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guerilla fans proposal.
Ok, so I have thoughts. I'll try and space it out as logically and coherently as possible, to make this proposal as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.
Truths:
1. Fans are important. Whereas in the past there were 'communal' stories, characters and myths (for example, Robin Hood) re-told and re-arranged by many to tell different, relevant stories, these days the 'communal' stories are owned by corporations. Our communal myths are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Buffy and N*Sync, to name only a few.
Why is it that fans have so much fun with the re-telling of stories? Or more specifically, the re-reading of stories? Why is it important?
Not all consumers of popular culture (or any form of media text, really - literature, television, film, comic) necessarily realise that regardless of which text it is they are consuming, it is 'biased' in some way - ie. it represents a certain viewpoint (be it that of the creator/director, the studio, the author; or even one that the creator(s) are unaware of - one governed by the current social/cultural climate the text was made in).
Generally, the practice of those consuming media can be divided into three types:
1. Passive reading. The consumer chooses not to challenge the viewpoint presented by the text, but rather accepts it.
2. Resistant reading. The consumer chooses to reject the viewpoint presented by the text (and/or the text itself) entirely.
3. Negotiated reading. The consumer sees the viewpoint offered by the text, and takes their own meaning from it - for example; in Lord of the Rings, Aragorn ends up with Arwen. A consumer engaging in a negotiated reading of the text might choose to see (and bring to the fore) subtext between Aragorn and Legolas instead of Arwen.
Fans are generally consumers who fall in the third category - they engage in a negotiated reading of a text. And it isn't even all about slash! They might choose to believe that Harry and Draco have a relationship, or Harry and Hermione, or even that Harry is in fact a deranged young boy imagining what his life would be like if he were a wizard. Or maybe he’s trapped in the Matrix. Or perhaps Harry doesn’t even matter – Snape is the more important character.
Fans are not passive. They don't have to accept everything the text is telling them. They sometimes take subtext and make it the text. They create both broader and more specialised meaning out of what plays a large part in forming our culture and society - our communal myths.
Fans are important.
Fans challenge the dominant viewpoints perpetuated in mainstream – pop culture – media. Fans can bring to the fore marginalized groups within mainstream texts; women, queers, different ethinicities. Fans can negotiate with a text to garner their own meaning from it without rejecting the text as a whole, and while still enjoying it immensely.
Fans don’t sit and take what’s fed to them without question or challenge.
2. Fandom is fun. Fans make their own fun. Fans tinker, twist, re-write and play with texts they love, for their own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. Fans form communities that extend beyond merely common interests and into friendships, lasting relationships, support networks. They can provide a safe environment for expression of things that might not be acceptable in more mainstream community groups such as sexuality and gender play.
3. Fans can make a real difference in the texts themselves. Fans of Xena: Warrior Princess encouraged the show’s creators to make Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship more overt. Fans of the prematurely cancelled Joss Whedon show Firefly forced the phrase ‘guerilla marketing’ to be coined and pushed the dvd sales of the series into Amazon.com’s top 10 list, as well as being instrumental in the push to make a Firefly feature film.
Fans have the power to make or break the success of a television show, a film, a comic. Without such massive fan support, Star Trek would not be the mammoth franchise it has become.
4. And yet, being a fan is not a cool thing. Your interests and hobbies are healthy if you are an avid sports fan, but if you are seen to be taking too much of an interest in popular culture texts – television, movies, comics, celebrity – you’re made to feel ashamed. These ‘disposable’ texts aren’t seen to be worth as much regard as say, literature.
And yet our society is so heavily steeped in it. Cheaply made and disposable or no, popular culture is the main carrier of ideological messages that help shape our culture and society, whether we like to think that or not. The difference is that fans don’t take that sitting down. Fans are the active audience, the ones that don’t accept what’s being fed to them (regardless of whether they think it is ‘high art’ or ‘low art’.
Fans oughtn’t be made to feel ashamed of the fact that they are able to re-appropriate what’s shaping their own culture and imbue it with a meaning far more relevant to them personally, or even them as part of a marginalized group in society.
So lets sum up what we’ve got so far:
Fans are important in creating communal myths and narratives that belong to – and tell the story of – ‘the people'.
Fans can make an actual difference in the media we consume.
Fandom is fun and builds and encourages supportive communities.
… and yet fandom is considered to be a shameful, worthless thing.
Something not seem right to you?
So, my proposal is to attempt to bring to the masses the above information. Most people stumble upon fandom – think of all the people wandering out there alone who would slot right into these communities, whose lives would be made brighter by becoming a fan. People who aren’t aware that these communities exist, mainly because fans are so reluctant to share them with those outside of fandom for fear of ridicule, or loss of respect.
Which brings me to the second part of the ‘educating the masses’ point: getting rid of the stigma attached to being a media fan. Make it just as acceptable as being a sports fan, or as someone who like shopping, or going out dancing. As any other healthy, community-forming, enjoyable hobby.
And the third part – making people realise that they can make a difference. They don’t have to take the dominant ideologies sitting down. And that’s just fine.
At the moment, we’re only preaching to the masses. Maybe bringing in an already-friendly convert here or there, but not really changing anything out in the rest of the world.
So what do we do? I propose guerilla marketing. What we want is to get fandom visible, bring it into the public consciousness, beyond such condescending stereotypes as Trekkies. How? Not by picketing your local cinema.
The city I live in is rife with artistic and political graffiti. My university is like the internet; anything anyone wants to say goes via scrawled messages in the bathroom cubicles or bill posters taped to the sidewalk. I see – and take in – so many messages, ideas, ideologies, every time I go there.
My plan is to create bill posters that fit in this vein – just A4 sized, printed on sticker paper, probably. A simple design – probably something in the same style as stencil art that offers a negotiated reading of a text. For example, Spike and Angel kissing. Or Frodo dressed like Agent Smith.
The image would be accompanied by a slogan – something that would stick, make the viewer interested and intrigued at the same time, like “Don’t take pop culture sitting down”. Also, a link to a website.
So what would the website have?
Probably a lot of what made up the first half of this post. Simple, accessible information that describes why it’s so damn good and important to be a fan, and how it shouldn’t really get the bad rap it does.
Also, more information about what exactly fandom is, and how the visitor can get involved in fandom themselves, and/or get involved in the guerilla campaign themselves.
So, I’m totally excited about this. But I need feedback, input.
Am I totally out of my mind, or are you as excited about it as me? Or do you not think it’s a good idea?
If you do think it’s a good idea, then hit me with more ideas. Do you have ideas for slogans? For guerilla activities? For images I could use?
I’d also be after artists; nothing too fancy, something recognizable and printable that fits into the social conscience already (okay, I’m really set on the idea of the stencil art, dude. Like the piss-take Che Guevara shirts).
And also after people to spread the word in their corner of the world.
Also, I need a name. I was thinking “Fandominion”, but it sounds a bit too much like this is a move to take over, as opposed to just move into the public space, and share it, you know? So, suggestions on that as well.
SHOOT. And share the link to this post around, if you know anyone else who would be interested.
PS. not lj-cutting a lot of this, as i would prefer people to at least get a glimpse of an intriguing sentence as they scroll past, instead of just skipping over an lj cut.
Truths:
1. Fans are important. Whereas in the past there were 'communal' stories, characters and myths (for example, Robin Hood) re-told and re-arranged by many to tell different, relevant stories, these days the 'communal' stories are owned by corporations. Our communal myths are Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Buffy and N*Sync, to name only a few.
Why is it that fans have so much fun with the re-telling of stories? Or more specifically, the re-reading of stories? Why is it important?
Not all consumers of popular culture (or any form of media text, really - literature, television, film, comic) necessarily realise that regardless of which text it is they are consuming, it is 'biased' in some way - ie. it represents a certain viewpoint (be it that of the creator/director, the studio, the author; or even one that the creator(s) are unaware of - one governed by the current social/cultural climate the text was made in).
Generally, the practice of those consuming media can be divided into three types:
1. Passive reading. The consumer chooses not to challenge the viewpoint presented by the text, but rather accepts it.
2. Resistant reading. The consumer chooses to reject the viewpoint presented by the text (and/or the text itself) entirely.
3. Negotiated reading. The consumer sees the viewpoint offered by the text, and takes their own meaning from it - for example; in Lord of the Rings, Aragorn ends up with Arwen. A consumer engaging in a negotiated reading of the text might choose to see (and bring to the fore) subtext between Aragorn and Legolas instead of Arwen.
Fans are generally consumers who fall in the third category - they engage in a negotiated reading of a text. And it isn't even all about slash! They might choose to believe that Harry and Draco have a relationship, or Harry and Hermione, or even that Harry is in fact a deranged young boy imagining what his life would be like if he were a wizard. Or maybe he’s trapped in the Matrix. Or perhaps Harry doesn’t even matter – Snape is the more important character.
Fans are not passive. They don't have to accept everything the text is telling them. They sometimes take subtext and make it the text. They create both broader and more specialised meaning out of what plays a large part in forming our culture and society - our communal myths.
Fans are important.
Fans challenge the dominant viewpoints perpetuated in mainstream – pop culture – media. Fans can bring to the fore marginalized groups within mainstream texts; women, queers, different ethinicities. Fans can negotiate with a text to garner their own meaning from it without rejecting the text as a whole, and while still enjoying it immensely.
Fans don’t sit and take what’s fed to them without question or challenge.
2. Fandom is fun. Fans make their own fun. Fans tinker, twist, re-write and play with texts they love, for their own enjoyment and the enjoyment of others. Fans form communities that extend beyond merely common interests and into friendships, lasting relationships, support networks. They can provide a safe environment for expression of things that might not be acceptable in more mainstream community groups such as sexuality and gender play.
3. Fans can make a real difference in the texts themselves. Fans of Xena: Warrior Princess encouraged the show’s creators to make Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship more overt. Fans of the prematurely cancelled Joss Whedon show Firefly forced the phrase ‘guerilla marketing’ to be coined and pushed the dvd sales of the series into Amazon.com’s top 10 list, as well as being instrumental in the push to make a Firefly feature film.
Fans have the power to make or break the success of a television show, a film, a comic. Without such massive fan support, Star Trek would not be the mammoth franchise it has become.
4. And yet, being a fan is not a cool thing. Your interests and hobbies are healthy if you are an avid sports fan, but if you are seen to be taking too much of an interest in popular culture texts – television, movies, comics, celebrity – you’re made to feel ashamed. These ‘disposable’ texts aren’t seen to be worth as much regard as say, literature.
And yet our society is so heavily steeped in it. Cheaply made and disposable or no, popular culture is the main carrier of ideological messages that help shape our culture and society, whether we like to think that or not. The difference is that fans don’t take that sitting down. Fans are the active audience, the ones that don’t accept what’s being fed to them (regardless of whether they think it is ‘high art’ or ‘low art’.
Fans oughtn’t be made to feel ashamed of the fact that they are able to re-appropriate what’s shaping their own culture and imbue it with a meaning far more relevant to them personally, or even them as part of a marginalized group in society.
So lets sum up what we’ve got so far:
Fans are important in creating communal myths and narratives that belong to – and tell the story of – ‘the people'.
Fans can make an actual difference in the media we consume.
Fandom is fun and builds and encourages supportive communities.
… and yet fandom is considered to be a shameful, worthless thing.
Something not seem right to you?
So, my proposal is to attempt to bring to the masses the above information. Most people stumble upon fandom – think of all the people wandering out there alone who would slot right into these communities, whose lives would be made brighter by becoming a fan. People who aren’t aware that these communities exist, mainly because fans are so reluctant to share them with those outside of fandom for fear of ridicule, or loss of respect.
Which brings me to the second part of the ‘educating the masses’ point: getting rid of the stigma attached to being a media fan. Make it just as acceptable as being a sports fan, or as someone who like shopping, or going out dancing. As any other healthy, community-forming, enjoyable hobby.
And the third part – making people realise that they can make a difference. They don’t have to take the dominant ideologies sitting down. And that’s just fine.
At the moment, we’re only preaching to the masses. Maybe bringing in an already-friendly convert here or there, but not really changing anything out in the rest of the world.
So what do we do? I propose guerilla marketing. What we want is to get fandom visible, bring it into the public consciousness, beyond such condescending stereotypes as Trekkies. How? Not by picketing your local cinema.
The city I live in is rife with artistic and political graffiti. My university is like the internet; anything anyone wants to say goes via scrawled messages in the bathroom cubicles or bill posters taped to the sidewalk. I see – and take in – so many messages, ideas, ideologies, every time I go there.
My plan is to create bill posters that fit in this vein – just A4 sized, printed on sticker paper, probably. A simple design – probably something in the same style as stencil art that offers a negotiated reading of a text. For example, Spike and Angel kissing. Or Frodo dressed like Agent Smith.
The image would be accompanied by a slogan – something that would stick, make the viewer interested and intrigued at the same time, like “Don’t take pop culture sitting down”. Also, a link to a website.
So what would the website have?
Probably a lot of what made up the first half of this post. Simple, accessible information that describes why it’s so damn good and important to be a fan, and how it shouldn’t really get the bad rap it does.
Also, more information about what exactly fandom is, and how the visitor can get involved in fandom themselves, and/or get involved in the guerilla campaign themselves.
So, I’m totally excited about this. But I need feedback, input.
Am I totally out of my mind, or are you as excited about it as me? Or do you not think it’s a good idea?
If you do think it’s a good idea, then hit me with more ideas. Do you have ideas for slogans? For guerilla activities? For images I could use?
I’d also be after artists; nothing too fancy, something recognizable and printable that fits into the social conscience already (okay, I’m really set on the idea of the stencil art, dude. Like the piss-take Che Guevara shirts).
And also after people to spread the word in their corner of the world.
Also, I need a name. I was thinking “Fandominion”, but it sounds a bit too much like this is a move to take over, as opposed to just move into the public space, and share it, you know? So, suggestions on that as well.
SHOOT. And share the link to this post around, if you know anyone else who would be interested.
PS. not lj-cutting a lot of this, as i would prefer people to at least get a glimpse of an intriguing sentence as they scroll past, instead of just skipping over an lj cut.
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i like your art, and it *is* artsy, but it's very much *your* style... not that that's a negative, but the average joe blow might not recognise your frodo. but! *waves fan flag from within fandom* tis very cool.
er. thankyou :)
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Sorry... that's all I'm capable of. It's been an incredibly long day. I don't entirely agree with everything you're saying, but I do think bringing the concept of fandom to the attention of those who would otherwise not even have an inkling is a worthwhile idea.
If you don't like "fandominion" what about "fandomain"? Same construction, more inclusive meaning, what with being about space created, etc.
Oof. Brain dead.
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fandomain sounds cool. isn't that what fandom is short for?
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well i really *don't* want to make this all about the sex side of it - a) because it could scare people off, and b) because it mainly *isn't* all about the sex side of it. so there would definitely be non-sex/gender poster things, and the site wouldn't be predominantly sex/gender.
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Uh, if you need artists, I'm down. I could at least try and make something less detaily-fiddly and more powerful and recognisable.
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fandom is pretty darn fun, and no more wanky than any RL community. only i've never really fit into a RL community before fandom, so i'm all good with that ;)
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to me this is part of the lowbrow/highbrow culture split, and also about how coolness equals detachment not passion.... in the USA NASCAR struggled with the same stigma, for example, in sports, and finally got the coverage it deserved because of sheer numbers.
i think the net fandom's impact on the movies of LOTR, King Kong, The Hulk, Spiderman and Batman has been a big help.
Geeks of any stripe are easy to poke fun at, but geeks are indistinguishable from experts. The label comes from outside, you know. The internet is making us cool, slowly.... I mean to outsiders.
Rock on, dude. Go for it. Like you need another project...*chuckles*
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Like you need another project...*chuckles*
and i'm not going to make the mistake this time of doing it *all* myself. thus this call-to-arms post ;)
if you have any suggestions along the way, please drop in!
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i can do postering! i suck at art, but i can stick papery things to other things.
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PS. i have a bunch of comments from you in my inbox, but i'm going to be a tard by replying here: firefly is like, $28 in JB. GET IT. it is worth it.
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I get paid on Thursday. I'll see what happens then.
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re: quoting; i don't have anything against it, but they aren't my ideas to begin with! i've read a lot of fan theory, and my remarks are taken (not word for word, obviously, but the concepts) from academic theorists.
coming from a university who is militant about plagiarism, i can't feel good about just saying "sure! go right ahead!", but i can point you in the direction of other essays i've written - this one on slash fandom, one on fandom in the public media sphere and even slash as pornography. if your university is anything like mine, i stress to you, *don't* quote *my* essays - they could do a search and hit you for plagiarism, or even if you reference me, as an unreliable source (i'm not published in an academic journal or anything).
but - have a read of them, and if the ideas are relevant, see who *i've* referenced and look them up (there are extensive bibliographies on each). if you are making a point of using more 'grass roots' resources in your paper, then feel free to directly quote some of the more opinionated (or at least, not-referenced - because that means they're mine) bits and reference me direct.
er, sorry for the lesson. *is academia geek*
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And thanks for the links to your essays, they look very interesting! I found one of the books you've referenced in a local library (Enterprising Women), which is very cool, as I've been looking for a bit more material on women and online communities/fandom.
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Memory is OK -- it's the research, the finding out and sharing parts of things. But it's not enough: what matters is what you do with it. When we do fanfic and fanart and even dressing up as characters, that's making something new out of the old.
I heard a radio piece on people in LA who go to celebrity grave sites. It's a part of fandom, but they don't do anything but learn and remember. It's more arid, less exciting than the creative part of fandom.
Dunno how this fits, but somehow fan-imagination or fan-creativity are more the directions I think are fruitful.
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Yes! Yes! (Well, academics also. But the best academics are fans too!).
Ok, I don't have time to reply properly right now but I'm tired of postponsing responding to this excellent post until I have time, because that doesn't seem likely to be happening soon. But I would definitely like to be a part of this (I love the idea of stencil art as well, I've never done it and it seems so exciting! lol).
Some slogan ideas: "You don't own me" (character talking to media corporation) or "I am what you make me" (character talking to audience). Other ideas: Character (Frodo, Buffy, someone) with Guevera or Marx or Hitler in their shirt. Characters in drag. And I think that going the queer sexuality angle is a good one when heading into the public sphere, it's appropriately subversive, challenging and attention-getting.
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The only problem I can see with this is that bringing fandom more into the public eye is probably going to bring into more opposition with authors/directors/owners - people are already having problems with being told to take fansites/fanfiction/etc down by execs, and claiming that WE own shows/books/movies too is probably only going to make this worse. Even if it's true. Of course as you yourself said, the fans make or break the success of a show/etc, so we'll always have that in our corner, but there might be some fighting involved.
Also, promoting the influence fans have on a show/etc might lead to some nasty incidents in the future - imagine if ALL the HP shippers, or even just all the main HP shippers, thought they could inlfuence JK's canon. Probably wouldn't be a pretty sight.
But I like the idea. I really like it.
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And re; slogans - something about the 'Eye of the Beholder' that is clever and I can't think of right now? :)
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I would be willing to help out, totally. This is - no better word for it -awesome.
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But part of me -- maybe I'm just doing the Devil's Advocate reflex-reaction thing I do, maybe I'm not, I'm too sleepy to tell -- is asking, "Do we want to be normal?"
I mean... in some ways, we are weird. Obsessive. Eccentric. Can we own that? Is it okay?
I mean, yeah, there were bits in Trekkies where I was like, "Okay, just... just no. There are people that stalk and kill other people, and you're treating a bunch of enthusiastic hobbyists like they're the freaks." But another part of me was saying -- and Trek was my first fandom, I'll always be a Trek fan -- "Guys... this isn't exactly the Spanish Inquisition here."
On the one hand, I'm completely behind anything that gets fans -- and especially fanfiction, which is this fantastic, exciting genre -- its props. I'd love to give fans their due. Especially female fans. And female fanfiction writers. At the same time, is there a way to do it without trying to convince non-fans that we're Just Like Them? Because, in some ways, we're not. And we don't need to be.
I hope that doesn't sound like a slam, because what you're saying is good and important. Also, I shouldn't be on LJ when I'm this exhausted. Brain = not functioning.
I really need to shut up...
Unless... I mean, if there was a way to redefine what "hip" means, what "acceptable" means... that would be really interesting.
I think the thing that gets people about fandom is... I think, at its heart, it's not ironic. It's earnest. I think that's why so many people compare it to religion, to addiction, to obsession, to an intense relationship. There is a hipness to parts of it, there is irony and self-deprecation and breezy fun, but there's also an earnest quality to the way we can devote ourselves to a book, a movie, an actor, and so on... can we spread that meme guerilla-style without coming off like fundies? I'm not being flip, I swear, I'm actually asking, because if it's possible, I think that would be really fascinating.
I guess what interests me is the possibility of being able to sort of take the un-chic, un-sexy sides of fandom and being able to go, "Yeah, well, this is me. And it's still healthy and awesome. Here's why."
Not to say that all fans are un-chic or un-sexy or something; I know many chic, sexy fans. :)
Re: I really need to shut up...
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