MLP Comic Creators Discussing Fandom and Fandom Influence
See 35:10-40:00 Fandom Influence on Creators
As the Internet has the given fan communities a greater ability to be heard, it is clear that it has also given the creators a greater ability to listen and to consider the desires of fans. Creators may choose to give "fan service", a term sometimes used to specifically denote images of sexuality meant to please fans but which also encompasses any point in a work where the creator makes some allowance or gesture specifically for the fans' enjoyment. As an example, at Bronycon 2013 the artists of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic tie-in comic discussed the influence fans had over Hasbro's creative decisions regarding the My Little Pony franchise. First it was noted that the brony fandom's unofficial names for "background ponies" had been adopted and used by Hasbro on their products. Background ponies are generic character models used to fill space within the show and create the feeling of a larger world; they initially served no greater purpose but the many bronies took a liking to them and began naming and creating identities for them, including "Doctor Whooves/Time Turner" (A pony with a vague resemblance to David Tenant's version of The Doctor), "Vinyl Scratch/DJ Pon-3", and "Ditzy Doo/Derpy Hooves" (This last being a source of some controversy). The comic artists said these would not be the characters without the influence of the fandom. The next noted result of the brony fandom's influence was the creation of the "Equestria Girls" movie, which the artists said was inspired by the numerous fan art depictions of the main characters as humans. They even jokingly told the fandom to "take responsibility", because of the mixed reactions the fandom had toward the movie (EverFreeRadio). On the other hand however, the sense of owner ship over a text that fans may feel due to their greater ability to be heard may also lead to serious backlash. The recent release of Allegiant by Veronica Roth led to much fan outrage. Kit Steinkeliner describes why she thinks this is in her article on BookRiot, describing fans as feeling "almost like a board of directors, shareholders in a company", but "they are really just readers. This discrepancy between perceived power and real power is jarring." The ability to have fans' desires to heard easily and even directly answered as a work is created can give fans a false sense ownership, leading to immense emotional backlash when the creator chooses to ignore those desires. This sense of fan ownership is an interesting phenomenon in the wake of the Internet, as fans can create and share content so much more easily, but it creates sense of ownership and power that is possibly greater than what the fandom is actually capable of. |
Fandom's Relationship with Creators The Internet has had a number of interesting effects upon the relationship between fans and the creators of their fandom's primary text. In some ways, it has allowed for meaningful and constructive interaction, while in others it has led to breakdowns in communication. There is also the question of how much influence a fandom can exert upon a creator and the sense of ownership this may generate. Allowances for Pleasant and Constructive Interaction In this guest article on Ruthanne Reid's author website, "Why Is Fandom Important", author J.M. Frey notes what she sees as positive aspects of the fandom-creator relationship. Among these positive aspects are the fans' vocal usage of social networking in spreading the word about a creator's work and keeping the creator "accountable" by making known flaws and aspects of a work that the author didn't realize they placed in the work. It is also mentioned that fans "keep [the] worlds and [the] characters alive" by remaking and transforming the text even the creator no longer has the opportunity to do so, such as after a book is published. Ross also notes the importance of fans in keeping texts "alive", by watching the show and creating derivative content (40). In Frey's view, fans are a valuable resource for creators because they may point out aspects of a text creators may not realize theu included, and fans' passion allows the to expose others to a text and to convince them to consume it. Allowances for Communication Breakdown and Animosity The article "'Star Trek Into Darkness' Writer: If You Don't Like It, Pitch a Better Movie" discusses the communication breakdown and growth of animosity between the Star Trek fandom and the creators of the movie "Star Trek Into Darkness". Also mentioned is the push for creators to maintain a rapport with fans via social media in order to assist in publicity by utilizing fan networks. In this case, open and easy communication between fans and creators led to conflict due to differing views of the original Star Trek. The fans' sense of spiritual ownership led them to feel betrayed by the movie creators for following a different interpretation, while the movie creators refused to meaningfully engage with the fans' differing views and instead flaunted their authority as creators. Creator Reactions to Fanworks Creators have varied reactions to fan works, ranging from flattered to insulted. As a result, many creators have personal policies regarding fanworks. Many refuse to read fanfiction sent to them, often citing a wish maintain a form of plausible deniability. This may be due to the social effects of the Marion Zimmer Bradley case discussed on the legalities page. There have been attempts to control the types if content generated by fans, such as J.K. Rowling making a stipulation that Harry Potter fanworks should not be obscene, in case younger fans found them. However, such rules are nigh impossible to enforce due to the sheer number of fanworks published and the resilience of the community. |