Fan interaction with media is seen by scholars and media to
be problematic. Fans are remaking the original content to be something
completely different than what was originally intended by the creator. They
change the original text to suit their own personal need(s). This is not a
negative thing in it own right, and I think input from the creators themselves
would be particularly applicable to the problem Jenkins discusses in his
article as well as the many conversations within academia and the media. I know
Guillermo del Toro is quite fond of fan interaction with his works and even
encourages it. On the other hand, there are authors such as J.K. Rowling or
George Lucas that are adamant about what is considered canon based on their texts
and how their original material is reworked by fans.
Jenkins approach is interesting in considering fandom as a
subculture, proposing that the study of fandom is more comparable to cultural
studies rather than a niche perversion of consumption. Gender bending fan
fiction in particular is a fascinating aspect of the fan culture because it
allows for representation of women to become more dominant while not taking
much away from the original content. How does the story of Star Trek episodes change
if Kirk is now female instead of male? It doesn’t! It just creates an
interesting gender dynamic within the show and allows females to be represented
in a position of power. I don’t think I need to elaborate on why this point is
important for consumers.
Of course, this could potentially be problematic for some
stories. If we consider how much thought and effort goes into the creation of
characters, the choice to switch the gender of a character could change the
dynamic of the intended story. I still have a hard time figuring out what is
the “right” answer to this problem. If we are talking about television and
films as works of art intended for consumption, then the way it is consumed
varies depending on the consumer and their background. On the other hand, the
intention of the author is just as important to consider.
This is so interesting! Adventure Time, which we spoke about in the last week of class, actually directly addresses fandom, fin fiction and gender swapping and in fact have several gender swap episodes that, although are not canonical (narratively) are clearly interwoven into the fabric of the Adventure Time universe.
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