Links Roundup for 16 November 2011

Here’s a roundup of stories on the performative aspects of fandom that might be of interest to fans:

  • Several researchers at Lousiana State University have been studying sports fans. “Osborne’s research on “Performative Sport Fandom” looks at how fandom is socially constructed. Her major area of interest is how the performances of fandom, particularly for hyper-masculine sports like football, work in conjunction with other performances such as gender. Put simply, how is performing as a fan different for women than it is for men?” Another professor studying sports fans’ use of social media found “that the more active you are in the these social areas, the more passion you have for the sport and the team. People that were high users had a lot of frustration and anger – they are more aggressive.”
  • One look at a very clear performative aspect of sports fandom is on ESPN’s College GameDay, which relies heavily on fans to provide both audience and backdrop for the broadcast. “At the heart of the show are the students. When I asked coordinating producer Fitting what was the best part about doing GameDay he replied that it was going to a campus for the first time. “To see the excitement and the thrill these kids have to see the guys and be a part of the show, it’s awesome.”
  • Another clear aspect of fans’ “performance” is a non-traditional sport taking place on college campuses. A University of Kansas article mentioned the International Quidditch Association’s documentary about last year’s World Cup titled “Brooms Up” on YouTube and also the activities of the local team. “The Kansas quidditch team members …travelled to Overland Park on Saturday afternoon to teach local kids how to play quidditch or, as they call it, “kidditch.””

If you’re part of a sports fandom or on a quidditch team, why not contribute to Fanlore? Additions are welcome from all fans.

We want your suggestions! If you know of an essay, video, article, event, or link you think we should know about, comment on the most recent Links Roundup — on transformativeworks.org, LJ, or DW — or give @OTW_News a shoutout on Twitter. Links are welcome in all languages!

Submitting a link doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in a roundup post, and inclusion of a link doesn’t mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.

2011-11-16 admin
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  1. Cynthia W. Walker commented: What is OTW doing about the SOPA Censorship Bil?
    • Claudia Rebaza commented: Hi Cynthia -- I have asked our Legal Committee if there is any plan of action by the OTW regarding SOPA. A statement was made by the committee on October 31, and a links post for next week will be discussing it as well. If I receive a statement from Legal by that time I will link to it from the post, or they may make a further separate post on the issue.
    • Claudia Rebaza commented: Sorry, my link to the earlier post got lost. The October 31 statement is here.