My project all started with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. In 2010 a new animated series was released based on the old toy line (I had these toys as a kid). What amazed everyone is that a toy line and series meant for girls started to develop a following of adult men, who took … Continue reading The Fractured Fandom Book
Anti-Fans and Political Public Spheres
Let me start off by saying we are not discussing “guilty pleasures” here. A guilty pleasure is when someone engages with something they know to be “bad” but they get pleasure out of doing it. So a person may feel ashamed or embarrassed about the engaging, and may do it in secret so that others … Continue reading Anti-Fans and Political Public Spheres
Fans of Trump, Fans of Jesus
To start. I want to return to the original conceptionalization of fanaticism defining fandom. So, let’s do a dive back into what this word means. Merriam-Webster defines “fanaticism” as having a “fanatic outlook or behavior.” Well, that’s not helpful, because it defines the term with a different version of it; so, what is fanatic? The … Continue reading Fans of Trump, Fans of Jesus
Customer-Fans and the Happily Exploited
Time for another story (I appear to have a lot to tell!); this time, about the experiences I had at the biggest comic book convention in the world, San Diego Comic Con International. When I graduated college, I moved to Los Angeles and ended up working at an agency that represents writers, directors and producers. … Continue reading Customer-Fans and the Happily Exploited
Echo Chambers and Fandom
Okay, first, let’s talk about echo chambers. You may have heard this term, especially since the 2016 presidential election. In media studies, an echo chamber is a community, usually one that is online, where the members of that community all have the same interests, values, and beliefs. This group of like-minded individuals talk with one … Continue reading Echo Chambers and Fandom
Community at AAW
It takes a community to build a wrestling promotion. We have been going to AAW shows now for over a year. We have been to see them in the various venues they use in Chicago -- Logan Square Auditorium, 115 Bourbon Street, the Berwyn Eagles Club, and Joe's Live at Rosemont. We have watched some … Continue reading Community at AAW
Virtual World Television as Interactive Television Published
The work that Pooky Amsterdam and I have done on virtual world television has come to a close with the publication of the project's second journal article in the latest issue of Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies. The article is titled "A Community of Televised Avatars: Interactivities in virtual world television promoting and acknowledging … Continue reading Virtual World Television as Interactive Television Published
