Subculture composed of fans sharing a common interest
This article is about subcultures related to a specific topic. For the wiki hosting service, see Fandom (website). For other uses, see Fandom (disambiguation).
A request that this article title be changed to Fandom (subculture) is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed.
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices, differentiating fandom-affiliated people from those with only a casual interest.
A fandom can grow around any area of human interest or activity. The subject of fan interest can be narrowly defined, focused on something like a franchise or an individual celebrity, or encompassing entire hobbies, genres or fashions. While it is now used to apply to groups of people fascinated with any subject, the term has its roots in those with an enthusiastic appreciation for sports. Merriam-Webster's dictionary traces the usage of the term back as far as 1903.[1]
Many fandoms are overlapped. There are a number of large conventions that cater to fandom such as film, comics, anime, television shows, cosplay, and the opportunity to buy and sell related merchandise. Annual conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con, Wondercon, Dragon Con, and New York Comic Con are some of the more well-known and highly attended events that cater to overlapping fandoms.
Origins of fandom
Feminist scholar Adrianne Wadewitz cited Janeites, the devotees of 19th century author Jane Austen, as the earliest example of fandom subculture, beginning around 1870.[2] Another early example was fans of the literary detective Sherlock Holmes,[3] holding public demonstrations of mourning after Holmes was "killed off" in 1893, and creating some of the first fan fiction as early as about 1897 to 1902.[3][4] Outside the scope of media, railway enthusiasts are another early fandom with its roots in the late 19th century that began to gain in popularity and increasingly organize in the first decades of the early 20th century.[5][6]
Media fandom split from science fiction fandom in the early 1970s with a focus on relationships between characters within TV and movie media franchises, such as Star Trek and The Man from U.N.C.L.E..[13] Fans of these franchises generated creative products like fan art and fan fiction at a time when typical science fiction fandom was focused on critical discussions. The MediaWestconvention provided a video room and was instrumental in the emergence of fan vids, or analytic music videos based on a source, in the late 1970s.[14] By the mid-1970s, it was possible to meet fans at science fiction conventions who did not read science fiction, but only viewed it on film or TV.
Anime and manga fandom began in the 1970s in Japan. In America, the fandom also began as an offshoot of science fiction fandom, with fans bringing imported copies of Japanese manga to conventions.[15] Before anime began to be licensed in the U.S., fans who wanted to get a hold of anime would leak copies of anime movies and subtitle them to exchange with friends in the community, thus marking the start of fansubs.
While the science fiction and anime fandoms grew in media, the Grateful Deadsubculture that emerged in the late 1960s to the early 1970s created a global fandom around hippie culture that would have lasting impacts on society and technology.[16]
Music fandom in the 20th century coincided with the rise of popular music culture, and revolves around the collective enthusiasm and dedication of fans towards specific musical artists, bands, or genres. Common forms of engagement for music fandoms include attending concerts, creating fan art, participating in online communities, and consuming media related to their preferred artist.[17] These communities play an important role in promoting and supporting the careers of artists, as well as shaping cultural trends within the music industry. Some popular examples of music fandom include Beatlemania, Swifties, Deadheads and The Barbz.
The furry fandom refers to the fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. The concept of the furry originated at a science fiction convention in 1980,[18] when a drawing of a character from Steve Gallacci's Albedo Anthropomorphics initiated a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels, which in turn initiated a discussion group that met at science fiction and comics conventions.
Members of a fandom associate with one another, often attending fan conventions and publishing and exchanging fanzines and newsletters. Amateur press associations are another form of fan publication and networking. Originally using print-based media, these subcultures have migrated much of their communications and interaction onto the Internet, which is also used for the purpose of archiving detailed information pertinent to their given fanbase. Often, fans congregate on forums and discussion boards to share their love for and criticism of a specific work. This congregation can lead to a high level of organization and community within the fandom, as well as infighting. Although there is some level of hierarchy among most of the discussion boards, and certain contributors may be valued more highly than others, newcomers are most often welcomed into the fold. Most importantly, these sorts of discussion boards can have an effect on the media itself, as was the case in the television show Glee.[22] Trends on discussion boards have been known to influence the writers and producers of shows. The media fandom for the TV series Firefly was able to generate enough corporate interest to create a movie after the series was canceled.[23]
Some fans write fan fiction ("fanfic"), stories based on the universe and characters of their chosen fandom. This fiction can take the form of video-making as well as writing.[24] Fan fiction may or may not tie in with the story's canon; sometimes fans use the story's characters in different situations that do not relate to the plot line at all.
Especially at events, fans may also partake in cosplay, the creation and wearing of costumes designed in the likeness of characters from a source work, which can also be combined with role-playing, reenacting scenes, or inventing likely behavior inspired by their chosen sources.[25]
Others create fan vids, or analytical music videos focusing on the source fandom, and yet others create fan art. Such activities are sometimes known as "fan labor" or "fanac" (an abbreviation for "fan activity"). The advent of the Internet has significantly facilitated fan association and activities. Activities that have been aided by the Internet include the creation of fan "shrines" dedicated to favorite characters, computer screen wallpapers, and avatars. The rise of the Internet has furthermore resulted in the creation of online fan networks who help facilitate the exchange of fanworks.[26]
Some fans create pictures known as edits, which consist of pictures or photos with their chosen fandom characters in different scenarios. These edits are often shared on social media networks such as Instagram, TikTok, Tumblr or Pinterest.[27] In edits, one may see content relating to several different fandoms. Fans in communities online often make gifs or gif sets about their fandoms. Gifs or gif sets can be used to create non-canon scenarios mixing actual content or adding in related content. Gif sets can also capture minute expressions or moments.[28] Fans use gifs to show how they feel about characters or events in their fandom; these are called reaction gifs.[29]
The Temple of the Jedi Order, or Jediism, a self-proclaimed "real living, breathing religion," views itself as separate from the Jedi as portrayed in the Star Wars franchise.[30] Despite this, sociologists view the conflation of religion and fandom in Jediism as legitimate in some sense, classifying both as participatory phenomena.[31]
There are also active fan organizations that participate in philanthropy and create a positive social impact. For example, the Harry Potter Alliance is a civic organization with a strong online component which runs campaigns around human rights issues, often in partnership with other advocacy and nonprofit groups; its membership skews college age and above. Nerdfighters, another fandom formed around Vlogbrothers, a YouTube vlog channel, are mainly high school students united by a common goal of "decreasing world suck".[32]K-pop fans have been involved in various online fan activism campaigns related to Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the Black Lives Matter movement.[33][34]
Fangirl is a novel written by Rainbow Rowell about a college student who is a fan of a book series called Simon Snow, which is written by a fictional author named Gemma T. Leslie. On October 6, 2015, Rainbow Rowell published a follow-up novel to Fangirl. Carry On is a stand-alone novel set in the fictional world that Cath, the main character of Fangirl writes fan fiction in.[40]
Relationship with the media industry
The film and television entertainment industry refers to the totality of fans devoted to a particular area of interest, organized or not, as the "fanbase".
Media fans, have, on occasion, organized on behalf of canceled television series, with notable success in cases such as Star Trek in 1968, Cagney & Lacey in 1983, Xena: Warrior Princess, in 1995, Roswell in 2000 and 2001 (was canceled with finality at the end of the 2002 season), Farscape in 2002, Firefly in 2002, and Jericho in 2007. (In the case of Firefly the result was the movie Serenity, not another season.) It was likewise the fans who facilitated the push to create a Veronica Mars film through a Kickstarter campaign.[41] Fans of the show Chuck launched a campaign to save the show from being canceled using a Twitter hashtag and buying products from sponsors of the show.[42] Fans of Arrested Development fought for the character Steve Holt to be included in the fourth season. The Save Steve Holt! campaign included a Twitter and Facebook account, a hashtag, and a website.[43]
In the music industry, fandoms have played vital roles in shaping the music of their favorite artists. In 2023, Lana Del Rey was featured in Taylor Swift's song "Snow on the Beach", a track off of her popular album Midnights. Both Swifties, Taylor Swift's loyal fan base, and Lana Del Rey fans were disappointed with the feature, as they felt her contribution was not long enough or sufficiently prominent in the mix. In response, Taylor Swift released an updated version of the track titled "Snow on the Beach (Feat. More Lana Del Rey)", where she sings the entire second verse.[44]
Such outcries, even when unsuccessful, suggest a growing self-awareness on the part of entertainment consumers, who appear increasingly likely to attempt to assert their power as a bloc.[45]Fan activism in support of the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike through Fans4Writers appears to be an extension of this trend.
The relationship between fans and professionals has changed because of access to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. By giving their follows a glimpse into their everyday life, public figures have a new way of expressing themselves and engaging with their fanbases on a deeper level. Online platforms also give fans more ways to connect and participate in fandoms.[50]
Some fans have made their work in fandom into careers. The book Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James was originally a fan fiction of the Twilight series published on FanFiction.Net. The story was taken down for mature content that violated the site's terms of service. James rewrote the story to take out any references to Twilight and self-published on The Writer's Coffee Shop in May 2011. The book was published by Random House in 2012 and was very popular, selling over 100 million copies.[51] However, many fans were not happy about James using fan fiction to make money and felt it was not in the spirit of the community.[26]
There is contention over fans not being paid for their time or work. Gaming companies use fans to alpha and beta test their games in exchange for early access or promotional merchandise.[26] The TV show Glee used fans to create promotional materials, though they did not compensate them.[52]
The entertainment industry has promoted its work directly to members of the fandom community by sponsoring and presenting at events and conventions dedicated to fandom.[53] Studios frequently create elaborate exhibits,[54] organize panels that feature celebrities and writers of film and television (to promote both existing work and works yet to be released), and engage fans directly with providing Q&A sessions, screening sneak previews, and supplying branded giveaway merchandise. The interest, reception, and reaction of the fandom community to the works being promoted have a marked influence on how film studios and others proceed with the projects and products they exhibit and promote.[55]
Fandoms, for example at Comic Con, can sometimes lead to toxic behavior, including harassing other fans or media creators.[56]
Fandom and technology
The rise of the Internet created new and powerful outlets for fandom. While the principles of fandom largely remain the same, internet users now have the ability to engage in discourse on a global scale, creating an even stronger sense of community among fans. Mark Duffet touches on this point in Popular Music Fandom: Identities, Roles and Practices: "Online social media platforms... have operated as a forthright challenge to the idea that electronic mediation is an alienating and impersonal process".[57]
Fandoms engaging with technology began with early engineers trading Grateful Dead set lists and discussing the setup of the band's concert speaker system, called the "Wall of Sound," on ARPANET, a precursor to the Internet.[58] This led to tape trading over FTP, and the Internet Archive began to add Grateful Dead shows in 1995.[58] Online tape trading communities such as etree evolved into P2P networks trading shows through torrents. After the birth of the World Wide Web, many communities adopted the practices of Deadhead fandom online.
^Cook, Michael L. (1983). Mystery fanfare: a composite annotated index to mystery and related fanzines 1963–1981. Popular Press. pp. 24–5. ISBN0-87972-230-4.
^Bennett, Lucy (2014). "Tracing Textual Poachers: Reflections on the development of fan studies and digital fandom". The Journal of Fandom Studies. 2.1: 5–20.
^Duffett, Mark, ed. (2014). Popular music fandom: identities, roles and practices. Routledge studies in popular music. New York: Routledge. ISBN978-0-415-50639-7.
American journalist Paul Ignatius59th United States Secretary of the NavyIn officeSeptember 1, 1967 – January 24, 1969PresidentLyndon B. JohnsonPreceded byCharles F. Baird (Acting)Succeeded byJohn Chafee Personal detailsBornPaul Robert Ignatius (1920-11-11) November 11, 1920 (age 103)Glendale, California, U.S.SpouseNancy Weiser SharplessChildren4, including David and AdiEducation University of Southern California (BA) Harvard University (MBA) Paul Robert Ignatius (born Novembe...
Fabian Schär Informasi pribadiNama lengkap Fabian SchärTanggal lahir 20 Desember 1991 (umur 31)Tempat lahir Wil, SwitzerlandTinggi 1,87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)Posisi bermain Centre backInformasi klubKlub saat ini Newcastle UnitedNomor 5Karier junior1999–2009 FC Wil 1900Karier senior*Tahun Tim Tampil (Gol)2009–2012 FC Wil 1900 52 (9)2012–2015 FC Basel 73 (9)2015–2017 TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 30 (1)2017–2018 Deportivo La Coruna 25 (2)2018– Newcastle United 115 (10)T...
Reichsstift Kaisersheim Onderdeel van het Heilige Roomse Rijk ← 1213 – 1802 → Algemene gegevens Hoofdstad Kempten Regering Regeringsvorm Vorstendom Abdijkerk Sint Laurentius Het middenschip van abdijkerk Sint Laurentius De Abdij van Kempten was een tot de Zwabische Kreits behorende abdij binnen het Heilige Roomse Rijk, gelegen in Kempten im Allgäu, Beieren. In 773 stichtte Audogar op de oever van de Iller een klooster. Audogar werd de eerste abt van dit klooster. ...
Liga Mexicana de Béisbol 2015 Inauguración 3 de abril de 2015 Cierre 14 de septiembre de 2015 Campeón Tigres de Quintana Roo Subcampeón Acereros del Norte LXXXIII Juego de EstrellasParque Kukulcán AlamoMérida, Yucatán Home Run Derby Brent Clevlen (SUR/PUE) Jugador Más Valioso Erick Rodríguez (SUR/OAX) Resultado Norte 6-7 Sur Líderes % Bateo Jesús Valdez (YUC) - .363 C. Producidas Japhet Amador (MEX) - 117 Home Runs Japhet Amador (MEX) - 41 Efectividad Edgmer Escalona (SAL) - 2.54 J...
Griekse moslims bidden in de moskee (Jean Léon Gérôme, 1865) De aanhangers van de islam in Griekenland kunnen in twee groepen worden ingedeeld: autochtone en allochtone moslims. Samen vormen zij een kleine minderheid, aangezien het overgrote deel van de gelovige Grieken aanhanger is van de Grieks-orthodoxe Kerk. Tot deze religie behoren 140.000 mensen of 1,4% van de bevolking.[1] De autochtone moslims, met name Turken, Albanezen en Bulgaren (Pomaken), wonen voornamelijk in Thracië...
George Ray TweedBorn(1902-07-02)July 2, 1902Oregon, United StatesDiedJanuary 16, 1989(1989-01-16) (aged 86)Crescent City, California, United StatesPlace of burialEagle Point National CemeteryAllegiance United States of AmericaService/branch United States NavyYears of service1922–1948Rank LieutenantBattles/warsWorld War II First Battle of Guam AwardsSilver StarLegion of Merit with V Device George Ray Tweed (July 2, 1902 – January 16, 1989) was a decorated radioman in the...
19th century warship type For the type of late 19th century commercial steam vessel with an unusual hull shape, see turret deck ship. Turret of USS Monitor, one of the first turret-armed warships Turret ships were a 19th-century type of warship, the earliest to have their guns mounted in a revolving gun turret, instead of a broadside arrangement. Background HMS Prince Albert, a pioneering turret ship, built by naval engineer Cowper Phipps Coles. Before the development of large-calibre, l...
لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع أبو جعفر (توضيح). أبو جعفر الخازن (بالفارسية: ابوجعفر خازن خراسانی) معلومات شخصية الميلاد 900صغد مقاطعة خراسان تاريخ الوفاة 349 هـ (960) مواطنة أوزبكستانالدولة السامانية الحياة العملية المهنة فلكي، ورياضياتي، ومنجم مجال العمل علم الفل...
Dutch politician This biography of a living person relies on a single source. You can help by adding reliable sources to this article. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. (March 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) In this Dutch name, the surname is de Graaf, not Graaf. Machiel de GraafMember of the House of Representatives of the NetherlandsIncumbentAssumed office 20 September 2012Senate leader - ...
Anthropomorphic sexual device For the 2016 film, see Sex Doll. Not to be confused with Anatomically correct doll. One of the first of the modern generation of realistic dolls. A sex doll (also, joy toy, love doll, fuck doll or blowup doll) is a type of anthropomorphic sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner. The sex doll may consist of an entire body, or just a head, pelvis, or other body part (vagina, anus, mouth, penis, breasts) intended for sexual stimulation. Sex dolls are made ...
2002 Anaheim AngelsWorld Series Champions American League Champions American League Wild Card WinnersLeagueAmerican LeagueDivisionWestBallparkEdison International Field of AnaheimCityAnaheim, CaliforniaRecord99–63 (.611)Divisional place2ndOwnersThe Walt Disney CompanyGeneral managersBill StonemanManagersMike SciosciaTelevisionKCAL-9 Fox Sports Net West •Steve Physioc, Rex HudlerRadioKLAC (AM 570—Primary) KPLS (AM 830—Backup) •Rory Markas, Terry Smith KTNQ (AM 1020—Spanish) ...
5th or 6th-century Gupta era Hindu stone temple Bhumara TempleBharkuleswar Temple5th or 6th century Shiva stone templeReligionAffiliationHinduismDistrictSatna[2]DeityShiva, Kartikeya, Ganesha, Surya, Brahma, Kama, Durga, others[1]LocationLocationBhumra, NagodStateMadhya PradeshCountryIndiaShown within IndiaShow map of IndiaBhumara Temple (Madhya Pradesh)Show map of Madhya PradeshGeographic coordinates24°25′42.1″N 80°38′29.6″E / 24.428361°N 80.641556...
Malaysian entrepreneur For the Hong Kong swimmer, see Geoffrey Cheah. A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr.Jeffrey CheahPSM SPMP DPMS AO KBETan Sri Dato' Seri Sir Dr. Jeffrey CheahBorn1945 or...
Where the material of a planetary mass's outer crust contacts its atmosphere or outer space Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface of the Moon, which consists of lunar regolith (photographed by Neil Armstrong, July 1969). OSIRIS-REx collecting a surface sample from asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020— (Full-sized image) A planetary surface is where the solid or liquid material of certain types of astronomical objects contacts the atmosphere or outer space. Planetary surfaces are f...
Kildin-class destroyer Neulovimy in January 1970 History Soviet Union Name Neulovimy (Неуловимый) NamesakeElusive in Russian Ordered29 April 1954 BuilderZhdanov Shipyard Laid down23 February 1957 Launched27 February 1958 Commissioned30 December 1958 Decommissioned19 April 1990 FateScrapped, 1991 General characteristics Class and typeKildin-class destroyer Displacement 2,662 long tons (2,705 t) standard 3,230 long tons (3,282 t) full load Length126.1 m (414 ft) Be...
American guitarist and singer-songwriter Tom MorelloMorello performing as The Nightwatchman in May 2006Background informationBirth nameThomas Baptist Morello[1]Also known asThe NightwatchmanBorn (1964-05-30) May 30, 1964 (age 59)[2][3]New York City, U.S.OriginLibertyville, Illinois, U.S.Genres Alternative metal funk metal heavy metal rap metal nu metal hardcore punk crossover folk[4] EDM[5] Occupation(s) Musician singer songwriter political activis...
1908 restoration of constitutional rule in the Ottoman Empire This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Young Turk Revolution – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Young Turk RevolutionPart of the collapse of the Ottoman EmpireDec...
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged,...
Wakil Bupati KetapangLambang Kabupaten KetapangPetahanaFarhansejak 26 Februari 2021Masa jabatan5 tahunDibentuk2000Pejabat pertamaLorentius MajunSitus webketapangkab.go.id Berikut ini adalah Daftar Wakil Bupati Ketapang sejak awal dibentuknya. No Wakil Bupati Mulai Menjabat Akhir Menjabat Periode Bupati Ket. 1 Lorentius Majun 2000 2005 12(2000) Morkes Effendi 2 Henrikus 2005 2010 13(2005) 3 Boyman Harun 2010 2015 14(2010) Henrikus 4 Soeprapto S. 17 Februari 2016 17 Februari 2021 15(2015) ...