Written by @KateMRedd, a journalist and recovering survivor of 2014 fandom Tumblr
A 5 min read
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NOW, LET’S GET NERDY…
“I've seen someone writing about a person's imagined design for a new car model, and they describe it as fan fiction, or if political journalists speculate about what might happen in a campaign, I'll see it described as them engaging in fan fiction—as if, you know, somehow the word imagination or imagined has gone out of style.”
Claudia Rebaza, communications staffer with the Organization for Transformative Works
THE LEDE
What are you a fan of?
Not that long ago, there weren’t many cool answers to that question. Sports and music, maybe, but certainly not comic books, or podcasts, or young adult fantasy novels. And for any of those latter categories, the socially acceptable way to be a fan was to be a casual one. No message boards, no online community discussions, and certainly no fan fiction. But now, it’s cool to be a fan—and not just a casual one, but a stan.
This week, we’re looking at why fan culture matters; how it impacts and reflects broad trends, and how it starts new ones. Fans of anything—and everything—are powerful in more ways than one, socially, politically, and economically; and covering where that power comes from is just as impactful as reporting on how fans wield it.
THE TOP PITCH
The guiding question
When it comes to fan bases, what is power? And where does it come from?
The answer
The strongest fan bases wield both purchasing power and social influence in spades. And while that strength often comes from autonomy and engagement… it’s not always the media itself that matters.
Purchasing power:
We’ve always known that sports fans generate money—why else would Super Bowl Sunday be the advertising day of the year? But now, what were once niche interests are massive cohorts of dedicated people willing to shell out big money for the things they love.
Just look at a company like Funko Inc., the makers of Funko Pops—little figurines of nearly every character from every piece of media imaginable, no matter how niche. Like Lieutenant Connix. She appears in less than one percent of the total runtime of the three Star Wars sequel movies. Not only is the resale value of rare or beloved Pops sky-high, but the company’s revenue itself was over 686 million dollars in 2018. Even the pandemic couldn’t slow them down, with a projected 30% in net sales growth this year.
Or Critical Role, the popular Dungeons & Dragons livestream show that set a 750,000 dollar Kickstarter goal to make one episode of an animated show—and ended up raising 11.3 million dollars from over 88,000 contributors, becoming Kickstarter’s most successful TV or movie project in history.
Fandom’s “Power of the Fan” survey breaks down the spending habits of over 250 thousand light, medium, and heavy fans of movies, TV, and video games as a pitch to advertisers.
Social influence:
The Washington Football Team’s name change is a great example, but it was as much the result of last summer’s massive cultural shift following the murder of George Floyd as it was the result of fan backlash. But now fans might be the ones to rename the team—they’re soliciting suggestions from their fanbase.
But fans have much more direct influence today, using the combined power of sheer numbers with the visibility and connection of social media.
The European Super League, a proposed new soccer league of the UK’s biggest teams, only lasted 48 hours until outraged fans had their way and the wheels came off the plan.
And who could forget when K-Pop fans used Twitter and TikTok to sabotage attendance at a Trump rally last year? As I said, they’re almost indescribable.
Social influence can be a result of withheld purchasing power. Money talks, and so does the threat of losing it.
But how do fans and fandoms gain this power?
Autonomy.
Returning to Fandom’s “Power of the Fan” survey, they identify “heavy” Video Game fans as likely to spend 230% more on their media than “light” Video Game fans—the more involved the fan, the more they’re likely to spend.
With video games, or RPGs, or tabletop board games, there’s a high level of autonomy. You, the player, must be there to influence decisions and outcomes. And, while there’s always a chance you could get a showrunner or singer’s attention on Twitter, most media doesn’t have the same level of autonomy and involvement. At least, not inherently. And with sports and their unpredictable nature, fans have almost no control over the outcome of a game.
Or so I thought.
On Wednesday, we’re releasing an interview with Claudia Rebaza from the Organization for Transformative Works to our paid subscribers. The OTW is a volunteer-based group that supports “fan works” in their many forms—fan fiction, fan art, fan videos, and plenty more.
And Claudia, as an expert in the fandom space, pointed out that communities of high fan engagement—with source media and with one another—generate just as much power as autonomy.
I think it's absolutely true that fan works are better known [now]. I think that there are fewer and fewer people who have never heard of the concept of fan works, and quite a lot of people not involved in a fandom have seen examples of fanart or fan videos...
And I also think that it's simply the power of numbers. The current college age generation is one which has either known about or been involved with communities in their teens.
And, you know, we've gone from random news articles about this quote unquote weird activity that people are engaged in… to journalists who are making a career writing or reporting exclusively on fandoms or even fan works. You know, I see lists of the 10 best fan fiction stories arriving in my inbox every day from news outlets.
To understand the fan communities that collect around fanworks, the reasoning behind fanworks themselves, and how engagement creates power for fans that historically haven’t had it, subscribe now for the final piece of the fan-power puzzle to hear the full interview with Claudia Rebaza.
Why this story is worth it
Taylor Swift’s obsessive “Swifties” are the first to get announcements about her music, with specially coded messages designed for only her most hardcore fans. K-pop stans are even more intense—nearly indescribably so. And fandoms once reserved for only the geekiest among us—like Dungeons & Dragons—are seeing not just renewed interest, but an unprecedented surge in popularity.
Everyone’s a fan of something—and through engagement, community, and involvement, fans wield a multifaceted power that makes real change.
The news peg
Looking ahead, E3, the Entertainment Software Association’s massive annual event that unites the video game industry, starts on June 12th. Video game fans, publishers, and journalists are already preparing.
And Marvel’s new slate of movies already has fans buzzing—but the world is waiting with bated breath to hear about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and how the sequel’s story will move forward after the death of Chadwick Boseman last summer.
Diverse sources worth interviewing
Content creators like Sarah Z and Jenny Nicholson have made careers off of their deep dives into media and fan culture. Even a smaller creator can offer perspective on one fandom, or help give you a broader understanding of fandom and its recent history.
A writer named Stitch covers all the ins, outs, and nuances of fandom and “stan” culture for Teen Vogue. Read their work before you write, but better yet, try for an interview.
Mel Stanfill is a professor teaching and researching fan culture, media, and technology at the University of Central Florida, with works like “We Shouldn’t Have to Trend to Make You Listen”: Queer Fan Hashtag Campaigns as Production Interventions published in academic journals.
Publications to pitch
Polygon, the gaming and entertainment offshoot of Vox Media, is geek heaven, and exploring the world of fan culture is right in their wheelhouse.
Check out Polygon’s pitch guidelines and see the appropriate contacts here.
The Verge, another Vox property, could take a tech angle on fandom--like the impact of streaming services and the shifting media landscape on fan communities, as discussed in our interview with Claudia. (Hint hint.)
See The Verge’s pitch information and contacts here.
OTHER PITCHES IN THIS SPACE
The idea of creating representation in fanworks where there isn’t any source material is more visible than ever: Hamilton, anyone? Fans wield the influence to create—and lobby for—more “woke” media. Is it working? Track casting and upcoming releases to spotlight diversity’s role in the era of the Hollywood remake—and the potential for diversity to pay dividends.
Me And AU is a sweet and surprisingly sentimental audio drama about two fan fiction writers who strike up a romance through their shared fandom (inspired, no doubt, by the tumultuous Supernatural fandom and its fans). Fangirl, the novel by popular author Rainbow Rowell, shines a similar light on the role of the fan-as-creator. And both deal with the roles of women and queer people as fans and creators. What does it mean to be a “fan” today? How do fanworks influence writers and artists as creators and consumers?
We’ve given you the keys—the details and the fandoms you choose will bring your story to life. Think about what you love, then chase it.
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
How K-Pop Fans Actually Work as a Force for Political Activism in 2020
What Sports Fans Can Learn From Nerd Culture in The Age Of Coronavirus
Fandom and Participatory Culture: Grinnell College
The Supernatural Finale Aired, And Tumblr Exploded
Podcast Show Notes
People Make Games can help you understand Blaseball
“Let Me Into the Blaseball” was created by Josh Millard
The Washington Post’s coverage of Gamergate, circa 2014
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