screm-de-la screm I haven’t posted for a while.

We are progressing well in our PB4. In class I discussed the meanings of Fandoms as an example of audience control over media. Some of the topics I will investigate are the fanbases power over television programmes, and the political alignments of the fans who are now linked into the writing and plotlessness of the stories. You can assess shows like Orphan Black or The 1OO or even movies such as The Danish Girl and Stonewall as being manipulated by the viewership. Some of these examples have suffered tremendously in the box office due to the public boycotting the film for historical inaccuracy which is offensive to the minorities the film is aimed towards.

Many of the articles I researched showed fandom turning to activism. How fans who have similarities beyond the show put their thought to activism, social justice and progressive thought. However this is a double edged sword. Different media results in different political alignments and not all are progressive (Duck Dynasty)
A case study I found were the American activists who protested the Russian LGBT propaganda laws were fans of Lady Gaga, and her history of advocating for LGBT rights saw her banned from performing in Russia, and subsequently being investigated for tax evasion by the Russian government. Her audience and fandom then began campaigning for freedom for the Russian Queer community. However, many of the studies show that Audiences have an extent to their effectiveness on a political scale, one that does not match the influence they have within the politics of media making. There we draw the line between effectiveness and effort.