VERY interesting podcast!
Hellatus navel gazing, as it pertains to Show writing and fandom, under cut...
The Nerdist Writers Panel
I love this podcast BUNCHES, and this particular episode rings especially true for us, in the Supernatural fandom. The podcast is hosted by Ben Blacker, a television and comic writer who also spearheads the Thrilling Adventure Hour ("in the style of old-time radio") and is a Supernatural writing alumnus.
A handful of television writers (for Bones, Secret Circle, The Finder, Intelligence) discuss, in part, social media and the impact fandom has on their job. The short of it? Zippo, really, except as it pertains to advertising.
Any member of a fandom who thinks they can badger a TV writer/show runner/director/producer (over Twitter, ahem) into bending a storyline in any particular direction is simply grinding smoke. Period. And the writers "fucking hate it." What's more, is they "fucking hate" when someone tweets "Fandom wants 'x'." Because it's total bullshit--any one person speaking for an entire fandom is bullshit. The fandom numbers, as far as these particular writers report, are about 1 in 50. This means that for every ONE passionate fangirl/person, there are FIFTY average, habitual viewers. We're just reeeeeally loud. ;)
Now, this situation may change as social media becomes more powerful, but as it stands, we have very little impact on a show except to support it by watching, and voting in events to bring our show more notice. We can only influence it by keeping it on the air. Additionally, there is never a consensus in fandom. It's narcissistic to believe "our faction is mighty and deserves to be heard!" Only the network holds that esteemed position.
All this being said, it never hurts to ask for better representation of any given demographic, be it LGBTA (basically, any non-hetero) lifestyle, POCs, genders, you name it. But to require a particular turn of events to come to fruition is just unrealistic, IMHO.
Discuss! Or not. But please keep it civil, okay gang? *fistbump*
The Nerdist Writers Panel
I love this podcast BUNCHES, and this particular episode rings especially true for us, in the Supernatural fandom. The podcast is hosted by Ben Blacker, a television and comic writer who also spearheads the Thrilling Adventure Hour ("in the style of old-time radio") and is a Supernatural writing alumnus.
A handful of television writers (for Bones, Secret Circle, The Finder, Intelligence) discuss, in part, social media and the impact fandom has on their job. The short of it? Zippo, really, except as it pertains to advertising.
Any member of a fandom who thinks they can badger a TV writer/show runner/director/producer (over Twitter, ahem) into bending a storyline in any particular direction is simply grinding smoke. Period. And the writers "fucking hate it." What's more, is they "fucking hate" when someone tweets "Fandom wants 'x'." Because it's total bullshit--any one person speaking for an entire fandom is bullshit. The fandom numbers, as far as these particular writers report, are about 1 in 50. This means that for every ONE passionate fangirl/person, there are FIFTY average, habitual viewers. We're just reeeeeally loud. ;)
Now, this situation may change as social media becomes more powerful, but as it stands, we have very little impact on a show except to support it by watching, and voting in events to bring our show more notice. We can only influence it by keeping it on the air. Additionally, there is never a consensus in fandom. It's narcissistic to believe "our faction is mighty and deserves to be heard!" Only the network holds that esteemed position.
All this being said, it never hurts to ask for better representation of any given demographic, be it LGBTA (basically, any non-hetero) lifestyle, POCs, genders, you name it. But to require a particular turn of events to come to fruition is just unrealistic, IMHO.
Discuss! Or not. But please keep it civil, okay gang? *fistbump*