Popular Culture and Contemporary Communication - Essay Example

? Popular culture and contemporary communication Since the beginning of the 1970s, several science fictions and fantasy conventions have been organized and held globally. The propelling factors of these conventions are the appearances of directors, actors, designers, and producers. This group of individuals responds to various questions of different obscurity promotes their latest objects, signs autographs for hundreds and thousands of fans, and have their pictures taken and sold to their fans who buy them at the quoted prices. This brings the idea of fans and celebrities. It also brings the idea of culture development among fans as a result of their beliefs and views of their celebrities. The question is whether these artists and designers or rather celebrities afford not to understand the productive nature fan culture in their societies and careers or not. This essay will look into the lucid analysis of the essay question with reference to various available literary sources. To begin with, the term celebrity comes from the French word, ‘celebre’ with a meaning of well known in the public arena. In English terms, it is a synonym or related to words such as being thronged or fame. Fandom, which refers to a collection of fans, plays a significant role in the link between celebrity and the public. There are reasons behind the connection between celebrities and their fans. Duchesne Scott interprets the convergence of celebrity and fan at fantasy and fiction conventions in various ways. He interprets it as a 21st century spiritual pilgrimage, nerd tourism in its unique form, or simply an amalgam or, a combination of the three. He goes ahead to state that synergy is the fundamental or the basis of the relationship between fans and celebrities at events like that. Synergy originates from the Greek word, “Sunergia” meaning cooperation or “Sunergos” meaning working together1. The definition of synergy in English is cooperative interactions or cooperation among certain groups that help in the creation of combined effect. The conventions are explained and defined by human synergy since both fans and celebrity usually merge with an aim of achieving mutual advantage or benefits through these interactions. This involves the exchange of psychological, emotional, as well as, social benefits. In addition, the convention also represents corporate synergy. This happens when celebrity and fans interact as sellers and buyers negotiating revenues and costs to attain a mutually satisfactory economic profit. Henry Jenkins’ book “Convergence Culture”, tells more about fan culture. Henry argues that the current mass media and technology has taken a step and moved to a more practical and participatory convergence culture where the traditional or the default flow from producer to consumer has been interfered with. He argues that currently the consumer has become the producer and created the media which he or she wants and likes most. Convergence culture gives small communities around the world opportunities to gather concentrate on particular topics and as well as ensure the production of media and information among several things on this particular topic. Fans do take primary objects and texts and resources to develop on, build and have fun with. They do not simply consume the texts. They instead reread them as well as produce new culture from them. Typical popular examples of fan culture are Dr. Who and Star Trek. Henry goes ahead to state that fan culture has some five common and definite features: first, an individual who does appropriate a particular work, texts and practice related to fan objects2. Usually, these fan objects are reinterpreted in the lives of these individuals. The second characteristic is participation. There is always an openness of different people to participate at certain levels within the community. Normally, they get seriously inspired by it, thus they create events and write music about it. The third feature that Henry illustrate in the book is that of emotional investment, where individuals become really .become invested in and emotionally attached to these objects and texts. They are really into them and always feel the urge to talk about them. The fourth feature is collective intelligence, where every fan has something to say concerning the object or text. This ensures that everyone contributes to the collective comprehension of the group. This is quite different and opposite to the so called expert paradigm. Collective intelligence never calls for degrees or credentials. All that are used, in the conversation, are insights and experiences. The last feature of fandom is that of virtual community. The communities are never built around physical meetings. They are spread around the entire globe, especially when the object and the texts have global feature or popularity. Some however, know one another but quite a number of them do area not aware of the physical appearances their fellow fans. The stated intimate connection between fandom and objects and texts leads to a conclusion that celebrity has the same level of comparison or measurements to public consciousness3. Self-presentation in most interpersonal techniques and relations of public impression management are currently under the mediation of celebrity influences. A celebrity, in this context, is not an individual but rather a public figure. Lady Gaga, for instance, is a public figure with millions of funs worldwide. The funs collectively form the fandom. The fandom has what it takes to control what the popular figure does. For instance, the fandom has the authority to collectively determine and dictate the behaviors of their “object.” Going against the set rules by object make it lose popularity and fanaticism at a large rate. Losing of already established funs has a negative or undesirable effect on the ‘object.’ For instance, if Lady Gaga today refuse to follow the demands and the interests of her funs, she will lose a lot4. The first problem she will encounter would be the loss of overall returns. The fans are the ones who contribute or buy the products of their celebrities. Without them, the celebrities definitely will lose a lot and even fade away their already established titles. From this point poof view, it is impossible for artists or designers to assume the fundamental role that fans or fandom play in their career. They cannot afford failing to comprehend the productive operations fan culture in their lives. Most fans do not normally find it easy to let go a given fan object completely. For instance, it is not possible to find that the fans Barack Obama leaving him after his death or political career. Being a fan means that individual can psychologically, socially and physically fit the position that is occupied by another person, club or team that they consider their objects5. Research reveals that the current fan creators or objects were one time fans of another object similar to them in character and behavior. Politicians were ones fans of other politicians where they gained the experience and the knowledge of their career. Conan Doyle, a Scottish writer and physician was a fan of Poe’s work known as Dupin. Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most recognized legends of literature in many parts of the world6. Through Conan, his work is still present in many people even after several years of her physical absence. Another typical and relevant example is the case of the popular American comedian, Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith. Jaden was a fan of his father before house started practicing comedy. From this, it is convincing to state that fans acted like young individuals who gained knowledge and experience from experts whom they controlled and considered their ‘objects’. Therefore, it is not possible for celebrities to behave in a manner that depicts their uncaring or unconcerned behaviors towards their fans as that will mean termination or spread of their names and works after their demise or retirement. Fans usually mention or utter the names of their objects different ways. First, there are media houses that facilitate the process detailing the behaviors and characters of the objects and texts. He compares celebrities with stars. He says that celebrity is like an image of the stars and the way they live. Celebrity combines the spectacular with the contemporary or everyday, and the special with the ordinary. Most celebrity media humanize the stars without completely disentangling them from their existing larger than life positions as recognized celebrities in the whole world. Ironically, sometimes the fans fail to comprehend these celebrities through the several celebrity media texts since they are as constructed as the celebrity’s public performances. There is no single media source associated with the celebrity provides the fans or readers full understanding of the tension and complexity that is inherent in the celebrity personas7. The public performance of the star and the media coverage celebrity of her private life ensure that all the intimacy is permitted between the star and the audience becomes solely at the discursive level. The signs make it nearly impossible and difficult to make the separation between constructed and real images. Dyer, however, states that a star is usually born not created by utterances in the celebrity media. Dyer states that when we pose to think who the star is then that would be equal as posing or stopping to think on whom we are or who we ought to be. By uncovering ors unveiling what is behind the scenes of the public images of the celebrities, the celebrity media usually tend to purport and attempt to give the audience an unquestionable truth. This never ending urge for the actual or real celebrity causes bestowing of the persona heightening the cultural significance disseminated various forms of celebrity media. Dyer finally comes to a conclusion that there is no fake celebrity. He says that all celebrities have their status with reasons that relates them to their fandom. Fandom of those who are considered fake celebrities through celebrity media, have the same characteristics or features of the discussed features of real celebrity fandom. Fan culture, from this explanation is illustrated through the actions of celebrity media. Celebrity media creates a particular image of the objects or texts, which may be at times exaggerated in one way or the other8. Exaggeration of celebrity features aids in the creation of a more detailed or elaborated character of a particular celebrity. For instance, fans will have desire to investigate on the relationship lifestyle of their celebrity. Fans of Kim Kardashian’ would have a lot of interest in knowing his private life besides the normal knowledge of him being a celebrity. The information on this is always contained in television programs, magazines, newspapers, and other sources9. These sources form the celebrity culture product. They are the beliefs or thoughts of people about their particular object or text. They serve a great role of increasing the overall number of fans or fandom. Thus, they are of great importance to the celebrities. To summarize this, Jason states that literature and study of fandom, media and celebrity influence tells us that fans usually suffer from the inadequacy of psychology, thus, become vulnerable to crowd contagion and media influence. They compensate the adequacy by seeking contact with famous and popular people. Since modern life is atomized and alienated, fans end up developing loyalties to sports teams and celebrities in order to bask in reflected or false glory and end up attending rock concerts to gain the feeling of illusory sense of community10. From the above, it is succinct that designers and artists have to maintain their celebrity status in their fans. Interfering with or assuming the fans would mean a lot to them since the fans are the ones who virtually control all that they do, as well as, their ultimate success. Fandom operates in different levels controlling a large part of mass media that it uses to facilitate and share its knowledge about its object and texts. Fandom has the mandate form a desired fan culture. In other words, fandom forms fan culture that indirectly determines the successes of various celebrities. It is impossible and unhealthy for fans to assume productive operations of fan culture. Reference List Commonwealth of Australia (1968). Fans and Enthusiasts. Perch: Perch University publishers. Meyers, E. (2005). “Can you Handle My Truth?” Authenticity and the Celebrity Star Image. London: London University Publishers. Franco, J. (2006) 'Langsters Online: kd lang and the Creation of Internet Fan Communities,' in Holmes, S. and Redmond, S. eds Framing Celebrity: New Directions in Celebrity Culture.London: Routledge, 269-284. Hamilton, M. (2007) 'Searching for the Blues: James McKune, Collectors and a Different Crossroads,' in Weisbard, E. ed Listen Again: A Momentary History of Popular Music. London: Duke University Press, 26-49. Hills, M. (2007) 'Fans on Trial? "Documenting" Emotivism and Fandom in Wacko About Jacko,' Social Semiotics 17, 4, 459-477. Stevenson, N. (2009) 'Talking to Bowie Fans: Masculinity, Ambivalence and Cultural Citizenship,' Euopean Journal of Cultural Studies 12, 1, 79-98. Zanes, R. (2002) 'A Fan's Notes: Identification, Desire and the Haunted Sound Barrier,' in Beebe, R. et al eds Rock Over the Edge: Transformations in Popular Music Cultures. London: Duke University Press, 291-310. McCann, G. (1995) 'Biographical Boundaries: Sociology and Marilyn Monroe,' in Featherstone, M. et al eds The Body: Social Process and Cultural Theory. London: Sage, pp. 325-338. Hesmondhalgh, D. (2007) 'Audiences and Everyday Aesthetics: Talking About Good and Bad Music', European Journal of Cultural Studies 10(4): 507-27. Bayn, N. (2000). Tune In, Log On: Soaps, Fandom, and Online Community. New York, NY: SAGE Publishers. Read More