What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?
As Hills(2004) suggests, fans are an essential part in the process of developing successful genres. Hills(2004) refers to the ‘cult followings’, which could be identified as a group of members who are dedicated to ‘ cult TV’. In this case, the cult following are the ones who have constructed or even help to define ‘Cult TV’. For example, “Assuming that it is created by fans rather than media producers,” Hills (2004, P.510) illustrates that fans bring for-reaching influences and they truly decide the survival of a TV programme. Numerous cult following become involved in online communities and they create fan-fiction (according to the original TV series), costume production and other series related materials. As Hill(2004) also demonstrates, looking towards the quality of cult followings, the audiences of this genre tend to be more ardent and distinctive. Hills92004) noted that fan communities are generally highly in participatory and social gatherings, particularly in related websites. The reason being is that the internet increases the opportunities in organising small but passionate fan base. Hill(2004) indicates that the internet and new forms of media , such as blogs and some official related websites make it easier for fans to distinguish their ideas in relation to cult TV. An additional function of new media is to maintain a wider audience and fan base. “It has achieved this by opening up the boundaries of fandom allowing more people to participate in fan culture… as worthy of fan activities.” Hills (2004, P. 519). It’s truly believed that cult TV can access to mainstream one day and involve a wider audience range with the help of new media.
So, I think is true that both fans and new media play significant role in manipulating cult TV.
Reference
Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.
Hi Doris, a good start and shows your understanding of the reading - but I think you now need to tie this in with Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Can you think of specific examples from the show that reflects what Hills is saying?
ReplyDeleteHello, Karen. Thanks for your comment. “Buffy the vampire Slayers”, which had its run from 1997-2003, was a successful cult TV series that attracts a significant number of audiences all over the world. Without the construction of fans, this TV series would certainly fail to gain a ‘cult’ status. With a TV show, viewers want to participate in the show and make their own sense of the text. When every season ends, the fans discuss the hidden jokes through online communities and they feel like continuing the storyline by creating their own fanfiction. Because fans feel attached to the series, they also have the most frustration with it. Consequently, the producers of “Buffy the vampire slayer” have to consider how to place unresolved endings in the show, which is a source of pleasure for fans. Even Joss Whedon himself has pointed out that , “ I am always interested to see what people are responding to……when I saw that people were rejecting the Oz character when he was first introduced, I realize how carefully I had to place him.” (Joss Whedon, qtd. In Lee)
DeleteI agree with your writing. Fans occupy big part of cult TV because cult TV is influenced by a fandom, and the new media makes easier for fans to state and share their ideas.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I agree with you. If there are not fans, cult TV cannot be establised. So, fans are very important to cult TV. I think new media has made fan to express their opinions about the shows through various methods.
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DeleteHey Doris your views on cult following are very interesting, like you say it is most essential for a television show to have fans without fans there cannot be success, and without success there cannot be cult television!
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