Week 9
What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?
Hill states that cult TV shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Doctor Who, Angel and Charmed have fan magazines. The magazines have interviews with, not only, the actors but the writers, producers and episode directors as well. They are generally by the fans for the fans. This is part of inter-textuality, “that is, through secondary texts that activate the meanings and associations of ‘cult’ for audiences…” Fans really create the label of “cult” for TV shows when they become involved with them on different levels, such as the fan magazines, fanfiction and fan-websites. This is not a phenomenon created by the producers and studios of the TV show, it is a “grassroots” movement. It depends “vitally on audience take-up and devotion.”
New media is central to cult TV and the fans interaction that creates the label because it is where fans can identify one another. The internet is the best example of both new media and a fan centre. Fans create websites based around their favourite TV shows such as; http://www.buffyworld.com/ for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or for Doctor Who; http://tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_Who_Wiki. It’s as easy as typing these titles into Google and you find these websites. Websites are just another example of inter-textuality.
Hey Bex, Good post! I agree with your comment about the internet being one of the primary sources for new media with regards to cult TV. I was wondering who that quote is from? Is it Hill? you should probably mention who you are quoting and also have a reference list. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're making me confusing Teu ^^! Anyway, Bex, the term "cult TV", according ti Hills, can be defined in three main ways which fandom is one of them. Hills also say that this definition still have flaws is that it will ignore the textual part of cult TV from the point of view of the fans so I suppose you shouldn't say fan is the one that define cult TV. That's all :)
ReplyDeleteGood that you looked at some new media sites involving cult TV fan practices - it would have been interesting if you had discussed these in detail in nthe context of Hills' article - what practices are the fans carrying out on these sites and why? etc.
ReplyDeleteTue's commenting on referencing is worth noting by the way.
ReplyDeleteHill (2004) claims fans organize TV programmes into an “intertextual network”; organized themselves socially into ‘appreciation societies’, like communities. Fans also share the commentaries, fan fiction, episode guides that produced by themselves. I always it is difficult to discuss a single programme, or a single episode of a series. Different from soap TV, without the references and comparisons, it is so hard to follow the progress of cult TV. So this can be very helpful, I always check this kind of stuff shared by fans while I am watching the series.
ReplyDelete