must be fairly affluent to afford the fans time for immersion. Additionally, the present day allows for a varied spread of fandoms, because of a plethora of media (TV, radio, print, internet, etc...) However, instead of merely describing the elements needed to have a fandom, we should look at some examples of actual fandoms.
I count myself part of several fandoms. One such fandom is that of Star Trek. (I must preface this by indicating that I am not such a fan that I am obsessed. I have written some fan fictions and read the books, but that is about the extent of my involvement above and beyond.) Nonetheless, the show has quite an extensive following. One reason is that older fans, who started watching the series in its beginnings, drew deeper meanings from the stories. They were the people who believed that the show advocated equality, rights and social progress. This is true, if not to quite the degree as they would believe. At a time during the Cold War, the inclusion of a Russian officer, along with many of the bridge crew, indicated forward thinking on the part of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the show. Later iterations of the show also commented on society and its faults, such as the analogy that can be drawn in Deep Space 9 between the Cardassians and the Bajorans, to the Nazis and the Jews. For clarity, the Bajorans are a religious people forcibly taken over by the Cardassians and forced to labor for them. This is an ever-present conflict that appears during the course of DS9's run. Other iterations of the show make similar observations.
Another great fandom is that of Star Wars, that classic cinematic masterpiece. From personal testimony, I know that this fandom started from the beginning. Many of the people I know, who saw the first movie in theaters, saw it more than once. (Of course, shows were cheaper, but allowances were also less) From then on, the space epic and its sequels only became more and more popular. The popularity can only be due to the story: the tale presents great literary types, such as the epic hero, evil empire, and endangered princess. The music is also a plus, as John Williams makes extensive use of the Wagnerian idea of the leit-motif: major characters, events and ideas all have unique themes associated with them. Star Wars too has sparked an extensive extended universe, including books, video games and spin-off series.
On a side note, some people will tell you that you can't like both of the "Stars." I say that they are good in different ways, and that you can. However, that is a whole other issue which cannot be addressed here. It is sufficient to say that both are cool and continue on.
On another side note, I must comment that many fandoms have a certain level of nerdiness about them. Possibly it is because many of the shows are science fiction, but other genres have them too. There is an element to writing about a fictional show, or wearing costumes of characters of a show that all necessitate a certain level of devotion. (Although, I am fine with being classified a "nerd." The term is not as denigrating as it once was, especially not with most of the people I hang out with.)
Back on topic, a key fandom to consider is that of the hit British television programme, Doctor Who. Having only recently started the show, I of yet only know a little bit personally. However, I know from the internet that there is a large contingency of fans. This is to be expected of a show whose life spans 50 years. As with the franchises mentioned above, Doctor Who has shows, movies, books, comics, etc... There is, in Doctor Who, an element not present in the others. In a bit of crafty writing, the titular Doctor has the ability to regenerate himself if he is critically injured. This allows the show to live on, even if the main actor falls seriously ill or dies. I have always admired this simple, but effective means of prolonging the show. (Plus, it allows for those great "meet yourself, and yourself, and yourself" episodes that time travel is kind enough to bestow.) Anticipation of the next Doctor is a particularly Whovian phenomenon. "What will he look like, how will he act, will he FINALLY be a ginger?" are the types of questions that arise. (Doctor Who fans, please forgive any inaccuracies or gross mistakes; I'm new here.)
These are examples of fairly mainstream fandoms. (Although, in the US, Whovians are more of a cult following, but more on that later.) All have fan fiction bases. All have merchandise and costuming. All have fans that adore the franchise for one reason or another. It is something that they can share, and laugh or cry about. Here, too, a sense of community is necessary. A fandom is the community surrounding any work or works of fiction.
As this article is almost too long, tune in next article for a closer look at cult followings and more!
To be continued....
I count myself part of several fandoms. One such fandom is that of Star Trek. (I must preface this by indicating that I am not such a fan that I am obsessed. I have written some fan fictions and read the books, but that is about the extent of my involvement above and beyond.) Nonetheless, the show has quite an extensive following. One reason is that older fans, who started watching the series in its beginnings, drew deeper meanings from the stories. They were the people who believed that the show advocated equality, rights and social progress. This is true, if not to quite the degree as they would believe. At a time during the Cold War, the inclusion of a Russian officer, along with many of the bridge crew, indicated forward thinking on the part of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the show. Later iterations of the show also commented on society and its faults, such as the analogy that can be drawn in Deep Space 9 between the Cardassians and the Bajorans, to the Nazis and the Jews. For clarity, the Bajorans are a religious people forcibly taken over by the Cardassians and forced to labor for them. This is an ever-present conflict that appears during the course of DS9's run. Other iterations of the show make similar observations.
Another great fandom is that of Star Wars, that classic cinematic masterpiece. From personal testimony, I know that this fandom started from the beginning. Many of the people I know, who saw the first movie in theaters, saw it more than once. (Of course, shows were cheaper, but allowances were also less) From then on, the space epic and its sequels only became more and more popular. The popularity can only be due to the story: the tale presents great literary types, such as the epic hero, evil empire, and endangered princess. The music is also a plus, as John Williams makes extensive use of the Wagnerian idea of the leit-motif: major characters, events and ideas all have unique themes associated with them. Star Wars too has sparked an extensive extended universe, including books, video games and spin-off series.
On a side note, some people will tell you that you can't like both of the "Stars." I say that they are good in different ways, and that you can. However, that is a whole other issue which cannot be addressed here. It is sufficient to say that both are cool and continue on.
On another side note, I must comment that many fandoms have a certain level of nerdiness about them. Possibly it is because many of the shows are science fiction, but other genres have them too. There is an element to writing about a fictional show, or wearing costumes of characters of a show that all necessitate a certain level of devotion. (Although, I am fine with being classified a "nerd." The term is not as denigrating as it once was, especially not with most of the people I hang out with.)
Back on topic, a key fandom to consider is that of the hit British television programme, Doctor Who. Having only recently started the show, I of yet only know a little bit personally. However, I know from the internet that there is a large contingency of fans. This is to be expected of a show whose life spans 50 years. As with the franchises mentioned above, Doctor Who has shows, movies, books, comics, etc... There is, in Doctor Who, an element not present in the others. In a bit of crafty writing, the titular Doctor has the ability to regenerate himself if he is critically injured. This allows the show to live on, even if the main actor falls seriously ill or dies. I have always admired this simple, but effective means of prolonging the show. (Plus, it allows for those great "meet yourself, and yourself, and yourself" episodes that time travel is kind enough to bestow.) Anticipation of the next Doctor is a particularly Whovian phenomenon. "What will he look like, how will he act, will he FINALLY be a ginger?" are the types of questions that arise. (Doctor Who fans, please forgive any inaccuracies or gross mistakes; I'm new here.)
These are examples of fairly mainstream fandoms. (Although, in the US, Whovians are more of a cult following, but more on that later.) All have fan fiction bases. All have merchandise and costuming. All have fans that adore the franchise for one reason or another. It is something that they can share, and laugh or cry about. Here, too, a sense of community is necessary. A fandom is the community surrounding any work or works of fiction.
As this article is almost too long, tune in next article for a closer look at cult followings and more!
To be continued....
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