Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

A fan is someone who is more than an ordinary, occasional →  Television viewer, →  book reader, →  Internet user, music listener, or movie-goer (→  Cinema ). The etymology of “fan” is the Latin word fanaticus , which is also the source of the word fanatic. Bielby et al. (1999 , 35) state, while being a consumer of a medium is one thing, “to be a ‘fan,’ however, is to participate in a range of activities that extend beyond the private act of viewing and reflects an enhanced emotional involvement” with the narrative. Fandom is a community of fans, a sub-culture of fans, who share common interest, empathy, and enthusiasm for a →  Popular Culture product as well as camaraderie and communication with each other. The origins of the concept are often associated with the 1939 World Science Fiction Convention (aka Worldcon), the longest running science fiction convention, which continues today (→  Fantasy–Reality Distinction ). Fandom, however, is a sub-culture that goes well beyond the science fiction/fantasy genre. While Trekkies (fans of the television series and movie versions of Star Trek ) are perhaps the most often referenced group (as well as parodied on television programs such as Saturday Night Live ), others include Harry Potter devotees, romance novel readers, celebrity fan clubs, →  soap opera viewers, and team sports fans. With the arrival of →  reality TV series, ... log in or subscribe to read full text