Participatory culture is about how people engage and
participate with a popular medium or text that revolutionises how they interact
both with likeminded people and the wider community (Jenkins, 2006). While
participatory culture has existed since the 1930s, the introduction of social
media has changed the way young people are interacting, with social media
forums influencing the ways how many young people interact both in a virtual
and in a physical setting. Participatory
culture shifts the focus from an individuals’ perspective to how a person sees
their ideas through involvement with a larger group (Jenkins, 2009:6). As social
media becomes increasingly embedded in our lives, it has opened up multiple
platforms, increasing the opportunities for us to contribute to the dialog (DeSouza,2013:5).
Jenkins notes that modern popular culture is being
revolutionised. The traditional top-down model where producers get total
control over content is shown is shifting because there is a strong grassroots
movement of young people who are actively deciding to select what material to
accept or reject; using it as a baseline in which to create their own material
(Jenkins,2006; Herzong,2012: Article 1.3). This type of convergence gives them
a sense of power which was previously unheard of and are slowly changing the
rules, as they are becoming a generation that has an active involvement in the
cultural economy as they become creators of content and give back to their
communities (Jenkins,2009:10-12).
Johnson argues that popular culture is enhancing the
cognitive development of young people as opposed to making them stupid (Johnson,
2005:12). He maintains that young people don’t want stuff dumbed down but are
craving intellectual stimulation, going out and seeking more demanding material
(Johnson, 2005:9). This can be demonstrated in the actions of Hunger Games
fans. While the novels are pitched at a young adult audience, their content is
considered “heavy” for this audience, with the subject matter including
conscription, dictatorship and children fighting to the death for the entertainment
of the elite(Canar,2009). Rather than shy away from serious topics the fans
have embraced it - engaging in a dialogue that is well beyond their years,
paralleling the scenarios in the books with situations involving countries
abroad (See Ethnographic Appendix, Article 35).
By participating in these forums, young people are able to see parallels
between the text and current events, acting as a catalyst for other young
people to become aware of civic action.
Fiske
explains that popular culture or “popular pleasures” arise from social
connections formed by subordinated people (such as young people), and these
movements are bottom-up and exist in some context to oppose the power
structures that control them (2010:40). The engagement with these popular
pleasures creates a social capital, the higher the level of involvement; the
more capital one accumulates (Fiske,1992:33-34). Those with a high level
of capital are considered to be closer to the ‘canon’ or official text; and
often discriminate between themselves and those who don’t follow the canon
closely. This can be demonstrated through various created works on Tumblr. In
my past dealings with fandoms on this platform there is a substantial
difference between what constitutes a “gaps and silences” work, which works
within the canon boundaries and what is “non-canon” and ignores or changes
vital elements of the universe. If canon is repeatedly disregarded, it can
cause friction, leading to that creator being “un-followed” or ostracised.
Tumbr is one of the fastest growing social media
forums in recent memory. There are several major features that make the Tumblr
platform appealing to young people and allow them to demonstrate participatory
culture (Jenkins, 2009). Firstly, users only need to provide a username and an
age, allowing young people a sense of anonymity and freedom that other sites
may not allow. Secondly, membership to Tumblr communities is not based on
physical or personal characteristics. Unlike the young person who may be
isolated at school because they are different, the Tumblr philosophy of
acceptance based on the mutual love of a common interest, that makes users feel
accepted and valued. Thirdly, The content does not have to be original - they
can re-blog items that they like into their own account for others to follow
(although from personal experience I have found that it is considered a faux
pas not to acknowledge the original source). Finally, blogging on Tumblr is not
limited to words, but can be expressed in almost any format – including
pictures, gifs (a moving graphic file) and videos (DeSouza, 2013:10). All these features make the space feel open
and inclusive.
Fandoms can be likened to a fraternity of elite
viewers, which show a heighted dedication and active involvement to their pop
culture pursuits (Hadas, 2013:330). These members sit above the regular
audience who passively engage with the text. Similar to a fraternity, the
fandom subculture could be considered a closed group as a priori knowledge of
the subject matter is required to participate within the forum (Scodari and Felder,2000:240) and phrases such as “it’s not that
important” or “it’s just a [book/movie/]television show” are seen as nothing
short of blasphemous (Jenkins,1992:10). People are able to be involved in
multiple fandoms at the same time through the representation of multi-fandom
blogs and pages (See Ethnographic Appendix Articles 1,2,13,14, 22 and 32). As a
collective they provide momentum to grow cultural capital within their online
community, which can radiate out into the real world (Kirby-Diaz,2013:39). Shippers
are one just one section of the wider fandom community.
Shipping is not a new phenomenon in the world of
popular culture. “Shippers”, which is short for relationshippers, are people
who emotionally invest in the relationships of a particular text. The term
became popularised by one of the first examples in the X-Files with Scully/Mulder
partnership in the early 1990s (Williams, 2011:271). While it is not limited to a particular
demographic, young women and teenagers are highly represented (Scodari and Felder, 2000:238). The ‘shipper’
behavior can be considered extreme and obsessive rather than appropriately
passionate by outsiders unfamiliar with the subculture (Grossberg, 1992:64; Jenkins,1992:15).Even though the fan
pairings will have no authority over the actual text, the act of shipping gives
the fans a sense of power and purpose within their fandom. Jenkins notes that
publishing work is no longer exclusive to the social elite and is no accessible
to previously marginalized sections – such as teenagers (Williams,2011:279;Jenkins,2006).
There are three types of “ships” that are present within the
fandom community. The first are canon ships, which are made up of character
relationships that are present in the original text. The second is non-canon
ships made up of character combinations that are not written in the text.
Finally there are “slash” ships, which discuss romantic relationships between
characters of the same sex.
Canon ships emphasise the character relationships within the text.
This can be shown through fans highlighting particular moments within the text
that they loved or use the framework set out by the author to create an
original work such through “gaps and silences”. Within the Potter fandom this is shown through
the “Ronmione” ship – a combination of Ron and Hermione. Entire pages are
dedicated to the “greatest otp [one true pairing] ever” with fans declaring
that the relationship is “perfect”. Boards are filled with fan-made art of the
couple and gifs of their world
(Kirby-Diaz,2013:41; See Ethnographic Article 5). Within the Hunger Games
fandom, the Peetnis” ship – a combination of the two protagonists, Peeta
Mellark and Katniss Everdeen, is the dominant “canon ship”. Although outside influences such as mainstream media see
this relationship as one aspect of a perceived love triangle, the fandom have
chosen not to become tribal and have embraced the single character of Katniss;
allowing her emotions to drive the force of the “relationship” rather than the
shippers choosing for her by basing it on actions of either suitor (See
Ethnographic Appendix Articles, 5 and 33). These ships support the authority
and legitimacy of the original text, building upon the existing cultural
capital within circulation.
Non-canon ships are built upon the interpreted subtext shippers
claim is in the text. This is shown in the Hunger Games through the “Gadge”
ship – a combination of secondary characters Gale and Madge. One Tumblr gif read “I ship Gale and Madge so
hard it hurts. In my mind Madge survived the bombings and was somewhere in D[District]2
waiting for Gale. They got married and had babies…” (See Ethnographic Appendix
– Article 4) The strongest piece of evidence to support this romance comes from
Catching Fire when Madge supplies the expensive medicine to help Gales after he
is publically whipped in the Main Square (Collins, 2009:140-141). There are similar examples in the Potter
fandom with the “Harmony” ship – the combination of Harry and Hermione. Although some shippers support
this because she calms Harry down, believes in him and always watches his
Quidditch matches; other fans have rejected this by arguing that these
behaviours are similar to a sister rather than a lover (See Ethnographic
Article 20). By reading between the lines and
creating these alternate scenarios, they are actively participating and are
assisting to shape their online community by broadening the cultural capital
landscape (Jenkins,2006).
Slash ships are some of the most controversial yet engaging
section of the fandom community. Slash ships throw out regular societal
expectations of gender and allow characters to uncover traits allowing them to
form erotic partnerships (Jenkins in Tosenberger,
2008:192-193). Like other
non-canonical relationships, they have been marginalised by mainstream fans who
have accused them of distorting the characters. The Hunger Games fandom have
embraced this with the “Peenick” ship – a combination of Peeta and Finnick
(another male contestant in the Games), was sparked by a passage in Catching Fire where Katniss sees “Finnick kissing Peeta” (He is actually performing CPR)
(Collins,2009:337). Paralleling this is the “Drarry” ship –
a combination of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Rather than the characters
being friends, it combines characters who are enemies with the text. While
there is no evidence within the text to support this, shippers have recast the
characters hatred as angst and sexual tension to create scenarios and alternate
storylines for their own benefit. While homophobia is acknowledged it is
usually downplayed (Tosenberger, 2008:194; See Ethnographic Appendix Article 22).
The premise of young people being engaged in slash ships
gives them the ability to experiment, explore their sexual orientations and
express their opinions about homosexuality with other fans, within an environment
they feel comfortable in, with boundaries they can control.
Critics of social media sites may take the stereotypical
approach that young people who heavily engage in these fandom community sites
will become anti-social and will be unable to function or contribute properly
in the offline world (Jenkins,1992:10). This
is not the case. Tumblr fandoms are communities in themselves, and like offline
social groups they have a set of norms, rules and expectations that their
members abide by. Young people accept this code of conduct as they participate
in these online forums (Curwood, 2013:421). The skills they learn within this
space can mirror how these individuals can transfer this to the real world and
become contributing members of society. By participating in fandoms they have
made a conscious decision to become active contributors rather than passive
viewers, and this passion, no matter how random it may seem to outsiders, will
translate into other areas of their lives.
There is a quote about Tumblr that has been
circulating for the past couple of months that I think beautifully summaries
this platform -“Tumblr isn’t just a blogging platform. It’s a place full of
people who are just like you. Tumblr has taught you lessons, given you laughter
and inspired you. It was always a place you could find comfort in, where you
could vent your anger and share your sadness. Full of people who understand you
and who are just as sane as you are.” (Ethnographic Appendix Article 37). To
me, this illustrates the camaraderie between members of a community who
may never meet. Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have been just two snapshots
of a wider shipping subculture where young people are actively participating and
connecting through this online community. It doesn’t matter what your ship is
or whether it is mainstream or not, they have gained a positive group identity
and sense of acceptance by sharing and voicing their passions.
Reference List
Canar,
A. (2009). The Hunger Games. Children’s Book and Play Review, 90(6).
Retrieved from https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/CBPR/article/download/18566/17299
Curwood,
J.S, & Fink, L. (2013). The hunger games: Literature, literacy, and online
affinity spaces. Language Arts,90(6), 417-427.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1399991078?accountid=13380.
DeSouza,
M. (2013). A Case of the Red Pants Mondays: The Connection Between Fandom,
Tumblr, and Consumption. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/tmd_major_papers/3/?utm_source=digitalcommons.uri.edu%2Ftmd_major_papers%2F3&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages
Fiske,
J. (1992). The Cultural Economy of Fandom In Lewis , L.A. (Ed) The
Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media, (pp. 30-49). New York:
Routledge
Fiske, J. (2010). Productive pleasures. In Understanding
popular culture. (pp. 40-55) New York: Routledge
Grossberg,
L., (1992). The Affective Sensibility of Fandom. In Lewis , L.A. (Ed) The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and
Popular Media (pp. 50-65). New York: Routledge
Hadas,
L. (2013). Resisting the romance: “Shipping” and the discourse of genre
uniqueness in Doctor Who fandom. European Journal of Cultural Studies , 16
(3), 329–343. doi:10.1177/1367549413476011
Herzog, A. (2012). “But this is my story and this is how I wanted to
write it”: Author's Notes as a Fannish Claim to Power in Fan Fiction Writing. Transformative
Works and Cultures, 11. doi:10.3983/twc.2012.0406.
Jenkins, H. (1992) Textual
Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture. New York: Routledge
Jenkins, H. (2006, June 19) Welcome to Convergence Culture [Web log
post] Retrieved from http://henryjenkins.org/2006/06/welcome_to_convergence_culture.html
Jenkins, H. (2009) Enabling Participation: Media Education for the 21st
Century. In Jenkins, H. (Ed.) Confronting the Challenges of Participatory
Culture. (pp. 5-14). Retrieved from http://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/free_download/9780262513623_Confronting_the_Challenges.pdf
Johnson, S. (2005). Introduction - 'The Sleeper Curve'.
In Everything bad is good for you: how today’s popular culture is
actually making us smarter, (pp.1 - 14). New
York: Riverhead Books.
Kirby-Diaz, M.(2013) Ficcers and
Shippers: A Love Story. In Stuller, J.K (Ed.) Fan Phenomena: Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, (pp. 38-51). Chicago, IL: Intellect Books.
Scodari,
C., and Felder, J. (2003) Creating a Pocket Universe: "Shippers", Fan
Fiction, and the X-Files Online, Communicaiton
Studies, 51(3), 238-257. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/233197251?accountid=13380
Tosenberger,
C. (2008). Homosexuality at the online Hogwarts: Harry Potter slash fanfiction.
Children’s Literature, 36, 185–207. doi:10.1353/chl.0.0017
Williams,
R. (2011). Wandering off into soap land’: Fandom, genre and “shipping” The West
Wing’. Participations, 270–295. Retrieved from http://www.participations.org/Volume 8/Issue
1/PDF/williams.pdf
Ethnographic Appendix
Methodology
This ethnographic sweep of the site Tumblr was conducted
between August 1 2013 and September 1 2013. To sample size taken during this
time was 37 URL sites as this was seen as wide enough to cover the different
aspects of both fandoms. To be able to judge whether a candidate was a member
of a particular fandom 3 aspects were noted: was there a reference to either
the text or the film actors in the URL? Did the site list the franchise as one
of their fandoms in their “about me” section of their blog? And did the author
identify himself or herself as a “shipper” of a particular franchise? Sites that were not seen to successfully pass
these criteria were not recorded. The time ranges or cycles of these fandoms
should also be taken into account – while the Harry Potter fandom has a largere
amount of content to build upon, there are no new official material in the
pipeline. This is in opposition to the Hunger Games, which is set to have a
spike in popularity leading up to the release of the second movie Catching Fire in November 2013.
Ethnographic Articles
Article 1 –
Unknown Author (2012) District 9 ¾ [Tumblr Post] Retrieved from http://peetamellarkly.tumblr.com/post/30808219724
Article 2 – Unknown
Author (2013, August 21) Forever and Always [Tumblr Post] Retrieved from http://finiteincantatem-x.tumblr.com/
Article 3 –
Unknown Author (2013, January 8) Hunger Games http://il0veseamushp.tumblr.com/tagged/Hunger+Games
Article
4 – Unknown Author (2012, December 31) Gadge Ship Confession [Tumblr
Post] Retrieved from http://fyeahhungergamesconfessions.tumblr.com/post/35613694275
Article 5 – Unknown Author (2013, August) Crazy Signs [Tumblr
Post] Retrieved from http://jhutchplusjlaw.tumblr.com/post/60236740592
Article 6 – Unknown Author, (2012, December) Ship All the
Hunger Games Ships [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://hungergamecrackships.tumblr.com
Article 7 – Unknown Author (2013, August) Hunger Games Shipping
Confessions [Tumblr Blog] http://thgshippingconfessions.tumblr.com
Article 8 – Unknown Author (2013, September 1) she’s amazing,
he’s charming [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://hutchersonandlawrence.tumblr.com
Article 9 –Abby (2012, August) Radiant as the Sun [Tumblr Blog]
Retrieved from http://p-r-i-m-r-o-s-e.tumblr.com
Article 10 – Mark, (2013, June 4) Bread and Arrows [Tumblr Blog]
Retrieved from http://peetasmagicaloven.tumblr.com
Article 11 – Ally, (2013, August 19) No one is a Victor By
Chance [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://melodiesofamockingjay.tumblr.com
Article 12 – Sophie, (2013, August 20) Team Twelve Retrieved
from http://cinnasownmockingjay.tumblr.com/tagged/thg
Article 13 – Lily, (2013, September 1) Hunger Games [Tumblr
Blog] Retrieved from http://mynightmaresareaboutlosingyou.tumblr.com/tagged/f;the%20hunger%20games
Article 14 – Unknown Author, (August 10) I’ll carry your world
[Tumblr blog] Retrieved from http://mockingdream.tumblr.com/tagged/thg
Article 15 – Unknown Author, (2013, August 6) hair red as a
flame in the forest [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://hearthorne.tumblr.com/tagged/hunger+games
Article 16 – Anna, (2013, September 1) last year was child’s
play [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://ennobaria.tumblr.com/tagged/the-hunger-games
Article 17 – Mike, (2013, February) Hunger Games [Tumblr Blog]
Retrieved from http://a-world-of-our-very-own.tumblr.com/tagged/thggif
Article 18 – Unknown Author, (2013, August 4) Tick Tock, [Tumblr
Post] Retrieved from http://ticktockbreadboy.tumblr.com/post/57379988190
Article 19 – Unknown Author (2013) Hunger Games [Tumblr Blog]
Retrieved from http://warrioreverdeeen.tumblr.com/tagged/Hunger+Games
Article
20 - Mistylehoang (2010, October 27) Reasons We Ship Harry
and Hermione [Tumblr Post] Retrieved from
Article 21 – Unknown Author (2012, September) Ron and Hermione
Greatest OTP [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://fuckyeahronhermione.tumblr.com/
Article 22 – Daria (2013, August) Drarry [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved
from http://justlittleharry.tumblr.com/tagged/drarry
Article 23 – Unknown Author (2013, August 30) said Snape [Tumblr
Blog] Retrieved from http://severus-my-love.tumblr.com/
Article 24 – Selina (2012, December 5) Defying Gravity [Tumblr
Blog] Retrieved from http://hurtscozitmatters.tumblr.com/tagged/Harry-Potter
Article 25 – Courtney and Tiffany (2013, September 1) Welcome to
District 12 [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://welcome-to-district-12.tumblr.com/
Article 26 – Unknown Author (2013, August 21) Potterhead [Tumblr
Blog] Retrieved from http://im-a-just-a-potterhead.tumblr.com/
Article 27 – Unknown Author (2013, August 19) Harry Potter
Geekdom [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://harrypottergeekdom.tumblr.com/tagged/harry-potter
Article 28 – Unknown Author (2013, August 18) Let Us Be
Potterheads [Tumblr Post] Retrieved from http://dramionefelton.tumblr.com/post/58604000737/pugmuncher-freethehouseelves-fiiniick
Article 29 – Unknown Author (2013, August 30) I solemnly swear
I’m up to no good [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://callmetonks.tumblr.com/
Article 30 – Unknown Author, (2013, August 30) Not All Who
Wander are Lost [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://potterlings.tumblr.com/
Article 31 – Unknown Author, (2013, August) Harry Potter Hunger
Game Crossovers [Tumblr Blog] Retrieved from http://quaffle-chasers.tumblr.com/tagged/thg
Article 32 – Unknown Author (2013, July) Hunger Games [Tumblr
Blog] Retrieved from http://let-thegamesbegin.tumblr.com/tagged/hunger+games
Article 33 – Unknown Author (2012, March 31) Team Katniss
[Tumblr Post] Retrieved from http://flynnfury.tumblr.com/image/55941294009
Article 34 – Fabylo (2013, August 19) We’re All Mad Here [Tumblr
Post] Retrieved from http://allofthisiswrong.tumblr.com/
Article 35 – Hunger
Games Official Page (2013, May 10) Do you
think there are any similarities between Panem and present day? [Facebook
Thread] Retrieved from
Article 36 – Unknown
Author, (2013 January 6) Hunger Games Ships [Message Board Thread] Retrieved
from http://thefandomnet.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=hungergames&action=display&thread=269
Article 37 – Elri (2013, August 23) Always
is a promise for ever after [Tumblr Post] Retrieved from http://ninjaotta.tumblr.com/post/59123241717/this-is-life-i-live-genuine-discord-if-you
Extra Resources
Collins, S. (2009). Catching
Fire. New York: Scholastic Publishing.
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