Television shows have been around for a very long time. In
the era of popular television shows and social media, fandoms have emerged.
What is a fandom? Oxford dictionary defines fandom as, “the fans of a
particular person, team, fictional series, etc., regarded collectively as a
community or subculture” (Oxford Dictionary). If you consider yourself a member
of a fandom, you are not just a casual fan who sometimes watches a show. You
are a die-hard fan. You are devoted. You are a “can not miss an episode” type
of person, have to watch it live every week, and can’t be spoiled by social
media type of fan. Being a part of a fandom is a serious commitment.
For most people being a part of a fandom is very satisfying.
In the age of social media with websites like Twitter and Tumblr, being in a
fandom is like belonging to a community that shares your same obsession.
“Tumblr and Twitter have allowed passionate TV fans to write about and discuss
their small-screen obsessions with peers who are equally dedicated to the
medium” (Thomas). These online interactions are important to the dedicated
fans.
It can also be very gratifying to be in a fandom. When you
watch your favorite show every week, people can choose to tweet about the show.
Either you tweet about something you liked about the episode or something that
you would like to see happen. There is a chance that the producers of your
favorite television show are keeping an eye on what the fans are saying about
their show on social media, and are taking into consideration what the fans want.
A television show like Castle,
has been on the air for eight seasons because it has what you would call a
“cult following.” This means that it does not gain a lot of new viewers, but
the people that do watch, watch it consistently. The producers and writers pay
very close attention to what the fans are saying about the show, and the
writers and producers try there very best to deliver what they want.
A popular event in the television industry that draws in
many fans each year is the Paley Fest. The Paley Fest consists of a panel of actors
and actresses from specific television shows that come out and answer all
different types of questions to the person that hosts. The audience is made up
of the fans of the show. At the end of the panel the hostess opens up questions
to the audience, which gives the fans an opportunity to communicate with the
actors and actresses. In the past, I have been to a panel for shows such as Cougar Town, Glee, Revenge and Nashville. In my experiences, it was so
exciting to be there and listen to my favorite television stars speak about
their work on the show. It was a great way to make a connection between the
television show and the fans.
You might not realize it, but fans have more power in this
industry than you would think. Shows like Arrested
Development, Veronica Mars, The X-Files and now Gilmore Girls were all brought back from the “television dead,”
solely because of the power of the fans. Gilmore
Girls was an extremely popular show that started in 2000. When the series
was released on Netflix, the fandom reemerged and people started raving about Gilmore Girls once again. Fans were
extremely excited and are continuing to go crazy with the news of Gilmore Girls coming to Netflix. “A
Netflix revival is Sherman-Palladino’s opportunity to not only return to her
own series but also to have the final word” (Rose). Having Sherman-Palladino
speak her final words is something that every Gilmore Girls fan has wanted since the show ended in 2007.
A star interacting with fans through Twitter is a huge way
to build a fandom. “Watching is just one part of the equation these days. Over
the past year, millions of TV fans across the U.S. have come together on
Twitter each week to discuses TV’s biggest moments as they happen live”
(Nielsen). Stars like Kerry Washington from Scandal do a very good job of tweeting with their fans and keeping
them engaged. The popular hashtag, #AskScandal allows fans to tweet questions
with hopes of having the cast respond.
Generally, fandoms’ support of shows on social media has
benefited the television industry greatly. Shows are able to live on for years
to come. They help keep a show alive and then they are rewarded by the industry
with things like the Paley Fest. Fandoms are an important factor to the
television industry.
Work Cited
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015.
Web.
Rose, Lacey. “It’s Official: Netflix Reviving ‘Gilmore Girls’ with
Original Stars.” The Hollywood Reporter 26
Jan. 2016. Web.
Thomas, Kaitlin. “TV’s 8 Craziest Fanbases, Including Sherlock, The Vampire Dairies, Supernatural and
More.” Tv.com 11 Feb. 2014. Web.
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/fandom
Links
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/gilmore-girls-revived-at-netflix-856425
http://www.tv.com/news/tv-craziest-fans-vampire-diaries-teen-wolf-supernatural-139147229903/
Links
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/gilmore-girls-revived-at-netflix-856425
http://www.tv.com/news/tv-craziest-fans-vampire-diaries-teen-wolf-supernatural-139147229903/
If there is one thing I know a thing or two about, it’s fandoms. I agree, there is no such thing as a “casual fan” in a fandom, you’re either a die-hard fan or nothing at all. Being a part of any fandom requires more work than you think! I mean think about it, if you love a show, movie, book, whatever, you want to be able to emerge yourself in it during your spare time. To do that requires a lot of time in front of the TV or your nose in a book.
ReplyDeleteI think that being a part of a fandom now is a lot easier than ever before. With endless amounts of information at our fingertips, you can constantly be connected to your favorite things. Websites like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr turn your favorite pastimes into finding other people that enjoy the same thing. We form our own little communities out of the things we enjoy. Online interactions are important to anyone, I mean I can’t be the only person who checks how many likes I get on an Instagram post… With that being said, being a part of a fandom makes finding people who share the same interests as you that much easier online.
One of the fun parts about being in a fandom, well at least to me, is the chance to MAYBE get a tweet recognized. For an example, TV shows, if there is a show I’m currently obsessing over, every once in a while I’ll tweet something about it. It could be anything from talking about a major event that happened to even just to complain. People who are in fandoms usually follow a lot of people on their social media accounts that share that same interest, and when you live tweet a show, people who feel the same way respond. I agree that this online interaction is something producers and writers should be paying close attention to!
According to Nielsen, loyal authors are valuable fans, “In addition to their loyalty, program authors who Tweeted about three or more episodes also exhibited other traits that could be valuable for TV networks and advertisers. On average, these authors sent nearly 3 times as many Tweets per episode than other authors. They were also found to have more followers and sent more Tweets about brands” (Nielsen).
Fans have more power in the TV industry because they are the ones who start and continue the conversation. Without the power of fandom shows could only advertise so much. According to Nielsen’s Top Of 2015: TV and Social Media, “Over the past year, millions of TV fans across the U.S have come together on Twitter each week to discuss TV’s biggest moments as they happen live without leaving the comfort of their own couches… On average, 4 million people saw at least one Tweet about new episodes of The Walking Dead. And the undead certainly brought Twitter to life: people sent an average of 424,000 Tweets about each episode” (Nielsen).
Without fandoms there wouldn’t be as much “buzz” created and maintained. Shows and movies can continue being talked about because of how easy it is to become a part of a fandom online. Technology and social media only benefit the television industry, fandoms bring the industry to life.
Work Cited
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015. Web.
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web.
While fandoms have been around for a very long time, it seems as though their importance has grown tremendously over the years. Obviously, fans are solely accountable for the ratings that a TV show receives when it airs. But over the years, it seems as though the TV industry has begun to do more than just view these fans as “numbers” when it comes to a show’s value; it is beginning to actually observe what the people are saying. The TV industry is becoming a medium for the people, of the people, by the people.
ReplyDeleteAs you said before, fandoms and cult followings are absolutely critical to the success of a TV show, and even sometimes responsible for reviving old ones. According to an article published by Nielsen, “loyal authors,” who are likely the cult followers and fandoms, are quite possibly the most valuable tool to determining a show’s success. “Identifying and cultivating relationships with loyal authors could be more powerful for TV networks and advertisers as they each look to maximize earned media driven by TV content and advertising” (Nielsen). Of course, the best way to cultivate these relationships is to listen to them and interact with them across various platforms of social media. What do the viewers like about the show? What do the viewers wish to see in the future? What do the viewers absolutely despise? This is the time when producers, actors, directors, and composers get the chance to step in and let the viewers know that they’re listening. Their voices are being heard, and every opinion matters.
A rather prominent example of this trend in action is the overwhelming issue of diversity in the media – or lack, thereof – that many have observed in over the past few years. For decades, the casts of TV shows have been predominantly white Americans. But now that social platforms promote the act of self-expression and free speech, many are speaking up about the issue of underrepresentation of minorities. Hashtags like #ICantBreathe and #BlackLivesMatter for example, continue to remain on the radar of Twitter’s top trending hashtags as people continue to link their concerns to this dispute in Hollywood.
The most recent instance that dominated the news is with the Oscars. For the second year in a row, the actors that were nominated in each category were entirely white. Naturally, this caused an uproar online, referencing the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite across social media. Within days, the president of The Academy, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, released a statement in response to America’s uproar. “As many of you know, we have implemented changes to diversify our membership in the last four years. But the change is not coming as fast as we would like. We need to do more, and better and more quickly” (Dreyfuss).
Another example can be seen with the president of CBS Entertainment. When questioned on the topic of diversity in the upcoming season of primetime shows, he assured fans that the new shows are the most diverse to date. “We’re not casting color blind, we’re casting color-conscious” (Rose).
The audience now has the power. If something doesn’t sit well with viewers, they will not hesitate to speak up. Whether it’s in fandoms, cult followings, or social activism groups, show creators realize that the power rests in the people. If they don’t tend to their wants and implement the changes that they so desire, success will quickly turn to failure.
Dreyfuss, Emily. "Academy Responds to All-White Oscar Nominations." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 19 Jan. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. .
Rose, Lacey. "CBS' New Chief on Diversity Goals, Peak TV Concerns and Colbert's Future." The Hollywood Reporter. 12 Jan. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. .
"The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz." The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz. Nielsen, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016. .
Zach Caldicott
ReplyDeleteI am apart of fandom for certain TV shows like American Horror Story & The Walking Dead. I enjoy being immersed in the culture of fandom very much. I love being caught up with my shows and being able to discuss them with other people who watch them. Although I don’t participate in discussion on social media, I still do my research on my shows in order to stay current. I’m constantly on Google trying to find more facts about my shows and everyone involved with them. Most people today like discussing their favorite shows on sites like Twitter and Facebook. My only issue with that are potential spoilers. People who haven’t seen the show can check twitter and one of their friends can reveal what happened in the latest episode. That raises the question should be people avoid using social media if they aren’t caught up with their shows? Twitter is able to track shows popularity by monitoring users activity during a certain program. Twitters most popular show of 2015 was The Walking Dead. There was an average of 424,000 tweets per episode and about 4 million people watched an episode of The Walking Dead (Neilson) Twitter users are most active from three hours before from three hours after the original broadcast of an average TV show. The average TV show is tweeted about at least 5,000 times per episode. (Neilson). I agree with what you wrote about the power of fans and revving TV shows. Fans are very powerful and can save a show from being cancelled as well. Fans have had the power of revival way before social media was so impactful. One of my favorite comedy shows Family Guy was cancelled in 2003 after being on the air since 1999. It was brought back in 2005 due to strong DVD, Adult Swim also helped by airing reruns. Although social media wasn’t heavily involved, fans were the reasons why Family guy was brought back. Fans have always had a larger impact and now it’s on a much larger scale. I think actors/actresses interacting with fans over social media is a great way to be involved. Stars are often online answering various questions about whatever comes their way. This is one of the best ways to stay involved because you just may learn something about your favorite celebrity. The more an actor/actress invests in pleasing their fans, the more popular it can become. Fans have large impacts on shows as do celebrities have on their fans.
Work Cited:
"Newswire ."Tops of 2015: TV and Social Media. N.p., 8 Dec. 2015. Web.
"Newswire ."The Making of Social TV. N.p., 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 14
Links:
http://www.eonline.com/news/593346/which-tv-show-had-the-best-comeback-from-cancellation-vote-now
Michael Corigliano
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely with your post about fandom. Fandom has become such a major role in television over the past few years, especially because of the rapid growth of social media outlets. Fans become such avid fans for their favorite television shows that they then discuss their true feelings about the show on major platforms so their voice can be heard. Die hard fans are the ones that keep each television show running, which is why avid fans are always taken seriously when it comes to what they would like to see from the future episodes etc.
One show in particular that has a very large following is the Walking Dead. The show actually accumulated “an average of 424,000 Tweets about each episode” (Nielsen). It was one of the most popular social media topics during 2015 because of the fans that were so hooked to it. Each season of Walking Dead brings along many twists and turns, which in turn make the fans want to discuss it even more on social media. Whether it is a popular character dying in one episode or someone coming back into the show, fans experience fandom when they give their initial reactions to it.
I liked how you spoke about spoilers and how fandom becomes a factor when people go online. Die-hard fans never want their favorite shows to be spoiled if they missed the live showing (instead watching on Hulu, Netflix, DVR, etc.). One blog post shows how much it angers fans when their shows are spoiled, “At least try to express your thoughts and emotions on a particular scene without ruining it for the rest of us” (Gingermostly). I will say personally I cannot stand when people ruin a major part in a show. It is definitely frustrating when you were planning on watching the show on another platform instead of live television. The amazing part about fandom and spoilers is that it actually controls fans to the point where they will avoid going on social media so they do not see any comments about a latest episode.
Finally I just wanted to talk about how fandom can actually bring back shows like you mentioned. These shows are most frequently called “reunion shows” which are primarily supported by the shows’ biggest fans. So many people watched shows such as Full House and now those same people are going to be able to watch a revamped version with the same original cast 30 years later. The same goes for shows like Friends and Seinfeld (possible reunion shows). Fandom with popular television shows like these prove that they can withstand the test of time and even reemerge as new shows that attract the same fans.
Work Cited:
"Kindly Shut It - A Rant About Spoilers." Gingermostly (blog). 1 Dec. 2014. Web.
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015. Web.
This whole concept of “fandom” has always been very interesting to me. I think the idea of actors having the ability to interact with fans directly provides a level of connection and intimacy that has never really been available before. Just a few years ago, the only way for fans to interact with their favorite stars was either by sending them mail or running into them in person. However, social media has connected these two parties and shrunk the gap between television and reality.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this idea of social media allowing actors and writers to see what fans want from a show is a particularly interesting idea. As a performer myself, I understand that when you receive a piece of material and are working on creating a character, there are a lot of personal choices that have to be made. This is the same in terms of writing new material. It would be very interesting if, while working and developing a character, I were able to receive not only feedback about previous performances but also ideas for the future. This same method applies for writing. It is very hard to keep things fresh on a television show and the more ideas you are exposed to the better. Even if the majority of them may get swept under the rug, you never know where inspiration could come from, and very well could be a tweet from a fan.
A major component of trying to get the best ideas as possible into the stream of conversation is ensuring that the people you are getting ideas from understand the show. In a study conducted by Nielsen entitled “The Making of Social TV”, they found that “the total number of individual Twitter authors that Tweet about a program across a season is significantly larger than the number of individuals that contribute to program-related conversation in a given week” (Nielsen). This basically means that people, for the most part, are more consistent in tweeting about a show throughout the entire season than they are in just tweeting about any one particular episode. This fairs well for writers looking for fresh ideas because it means that these fans are tracking the storylines as a whole and commenting on them from week to week. This basically suggests that if a writer felt so inclined, they could look back at any date when an episode was released, see what the fans thought about it, and be able to consider future storylines.
In today’s world of television entertainment, fresh ideas are difficult to come by. In fact, according to a research team at FX Networks, “a whopping 409 scripted comedies and dramas aired on cable, broadcast, and streaming outlets in 2015” (Adalian). That’s a lot of clutter for television writers, producers and actors to break through if they want people to pay attention to their program. If the saying “give the people what they want” is as true as it seems, these writers may want to spend as much time on Twitter as they possible can to make sure their show gets the highest viewership possible.
Works Cited:
Adalian, Josef. "There Were Over 400 Scripted TV Shows on the Air in 2015." Vulture 16 Dec. 2015. Web.
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web.
I personally love fandoms. I am not a part of any television fandoms but for sure a part of a music fandom, so this post is something I can relate too. I don’t really get too involved with TV because I often work nights and would miss shows so I avoid getting too involved. I do however follow several people or account that I would consider to be apart of television fandoms.
ReplyDeleteFandoms can make or break a TV show. For example in the Hits & Misses article it talks about a show that has done okay but because of its “cult” following it hasn’t fallen off quite yet. You make some great points about fandoms in your post especially with the revival of some older shows such as Gilmore Girls and Arrested Development. But I think you forgot to bring up the sports fandoms. Sports fandoms are some of the biggest out there. Every time I go on Facebook I see a post about someone being a Patriots fan. We talked a lot about sports, specifically the Super Bowl last class. Some of the top watched a tweeted about things on television last year were sporting events. Of course lots of people watch sporting events for other reasons but teams such as the Patriots have huge followings and fandoms.
Fandoms may not have much of an impact on sports but other things on television, they do. Like you mentioned in your post, many producers will keep an eye on what the fans are saying. For many people as well as myself, having that connection with others through a mutual like is very important. Through fandoms, outside of TV like I mentioned earlier I have made some great friends and I believe people can also do that by being a part of television fandoms. When you are so into something like some people are into TV shows like, Scandal, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, it’s very exciting when cast member’s favorite or reply to your posts. You used some good examples of these in your blog post with Scandal, they even have a hash tag to get the cast and other fans attention.
Fandoms have a great impact on live TV. In an industry that many feel is dying, fandoms keep it alive. Avid fans have to watch the shows live, they want to live tweet with other fans and cast members. I believe if these shows weren’t broadcasted on cable TV and just available to watch anytime that fans wouldn’t be so obsessed. There is something exciting about coming back each week and finding out all the crazy details of that week’s episode at the same time as your friends and peers. It feels so much like social media is taking away from our real connections but fandoms allow for us to connect with people we may never meet, people who can relate to us and share similar interests when our real friends do not.
"Hits & Misses: Broadcast Networks' Fall Scorecard And Look Ahead To
Midseason." Yahoo.com. 24 Dec. 2015. Web.
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web.
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015. Web.
You describe fandom as a community or subculture. I agree with this statement and the ways you describe it throughout your post, however when I hear the word fandom my mind thinks of it differently. I think of it not as “a fandom,” but rather a group that expresses fandom. I use the word to describe the actions taken by the group, not the name of the group itself. Either way, the actions of die-hard fans who embody what we describe as fandom play a very special and crucial role in television shows and their success. I think an interesting point to note is that there are different types of fandom. Looking specifically at television, two types of fandoms come to mind; scripted show fandoms and sports fandoms.
ReplyDeleteScripted television shows, especially dramas, create fandoms. Fans who are part of this die-hard lifestyle are wrapped up in a show’s plot and characters. Fans live and die by these characters. Many times the actor or actress who plays a character in a television show does not truly resemble the fictional qualities that their character does. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of fans that are part of fandoms who are obsessed with both the characters and their respective actor/actress, as represented in your screen shots above. However this is different from the way fandom is relevant in the sports world, and here is my number one reason why.
Fandom in the realm of sports has plenty of room for bandwagon fans. According to Nielsen’s ratings, Super Bowl XLIX was the most watched single telecast in 2015. There are many parts to why this is, and the first comes from the popularity of the teams playing. Last year was a matchup between the New England Patriots (shout out to my favorite team- my fandom), and the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have very strong followings, and they also have very strong bandwagons followings. These two teams have extremely famous athletes who are recognizable among anyone who is up-to-date with current events in the media and entertainment industries, regardless if they are sports fans or not. These teams also have been very successful over the past few years in terms of their season records and appearances in playoff rounds, which make them even more popular. Therefore, it is easy and fun for people to join in as “fans” of the most popular and most winning teams.
These bandwagon fans contradict what it is to be part of a fandom, but there’s no way to stop it. This is completely different from a scripted television show fandom, such as AMC’s most popular series, “The Walking Dead.” It’s hard to be a bandwagon fan for something you need to devote hours of your life watching up on. There’s no quick and easy way to jump in mid-season and act knowledgeable. This by no means puts one fandom up on a higher pedestal over the other, but rather just differentiates them on a large scale. The amount of time and effort and obsessiveness remains the same for true fans in a fandom, there are just different opportunities to showcase devotion among these fans.
Scripted television fandoms v sports television fandoms show just how different and diverse this word “fandom” can be. It takes on different roles for different categories, and comparing across multiple media genres, such as the film and music industries, could even further the argument.
By: Alina Kostek
References:
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016
I would definitely consider myself a fandom of several different television shows. As a fellow fandom I do many of the things that you describe, including watching my favorite shows every week, and never letting spoilers get to me. However, I never considered that my fandom would actually have an impact on the overall success of a show. Since I am just one viewer, how can I have the power to actually bring a show back from "television dead?" I think that fandom is a really important topic to talk about because these dedicated fans really do have an impact on the industry and the success of different television shows.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned in your post, twitter is one social media outlet that allows for fans to express their love of a show, as well as lets them interact with their favorite actors or actresses. This social media platform does a lot for defining the success of a show because of the interactive and direct communication between celebrities and fans. Nielson found that Scandal was ranked number one for top program loyalty on Twitter by their fans in the article “The Making of Social TV – Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz.” In your post you talk about how stars from Scandal use Twitter to interact with their fans with the hashtag #AskScandal so I’m not surprised by Nielson’s findings. Not only is social media a good way for fans to interact with the show, but it also allows them to interact with other fans. As I previously mentioned I never let spoilers get to me, so when I haven’t watched one of my favorite shows I stay away from social media. In the article “Kindly Shut It – A Rant About Spoilers” it talks about how Twitter can be a problem with spoilers because of all the live tweeting. So although interacting with fans through social media like Twitter is a good way to express your fandom, some people might stay away in order to avoid spoilers.
Although Twitter is one way for fans to express their fandom I think that the Paley Fest is even more important because those interactions are in person. I had not heard about the Paley Fest until reading your post but I think having festivals like this are a great way to display how these shows impact their fans. In fact, having more fan festivals like this one would be an alternative way to determine the success of a television show. Of course determining the success of a show based just on the time it was aired is no longer accurate. Like you mentioned, Gilmore Girls was brought back from “television dead” after it was released on Netflix. As we talked about in class last week the new developments of media have allowed for television shows to live in this “long tail” where it can stay popular for years and years even after it is on air. As a fandom of The O.C. even though the show has been off the air for years I still watch it from time to time, and this is keeping the show living in the “long tail”. I think this is one way for fans to really have an impact because they can keep a show buzzing and popular long after it might be “television dead.” This allows for fandom's to really have control over the success of a television shows lifetime.
Works Cited:
"Kindly Shut It - A Rant About Spoilers." Gingermostly (blog). 1 Dec. 2014. Web.
"The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 15 Feb. 2016
The whole idea of fandom has always been a hard concept for me to grasp. I've never been part of a fandom nor that die hard fan who watches every episode during air time. I have many friends, roommates and family members who are die hard fans of a variety of TV shows, but for myself, I've always had a hard time getting into a show and becoming addicted. To be honest, I don't think I've ever watched a complete season or let alone a series of a show. So, for me this concept of a fandom is somewhat difficult to grasp.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned, it's definitely a big commitment. Not only are those in fandoms obsessive over the show, characters, etc. you must devote large amounts of time, energy and though on the show. According to a Neilson study noted in the article, "The Marking of Social TV - Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program Related Buzz" Neilson notes, "Social loyalty was defined as the share of authors who Tweet about three or more episodes during a season. For the top loyal programs up to 24% of authors posted with such a frequency over the course of the season." This is where social media comes into play. Social media is helping keep fandoms alive in tremendous ways.
You bring up some great points about how the television industry is catching up with its fans on social media platforms, most prevalently Twitter and Tumblr. The idea of fandom is not anything new. However, it has grown in greatly in recent years due to the accessibility of interaction via social media. Not only has TV fandom grown tremendously in past years, it has become a lot easier to be part of a fandom. As stated in the Nielsen article "Tops of 2015: TV and Social Media," "Over the past year, millions of TV fans across the U.S have come together on Twitter each week to discuss TV’s biggest moments as they happen live without leaving the comfort of their own couches." The connivence and accessibility of being able to be part of a fandom is on the rise due to social media. One can be part of a fandom these days without leaving their house.
Social media outlets like Twitter has allowed fans expose their opinions about particular shows, they can "converse" with other fans about the show, its characters and each episode. After reading your blog I was somewhat surprised to hear how much producers and writers have taken into consideration fans' thoughts and opinions. It is one thing to have a Tweet "favorited" or re-tweeted by a character, or writer (if you're lucky enough), but it is another thing for a producer to take into consideration the thoughts and opinions of its viewers. It does make sense after all; if the producers and writers want higher ratings and to keep a following they will continue to listen to viewer's opinions.
I hadn't heard of the Paley Fest prior to reading your blog. It sounds like a great way to get dedicated fans to interact in person with cast members and equally as dedicated fans as well. In my opinion you are a more dedicated fan if you attend events like the Paley Fest than Tweet about your favorite show every week, although one could argue they are equal. In a way, fandom could be competitive, however it seems like it is more a community of devoted fans acting together for the better good of the TV show.
TV fandom is quite unique. Not many other media outlets have such a large, consistent, and devoted following. I think what makes TV fandom most successful out of all outlets is that it is a continuous and constant phenomenon with weekly episodes and fans that tune in on the hour every week, unlike other areas like film and music.
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015. Web.
"The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz." The Making of Social TV: Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz. Nielsen, 24 Aug. 2015. Web.
Gabrielle LaRosa Part 1 Comment-
ReplyDeleteFor someone who is definitely involved with social media and celebrity “news”, I was surprised to learn that I was unsure of the word fandom. The idea that fans are considered their own “community or subculture” is intriguing to say the least. Social media has taken our world by storm in the past generations. It has become its own subculture in the way that people would be lost without social media. We use it to gain information, connect with people across the world, and find out information wherever we are in a 2-minute time spam. Everything is in the palm of our hands, literally, with being able to know any information via social media. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat, along with many other social networks, have become some of the most powerful sources for people to use.
Social media has it’s negatives and positives. I think it’s interesting and exciting for “fandoms” to be able to connect with their beloved characters and idols from TV shows, whether they are reality stars or actual actors. As you stated in your blog, fans “do have more power in the industry than one would think.” They are able to send there criticism from across the world that will reach millions of other people and may even have an affect on their opinion on the show. I know personally for me, if I read an article about a new show and what it’s about and someone else’s ratings on it, I will be more encouraged to watch it or less interested to watch it depending on what that person is saying. People sometimes feel that they will have their own opinion on a show considering there are different interests for different people, but if I am already not extremely intrigued to begin with and I read something that isn’t giving the show its best review, I will most likely not be watching that show.
Gabrielle LaRosa Part 2 Comment-
ReplyDeleteSocial media has it’s negatives and positives. I think it’s interesting and exciting for “fandoms” to be able to connect with their beloved characters and idols from TV shows, whether they are reality stars or actual actors. As you stated in your blog, fans “do have more power in the industry than one would think.” They are able to send there criticism from across the world that will reach millions of other people and may even have an affect on their opinion on the show. I know personally for me, if I read an article about a new show and what it’s about and someone else’s ratings on it, I will be more encouraged to watch it or less interested to watch it depending on what that person is saying. People sometimes feel that they will have their own opinion on a show considering there are different interests for different people, but if I am already not extremely intrigued to begin with and I read something that isn’t giving the show its best review, I will most likely not be watching that show.
Social media has taken the power away from TV shows in a sense and given the viewers even more power than they already have had. It allows them to know certain things before or after the show, give their full opinion on each episode and the actors performances, and they almost act as a TV guide for generations that are using social media as well. Without these “fandoms”, TV shows would not benefit as much. They need these fans to interact within the social media world in order to get people interested in the show as well. When fans are connecting with other vans via Twitter and Facebook, it is a constant, automatic conversation they are having with the use of 140 characters or less to express their feelings on their beloved shows and idols. In Nielson’s “Top of 2015: TV and Social Media”, it states that “Over the past year, millions of TV fans across the U.S. have come together on Twitter each week to discuss TV’s biggest moments as they happen live without leaving the comfort of their own couches. Nielsen ranked the top series, specials and sport events on Twitter this year, along with the most-Tweeted-about minute in each category.” Social media and TV now go hand in hand together and truthfully in my opinion, each wouldn’t survive as much without one another.
As we can see, TV has learned to appreciate the positive sides more than the negative sides in having social media be a part of their journey. In the article “The Making of Social TV- Loyal Fans and Big Moments Build Program-Related Buzz”, it explains that the “loyalty of fans who Tweeted about three or more episodes also exhibited other traits that could be valuable for TV networks and advertisers. On average, these authors sent nearly 3 times as many Tweets per episode than other authors. They were also found to have more followers and sent more Tweets about brands. Identifying and cultivating relationships with loyal authors could be powerful for TV networks and advertisers as they each look to maximize earned media driven by TV content and advertising.” (Nielson) Fans who are die-hard ones of certain shows, aka fandoms, will forever be loyal to their favorite shows. They do not share their opinions on social media just for fun, to them it is a job, a way to be able to express their ratings and opinions on something they are very passionate about, and TV networks see the value these fandoms really do have with every Tweet they send out.
-Gabrielle LaRosa
Works Cited:
“Tops of 2015: TV & Social Media.” Nielsen.com. 8 Dec. 2015. Web.
“The Making of Social TV." Nielsen.com. 24 Aug. 2015. Web.