Life outside the season: in defence of the fandom

The media revolution will be televised, and we now know who to thank. Due to the increasing platform of fandom activity, and thanks to a booming rise in the use of social media, fandoms have become an operative force in the world of media business. But what really are these so-called ‘fandoms’? And why have they become such an essential factor in keeping shows alive long past their initial air date..?

Tracing the presence of fandom all the way back to the 19th century with the Janeites of Austen’s novels and the Sherlockians of 1893, protesting and mourning the death of the beloved Sherlock Holmes, fandom participation has always been a vocal part of culture. Today you can still see the lasting presence of fan culture through social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and more, with fans even flocking to the likes of AO3, Wattpad and more back in the day, Tumblr to read thousands of words comprising the latest Fanfiction. Though more ‘mainstream’ in today’s understanding, fandoms were often the subject of ostracisation and ridicule for their excessive, extravagant and emotional behaviour.

This however, seeks to dismantle our perception of fandom culture and instead, highlight such as an integral part of media consumption, production and community building. Growing up myself in multiple different fandoms from each end of the ‘spectrum’ and still to this day micro-dosing participation through use of social media, I’ve always held fandoms up on a pedestal. Yes, they may have been communities ostracised to societies ‘mainstream’ life, but it was a community nonetheless. I really found myself through fandoms, it became a place of discovery and creative expression that made me the person I am today.

By participating in these communities, you are able to see beyond the crazed fanatics screaming over their favourite celebrity or character and instead admire the immense level of dedication poured by the hearts of fans into what they love. Sociologist Henry Jenkins regards this dedicatory passion as a participatory culture of active consumers as well as producers, working within a model of creation that combines artistic expression—seen in fandom culture through Fan art, Fanfiction and cosplay—into civic engagement with a form of media. 

Combining this with the environment of a Television show in production or even on hiatus, you get a sustainable model of content that keeps the show alive even past its initial air date. A major example of this can be seen through the highly active fandom of Stranger Things (2019). Characterised by a textbook intensity and passion that drives active participation through discussions on social media, engagements with that oh-so popular 80s nostalgia and shipping wars that made Reddit a Civil War-like environment, this show sparked what some may argue as a fandom revival. 

But the show's fans went further than this, back in 2019, the proposed ‘Article 13’ copyright directive which sought to crackdown on micro-infringements of copyright that targeted beloved meme-accounts on Instagram sparked a campaign from users online against such. This is nothing new though, for years fandoms have been sights of crowdfunding, campaigns, polarised discussions, you name it, they’re no longer centred around a love for the media that they consume, but instead are representatives of evolving participants in the media world today.  

Ultimately, fandoms aid the development of creativity, a symbiotic relationship shared between producers and consumers that drive a show to succeed and live on beyond its screen time, amplifying the experiences of many projects to its full potential. Fandom’s aren’t just teenage girls screaming over the latest boyband, they’re powerful, mobilised actors of a wider shift in culture.