Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks

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Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks

The following tasks will give you an excellent introduction to fandom and also allow you to start exploring degree-level insight into audience studies. Work through the following:

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?
Fanatic: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal - shortened to fan.

2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?
Hardcore
Newbie
Anti-fan

What makes a ‘fandom’?
A fandom is when a group of people come together because they share the same passion or interest in something.

4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?
Cultural capital gives fans a type of power within their fandom. The more they know or the more merch they own, the more they’re seen as a ‘true’ fan compared to others.

5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?
The Vampire Diaries, Family Guy, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, Liverpool FC, and Apple.

6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?
It helps fans stand out from normal audiences. They make fan art, videos, or stories not for money, but to show how much they care and how dedicated they are.

Henry Jenkins – Degree-Level Reading

1) There is an important quote on the first page: “It’s not an audience, it’s a community”. What does this mean?
People can communicate with one another and express themselves 

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’.
“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, Prosumers, Media-actives, Inspirational Consumers, Influencers, and Connectors.

4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?
He says it can be smart for companies to focus on smaller but loyal fan groups. This can save money on production and advertising while building stronger connections with fans.

5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?
He mentions things like the video iPod being used for sharing media and the rise of subscription-based TV shows—ideas that started in fan communities back in 1980s.

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’.
“The media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists as a matter of course.”
I agree because fans now have the power to create and share their own content, which can influence what professional media companies make.

7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?
The ideal consumer today is a fan—someone who gets involved and interacts with media instead of just watching or reading it.

8) Why is fandom 'the future'?
Because fandom has become normal and mainstream. The way fans join in and take part is now how most media works. It is no longer niche.

9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?
He means fans shouldn’t be used just to make companies money. When industries copy fan work for profit, it can take away the real meaning and community of the fandom.

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?
Fandom will keep growing and become even more mainstream. Most people are fans of something, but there will always be smaller, more dedicated groups of hardcore fans who like being part of something special.

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