The Impact of Fan Culture on BBC Sherlock: Jenkins' Convergence Theory

This essay responds to Henry Jenkins' definition of fan culture in "Convergence Culture," using BBC's Sherlock as a case study. It argues that fan culture encompasses communication built around shared enjoyment of media, acting as participatory cultures where fans are both consumers and creators. The essay explores various aspects of fan culture, including fan fiction, cosplay, and online interactions, highlighting the role of the internet in expanding fan communities. It examines the contradictions within fandom, the relationship between fans and media content, and the influence of fan culture on individuals, particularly female fans over 50. The essay also discusses the impact of digital transformation on fan engagement and concludes that fan culture is a dynamic discipline that offers insights into human nature, interactions, and the comprehension of power, content, and consumption.

A response to the definition of fan culture
provided by Henry Jenkins in Convergence
Culture 2006 p 325 CASE STUDY BBC
SHERLOCK

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
Essay................................................................................................................................................2
About Fan culture definition provided by Henry Jenkins............................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
The current essay is present in response to following definition of fan culture provided by
Henry Jenkins in convergence culture. It will define clear argument based on above concept via
authors perception.
Essay
About Fan culture definition provided by Henry Jenkins
According to Jenkins, Ford & Green, (2018) fan culture is a simple term which describes
communication build around shared enjoyment of aspect of famous culture such as books, TV
shows, Sports teams, bands, movies etc. It is the best example of participatory cultures that
includes fans acting as consumers and also as creators or producers of some form of innovative
media. Though vary fan cultures, including fans of music, dance and sports team have
components of participatory culture media fandom is specifically motivates creative expression
as well as artistic manufactures by their participants.
Wang, (2018) define this culture more particularly as one that consists of strong aid for
sharing and creating one’s innovation with others, members who trust contributions matter,
individuals who think some level of social connections with one another & concern about people
opinion about their contributions and also consist of relatively low obstacles to artistic
expression and public engagement. In Fan cultures, these artistic behavior and creations take
form of fan fiction, fan video, art, cosplay and other communication with a person, units or
fictional world. This fiction consists of varied concepts written by fans of specific work of fiction
more than actual creator about fictional features or fanvids set clips of TV shows or movies to
music & construct a narrative utilizing particular image from different sources materials. Fill
songs are a kind of flock music, mostly with science fiction or other fictional universes as topic.
Cosplay is practice of wearing different costumes or apparel or other accessories in efforts to
portray a fictional role.
As per view of Jenkins & Dery’s, (2017) modern fan culture started with star Trek
fandom in 1960s, at that period fan mostly shares their creations through convention or fanzines.

In recent time, internet has permitted fan culture to become more extensive and available. More
than submitting work of people fiction to zine where when it received it would be photo copied
along with some effective works and sent out to mailing, it can be said that modern fans can post
their feeling or creative works online. It consider as one of the best ways to communicate and
share thoughts about someone else. Fan culture is considered as practice of fans has participated
in for years, reaching important popularity with fans writing about TV shows. Practices like
writing fan fiction caters people chance to come together to celebrate and discuss a media text in
a managed community. It analyzed that fans effectively take part with media contents and with
each other, especially when media message is accessible on internet which caters a high range of
chances for fans to interact with content. There are varied elements available that help to emerge
& increase fan culture such as internet. It is one of the most effective components or force for fan
culture as it caters platforms such as chat rooms and online forums that will be established and
organized by fans themselves. Scott, (2018) states that through internet online fans can
communicate with their interesting character.
French and et.al., (2018) contradict that fan cultures provides a meta analysis of concepts
of this culture and appropriate unpacking of methodological as well as theoretical bunch
surrounding study of media fandom. Step towards common theory of media fandom one which
does not centre on fans of specific media content but more than on multimedia or transmedia
consumption of media fans. In regards to fan cultures the author work represents challenge to the
created paradigms of studies by other creators of fan studies and also shows multiple directions
in which these reports could be forces for more fruitful scholar ship in this emerging essential
area.
Yin & Xie, (2018) emphasize contradicts inherent in fandom and outlines how media
fans have been conceptualized in cultural concept. Author pays special focus to research
presumed separation between fans and academic argument. Emphasising contradictions of fan
culture, author outline how media fans have been conceptualized in culture concept, by drawing
on cases of particular fans teams from Elvis impersonators to Trekkers, Matt hills discusses
many of methods to fandom. Fan cultures explores notion of fan cults, considering how media
liker perform distinctions of cult category. Everyone knows what a fan is; it’s somebody who is
obsessed with specific star, TV programmes, celebrity or a brand. People who can produce reams

of info on their object of fandom and can extract their favored lyrics, verse and session. Fans are
highly articulate; they interpret media content in different of interesting and maybe unexpected
terms. They participate in communal things they are not socially isolated readers. Everyone
knows what a fan is but it is an academic study dealing with fan culture or attitudes and covering
problem of cult media. Some readers may be still expects theorized description of what fandom
is and what constitutes a fan culture.
Vilela, (2019) discussed that fandom defending is not easy act, despite everyday of term,
enthusiast, fan and cultist along a spectrum of experiences and determines, distinguishing
between them by connecting enhanced specialization of interest, social company of interest and
resource productivity to move from fan to cultist to enthusiast. Author argue that fan groups can
be outside and within practices of commodification, simultaneously self absent and aware,
secular & regular and performatively and intellectual embodied. They stated well created power
of argumentation and logic allow them to draw it all together into a massive argument on fan
culture and academic writing on fan cultures. In context of film tourism, investigations shows
that how visiting places connected with television or movies programmes work in much same
way as using created paratexts do. Models of place imagination conceptualizes fans go off in
search of places that are seen to enhance favorite texts whether it be the author location, a
filming destination or another location where real words and imaginary interact.
Fandom is related to different media texts and activities such as football. Football fans
are domain of specific interest as it is focused around rivalries which reach as an essential and
general aspect of fan experience.
According to Harrington, Mecklenburg & Knaus, (2017) fans create content such as fan
fiction to play with contradictions in order to search openings for elaborations of their
speculations and world about characters, therefore permitting fans to fill any gaps in narrative
which are not considered by media content itself. It can be said that fan culture is established
around particular cultural content and nature of these text is what distinguishes fans from non
fans.
As per view of Prieto, Baltas & Stan, (2017) fans culture not only affect men’s it also
influence women more over than 50 percent females follow this culture and use internet for

sharing their opinions and experiences about specific character in TV shows, movies or other
media sources. Fandom play vital role in current and further life. Through e-mail interview it
analyzed that nine female fans over age of 50 consider in list of fandom for popular BBC drama
written by Sherlock. Fandom is manifestation of modern culture, argument suitable of subjective
age and informs way in which people in middle or later life negotiate as well as perceive their
own subjective age specially in relation to fandom as youngster, female, youth culture and
creativity. Growing old has a particular set of implications for women and that increasing age is
much more than a biological procedure. It is also known as socio cultural act that shapes
everyday lives of people as well as their norms and ideals tied to over aging. BBC TV series fans
are mostly women they are interested in content and roles of characters. Female like Martin
Freeman leading role in this series and then start liking it more than male. Fans base of this
show’ has prevalent place on social media sites or channels such as Facebook, Twitter and a
number of dedicated sources. The fans of this series follow minutiae of filming new chapter,
discuss story in detail and develop ancillary contents and artwork, plan meetups, interact with
crew and cast and follow actors every step. On the other hand, some fans phenomena draw
especially teenage individual, Sherlock Fandom considers representing a huge range of age units.
It is because age of actual Arthur Conan Doyle series meaning that even older children’s will
have grown up with concepts in earlier adaptations and literary forms for television and movies.
Appeal of lead character and his cerebral method to roles as Sherlock aids draw in better mature
fans.
McClellan, (2018) stated that some of major socio demographic factors for current
generation and how these elements would comprehend in relation to their potential influence on
fandom. It reflects that with advent of dominant has been fraction of media based fandom’s for
majority of their lives. They grew up with mass media and emerge celebrity culture as people
know it today. Individual over a some age are concern too old to specific in what is often,
especially in modern or famous media, recognized predominately a youth culture. Prescriptive
way is being changed from within fandom by fans themselves. There whereas remains a wide
comprehending of anything from middle age and up as too much for fandom.
According to Khdair, (2018) one of the most famous and watched television episode in
BBC history is Sherlock is set of contemporary where 30 something Sherlock & John alongside

new Scotland yard solve crimes with aid of smartphones and internet. Interweaving fan fictions
cases and genre reports it examines hit series and fan fiction it inspires. Sherlock’s world caters a
numeric look into fan authority, recognizing fan fiction as literature, cultural and art fabric. This
book will provide as a great resource to fans and follower of good detective and to anyone
interested in fandom study and fan fiction. It is groundbreaking in their therapy of fan fiction as
literary texts more than sociological phenomena that stated above and gives a understanding
research of range of fan following with BBCs’ series. People experience of Victorian novel
constituted as much by break in reading as by textual texts. Growing temporal gaps between
seasons of Sherlock has a important role in advertising fan innovation and experience. Fan
culture defines as relationship between follower and character in which they are interested.
People follow those characters in which they are interested and consider the overall concept
interesting more than other.
Fandom is subculture consist of fans features by a feeling of empathy and amity with
other who share general interest. Wide category of western latest organized fannish subcultures
originated with science fiction fandom, units of fans of fantasy genres. Science fandom fiction
goes away to 1930s and keep managed clubs and institutions in many places all around the
world. Fans held annual world science fiction convention along with many other actions each era
and has developed their own jargon. Individuals of fandom associate with one another, attending
fan communication and publishing as well as transferring fanzines. It also analyzes that fan
culture emergence essential issues of creativity, strength and knowledge within cultural studies
and media sociology. Digital transformation and technology advancement in specific has change
landscape of fandom, providing new types of communication with object of fandom and high fan
society & increased possibilities for creativity. Fan cultures is known as dynamic discipline that
can aware people richly about active follower and engagement with power, content and
consumption as well as more widely about human nature, interactions and comprehending.
CONCLUSION
From above analysis it has been concluded that fan culture is one of the most essential
factor that drive people towards following specific character in TV shows, movies and other

media texts. From above discussion different author’s point of views about fan culture has been
discussed.

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
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Jenkins, H. & Dery’s, M., (2017). From culture jamming to cultural acupuncture. Culture
jamming: Activism and the art of cultural resistance. pp.133-160.
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networked culture (Vol. 15). NYU press.
Khdair, D. (2018). Globalizing Pakistani Identity Across The Border: The Politics of Crossover
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