Emphasising the contradictions of fandom, Matt Hills outlines how media fans have been conceptualised in cultural theory. Drawing on case studies of specific fan groups, from Elvis impersonators to X-Philes and Trekkers, Hills discusses a range of approaches to fandom, from the Frankfurt School to psychoanalytic readings, and asks whether the development of new media creates the possibility of new forms of fandom. Fan Cultures also explores the notion of "fan cults" or followings, considering how media fans perform the distinctions of 'cult' status.
Author(s): Matthew Hills
Edition: 1
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 224
Book Cover......Page 1
Half-Title......Page 2
Series Title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Content......Page 8
Preface......Page 9
Acknowledgment......Page 17
Introduction......Page 18
Part I Approaches Fan Cultures......Page 40
1. Fan cultures between consumerism and ‘resistance’......Page 42
2. Fan cultures between community and hierarchy......Page 59
3. Fan cultures between ‘knowledge’ and ‘justification’......Page 76
4. Fan cultures between ‘fantasy’ and ‘reality’......Page 99
Part II Theorising Cult Media......Page 122
5. Fandom between cult and culture......Page 124
6. Media cults: between the ‘textual’ and the ‘extratextual’......Page 137
7. Cult geographies: between the ‘textual’ and the ‘spatial’......Page 149
8. Cult bodies: between the ‘self’ and the ‘other’......Page 161
Conclusion......Page 174
Notes......Page 185
Bibliography......Page 212
Index......Page 237
