Good Emotional And Intellectual Involvement Essay Example

The term fan has been derived from fanatic and originally it was used to refer to religious membership or a devotee. However, gradually the term got an expanded meaning and gathered negative connotations. Even today, the usage of “fanatic” is made for an unwavering belief in religion. Fan cultures are described by the term “cult” in Britain (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures).The phenomenon of fandom
In the early 1990s, when the scholars started to look into the phenomenon of fandom, the fans were seen through the lens of extremism. There was an attempt to correct this imbalance of negative stereotypes that were gross distortions of their behaviors. The fans were often portrayed as brainless consumers who spent their time on culturally worthless purposes. The media fans were tagged as intellectually immature and social misfits. They were seen to have little ability to separate the fantasy world from the real. Later studies and interpretations demonstrate that the fan audiences are deeply engaged in their favorite media and respond to media content by making their own cultural productions and self-identity (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures). Fandom is a community made of like-minded enthusiasts sharing the same passion and love in its purest expression. Fans can discuss the subject of their admiration for hours. It is the general excitement about a creative work that excited them. Fans associate with story worlds on a granular level and create their own little ecosystem. It is when they become co-creators that become a fascinating component of their world. The fans may possess a talent as artists, writers, and creative practitioners (Bennett and Bertha).
When one looks back, fan culture was more about film and television. There was no adaptable framework for looking at fan studies in popular music. 'Music fandom' can cover a wide range of phenomena that are made of a vast range of roles, identities, and tastes. It is the overlapping of so many elements that makes fandom studies a much more interesting field for analysis. The music fandom lies at a threshold of music practice and appreciation with celebrity-following, dancing, social networking and self-expression. Music fandom touches all these aspects (O'Regan)
Role of The web media Fans hold an interesting position in society and have existed on the periphery of mainstream culture. Fans are likely to spend a great deal of time with their favorite programs, movies, music or books, etc. They will inspect their object of adulation closely and often repeatedly for more details. They are passionate about their interest and spread their enthusiasm by sharing and interacting with others. The web media makes it easier for them to connect with other fans via internet and social media groups. There are informal and formal social gatherings among fans as well as fan websites (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures).
The investigations on music fandom is a comparatively new field of academic interest. Different fan perspectives on music, as well as the ushering in of new technologies such as the internet and social media, are adding new dimensions to fandom. There is no denying that the new technologies are playing a significant role in shaping music fandom (O'Regan).
The conflicting images of fans Early scholars were drawn to the notion of media fandom as the definition of fandom was often disputed among researchers. Moreover, fan activities were already associated with negative stereotypes (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures). Whether one is a fan of sports, a certain star or a popular music group, it is common to see the use of the word today. There are conflicting images of fans in the media who are crazy, lovable and can go totally berserk. There are several films made on fans, and 2005’s Fever Pitch is a good example. The fan carries a socially awkward image and sometimes a much darker view, for example as portrayed in films like The Fan (1996). Here the fan is a violent sports enthusiast who stalks the baseball player. John Lennon, apparently was murdered by a Beatles fan in 1980. Fans are known to do crazy things to impress someone they idolize (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures).

What differentiates fans from other social groups like golf enthusiasts or stamp collectors are the subjects of their admiration? The fans are known in the media for their individual and collective activities and are celebrated in popular media. Why they gather, negative perceptions is because their activities and materials fall on the lower end of the cultural hierarchy. Decorating their homes with paraphernalia related to their favorite subject shows their affiliation. These are often looked upon as mindless distractions or plain “fluff.” The fans gradually become members of subcultures. They adopt their own linguistic codes and form a unique identity. For example, they might use codenames or titles and follow unique ways to greet each other. They might dress up in a certain way, and these activities separate them from the rest of the population (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures).
When fans bond with other was sharing the same fascination through online interactions or come face-to-face, they immediately create a common bond. They do not like to maintain that critical distance from their favorite media. It is the emotional and intellectual involvement that leads to one becoming a fan. The fans like to dig out every possible information about their favorite media that may seem unimportant to the casual audiences. Utilizing those extensive volumes of knowledge are one of the main sources of fan pleasure. It is the extra time and energy that a fan spends on a specific popular media such as film, music group, television program or sport that distinguishes him from the rest of the audience. They make creative production of their intense admiration and make their own newsletters, artwork, poems, fictional stories and songs, that are shared and distributed at local meets and other social gatherings (Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures).
According to psychologists, fan psychology has bene there since primitive times. It is that with the arrival of an internet and extensive use of social media has opened new avenues for connections between fans, allowing direct communications and removing any previous filters. The fans see perfection in someone or something they idolize and carry a deep emotional investment in something that might not hold any real-world consequences. For example, the fate of a football match might be sheer joy and happiness for some fans during a pitfall of doom for the other group. These events have no real consequences on one’s life. However, fans can cross the line of sanity when he merges his imaginary and real world. When he brings the actual joy or actual pain that he feels of his own created world into the real world is when trouble starts.

Reference

Bennett, Lucy, and Bertha Chin. "Exploring Fandom, Social Media, and Producer/fan Interactions: An Interview with Sleepy Hollow's Orlando Jones." And 17 (2014). Print.
"Media Fandom and Audience Subcultures." Sagepub.com. Sage Publication, 2015. Web. <http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/50993_ch_8.pdf>.O'Regan, Jadey. "Popular Music Fandom: Identities, Roles and Practices." 6.2 (2014). Print.