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Looking back at all these quotes and texts made me realize how fandom has both negative and positive aspects to it. While fandom can be inclusive in some aspects in could also be not as inclusive in other aspects. I think doing this assignment has given me some understanding onto both sides of fandom including when I was discussing the artist versus AI in fandom. I think it gave me a clear perspective; while people use it as a way to express themselves artists are faced with the consequences as sometimes their art is discredited over AI work.

I also want to acknowledge that this assignment has also allowed to me to understand that even today Fandom is not as diverse as it should be. There are a lot of fandoms with a great amount of people from all over the world yet modern shows, movies, books, etc. still lack the amount of diversity in them.

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Throughout this class I learned about fandoms and fans. In this section I wanted to talk about how fandoms can form identities through 5 different texts. I want to talk about how fandom is not just different for everyone, but it also shapes who we are as fans and individuals.

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Text: Accessing Fan Cultures

Quote: "We welcome people of any gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, size, nationality, sexual orientation, ability level, neurotype, religion, elder status, family structure, culture, subculture, political opinion, identity, and self-identification. … We welcome fans, geeks, nerds, and pixel-stained techno peasant wretches. … We think accessibility for people with disabilities is a priority, not an afterthought. We think neurodiversity is a feature, not a bug. We believe in being inclusive, welcoming, and supportive of anyone who comes to us with good faith and the desire to build a community." (Ellcessor, 208).

Explain: This section of the text is a diversity statement made from Dreamwidth which is a blogging community (social media). In this statement they are stating that this is a space where everyone is included. They mention multiple diverse identities to explain that they want to be a very inclusive and welcoming site that is not just for some but for all. They want to highlight that no matter which fandom you are in or who you are, you will be able to explore fandom using their site. They want to make sure fandom identity is heard and understood and that they are working on becoming better for everyone. I think this fits with fan identity because they just list every type of fan you can possibly imagine and highlight that these fans should not be disregarded but included which is what fandom should be.

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Text: Is stan culture to toxic

Quote: “I strenuously object to the term ‘stan,’ because stan is an abbreviation for stalker fan, which is an oxymoron,” said Stever, who says that these fans aren’t invading one’s personal space but simply out having a good time and supporting the public figure they care about" (Gee, 3).

Explain: In this text they argue the use of the word "stan" which was originally used to talk about stalker fans but has lately been used to describe all types of fans and not just the scary ones. In this section it explains how not all fans are scary or toxic but just want to get along with everyone and enjoy something where they can call themselves fans of. This section highlights how fans deserve to be called something else other than "stan" because of its negative origins and background. Even through it has become normalized to use it as a general fan term some people think it would be better to use something else. This fits in this section because fans are trying to reclaim and represent their identity with words that have a better meaning and backstory to it. Fans do not want to be associated with others who have tarnished what a fan really is.

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What Texts I Used and What Week it is From

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What Texts I Used and What Week it is From

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Accessing Fan Cultures- November 6th

Is stan culture to toxic- September 25th

Scandalous black feminine gaze(s)- October 30th

A Brief History of Media Fandom- September 11th

Generative AI and the Next Stage of Fan Art - October 23rd

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What Ideas and Topics I used or Talked About

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What Ideas and Topics I used or Talked About

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Fandom Identity

Social Media and Tech

Power and Conflict

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Social media has a huge impact in fandom and fan studies. I wanted to look over the huge impact social media has had on fandoms. Many of these texts talk about how social media has impacted the fandom space (Positively and negatively) and created more opportunities to become fans.

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Text: Scandalous black feminine gaze(s)

Quote: "Warner writes that “Producing content is a necessary act of agency for women of color, who strive for visibility in a landscape that favors a more normative (read: White) fan identity and that often dismisses and diminishes the desires of its diverse body to see themselves equally represented not only on screen but in the fan community at large." (Pow, 125-126).

Explain: In this section it talks about fans looking for visibility through their own identities in the fandoms they are following or being fans of. It mentions how white people are usually catered to more than people of color and that fans want to have more representation in fandom spaces. In this section it explains how people want to reclaim and take back the fandom spaces by making it more inclusive to everyone and not just a certain group of people. It shows that fandom which is supposed to be inclusive, and welcoming is not really living up to that standard because all types of identities have not been explored enough for fans to be included or welcomed.

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Text: A Brief History of Media Fandom

Quote: "Groups of female media fans now share space with groups of male comics fans, and they seem to be having productive exchanges, even if they do occasionally" (Coppa, 57-58).

Explain: Comics which were seen as predominately male or for men have now opened up to women as well. Now both men and women are enjoying comics and sharing the fandom and conversing with each other. It shows how fandom can be open to anyone and how even though there may be fandoms that are less inclusive some fandoms such as the comic fandom have allowed women to read, enjoy, and converse about comics for their enjoyment as well. This explains how women are able to build an identity in a space that was not specifically catered to or made for them, but it still worked out.

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I wanted to look into power and conflict in fandom. I know that there is a lot of conflict when it comes to groups trying to be more diverse, stealing and taking art, photos, and content, and problems with creators and fanfiction.

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Text: Generative AI and the Next Stage of Fan Art

Quote: "Fan art is a means of both self-expression and homage as well as of social cohesion within these communities (cf. LAMERICHS 2018). Digital art is well-established in these cultures but also has a highly specific, affective function. Fan art is a labor of love, and it is interesting to explore how AI can support or negate that." (Lamerichs, 155).

Explain: Fan art which is created by fans for fandoms is seen as something special because they put the time and effort to make something for their favorite fandom. Fan art can be many different things including a scene that was never added but a fan drew or drawing a character in their style. Fan art is big when it comes to identity because it not only solidifies that they are a fan of that fandom but also an artist who enjoys creating something amazing. The quote calls it a labor of love, and I agree because fans put in so many hours and so much energy to support their favorite tv shows, movies, plays, books, etc.

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Text: Accessing Fan Cultures

Quote: "Access_Fandom defines itself as “a learning & teaching space” about making online and offline fandom more disability-friendly (2016), and its profile states that it welcomes a range of cognitive styles and members with and without disabilities." (Ellcessor, 209)

Explain: This text explains how fandom is not just about joining a fandom and becoming a part of it but also the struggle of minority groups finding fandom spaces on social media where they can express themselves in a fandom that they are interested in. It talks about the struggle of fandoms being inclusive towards everyone but shows that there are fans and fandoms who are willing to put in the effort to make fandom a much more welcoming space. In this text it mentions how social media is used to better the community, be more inclusive, and highlights that every fan should be welcomed. This is shown by making fandom more disability friendly.

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Text: Is stan culture to toxic

Quote: "A 2018 study on celebrity worship found that people with “high levels of celebrity worship were associated with problematic Internet use.” Unfortunately, the rise of social media has enabled people not only to interact with the celebs they adore but also to engage in harmful behaviors, such as online harassment." (Gee, 2).

Explain: This quote explains how fandoms can be problematic. Social media users take things too far and even have an unhealthy relationship with idols because of too much media usage. While there are many fans who normally engage and interact in fandom through commenting and posting content some fans take things a step further. These fans are seen as obsessed and can sometimes cause harm not only to themselves but to the fandom and the idol as a whole. While not mentioned in this quote some things obsessed fans do is track and stalk an idol's daily life and give away personal information to the public.

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Text: Scandalous black feminine gaze(s)

Quote: "In the social media space where catfishing and other forms of identity obfus cation abound, proving the Black womanhood behind an avatar is a tricky prospect. I used political leanings like #BlackLivesMatter, participation in activist efforts like #Blackout days, interests in other Black women TV characters, “about” sections, blog URLs, and archival history to assess their identity." (Pow, 128-129).

Explain: Social media is used to explore fandom and to create and explore your identity in fandom but sometimes that can be proven difficult in fandom where people need to prove that they are who they say they are. Online spaces like social media which could use real names for the user's profile can also use fun and creative names and profile photos can be of anything (Which is where people see the need to have identity confirmed). Social media is a space for people to make friends and share interests in fandom but sometimes that can be proven difficult when you do not know who you are talking to online. It creates challenges because it can be difficult if the people you are talking to are not really fans.

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Text: Accessing Fan Cultures

Quote: "As soon as the early 1990s, “facing varying degrees of harassment and denigration on the male-dominated forums, many female fans chose to stake out and colonize cyberspaces of their own in the form of private mailing lists” (Bury 2005: 2)." (Ellcessor, 205).

Explain: This quote explains that during earlier days when the internet was still new there were many male dominated websites that often-excluded female fans which made them feel unwelcomed. They were faced with harassment and not just ignored which made the women retaliate. The women retaliated by making their own spaces where they would feel welcomed and invited as fans. This shows how men had the power to push away women from the conversations and forums in the earlier days of the internet and how women decided to reclaim that by building their own platforms and spaces where they reclaimed power as fans. Not only that but there was conflict between fans based on gender which shows how the majority in these fandoms had control of who was accepted and who was not. This shows how there was a lack of diversity in these spaces as well.

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Text: Is Stan Culture Toxic

Quote: "Some stans have been known to take their love to alarming extremes, as seen with Nicki Minaj’s Barbz commentator doxxing culture Kimberly Nicole Foster last fall, when she released a negative tweet about Minaj. This opened up the floodgates on Twitter and her personal texts for her to Foster told get harassed by the Barbz. The Daily Beast in that same month that the messages first started off as an annoyance, but then became more threatening and dark, and then it started to be, ‘We’re gonna find you. I’m gonna kidnap you…" (Gee, 6)

Explain: In fandom power and conflict can mean many things. In this case it means that the fans can cause conflict and use power to their advantage. While fans see it as admiration for their idol it is not the way they should be handling the situation. They cause conflicts by being negative and mean towards someone else (Even if one person is mean does not make it right for everyone else to be the same). This shows that fans have a dark side to them and that these actions could lead to harmful consequences. especially using threats to defend their idol.

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Text: A Brief History of Media Fandom

Quote: "The infrastructure of fandom has changed yet again. Mailing lists are rapidly dying, abandoned in favor of personalized blogging technology. If mailing lists customized fandom by allowing fans to select from among their fannish interests, blogs such as LiveJournal.com allow them to select particular fans from among many." (Coppa, 57).

Explain: This quote shows how people have moved on from paper to the online spaces. It shows how social media and the internet have had a huge impact on how people interact with fandoms and media. In this case the old way of using mailing lists have changed into using online websites to allow fans to explore, select, and look at many different fandoms. This has changed the way people use and look at fandoms and also how we explore and interact with new fandoms.

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Text: Scandalous black feminine gaze(s)

Quote: "Feminized popular culture is more likely to be viewed as frivolous, excessively emotional, which is code for dismissing it as uncritical or inconsequential. Black women have had to contend with a media landscape that features limited and often negative images of themselves. Because femininity has historically been constructed around whiteness, Black women have been disallowed from claims to it, including the identity of the fan." (Pow, 126).

Explain: This quote reveals structural power in fandom by excluding women of color and defining femininity in a not so positive way. Not only that it highlights conflicts by showing who fits and who does not fit in a fandom to which women of color are often ignored or excluded from. This shows how people have the power make people feel unwelcomed and how women of color have to fight in order to be represented in fandom spaces.

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Text: Generative AI and the Next Stage of Fan Art

Quote: "These cultures are increasingly a mix of both humans and non-humans, and include the agency of generative AI, character-driven chatbots, and other entities." (Lamerichs, 154).

Explain: While social media has expanded so has AI and technology use. Now fandoms use a good mix of both human created and made fandom and AI generated fandom. Fans now use AI as a way to express themselves through media and art when they could not do it before. Some people who are good at art or editing can do that but people who lack the skill or have not tried are now looking into using AI as a way to express themselves.

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When looking into the AI aspect and how it effects creators including artists I could understand why they are so upset. It is very hard to differentiate the two. I myself have a hard time on Instagram or TikTok differentiating an AI video with a real video so I can imagine the same thing with artists. I have seen AI generated photos on Instagram about these well drawn dresses and now have realized that it was AI generated and not real. My sister though an AI video of 12 bunnies jumping on a trampoline was real and later found out it was AI.

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Text: A Brief History of Media Fandom

Quote: "Eventually Star Trek fans, feeling unwelcome at science fiction conventions, would start holding their own conventions. The first of these was held in New York in 1972, and this event really represented the beginning of the Star Trek fan phenomenon." (Coppa, 46).

Explain: This quote talks about fans being unwelcomed in public spaces and not just in online ones. Star Wars and Star Trek are two fandoms of a similar categories but have some conflict between the two due to popularity and similarity. Star Trek fans in this quote seem to feel unwelcomed and instead decided to make their own conventions and public spaces which shows the conflict between these two fandoms. Not only that it shows how sometimes it can be difficult for fandoms to get along with one another especially since they are seen as very similar fandoms.

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Text: Generative AI and the Next Stage of Fan Art

Quote: "A later section of the post explains their concerns around copyright: “AI-generated artwork goes against everything we stand for, as it uses the original artwork created by thousands of content creators, without citing sources or credits” (ANIMECON 2022: n.pag.). As for the earlier mentioned convention, the emphasis is put on ethics and respect, framing AI art as “utter disregard for the original artwork”. The convention also addresses the worry of AI training data and liter ally uses the word “leeching” to describe the creative process of AI." (Lamerichs, 159).

Explain: AI while seen as a form of self-expression for some others see it as plagiarizing someone else's work. This is due to the fact that AI uses data from people and online spaces to make and create content. Sometimes AI can make very similar if not the same artwork pieces and fans/artists who spend a lot of time creating art are upset. Their artwork is taken, used without permission, and created within minutes when they took hours which is why there is conflict.

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How can participation in fandom express personal identity? How can that be done without using AI or becoming an artist?

How can fans claim an identity without the use of AI hindering them from doing so?

How can fans claim power in a fandom that is not as catered to them, but they are fan of it?

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In this section all the quotes I have chosen to relate to fan identities and their fandoms. Throughout each of these texts I have learned that fandom identity is about people wanting to be a part of something, feel represented and visible, use it as a form of self-expression, and be more diverse (Race, gender, nationality, etc.). In this section I wanted to showcase that fandom can be for anyone and not just someone. I chose quotes that represented different types of fans to give a diverse selection of fans across different fandoms.

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I decided for this section to pick out anything technology related including AI and social media. I wanted to share how social media and AI have affected fans in positive and even negative ways. In this section I talk about how people use these types of technology as a form of self-expression and to be included in fandom but on the other hand I mention how sometimes it can be hard to express yourself when there is a lot of anonymous accounts online which make it harder for people to trust one another and verify if who they are is factual. What I mean by that is it harder to prove who a person is online than in person.

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I used this section to talk about power and conflict in fandoms and how fandom is not as positive as some may think. In fandom there is a lot of backlash, negativity, arguing, disagreements, not being included or being a part of a fandom etc. that I wanted to highlight. Social media and AI have had an effect on fans and sometimes fans can become dangerous to themselves and others. I just wanted to highlight that fandom has it's good but also, it's bad.