ABSTRACT

This chapter provides an overview of fan studies scholarship. It presents the statistical and qualitative findings that explore the complexities and meanings of two participatory practices: information seeking and collective criticism/interpretation. Jenkins challenges the notion that fans are "sitting too close," that is, unable to reflect critically on their "objects" of affection. John Fiske argues that the pleasures of television texts need to be understood in terms of primary and secondary relations: the pleasures of viewing the primary text are extended by a range of secondary texts about the series, its actors/stars, writers, and producers. Bennett reiterates Jenkins' claim of the importance of shared knowledge to fans and emphasizes the affordances of the internet and social media in spreading such information. Jenkins challenges the notion that fans are "sitting too close," that is, unable to reflect critically on their "objects" of affection.