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....
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