Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks

Henry Jenkins - fandom blog tasks

1) What is the definition of a fan?

• Fan: A media consumer that consumes a particular media text more than an average consumer.

2) What the different types of fan identified in the factsheet?

• Hardcore/True Fan:  identifies themself as the ‘insiders’ of any fandom. They are seen to be the experts of the given fandom and spend as much money to be 'worthy of that title' 
• Newbie: Fans that have just entered the fandom and don't have 'longevity of devotion' like other fans
• Anti - fans: these fans are viewing the given fandom or star in a negative light. These fans develop their emotional attachment ‘at a distance’ (Gray) through marketing publicity such as trailers.

3) What makes a ‘fandom’?

• A fandom is created by people that have 'passion that binds enthusiasts in the manner of people who share a secret — this secret just happens to be shared with millions of others.’

4) What is Bordieu’s argument regarding the ‘cultural capital’ of fandom?

• Bordieu argues: "cultural capital of fandom confers a symbolic power and status for the fan, especially within the realm of their fandom."

5) What examples of fandom are provided on pages 2 and 3 of the factsheet?

• A Liverpool fans bedroom. 
• Fanart of The Walking Dead. 
• Fan-art and videos: fans created the universe of their craved relationships within their desired texts such as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger get together instead of Ron Weasley and Hermione.

6) Why is imaginative extension and text creation a vital part of digital fandom?

• Imaginative extension and text creation distinguish fans from ordinary consumers. They are able to create their own media text within their own desired fandom.

Tomb Raider and Metroid fandom research

Look at this Tomb Raider fansite and answer the following questions: 

1) What types of content are on offer in this fansite?

• games
• resources- tips and strategy,cheat codes etc
• Forums 
• Community links 

2) What does the number of links and content suggest about the size of the online fan community for Tomb Raider and Lara Croft? Pick out some examples from this page.

• It suggests how large the fandom is and how diverse and international it is.

3) Scroll to the bottom of the page and look at the short ‘About me’ bio and social media updates. Is this a typical example of ‘fandom’ in the digital age? Why?

• Yes, it gives more information about the fan creator and it acts as evidence for mass ametueristaion.

Now look at this Metroid fansite and answer the following: 

1) What does the site offer?

• Games
• Interviews
• Community links
• Features
• social media 

2) Look at the Community Spotlight page. What does this suggest about the types of people who enjoy and participate in fan culture?

• These consumers are heavy gamers who indulge heavily in-game and game-related content.

3) There is a specific feature on Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. What do the questions from fans tell you about the level of engagement and interest in the game and franchise from the fan community?

• That the gamers are heavily indulged into the game, they try their best to successfully complete it.

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?

• It creates a connection between producers and consumers.

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’ (clue – look towards the end!)

• "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
• media-actives
• prosumers
•  inspirational consumers
• connectors
• influencers

4) On the third page of the chapter, what does Wired editor Chris Anderson suggest regarding the economic argument in favour of fan communities?

• " investing in niche properties with small but committed consumer bases may make economic sense if you can lower costs of production and replace marketing costs by building a much stronger network with your desired consumers."

5) What examples does Jenkins provide to argue that fan culture has gone mainstream?

• Fans are what producers look at in order to make something successful, Fans dominate consumerism.

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 with this statement as it talks about the progressive digital age and how consumers have the control what producers put out into the mainstream and niche markets.

7) What does Jenkins suggest the new ideal consumer is?

• "someone who consumes a media text and then goes as far as to celebrate it, talk about it and share it with their peers."

8) Why is fandom 'the future'?

• Fandoms will become the platforms that promote media texts, thus making it the future.

9) What does it mean when Jenkins says we shouldn’t celebrate ‘a process that commodifies fan cultural production’?

• Jenkins argues that if fan culture is commodified then companies would potentially take advantage of them.

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?

• I think fandoms are going to become the norm, more than they are now, and there will be more people entering fandoms and they will just grow and make their own careers out of being fans.
• I think everyone is a fan of something but they will be diverse meaning, that everyone doesn't have to fit into a specific label to be called a fan.