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Fandoms spark passion and creativity
By Shannon Hwang |
March 27, 2013, Wednesday
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THE Internet has irreversibly changed the entertainment industry. Besides being a place where one can watch movies, television shows and play games, the Internet has provided a magnificent opportunity for fans, including myself, to reach out to each other with amazing ease.
The concept of a "fandom," a group of extremely dedicated fans, is not new. The "Sherlockian" fandom, centered around Sherlock Holmes, started in the 1800s. Members communicated through letters. Today, it has morphed into a version that includes fans of the original works along with movie and television adaptations. In this modern age, fandoms, each with their own subculture, have popped up everywhere online, centering around television shows such as "Star Trek" and "Doctor Who" and movie franchises like "Star Wars," as well as games like Pokémon. In these fandoms, the almost cultish level of devotion with which fans regard their favorite shows isn't new. The ever-increasing level of connectivity within and between fandoms, however, is astonishing.
Social networking sites such as Tumblr and Deviantart have become intimately linked with fandoms. On these sites, people create blogs filled with professional-level graphics dedicated to their fandom, write novel-length works of fan fiction, and create and sell fan art. Although these works are assumed to be mediocre and generally dismissed by the public, they can be surprisingly sophisticated. Terrible ones do exist, such as the infamous novel "Fifty Shades of Grey," but many professional artists and writers have designed, drawn and written for fandoms, with some even publishing official works. These sites also allow people that would never have met each other in real life to communicate and, sometimes, band together to support causes. For example, the fandom of "Supernatural," a television show, often helps charities as a result of the philanthropic actor who stars in the show.
So why do fandoms matter to me? Although people think fandoms are rather trivial, they've changed my life. Being in fandoms has exposed me to so many ideas and people, and I'm grateful for the skills these talented writers, artists and creators of the world have taught me. I've been introduced to a world where I can create and practice my new writing and art skills in an extremely supportive, stress-free environment, while being enthusiastic about what I do. That's valuable beyond words. So don't dismiss fandoms - they can do amazing things, and I'm proud to be part of that world.
(Shannon Hwang is Grade 9 student of Concordia International School Shanghai.)
The concept of a "fandom," a group of extremely dedicated fans, is not new. The "Sherlockian" fandom, centered around Sherlock Holmes, started in the 1800s. Members communicated through letters. Today, it has morphed into a version that includes fans of the original works along with movie and television adaptations. In this modern age, fandoms, each with their own subculture, have popped up everywhere online, centering around television shows such as "Star Trek" and "Doctor Who" and movie franchises like "Star Wars," as well as games like Pokémon. In these fandoms, the almost cultish level of devotion with which fans regard their favorite shows isn't new. The ever-increasing level of connectivity within and between fandoms, however, is astonishing.
Social networking sites such as Tumblr and Deviantart have become intimately linked with fandoms. On these sites, people create blogs filled with professional-level graphics dedicated to their fandom, write novel-length works of fan fiction, and create and sell fan art. Although these works are assumed to be mediocre and generally dismissed by the public, they can be surprisingly sophisticated. Terrible ones do exist, such as the infamous novel "Fifty Shades of Grey," but many professional artists and writers have designed, drawn and written for fandoms, with some even publishing official works. These sites also allow people that would never have met each other in real life to communicate and, sometimes, band together to support causes. For example, the fandom of "Supernatural," a television show, often helps charities as a result of the philanthropic actor who stars in the show.
So why do fandoms matter to me? Although people think fandoms are rather trivial, they've changed my life. Being in fandoms has exposed me to so many ideas and people, and I'm grateful for the skills these talented writers, artists and creators of the world have taught me. I've been introduced to a world where I can create and practice my new writing and art skills in an extremely supportive, stress-free environment, while being enthusiastic about what I do. That's valuable beyond words. So don't dismiss fandoms - they can do amazing things, and I'm proud to be part of that world.
(Shannon Hwang is Grade 9 student of Concordia International School Shanghai.)
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