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| Buffy - a cult phenomenon |
Cult tv is established in the tv world to have a very strong fanbase in cyber space and elsewhere. This can therefore, directly influence how the show is written, and what comes across onto screen. Hills (2004) calls this a ‘grassroots phenomenon’ saying a show is ‘created by fans rather than media producers’.
This fan-based scripting could be due to ‘cult fans always ‘resisting’ (the) process of commercialism’ meaning that those who are avid fans, who wil watch and follow and discuss these shows with other fans avoid the mainstream, so why listen to the media, who usually are all for consumerism and capitalizing on the mainstream.
Cult fans seem to remain loyal to these shows ‘creating a market for memorabilia…even long after the cancellation and mass merchandising of these shows’. For instance, at this years Armageddon in Auckland a star from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (a huge influential cult hit) will be there to do a talk and meet and greet.
I like that cult tv has such a strong fanbase behind it, and that sometimes the tv making process can cross over to fans. It only makes sense that they write with influence from and in support of fans, as ultimately, they are the ones who watch it so why not give the (albeit apprehensive) consumer what they want.
This fan-based scripting could be due to ‘cult fans always ‘resisting’ (the) process of commercialism’ meaning that those who are avid fans, who wil watch and follow and discuss these shows with other fans avoid the mainstream, so why listen to the media, who usually are all for consumerism and capitalizing on the mainstream.
Cult fans seem to remain loyal to these shows ‘creating a market for memorabilia…even long after the cancellation and mass merchandising of these shows’. For instance, at this years Armageddon in Auckland a star from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (a huge influential cult hit) will be there to do a talk and meet and greet.
I like that cult tv has such a strong fanbase behind it, and that sometimes the tv making process can cross over to fans. It only makes sense that they write with influence from and in support of fans, as ultimately, they are the ones who watch it so why not give the (albeit apprehensive) consumer what they want.
References
Hills, M. (2004) Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studios Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.
Buffy as Cult Television (2009). Retrieved 9 September, 2009 from: http://culttvbuffy.wordpress.com/2009/06/0 3/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/
A good start but what about the second part of the question relating to the role of new media and fan practices? In a way it would be useful here to examine an instance of fan practices on the web and discuss/describe this in the context of Hills' (2004) arguments.
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