Here’s a roundup of stories on commodification of fandom that might be of interest to fans:
- The TV series Chuck‘s demise was covered by various media outlets but NPR focused on the fandom. “Chuck’s life and death speaks in surprisingly potent ways to how television is changing” writes Linda Holmes. “More than anything, Chuck is a story about the rise of the fan. Not only because the show has organized devotees — that’s not new.” Rather it was that “Chuck fans, in their businesslike enthusiasm, sold themselves as a product.”
- A review of the recent novel Convent says that while it “skewers just about every aspect of organized fandom and the publishing industry (sometimes literally) there’s rarely any meanness in it, more like family poking fun at a favorite — if slightly strange — uncle. ConVent is just great fun, a laugh riot from beginning to end and largely drawn from real-life experiences at cons.” There is also a sequel planned.
- An article about a controversial YouTube user focused on how the DMCA is being utilized, not just by entertainment entities attempting to control use of their products, but also the “growing use of copyright claims as a cudgel against enemies and rivals.” The misuse of the law can also hurt artists. “Last September, one person falsely claimed copyright over music videos by Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga. It took hours for the videos to be restored. And that was an unusually fast response. It can normally take days or weeks for YouTube to restore a video —- and that’s if the person who posted it responds with a counterclaim against the original DMCA request. Nearly 8,000 YouTubers have signed a petition calling on Google to reform how it handles DMCA notices.””
- By contrast, Portals is a music blog collective of sixteen bloggers raising money through Kickstarter to help artists. They describe the site as “”a daily destination for MP3s, videos, mixes, interviews, artist’s writings, and cultural commentary — curated for quality, and with an emphasis on emerging artists and musical movements that best exemplify the new grassroots, Internet-fueled DIY.”” But one of the writers “balked at the idea of wielding “influence” over a readership” explaining “I’m not trying to become more influential. I guess the goal of expanding who we’re reaching is something, but I don’t want anyone to listen to something because I said so. I just want to let as many people know it exists as I can. I want these bands I think are amazing to at least have the chance to be heard. I just don’t think influence is the right word.””
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