Why is fan adoration, emersion and community so important for bands, in particular bands that have a hiatus, such as Fall Out Boy?
The following research report is from my first theory module in 1st-year, Studying the Media and Communication. As this was our first research report at University, the topic of our individual report was left completely down to us, as we were exploring new methodologies, theoretical frameworks and analytical styles. As an interest of mine, and possibly the sort of thing I may want to continue after University I researched fandoms and fan communities relating to the longevity of an artist's/record's success. As my report included virtual ethnography, to conduct this in an ethical way I have not included full names or usernames of the source poster, in case any views/opinions were posted in confidence - however, I included these in the appendix on the submitted assignment for marking purposes.
Introduction
In today’s contemporary media society, audiences can continue to reap the benefits from media texts long after the release and initial consumption of the text. I am investigating how fan activity allows them to do this, with this fan activity being how the media fuels their imagination within an imagined social community (Abercrombie & Longhurst, 1998, p. 121). I will then reflect upon how important this is for bands, and the influence it has on fan groups and bands’ success in the music industry.
This audience study is an important topic to probe into. Through undertaking virtual ethnography, it will assess how audiences ‘use’ a media text, especially through new media platforms, and the implication this has on the success of both the musical figure and the media text. I will focus my study more specifically on bands that have gone on a hiatus, precisely Fall Out Boy, scrutinising the activity of fans during that hiatus and how the following and success remained. This will tie in well with the theoretical frameworks of Henry Jenkins’ idea of Convergence Culture (Jenkins, 2006, p. 248), as well as Blumler and Katz’s Uses and Gratifications (Lyn, 1996, p. 574).
Theoretical Framework
Media Convergence is a theoretical framework from Henry Jenkins. He defines it as:
“the flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behaviour of media audiences, who will go almost anywhere in search of the kinds of entertainment experiences they want.” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 248)
Another definition of convergence comes from Ó Siochrú and Girard and outlines how it is combining different media industries, platforms and technologies, leading to the creation of new processes for production and consumption of media, as well as new media products created (Siochrú & Girard, 2002, p. 248). These definitions emphasise the combination of audience’s changing behaviour and media’s technological advancements that result in the formation of new media products with new purposes, meanings and results – all being caused by the consumers desire for a better media experience. The theoretical framework of Uses and Gratifications was most notably developed by Blumler and Katz, among others, and advances early theories of mass communications such as Media Effects, which looks at what the media ‘does’ to people (Anonymous), with Uses and Gratifications looking more at the socio-psychological perspectives of consumers and what consumers ‘do’ with the media. Contemporary media research considers a wider range of possible Uses and Gratifications, due to there being a wider range of consumer activity available, consolidating the idea of a convergent media culture.
Methodology
The methodology I used is virtual ethnography of the platforms loyal and invested fans use. This methodology is effective for my study as it allows me to give participants the freedom of a voice on a topic they are so involved in. Christine Hine quotes Geertz by saying virtual ethnography is done with the intention of “reducing the puzzlement which other people’s ways of life can evoke” (Hine, 2000, p. 147). I will engage and empathise with the observations I make, while still keeping a professional stance, making perceptions based on knowledge and fact. It is important to allow a degree of empathy in virtual ethnography as participants responses incorporate their personal background and beliefs and the effect these have on their interpretations and use of texts in community activity. In order to undertake this in a professional manner, I will recognise ethical considerations. I will ensure to keep any user-generated content found in context, and not include names or usernames from producers (unless consent is given) as, even though this content is publicly accessible, it may be produced in confidence, for example, being on a niche community forum. Although checks and measures will be carried out where possible, with the nature of online broadcasting, I may not always be able to ensure the users I find content from are aged 16 years of age and able to consent to giving information – another reason that content creator identities will remain disclosed.
On Reddit, a forum that Fall Out Boys dedicated fan community use, I posted a closed interview question asking users “What factors meant you still remained a fan when Fall Out Boy returned after their hiatus in 2013?”. This question received 23 responses, ranging in complexity and opinion, and will be considered in my report (see Appendix for further information).
Fan Community in Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band, formed in 2001. In their initial work their alternative, angry pop-punk anthems lead to them being seen almost as the ‘poster-band’ for a newly created ‘emo’ scene and sub-culture. In November 2009 the band announced a hiatus. The group then reformed and had a successful comeback in February 2013. They had a new direction for their music – this gaining them some new fans, as well as fans from before their break staying loyal and appreciative, whether they liked their new music content or not – possibly influenced by the fan community.
With digital media today as advanced as it is, audiences of texts can use texts more and get more out of them than they could before. What they create using media texts, be it in the form of creating an understanding, or creating a product, is aided by the creation of culture and community within audience fan groups, and is often, at least partially, beneficial to that audience member. Fiske recognises this idea by stating:
“All popular culture audiences engage in varying degrees of semiotic productivity, producing meaning and pleasures that pertain to their social situation out of the products of the culture industries. But fans often turn this semiotic productivity into some form of textual production that can circulate among – and thus help to define – the fan community.” (Fiske, The Cultural Economy of Fandom, 1992, p. 30)
Much like similar fan groups, a way in which Fall Out Boy fans have followed this system is through the creation of pastiches. This example of media convergence concerns the imitation of an original media product or art, through the recreation of it into another media product (Dyer R. , Pastiche, 2007, p. 1). Within this definition, there are different forms of pastiches, depending on their form, intention, creation methods and meaning. Contrasting forms of pastiche I have found created by Fall Out Boy fans include an Emulation and a Travesty.
On 15th July 2012, a group of Fall Out Boy fans uploaded onto the video-sharing site YouTube a video they created in response to one of Fall Out Boy’s music videos, “I Don’t Care” (Baby:), 2012). This user-generated content takes the form of an Emulation pastiche. While still imitating the original media product as it is based on the codes and structures set, Emulations display a devotion and commitment to a text as it displays the producer’s connection and recognition of the original text through trying to achieve what the original achieved (Dyer R. , Pastiche, 2007, p. 36). Similarly, on 20th September 2011, a group of fans (knowing they are fans because of stating the Fall Out Boy version is a “great song” in the description of the video) uploaded to YouTube a parody they created of a Fall Out Boy song. The parody song and video they created is entitled ‘Sugar, We’re Out of Ham’ (DJGill1, 2011) – this intertextuality taking the idea of commitment and adoration of the band’s original product further by producing an imitation of the song as well as the video. However, due to the comedic, mocking nature of this video (for example the puerile and childish narrative and exaggerated actions), the form of pastiche it takes is a Travesty. Travesties often take a humorous stance on a product, with the intention of comedic entertainment rather than portraying a serious message, with a sense of lowering the standard or meaning – a “high subject matter dealt with in a low manner” (Dyer R. , Pastiche, 2007, pp. 37-39).
Although contrasting examples, these forms of pastiches show a noticeable respect for the original media text produced by Fall Out Boy, due to them following the methods used by the band in the original video, and the commitment that shows through recreation using what skills and imagination they have. These videos being produced and published during Fall Out Boy’s hiatus shows that members of their fan community were still interacting with their media texts, both for their own consumption, and for other Uses and Gratifications they may get from it, here for a Media Convergence of reproduction to create a new media text of their own. This formation of a new text in relation to Fall Out Boy would have led to interaction, to some extent, between people in the Fall Out boy fan community – something especially advantageous during their hiatus, to continue the relevancy of the band. These displays of dedication are examples of practices some fans undertake that may have a longer-lasting impact, leading to personal memories and nostalgia - something, along with the sense of community, which Reddit User 1 shows influenced her loyalty:
“I was pretty nostalgic about my younger childhood, Fall Out Boy was one of those bands that encapsulated some of the last decade so perfectly, so I listened to them more and more, and listened to their post-hiatus stuff along with it and then when I found out my friend was a fan, I went full into the band.”
This example of new considerations of Uses and Gratifications connects well with Convergence Culture. It shows fans being able to use media texts, both for their personal consumption, as well as using them to become a media producer themselves. Discussing both the internet and fandoms as cultural phenomena, Mark Duffett states that:
“Fans have supported the new medium and it has made them more visible. They have the luxury now of increased access to information, a greater speed of social interaction, and a new means of public performance” (Duffett, The Fan Community: Online and Offline, 2013, p. 236).
In some cases, this leads to a form of hierarchy within the fan community and questioning relationships within fan communities.
Regarding this, an example of a use of bricolage technique to interact and recreate media products, is a Soundcloud user creating and publishing a music remix/montage of the Fall Out boy song ‘Sugar, We’re Going Down’ and the 1974 song by Carl Douglas, ‘Kung-Fu Fighting’ (THi NGYBOBinc, 2015). It is an example of a bricolage as it is a new media text created using existing media texts, irrelevant to their original, intended use. Bricolages use convergence to a large degree as they encourage the user to incorporate two totally unrelated music media materials, and create new, unique product. While this user-generated content was not created and published while the band were on their hiatus, it still highlights important points regarding fan community interaction and the effects that convergence culture has had on the Uses and Gratifications of a media product.
The reception and reaction to this Soundcloud clip the user produced resulted in 1817 ‘likes’, and 38 comments on the song within the first year of it being uploaded. These comments were from fellow fans and were nearly all positive feedback, some examples being “Cue me smiling the biggest grin in the universe”, “Too good to be true” and “I adore this mashup”. In addition, four of the comments were requesting to be able to download his material, with the producer providing a link for them to download his piece – showing evidence he gained successful promotion of his work and skill. This positive feedback at the hand of the material he produced is an example of a new Use/Gratification to consider when analysing what consumers ‘do’ with media products. In this case, the user, because he consumed the original text, and then went on to consciously produce his own content in reaction to it gained praise, gratitude, respect and adoration of his own.
This suggests a link with sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s work on fan cultures. Bourdieu thinks that:
“fans play in the sense that they tacitly recognise the ‘rules’ of their fan culture, attempting to build up different types of fan skill, knowledge and distinction.” (Hills, 2002, p. 46)
This Soundcloud product highlights Bourdieu’s idea of fan status and hierarchy within communities by showing the listeners of the product showing adoration and respect towards the producer of this user-generated content as if they had a higher importance or relevance within the community.
An important consideration is the effect this has on the fan community in general, and any possible negative repercussions on relationships, both between fans, between fans and media products and between fans and the band – or whether this structure within fan communities is necessary for the fandoms and culture to exist with effective interaction and continue the success of the band. Works by theorists, such as Blumler and Katz and their Uses and Gratifications model (Lyn, 1996, p. 574), show how media audiences are developing (with the existing Mass Communications Model developing to a more contemporary Uses and Gratifications model considering the idea of paradigm shifts in consumer activity), and so are constantly consuming media texts differently. This suggests that, due to the background of consumers, their personal opinions, skillsets, and pleasures, consumers will continue to consume texts differently – with this inevitably resulting in some of the consumers reactions causing a bigger effect on the fan community, their reputation in the community and their relationship with the band and other fans.
Fans that possess a higher hierarchical position than others allow for a further point of influence to other fans. An example of how this is important for the band is Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz using social media blogging website, Tumblr, to publicly praise fan-produced illustration content. Wentz ‘reblogs’ the producers post saying “this is awesome <3” (Wentz, 2015). This contributed to the post receiving almost 15,000 interactions (‘notes’), therefore vastly increasing the circulation of the post. This shows that the band understand the importance of the dedication the ‘higher status’ fans are showing and showing the other fans and audience members they appreciate the fan communities loyalty. User-produced content and posts are more likely to reach the band when they get a certain amount of recognition and popularity already, indicating a cycle. Therefore the community’s hierarchy may be needed for effective communication and interaction, as well as helping the band ensure the fans stay loyal, in a way ‘competing’ for notice or appraisal.
Evidence shown above highlights the effects the creation of community, and the factors that accompany that, have on fandoms and fan groups of bands. It shows how fans have continued to interact with the band and their content, even though new music and products aren’t being produced by the band, as well as how both fans and producers are using the fan community in new ways due to paradigm shifts and advancement in technology, consumption and interaction.
Fan Community’s effect on the Band
The fan community, adoration and loyalty around bands such as Fall Out Boy effects the band, the industry and the media products they produce. It affects them in the way of influencing the success of the band and the products – either being positive or detrimental – as well as in the way that media institutions, including companies and figures, like bands, adjust and develop the way in which they produce media products in reaction to the contemporary convergence culture.
These changes that media institutions are incorporating are defined as mediatisation - a term penned by Thomas de Zengotita and is understood as:
“referencing experiences of how the media are implicated in the production and transmission of messages about convergence and changing media industries” (Dyer T. , 2010, p. 6)
It outlines how the media are affected by the consumers’ communication of messages – within a convergence context, the intended interfered messages and meanings of products are ingrained in media texts and sent through to consumers, the producers knowing of the consumers developed knowledge and interpretation of the media, and changing the way they produce texts in order to best utilise this.
This would affect Fall Out Boy as they can tailor the media platforms they use, depending on the interactivity of the audience. For example, the band have Tumblr blogs for the bassist, singer, and guitarist, as well as their primary website, being a Tumblr blog (see appendix). This shows them as, while still looking professional with features of an archetypal website, accessible to the fans and easy to interact with, with Tumblr having easy interaction features, which each band account utilises, while still serving the purpose of promotion. The bigger connection the band can get with fans, the bigger the loyalty of those fans will be, shown by Reddit User 2:
“They had such an impact on my formative years that I was never NOT going to be a fan”.
Conclusion
Throughout my research report, I have outlined the different ways in which both bands and fans have developed their use of the media in conjunction with fan communities and convergence culture. I have shown how different forms of user-generated content have different impacts on both the success of the band and the fan community. It is important to consider the implications of my methodology and critique my findings - as outlined when introducing my methodology, virtual ethnography can often be misinterpreted, and although it allows members of cultures to have a voice, the legitimacy and truth of that voice is sometimes questioned. If I were to further my research, I would consider obtaining evidence from a wider range of sources and contexts, as well as furthering my question to consider if fan community is a “false construction for the band to use to retain success?”, who this effects, alternative opinions on this and ethics surrounding this idea.
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