Fandom is a term that refers to a subculture that consists of fans who share a feeling of camaraderie with other fans who share a common interest. Those that consider themselves to be part of a fandom are typically interested in even minor details of those interests, spend a large amount of their time on their interest and are usually members of social media sites that allow them to discuss this interest in detail. This is what differentiates them from those who only show a casual interest.
The term fandom can be used to refer to a specific fandom (e.g. the “Supernatural” fandom), but it is now commonly used in a broad sense to refer to many fandoms that overlap or interconnect, particularly on social media websites such as “Tumblr” or “Twitter”.
While the word “fandom” was originally used to refer to those who had a fascination with sports, it can now be used to refer to any area of interest. Among the most common are television shows, movies, books and celebrities. However the fandoms that exist in 2014 are varied and sites such as “Tumblr” contain many references to fandoms such as the furniture fandom, the cat fandom, the maths fandom and the science fandom.
The term “fandom” is thought to have first come into use in 1903, which is when Merriam-Webster’s dictionary first found evidence of the term being used, though its meaning has since evolved. The fandom of 2014 is very different to the fandom of 1903, and this is because of the fact that as the world evolved, so did the meaning of the word “fandom”. Social media is the main reason for the fact that fandom is used to refer to many different areas of interest. Sites such as “Tumblr” and “Twitter” have allowed fans to form a global community with those who share ...
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...t the representation and knowledge that fandom provides.
Works Cited
• The Daily Dot:
o http://www.dailydot.com/culture/beginners-guide-fandom-fanworks/
o http://www.dailydot.com/society/how-to-speak-fangirl
o http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/disney-frozen-lgbtqia-reading-elsa-tumblr/
All accessed on the 5th April, 2014.
• Organization for Transformative works:
o http://transformativeworks.org/
o http://archiveofourown.org
o http://fanlore.org/wiki/Professional_Author_Fanfic_Policies
Both accessed on the 5th April, 2014.
• Other:
o http://www.libraryasincubatorproject.org/?p=7618
o http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2081784,00.html
o http://techland.time.com/2013/05/06/50-best-websites-2013/slide/archive-of-our-own/
All accessed on the 6th April, 2014.
o http://fandomforequality.com/about/
Accessed on the 7th April, 2014.
the wild antics of the die hard fans. In my essay I will try and attempt to describe as
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This paper will explore what it is about anime that makes it so appealing to even a Western audience, creating an international fan base. Although manga can be traced to American origins, the comics that the Americans brought over have been intensely modified to create essentially a new form of media. Manga and anime have become a significant component of Japanese culture, and often times they integrate Japanese culture and society. Yet, regardless of its Japanese origin, anime is still viewed on the other side of the planet. The question then becomes what is it that makes it so appealing to a foreign audience? This paper will rely heavily on Susan Napier’s book, From Impressionism to Anime: Japan as Fantasy and Fan Cult in the Mind of the
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What is a baseball fan? The word "fan" is an abbreviation of the word "fanatic," meaning "insane." In the case of baseball fans, the term is very appropriate. They behave insanely, they are insane about baseball trivia, and they are insanely loyal.
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There are many ways to define popular culture. Many individuals have grappled with the question what is popular culture? And how to critically analyze and deconstruct the meanings. Looking at the root words of popular culture is where to begin. Raymond Williams states ‘popular’ means: “well liked by many people" or “culture actually made for the people themselves (Storey, p.5). This is part with the word ‘culture’ combine to look at how the two words have been connect by theoretical work within social and historical context. John Storey approaches popular culture in six categories, they are as followed: “Popular culture is simply culture that is widely favoured or well liked by many people”, Popular culture is “the culture that is left over after we have decided what is high culture”, Popular culture is “mass culture”, “Popular culture is the culture that originates from ‘the people.” and “Popular culture as a site of struggle
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