Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction
There is a lot more to being part of a fan base, fandom, or fan culture than simply watching and enjoying a certain programme - to be part of a fan culture is to participate in and interact with the text in various and increasingly creative ways. Jenkins explains:
One becomes a "fan" not by being a regular viewer of a particular program but by translating that viewing into some kind of cultural activity, by sharing feelings and thoughts about the program content with friends, by joining a "community" of other fans who share common interests.’ (Jenkins, 2006a:41)
This explanation of what a fan is has been consistently referred to by academics which have been drawn towards the study and discussion of these "communities" - typically referred to as fan cultures - to better understand how they are formed, maintained and have evolved. It is Jenkins’ seminal book Textual Poachers: Fans and Participatory Culture (1992) and the work which followed, that inspired the focus of this dissertation, specifically the evolution of the structure and activities of fan cultures that are currently active. The chosen example fan culture is that of the American television show Supernatural (The CW, 2005- ) which was pitched by creator Eric Kripke as ‘two guys on a road trip, cruising the country. ‘Route 666’ style. Brothers?’ (Knight, 2007:7) The mix of horror, drama and comedy genres within its narrative allowed it to fill the niche left behind by Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The WB, 1997-2001, UPN, 2001-2003.) Giving Buffy fans a new focus for their participatory activities while still remaining in their preferred genre. In 1997 Levy wrote Collective Intelligence: Mankind’s Emerging World in Cyberspace, and even though this predated the Supernatural fandom, evidence of it can be seen in the "knowledge communities" which are integral to the formation of fan cultures and the cultivation of "collective intelligence", which Levy described as; ‘a form of universally distributed intelligence, constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and resulting in the effective mobilization of skills.’ (Levy, 1997:13)
This description could be applied to the fan cultures of Jenkins’ (1992, 2006a) work, particularly ‘The basis and goal of collective intelligence is the mutual recognition and enrichment of individuals rather than the cult of fetishized or hypostatized communities.’ (Levy, 1997:13) These theories of a utopian future for fan cultures will be a core theme of this dissertation; relating it back to Jenkins’ original findings and how the fan cultures of today, specifically that of Supernatural, have evolved and may embody Levy’s utopian view.
Chapter 2 will discuss the fan practice of attending conventions with primary research collated from ten fans of Supernatural who attended a convention dedicated to the show in October 2010. The reason for the popularity of this fan past time will be discussed in the context of Levy’s (1997) "collective intelligence" of fan cultures and how conventions are one way of cultivating a sense of community between fans. Following on from the public practice of convention attendance, Chapter 3 discusses the popular but private form of fan participation; the writing and reading of fan fiction, with a focus on the sub-genre "slash", fan opinions on the fiction created within the Supernatural fan culture and the move to digital communities devoted to this practice. Both of these chapters will use Jenkins’ (1992, 2006a) work on these fan practices to measure how the modern equivalents have maintained their predecessors and how they have evolved.
As previously mentioned, Jenkins’ (1997, 2006a) work has informed a large percentage of work in this area of study. An example of this is Matt Hills’ Fan Cultures (2002) which continues Jenkins’ findings in the context of the relationship between the fan culture and the media text they are invested in, and at times the conflict which arises due to the division between the two - an area which this dissertation will touch on, looking towards how this relationship and this division are negotiated now. Chapter 4 focuses on the postmodern qualities of Supernatural; referring to specific episodes of interest relating to an apparent effect fan practices and participation has had on the canon - officially sanctioned information originating from the original text - narrative text and subtext. This unique evolution of the Supernatural fan culture and the show is discussed further in Chapter 5 in the context of the fans becoming involved in activities outside typical fan participation courtesy of one of the core cast actors.
The aim of this dissertation will be to determine how relevant Jenkins’(1992, 2006a) findings are to the Supernatural fan culture of today; questioning whether the fans participate in the same way as those that came before them and if their participation has changed to create the ideal of Levy’s (1997) "collective intelligence."
Masterpost | Chapter 1: Introduction | Chapter 2: Asylum 5 a Fan Convention | Chapter 3: Fan Fiction: a Prolific Practice | Chapter 4: Postmodernism and Catering to the Fans | Chapter 5: New and Evolving Forms of Interaction | Chapter 6: Conclusion: Supernatural fan culture ahead of the game? | Filmography and Bibliography | Acknowledgments
There is a lot more to being part of a fan base, fandom, or fan culture than simply watching and enjoying a certain programme - to be part of a fan culture is to participate in and interact with the text in various and increasingly creative ways. Jenkins explains:
One becomes a "fan" not by being a regular viewer of a particular program but by translating that viewing into some kind of cultural activity, by sharing feelings and thoughts about the program content with friends, by joining a "community" of other fans who share common interests.’ (Jenkins, 2006a:41)
This explanation of what a fan is has been consistently referred to by academics which have been drawn towards the study and discussion of these "communities" - typically referred to as fan cultures - to better understand how they are formed, maintained and have evolved. It is Jenkins’ seminal book Textual Poachers: Fans and Participatory Culture (1992) and the work which followed, that inspired the focus of this dissertation, specifically the evolution of the structure and activities of fan cultures that are currently active. The chosen example fan culture is that of the American television show Supernatural (The CW, 2005- ) which was pitched by creator Eric Kripke as ‘two guys on a road trip, cruising the country. ‘Route 666’ style. Brothers?’ (Knight, 2007:7) The mix of horror, drama and comedy genres within its narrative allowed it to fill the niche left behind by Buffy the Vampire Slayer (The WB, 1997-2001, UPN, 2001-2003.) Giving Buffy fans a new focus for their participatory activities while still remaining in their preferred genre. In 1997 Levy wrote Collective Intelligence: Mankind’s Emerging World in Cyberspace, and even though this predated the Supernatural fandom, evidence of it can be seen in the "knowledge communities" which are integral to the formation of fan cultures and the cultivation of "collective intelligence", which Levy described as; ‘a form of universally distributed intelligence, constantly enhanced, coordinated in real time, and resulting in the effective mobilization of skills.’ (Levy, 1997:13)
This description could be applied to the fan cultures of Jenkins’ (1992, 2006a) work, particularly ‘The basis and goal of collective intelligence is the mutual recognition and enrichment of individuals rather than the cult of fetishized or hypostatized communities.’ (Levy, 1997:13) These theories of a utopian future for fan cultures will be a core theme of this dissertation; relating it back to Jenkins’ original findings and how the fan cultures of today, specifically that of Supernatural, have evolved and may embody Levy’s utopian view.
Chapter 2 will discuss the fan practice of attending conventions with primary research collated from ten fans of Supernatural who attended a convention dedicated to the show in October 2010. The reason for the popularity of this fan past time will be discussed in the context of Levy’s (1997) "collective intelligence" of fan cultures and how conventions are one way of cultivating a sense of community between fans. Following on from the public practice of convention attendance, Chapter 3 discusses the popular but private form of fan participation; the writing and reading of fan fiction, with a focus on the sub-genre "slash", fan opinions on the fiction created within the Supernatural fan culture and the move to digital communities devoted to this practice. Both of these chapters will use Jenkins’ (1992, 2006a) work on these fan practices to measure how the modern equivalents have maintained their predecessors and how they have evolved.
As previously mentioned, Jenkins’ (1997, 2006a) work has informed a large percentage of work in this area of study. An example of this is Matt Hills’ Fan Cultures (2002) which continues Jenkins’ findings in the context of the relationship between the fan culture and the media text they are invested in, and at times the conflict which arises due to the division between the two - an area which this dissertation will touch on, looking towards how this relationship and this division are negotiated now. Chapter 4 focuses on the postmodern qualities of Supernatural; referring to specific episodes of interest relating to an apparent effect fan practices and participation has had on the canon - officially sanctioned information originating from the original text - narrative text and subtext. This unique evolution of the Supernatural fan culture and the show is discussed further in Chapter 5 in the context of the fans becoming involved in activities outside typical fan participation courtesy of one of the core cast actors.
The aim of this dissertation will be to determine how relevant Jenkins’(1992, 2006a) findings are to the Supernatural fan culture of today; questioning whether the fans participate in the same way as those that came before them and if their participation has changed to create the ideal of Levy’s (1997) "collective intelligence."
Masterpost | Chapter 1: Introduction | Chapter 2: Asylum 5 a Fan Convention | Chapter 3: Fan Fiction: a Prolific Practice | Chapter 4: Postmodernism and Catering to the Fans | Chapter 5: New and Evolving Forms of Interaction | Chapter 6: Conclusion: Supernatural fan culture ahead of the game? | Filmography and Bibliography | Acknowledgments