The first representations of fan studies as a stigmatized culture has trekked its way into a normalized status of social interaction. Although not entirely bereft of cultural assumptions of social inadequacy, fans are emotionally drawn to media artifacts to borrow or poach text in an effort to construct a cultural, social, and self-identity (Bacon-Smith, 1992; Jenkins, 2012). Fandom is collectively identified by the participant’s activity of socially shared discourse for a mutual object (Duffett, 2013; Jenkins, 2006b), connoting the weight of semiotics studies to understand how fans use different media and create gratifications from them. The concept of discourse has served as a foundation to further delineate more detailed themes in fans of different genres. Rabinowitz’s (1985) semiotics framework shifts attention to four styles of communicative interpretations, allowing very different genres to be compared based on fan discourse, rather than the value or impact of the genre. Specifically, studying the fandom forums of Star Trek, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Supernatural, a content analysis was used to quantifiably evaluate and measure different ways in which fans converse with one another through Rabinowitz’s (1985) semiotics framework for interpretation styles. The analysis and comparison of interpretation styles of discourse edifies that fans of different genres actively consume and participate based on differing values and pursue varying gratifications from their beloved media artifact.
About the presenterSara Erlichman
Sara Erlichman has had the opportunity to explore research areas that interest her most as a master’s student at the University of Kansas: media psychology and popular culture. Her research interests focus on how and why individuals develop parasocial relationships, how fictional characters shape individuals’ perspectives and how it can be used for prosocial causes. Sara Is currently in her first semester in the College of Communications at Pennsylvania State University.