Fandom Roundup

Hello Fandom Seekers

I am fighting a couple of deadlines so I have more of a weekly roundup than a well thought out post.

The first is a blog post by Wil Wheaton. The post goes into how conditions have to just right for a fandom to develop and how they might emerge in later life.

The second is a lovely article about dream cars by JohnScalzi 

The third is an imagr post that I found via Kotaku about how to break Monopoly .  I played way too many rounds of Monopoly growing up and this in an interesting analysis of the lesser used rules in the game.

Finally, a Wired article came across one of my news feeds about the unique ways that Stephen Curry fans express their love of the basketball star’s fame. The story digs into the cross-fandom remixing that surrounds Curry’s life on and off the court.  

See you next week folks. 

Bitter Notes

Star Wars: the Force Awakens continues on it's march to break box office records, and many people are still questioning why.  A number of articles, reviews, and blog posts have come out since the films release that brings into question the quality of storytelling in the newest episode. Some authors point to the recycled plots, others to glaring plot holes, and a handful to more nefarious reasons This negative feedback is not just in the press; I have seen or heard similar opinions among my friends and colleagues. Even Samuel L. Jackson have leaped atop the pile. 

While all of these people are welcome to their own opinion, I was surprised when I felt a little bit of bile bubble up in my mouth every time I read one.  I really, really liked (link to previous post) the newest episode and it took every fiber of my being to avoid scribing a nasty diatribe about the authors writing and critical thinking skills while adding a jibe about whom their parents may or may not associate with when offered enough money.

We have seen this before. The prequels engendered the same reaction among fans and critics and I wonder if the feelings are justified. The original trilogy and for that matter the prequels are still out there.  It’s not like they are going away (and before you point out that you can’t purchase the originals without the added content, I would like to redirect you to eBay).

Even if Episode VII is a remake of the original trilogy (it’s not), why does it matter? We have been retelling stories for years.  There is a rich tradition of recasting the works of any number of playwrights from Classical Greek writers all the way up to modern works, why should film be any different?   Shakespeare himself often lifted plot elements (sometimes entire plots) from other sources, a habit that the film industry often uses. Lucas has stated that he used Joseph Campbell’s book The Hero’s Journey as a guide when writing Star Wars, which is a book about the similarities of many hero stories throughout history.  You could even argue that Return is a remake of A New Hope, or that ANH is itself a microcosm of the whole trilogy.

If this is the case, why do I feel like I am taking it personally when I read one of these criticisms?

There are two things going on here, but they are both rooted in where fandom beings. I started watching Star Wars when I was two or three, young enough that I don’t actually remember my first viewing. I just know that it was always there, a visual background music woven into post holidays meals, on rainy summer days, or when boredom and finances restricted our activities. The repeated viewings made it a part of the social narrative and I sought out books, comics, and video games that added to it. I either ignored or rejected anything that didn’t add to what I had already experienced. 

For me, the latest episode is a part of a rich tapestry woven tightly around every memory I care to recall, and it is hard to not take criticisms of the film as a personal attack.  The same can be said for someone who was disappointed in the latest film; it’s existence doesn’t fit with the narrative that they have built and therefore is heretical and should be rejected. Both experiences are rooted in an initial and repeated viewing of Star Wars and while they express differently, they are both just as deeply felt. 

Of course there are many things that can affect this reaction. In addition to our own, the opinions of others, either on the web or in person can warp the experience. The same goes for how you experience it for the first time. Seeing Star Wars on opening night with several hundred costumed fans is going to be different then the person who watches it alone on Netflix a year later.

The good news is the volume will get turned down on these kinds of stories as time goes on. In addition, new fans will experience Star Wars as a whole for the first time and many will make room for these new stories. And if things like the Machete cut (link)are any indication it will be these new fans who will create new justifications on how the whole thing knits together. Hopefully leading older fans into seeing things in a new light. 

While I still get rankled at negative reviews, I now understand what is going on internally and can work to avoid taking it personally.  I am curious though, what things do you feel like you have to defend to others? How and when did that thing enter into your personal narrative? How has your reactions changed over time? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. 

Fandom in the news

The news coverage in the run up to episode seven, as well as the post release coverage has been really excellent. A couple examples stuck out though and I wanted to share them.

The first was this funny Ken Burns style documentary put out by the Washington Post about the Galactic Civil war made me giggle. It even has experts

The second was an opinion piece by Charlie Jane Anders on Io9 about criticism of Rey being a Mary Sue, which is an autobiographical character in fan fiction.

These two videos also managed to break through the media blitz.

Digging Deeper, a Youtube channel, posted a fascinating analysis of the Jurassic Park series, using the themes from the movies to discuss major trends that were affecting the film industry when each of these films was released.

I am also a big fan of zombie media, and this video on MSN caught my attention as well.

Once More with Feeling

I recently sat down with Pat Roman, one of the founders the community theatre company Mask & Mirror, to talk about the ins and outs of the greater Portland area’s community theatre scene. The conversation is part of a longer project that explores the community theatre fandom that I have been working on for the past several months. I am observing their process as they mount a production of Trip to Bountiful, which will go up February 27.

I started the project because I want to understand why anyone would support theatre in this way. If fandom is about supporting an art form or an aspect of an art form, then why isn’t volunteering, regular ticket buying, or donating enough? Why go through the trouble (and expense) of putting up your own show?

Pat’s answer to these questions got me thinking about my own twisting path through the theatre industry. Like many of my friends and colleagues, I got into theatre in high school. In my case, I was encouraged to take the basic theatre courses by a family friend, Paula. I was already in the firm grip of puberty and Paula’s promise of finding the girl of my dreams finally lured me into my high school’s Little Theatre auditorium. I was lucky, the theatre program at my high school was very active, doing four or five productions every year. Each semester offering a new set of social and theatrical discoveries through productions like Cabaret, The Elephant Man, Jesus Christ Superstar, and  Marat/Sade, which became the foundation for the work I would do in college and later as a professional.

While all of the memories I have of those productions have the same rose-colored texture, one in particular throbs red in my memory: The Who’s Tommy. Our production coincided with an anniversary of a visit that the Who had made to our theatre auditorium on an obscure a leg of one their American tours many years ago. As such, our production was massive, complete with rented truss work, scaffolding, and a powerful set of moving concert lights. Auditions were also equally contentious not just for Tommy, but also for the Gypsy Queen, the Pinball Wizard, and Captain Walker. Hundreds of hours were spent together perfecting the music, programming lights, constructing costumes, and memorizing dance steps. I think we all felt a sense of responsibility to each other, to the material, and to ourselves to put forward our best.  To this day, the opening riff of any Who song (Pinball Wizard in particular) sends chills dancing across every nerve ending in my body.

As an adult working in the theatre industry, that same sense of responsibility and joy are still present but are often tempered. Many of us end up doing commercial work or filling administrative roles in theatre companies so that we can do work that we are passionate about while still putting food on the table. Pat pointed out that many of the people who do community theatre are chasing that feeling, that connectedness that can only be found in a heathy production. It’s an empowering feeling that can be felt months and years after. 

In reality it is what fandom is all about; returning to a place where we felt powerful. It’s doesn’t matter if it’s recreating that moment of discovery in a fictional world, putting on the vestments a storied moment in your family’s history, living in that moment where you wanted to be a rock star, or that time you first stepped into the limelight. We all desperately want to relive that moment, to touch that font of power, even if just for a moment.