1. 1 Lecture 14: Super-Participation: Professor Victoria Meng Why should we care about fans and gamers?

2. 2 Introduction to Lesson Topic Serious fun: using media to approach serious topics in a fun way.

3. 3 Introduction to Lesson Topic Serious fun: taking fun activities (such as watching tv) too seriously?

4. 4 Introduction to Lesson Topic Fans and gamers: increasingly important but still misunderstood groups

5. 5 Lecture Outline Focus on fans, not gamers Ann Kustritz, “Slashing the Romance Narrative.” Mark Wolf, “The Video Game as a Medium.” Screenings and websites.

6. 6 “Slashing the Romance Narrative” Romance: a “feminine genre?” Conventions: Powerful man “Independent” woman Overcoming odds Happily ever after

7. 7 Romance and Sexism in the Media The “romance narrative” is a part of many mainstream Hollywood movies intended for adult audiences.

8. 8 Romance and Sexism in the Media The “romance narrative” can be seen as a “universal” way to fulfill a desire for love and security

9. 9 Romance and Sexism in the Media The mainstream “romance narrative” that we find in the media tends to show the man as being more powerful than the woman.

10. 10 “Slashing the Romance Narrative”

11. 11 Some Terminology Fans: people who have a strong interest in or admiration for certain media works and/or personalities

12. 12 Some Terminology Fans: people who have a strong interest in or admiration for certain media works and/or personalities Fandom: the group of people involved in the fan activities surrounding a particular media work and the texts that they produce

13. 13 Some Terminology Fans: people who have a strong interest in or admiration for certain media works and/or personalities Fandom: the group of people involved in the fan activities surrounding a particular media work and the texts that they produce Fan activities: activities that fans engage in to express their love for certain media works and their identities as fans

14. 14 Some Terminology Fan fiction: “…the practice of using characters from a professionally published text (a source product) in an original story.” (371)

15. 15 Some Terminology Fan fiction can be both an homage and a critique.

16. 16 Some Terminology Fan fiction can be both an homage and a critique. Fan fiction can be considered both derivative and original.

17. 17Spock/Kirk For more background on “slash,” see Kustritz, p. 371-372

18. 18Batman/Superman “…slash offers its own particular challenge to normative constructions of gender and romance, as it allows women to construct narratives that subvert patriarchy by re-appropriating those prototypical hero characters who usually reproduce women’s position of social disempowerment.” (371)

19. 19Jacob/Edward “…slash fan fiction seems to be fulfilling a desire that is either extremely extensive or cannot be fulfilled elsewhere…” (372)

20. 20 Mona Lisa v. Marge Simpson What is art and how do we relate to it? (372- 375)

21. 21 “Slashing the Romance Narrative” “Fans discuss the narratives and characters provided for them by the mass media, and then alter those hegemonic messages to reflect their own needs, experiences, and desires.” (374)

22. 22Frodo/Sam Slash fan fiction (fic): Challenges the dominant, patriarchal romance narrative Pays homage to the original works Critiques original works’ conception of maleness

23. 23 “Coming Out”

24. 24 Fan Stereotypes Fans? Not a fan?

25. 25 Fan Stereotypes “Both the news media and the entertainment industry would have us think that we know exactly what fans are like. They provide us with a very limited interpretation by insisting on infantilizing, patho- logizing, or criminalizing fan activities.” (375)

26. 26 Fan Stereotypes 1. Fans are too devoted to the objects of their affection, and they therefore cannot separate fiction from reality.

27. 27 Fan Stereotypes 2. Fans are infantile: they are young or socially inept adults who have not developed “normal” interests.

28. 28 Fan Stereotypes 3. Fans are obsessed sociopaths who are likely to hurt other people.

29. 29 Media Fans v. Sports Fans

30. 30 Why We Should Care About Fans

31. 31 Why We Should Care About Fans

32. 32 Going too far?

33. 33 Why Should We Care About Gamers? What stereotypes do we hold about gamers? Why do we have these stereotypes? To what extent are they accurate? How do these stereotypes impact our society?

34. 34 Why Should We Care About Gamers?

35. 35Super-Participation

36. End of Lecture 14 Next Lecture: I and We: How do digital media situate us in space and time? 36