- The Learned Fangirl wrote about the professionalization of fandom. “As we see more mainstream writing and academic study about the economies of fan culture and digital media, the ideas that Timberg presents here are worth revisiting. Communities of fan creators are more robust than ever before, and the semi-professionalization of fandom is more formalized than it has ever been, with clearly defined points of access and channels of distribution of creative work (cons, social media, podcasts, etc.). And if technology is the lifeblood of the creative class, allowing more rapid growth and implementation of ideas from different sources, then that doesn’t sound quite like a ‘killing’ to me.”
- The Columbia Chronicle posted about gender bias in fandom. “’People don’t think I’m mature because [WWE is] like fake wrestling and has a bunch of cheesy storylines, but I like it,’ said Tutson, noting that she has about 40 action figures and 11 games and gets looked down upon because people do not typically expect an 18-year-old girl to collect wrestling action figures.”
- At ProWrestling.net, another writer complained about the reaction of wrestlers to critiques from their fans. “Coachman, like representatives of WWE frequently say, is using the ‘it’s about the fun’ argument and instructing others to sit back and watch. WWE likes to say wrestling isn’t meant to be deconstructed and thought deeply about. They like to paint a picture of an industry where the most important thing is smiles on faces. They like to ignore the call for responsible storytelling. ”
- Meanwhile Metro ran an opinion piece asking for celebrities to start intervening in fan attacks. “The more popular the icon the more power and influence they wield, but too often they are silent when it comes to acknowledging the dark side of their fandoms. Jessie J has finally taken responsibility for her fans, isn’t it time every other pop star does the same?”
Drama? Fandom has plenty of it. Write about the events you’ve seen in Fanlore! Contributions are welcome from all fans.
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The fan-attack piece isn’t just appropriate for pop music — classical is just as bad, for all they like to think they are “above” that sort of thing.