Currently Internet is a platform which is ruling people. The internet has created a small world within itself for the followers. People have indulged themselves into following the craziness of this world. This craziness is termed as fandom. A Fan culture is now more likely to be known as a pop culture. Stalking every single move and act of someone has become a part of our daily living. More likely this is a stressful situation between both up loaders and followers. This whole process is now a part of human’s life. People treat fandom as a religion.
Fan cultures cultivates around creations and artistic expression that may take place in different forms like fan fiction, cosplay, fan art, videos, folk songs and various other interactions with a group of people or around a fictional universe. Fans generally share their creations through the platform of social media. The internet has given a warm welcome to this culture and is embraced with a lot of similar minded people across the globe. This social activity allows fans to build their own communities in which they can express themselves and connect with different ideas and thoughts.
According to the Media Scholar Henry Jenkins, he contrasts the fan culture with consume culture, emphasizing that fans “poach” from popular media, appropriate idea from the text and rereading them in creative ways for their own uses. This culture has become beneficial for the culture industry. Taking the fan culture as an advantage they use them as their sources of promotion which actually works out quite well for them. Jenkins has also strongly opposed against the negative fan stereotype, keeping his pint that these portrayals must be critiqued and fandom must be out looked positively.
A fandom is usually divided into groups within themselves, people are grouped according to whomever’s opinions relate. Sometimes these groups take a negative spat over the internet creating unnecessary controversies which destroys the image of the celebrity. It can be taken positively that he/she is all of talks but it negatively affects the career.
However fans need to understand they aren’t a part of a celebrities personal life. Every person has a right to say out their onions but not to impose it into others life. This culture is meant to be a fun-entertaining environment and must be followed in that way. It will then help in building a person in a right way. The more people take this culture positively the more better it gets. Being crazy isn’t meant being ill but making it a habit is harmful. The beauty of this culture is the ‘belief’ which should never fade.
References:
https://alevelmediaguilsborough1730spencer.wordpress.com/2017/12/06/media-theorists-henry-jenkins-fandom/
I was really interested in how you used “the internet” to explain Henry Jenkin’s idea of “stickiness and spreadability.” It was interesting to see how you described the internet as a platform that creates a small world where people are able to follow certain things related to their culture. I think that this is a very good example that certainly demonstrates Jenkin’s idea. For example, it was easy for me to understand your point especially when you mentioned the idea of how popular media allows for followers to look at an idea and read it in a creative way that is specific to their interests or needs. Using this example allowed me to have a better understanding of this concept. One area where I think you could improve would be to clarify which elements of Jenkin’s idea you are talking about; maybe mention how this directly relates to stickiness or spreadability. For example, explain how new and popular media becomes so well known (stickiness) and how and why the fans/readers then use that popular media in their own ways (spreadability). Overall, I think that your post was very well written and that you brought up some really interesting connections and points!