Our culture is packed to the brim with various “fandoms” or obsessions with various forms of media. These fandoms seem to have gained prevalence within the last few years. As an obsessive fan of “Game of Thrones,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead” and “House of Cards,” among others, I find great joy in following the lives of the characters, theorizing about what might happen in future episodes and trying to get into the minds of those involved with the show — fictional characters and real people like directors, producers and writers. I wonder, however, why I am attracted to the concept of becoming so captivated by a work of fiction. Why do I and others feel the desire to connect with a community of media consumers? Do fans perpetuate the fandoms or is the media itself behind the phenomenon?
In short, I think fans do fully perpetuate the fandoms, but I also believe that the media capitalizes on them, thus helping both themselves by turning a profit and the fans by providing products the fans desire. This happy interaction between the fans and the media manifests a cycle, that, much like a hurricane, picks up speed and power with each rotation. A fan base forms, the media catches on and begins further marketing the product, which attracts a larger fan base. This gives the media more incentive to market the product even further, and with each repetition of the cycle, the product and operation grow significantly larger.
Television shows are particularly susceptible to garnering this kind of obsessive fandom, because they allow us to follow lives of people completely different from us. Television series provide an escape from our own bland lives — an escape to a place where life is interesting and exciting. Characters face life-or-death experiences, enjoy fantasy romances, travel the world and do a bunch of other things we would like to experience. The simple concept of sitting on your couch witnessing a character living out your dreams is highly enticing.
Another reason fandoms thrive is because of the camaraderie within the community of viewers or people who engage with the specific piece of media that is the subject of the fandom. Once shows gain an initial viewership and once the media decides to capitalize upon that viewership, the show takes on a stage where it becomes viewed by “outsiders” as an avenue to social inclusion. Having a concrete subject of discussion is a relatively simple way to make friends and to find yourself belonging to a community. It is especially appealing to have the opportunity to communicate and bond with people who share an interest with you.
Furthermore, technology and social media play some sort of role in the obsessive mindset. I think it is very possible that one of the major reasons fandoms have grown so prevalent is because people’s lives are losing the excitement of face-to-face communication. As a result, people are much more likely to connect with a story of personal interaction. However, social media and technology are also great tools for fans. They allow fans all over the world to connect with each other through the media. They allow the fans to discuss, theorize and generally share different ideas with each other. I believe this is another major reason that fandoms are becoming more common. There is an endless number of online communities and discussion forums created with the sole aim of bringing together fans of specific media, including television series, video games, movies, comic books, etc.
Just because fandoms are so prevalent in today’s society, I do not believe that just any pieces of media can gain a following of obsessed supporters. The subjects of fandoms have to have some degree of excellence in one area or another. In other words, the initial fanbase must find the media to be excellent or superior to other examples of comparable media in some respect. Consequently, many of the subjects of these fandoms are in some way worthy of the attention. I have heard, with respect to entertainment media, that “people cannot think for themselves,” insinuating in part that people blindly follow the pack for the simple reason of feeling included in a community rather than because there may also actually be some greater merit in doing so. Though much of the reason for the expansion of fandoms is social inclusion, I have found that people will not continue immersing themselves in communities based on media they do not find enjoyable or appealing.
I believe there are many reasons fandoms are so prevalent in today’s society, but I tend to feel that they are good for global understanding and the global spreading of ideas. Modern technology and media, especially entertainment media, are very helpful in establishing a foundation for global appreciation and compassion for people of different cultures and circumstances. Also, I think it helps promote an affinity for universal amity. Regarding the question of who is responsible for the creation and sustenance of fandoms, I do not see any unfair or insidious exploitation of fans by the media, and if fans enjoy the product, they will want more. In this case, the media and the fans share an interdependent relationship, and the result is excellent.
