Here’s another piece of my discussion with AOL TV’s Maureen Ryan (See the previous video here). In this video, we talk about how fandom has changed, particularly in today’s social media environment.
Fans can be more visible and louder than they’ve ever been before. As Ryan points out, there’s now an attitude of “Because my voice can effect things, it should effect things.” She cautions, however, that creators should maintain their own vision in the face of pressure from vocal viewers. She feels that fans shouldn’t write TV shows, in particular because the results are awful.
We also talk about the history of fandom, particularly the shift from just the celebration of work to trying to influence the work itself. Has social media empowered fans or emboldened them to try to participate in the creative act?