The Implications of Participatory Culture for Contemporary Enactments of Fandom

Coms
Student Name
Institution Affiliation
Star Trek Fans
The science fiction television film Star Trek particularly had a huge impact on the lives of many people who since then became obsessed fans. Branded as Trekkies, these obsessed and die-hard fans have incorporated various aspects of the film in their daily lives from their dressing in Starfleet costumes, decorating their offices to resemble the world portrayed in the star trek film to speaking in Klingon as was the case with some of the characters in the film. There have been several movies and numerous spin off series from the Star trek film with particularly the television documentary Trekkies standing out. The documentary contains some of the casts of the Star trek film as well as the Star trek devotees now referred to as Trekkies and mainly highlights the impact that Star trek had on their lives. Henry breaks down the specifics of the documentary in his article and states “This is a documentary about Star trek fans. There are people who are into costumes, people who are into gadgetry, and people who are into the military aspects of the show, people who like the inclusive, people who wish they were Klingons, people who wish they were Vulcans and on and on” (Jenkins, 2014).
Media and the entertainment industry basing on the success of Star trek are now spending a lot of money to create products that take advantage of fandom. Paul Booth in his book attempts to show the necessary balance needed between the fans and the media industry. He shares “Just as the entertainment industry needs fans to succeed, so too do fans need and desire the media and they represent their love through gif fics, crowd funding, and digital cosplay” (Booth, 2015). The same or almost similar sentiment is shared by Ellen Stein in her book that highlights the significance of the digital age and millennials on the transmedia fan culture. She shares “Millennials have made fan practices more mainstream and more acceptable” (Stein, 2015). Her statement further reiterates her position on the fact that the media has embraced the millennials that it did its predecessors because it considers them to be modified fans.
Furthermore, the increasing internet access has helped the development of the new aspect of participatory culture in the entertainment business. Mathew mentions “In participatory culture, young people creatively respond to a plethora of electronic signals and cultural commodities in ways that surprise their makers” (Guschwan, 2012). As a result, fan culture otherwise known as fandom has risen with fans now being in a position to influence the creation and production of some of the creative media in the form of fan fiction, filk songs, and cosplay and fan videos.
Interview with a fan
The interviewee is a die-hard and obsessed fan of scientific fiction films and shows. He is currently majoring in a science related course at the University of Colorado and believes that science is the answer to most of the World’s problems. He has always been enthusiastic on scientific matters from a very young age and at one point during his youthful years almost burned down his ...