Calling for your fangirl opinions! (Questionnaire)
There is a “tendency to define fans as, at least potentially, obsessed and/or hysterical fanatics.” (Joli Jenson)
“Media fandom gives every sign of becoming a permanent culture, one which has arrived and evolved for more than twenty-five years” (Henry Jenkins)
Calling for your fangirl opinions!
To be a fan, especially one who writes and reads fanfiction, is to battle the stereotypes. You know the one: reclusive, lonely, anti-social misfit who surrenders to television to avoid anything ‘real’, or because they can’t distinguish it from the real.
Ha! Try applying that stereotype to the thousands of us who take a part in fanfiction and fan communities. And when I say thousands, I mean thousands. From all walks of life - from established authors to high school students, from academics to Finance majors.
The stereotype just doesn’t stick. And while it is beginning to erode as more and more people enter the domain of the fan, writing and reading fanfiction is still surrounded by stereotypes and misunderstanding. So it’s a silent hobby for most of us. Our ‘weekend-only’ world that remains hidden from colleagues or peers.
And I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s wanted to kick someone with our stiletto heels after listening to them ask, voice dripping in disdain: “You write fanfiction? Why?”
Why, indeed. A few academics have theories (Ask me if you’re curious). But I’ve already written about what they think. There’s a point in any girl’s studies when she has to say, enough with the regurgitating of established commentary, it’s time to dig out my own path in the field, dagnabbit. And that’s where you guys come in! As a fellow fan and fanfic writer, I want to hear what you think. I want opinions (and experiences and philosophies) about fandom from the actual fans that academia and journalism has (apart from a select few people and studies) ignored.
I’m a student at the University of Melbourne, and for my next few pieces of assessment (a piece of journalism and a pop culture essay of sorts) I’m planning to interview fellow fangirls (or, you know, guys, though haven’t really seen many around) and attempt to bring our voices and opinions to the foreground. What do we get out of being fans?
SO, I’ve set out a questionnaire that I’d be more than grateful (I’ll beg on my knees for input if I have to, lol) to anyone who’s willing to spare some time and fill it out for me! It won’t be in vain, publishing our pieces is always the long term goal and any information I gather here will be used for my thesis and future pop culture articles (there will be many, I’m invested in this field :P).
I know we all have strong opinions, so think, share! Help prove we aren’t “pathological”. You can respond to the questions in comment-form in my lj or, if you’d prefer, grab my email off my profile page and send ‘em to me that way (just leave me a comment on my lj letting me know that you’re doing so). Or, a combination of both if you prefer some info to be public while some to be a (stealing a phrase from dodger_winslow here) between you, me and the trees deal (off the record, in other words).
Again, eternally grateful to anyone willing to help me out here! Please feel free to pass this around to anyone who might be interested in helping me out, from any fandom. Or to email me/commemt with questions.
Questionnaire: I have a whole bunch of questions, so feel free to answer or ignore at will since some might be repetitive. Be honest, I’m not looking for anything fancy, just your real opinions =) Just wanna spend the time raving about Jensen’s hotness? Hey, I’m all up for reading that, lol. Be as specific or general as you like.
Preliminary (you can email me some of this stuff if you don’t want it publicly revealed in a comment.)
Name (pseudonym or preferably real, just for verification purposes):
Email:
Age:
Gender:
Occupation:
Questions: Answer with as much detail (anecdotes, description, ‘scene setting’ etc) as you like. Serious, long, short and sweet, witty - whatever your voice is let it shine on through.
What fandoms are you a part of?
What do you contribute to these fandoms? (example: reading and feedback-ing fanfic, writing fanfic, fan vids, graphics, episode commentary, general chit-chat about the hotness of say, Jensen ;-), etc. )
How long have you been a fan and what prompted you to get involved in the communities?
Apart from your personal lj, what communities are you actively a part of and what do they do?
What do you get out of being part of your fandom?
Where’d your pseudonym come from?
“…fans are consumers who also produce, readers who also write, spectators who also participate.” (Henry Jenkins)
If you write Fanfic, create fanvids, icons, etc, can you give me a brief (or long, totally up to you) history of your involvement? (How many you’ve written/created, what subgenres you write in - H/C, fluff, slash, wincest, filk songs, etc, what the general reception has been, where you’ve archived your stuff in the past, what draws you to writing/creating these fan creations, if you’ve been embroiled in controversy or flame wars, etc.)
What specifically is the appeal of fanfic (writing or reading)? (For e.g: for me it gives me an outlet to develop my writing with a ready audience willing to offer feedback. And, also, what person doesn’t get a rush at having people read their stuff ;D)
For fanfic writers, what defines your pieces? (For me it’s the Hurt!Dean thing, for many others it’s Wincest, etc) If you’ve ever thought about it, what do you think draws you to these particular categories?
Can you explain to me your process, from start to finish, of writing a piece of fanfic?
How important are reviews/comments to you?
Set the scene: You’re writing fic, talking to other fans, etc. Where are you, what time is it, what mind frame are you in, what surrounds you, are you doing something else at the same time?
“…fans cannot as a group be dismissed as intellectually inferior; they are often highly educated, articulate people…” (Jenkins)
Fanfiction is often considered subversive. It revels in things that are often on the fringe of dominant culture, such as slash and wincest and hurt/comfort. Why do you think this is? (Can be in general or about your partic. fandom)
Does being a fan cross over into your profession/life at all? Or do you keep the two completely separate?
How has writing fanfic (if you do, of course) helped you develop your writing skills and passion?
What do you think the appeal of online communities is?
A lot of online communities are mainly female-oriented, especially when it comes to fanfiction. Any ideas on why this is?
Let’s talk about porn and gender! I’m told it’s a fact that females prefer reading porn over watching it. If this true for you (if you write and/or read it)? Any thoughts on why you enjoy fan porn, over the regular ol’ sort, for lack of a better phrase, lol?
A question that I’m really interested in: Why do a lot of us find the Hurt!(insert name) subgenre so appealing?
Why do you think we get the bad (or…misunderstood:P) rep?
Is there an emotional element to being a fan?
“How many other fans enjoy the process of fandom more that, or at least as much as, the supposedly central attraction of the shows and movies themselves? Probably more than myself alone” (Personal correspondence in Jenkins’ “Fan Critics”)
From the pov of a fan, what makes your fandom/s so appealing?
Has fanfiction/fan involvement increased your love of the show? Has it changed the way you view it?
How would you explain to the…uninitiated? Lol…the what impact of being a fan and creating fanfiction/icons etc has had on your life, beyond the desire for fun escapism?
Have you made a lot of friends in the fandom? Does this friendship go beyond comment-counting?
“…we can…see virtual culture…[as] dissatisfactions about, and rejection of, an old one.” (Robins)
Any pet peeves about your fandom? Anything you’re ardently against (say, RPS, lurkers, antagonistic fans, etc)?
Is there a certain time/mood when you’re more likely to be online, involving yourself in fan activities?
Do you tend to keep your fan status quiet, or tell anyone who’ll listen? Or perhaps it depends on the company you’re in? Or have you had a bad reaction in the past and now relish this world in quiet?
How much of your life is dedicated to your fandom? How many hours would you say you spend on it? (I spend at least a few a day! Lol)
Tell me about your fandom/s:
Other:
Do you have any anecdotes you’d like to share? Any at all.
Anything else you’d like to add? Anything that I’ve neglected to ask that might be of interest in an article about fanfiction and/or fans?
Anything more you’d like to add to help break the stereotypes circling fans? (This here is the place to rant angrily, people ;-D )
General fandom chit chat? Fav character and why? Who's hotter, Jensen or Jared, lol. Fav eps? Been to any convenyions? lol. (My own curiosity and amusement here).
“Media fandom gives every sign of becoming a permanent culture, one which has arrived and evolved for more than twenty-five years” (Henry Jenkins)
Calling for your fangirl opinions!
To be a fan, especially one who writes and reads fanfiction, is to battle the stereotypes. You know the one: reclusive, lonely, anti-social misfit who surrenders to television to avoid anything ‘real’, or because they can’t distinguish it from the real.
Ha! Try applying that stereotype to the thousands of us who take a part in fanfiction and fan communities. And when I say thousands, I mean thousands. From all walks of life - from established authors to high school students, from academics to Finance majors.
The stereotype just doesn’t stick. And while it is beginning to erode as more and more people enter the domain of the fan, writing and reading fanfiction is still surrounded by stereotypes and misunderstanding. So it’s a silent hobby for most of us. Our ‘weekend-only’ world that remains hidden from colleagues or peers.
And I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s wanted to kick someone with our stiletto heels after listening to them ask, voice dripping in disdain: “You write fanfiction? Why?”
Why, indeed. A few academics have theories (Ask me if you’re curious). But I’ve already written about what they think. There’s a point in any girl’s studies when she has to say, enough with the regurgitating of established commentary, it’s time to dig out my own path in the field, dagnabbit. And that’s where you guys come in! As a fellow fan and fanfic writer, I want to hear what you think. I want opinions (and experiences and philosophies) about fandom from the actual fans that academia and journalism has (apart from a select few people and studies) ignored.
I’m a student at the University of Melbourne, and for my next few pieces of assessment (a piece of journalism and a pop culture essay of sorts) I’m planning to interview fellow fangirls (or, you know, guys, though haven’t really seen many around) and attempt to bring our voices and opinions to the foreground. What do we get out of being fans?
SO, I’ve set out a questionnaire that I’d be more than grateful (I’ll beg on my knees for input if I have to, lol) to anyone who’s willing to spare some time and fill it out for me! It won’t be in vain, publishing our pieces is always the long term goal and any information I gather here will be used for my thesis and future pop culture articles (there will be many, I’m invested in this field :P).
I know we all have strong opinions, so think, share! Help prove we aren’t “pathological”. You can respond to the questions in comment-form in my lj or, if you’d prefer, grab my email off my profile page and send ‘em to me that way (just leave me a comment on my lj letting me know that you’re doing so). Or, a combination of both if you prefer some info to be public while some to be a (stealing a phrase from dodger_winslow here) between you, me and the trees deal (off the record, in other words).
Again, eternally grateful to anyone willing to help me out here! Please feel free to pass this around to anyone who might be interested in helping me out, from any fandom. Or to email me/commemt with questions.
Questionnaire: I have a whole bunch of questions, so feel free to answer or ignore at will since some might be repetitive. Be honest, I’m not looking for anything fancy, just your real opinions =) Just wanna spend the time raving about Jensen’s hotness? Hey, I’m all up for reading that, lol. Be as specific or general as you like.
Preliminary (you can email me some of this stuff if you don’t want it publicly revealed in a comment.)
Name (pseudonym or preferably real, just for verification purposes):
Email:
Age:
Gender:
Occupation:
Questions: Answer with as much detail (anecdotes, description, ‘scene setting’ etc) as you like. Serious, long, short and sweet, witty - whatever your voice is let it shine on through.
What fandoms are you a part of?
What do you contribute to these fandoms? (example: reading and feedback-ing fanfic, writing fanfic, fan vids, graphics, episode commentary, general chit-chat about the hotness of say, Jensen ;-), etc. )
How long have you been a fan and what prompted you to get involved in the communities?
Apart from your personal lj, what communities are you actively a part of and what do they do?
What do you get out of being part of your fandom?
Where’d your pseudonym come from?
“…fans are consumers who also produce, readers who also write, spectators who also participate.” (Henry Jenkins)
If you write Fanfic, create fanvids, icons, etc, can you give me a brief (or long, totally up to you) history of your involvement? (How many you’ve written/created, what subgenres you write in - H/C, fluff, slash, wincest, filk songs, etc, what the general reception has been, where you’ve archived your stuff in the past, what draws you to writing/creating these fan creations, if you’ve been embroiled in controversy or flame wars, etc.)
What specifically is the appeal of fanfic (writing or reading)? (For e.g: for me it gives me an outlet to develop my writing with a ready audience willing to offer feedback. And, also, what person doesn’t get a rush at having people read their stuff ;D)
For fanfic writers, what defines your pieces? (For me it’s the Hurt!Dean thing, for many others it’s Wincest, etc) If you’ve ever thought about it, what do you think draws you to these particular categories?
Can you explain to me your process, from start to finish, of writing a piece of fanfic?
How important are reviews/comments to you?
Set the scene: You’re writing fic, talking to other fans, etc. Where are you, what time is it, what mind frame are you in, what surrounds you, are you doing something else at the same time?
“…fans cannot as a group be dismissed as intellectually inferior; they are often highly educated, articulate people…” (Jenkins)
Fanfiction is often considered subversive. It revels in things that are often on the fringe of dominant culture, such as slash and wincest and hurt/comfort. Why do you think this is? (Can be in general or about your partic. fandom)
Does being a fan cross over into your profession/life at all? Or do you keep the two completely separate?
How has writing fanfic (if you do, of course) helped you develop your writing skills and passion?
What do you think the appeal of online communities is?
A lot of online communities are mainly female-oriented, especially when it comes to fanfiction. Any ideas on why this is?
Let’s talk about porn and gender! I’m told it’s a fact that females prefer reading porn over watching it. If this true for you (if you write and/or read it)? Any thoughts on why you enjoy fan porn, over the regular ol’ sort, for lack of a better phrase, lol?
A question that I’m really interested in: Why do a lot of us find the Hurt!(insert name) subgenre so appealing?
Why do you think we get the bad (or…misunderstood:P) rep?
Is there an emotional element to being a fan?
“How many other fans enjoy the process of fandom more that, or at least as much as, the supposedly central attraction of the shows and movies themselves? Probably more than myself alone” (Personal correspondence in Jenkins’ “Fan Critics”)
From the pov of a fan, what makes your fandom/s so appealing?
Has fanfiction/fan involvement increased your love of the show? Has it changed the way you view it?
How would you explain to the…uninitiated? Lol…the what impact of being a fan and creating fanfiction/icons etc has had on your life, beyond the desire for fun escapism?
Have you made a lot of friends in the fandom? Does this friendship go beyond comment-counting?
“…we can…see virtual culture…[as] dissatisfactions about, and rejection of, an old one.” (Robins)
Any pet peeves about your fandom? Anything you’re ardently against (say, RPS, lurkers, antagonistic fans, etc)?
Is there a certain time/mood when you’re more likely to be online, involving yourself in fan activities?
Do you tend to keep your fan status quiet, or tell anyone who’ll listen? Or perhaps it depends on the company you’re in? Or have you had a bad reaction in the past and now relish this world in quiet?
How much of your life is dedicated to your fandom? How many hours would you say you spend on it? (I spend at least a few a day! Lol)
Tell me about your fandom/s:
Other:
Do you have any anecdotes you’d like to share? Any at all.
Anything else you’d like to add? Anything that I’ve neglected to ask that might be of interest in an article about fanfiction and/or fans?
Anything more you’d like to add to help break the stereotypes circling fans? (This here is the place to rant angrily, people ;-D )
General fandom chit chat? Fav character and why? Who's hotter, Jensen or Jared, lol. Fav eps? Been to any convenyions? lol. (My own curiosity and amusement here).