Week 9-10

What role does Hills (2004) suggest the fans play in the construction of cult TV? How is new media central to this?

Hills third definition of cult states “Cult TV can be defined through analysis of fan practices and depends on fan activities” (hill, 2004) and then follows shortly after by saying “This type of argument positions cult TV as a ‘grassroots’ phenomenon, assuming that it is created by fans rather than by media producers” (Hill, 2004). It is highly possible to say that cult TV is extremely dependent on fan base and even my personal experiences with cult TV appear to draw the exact same conclusion. For instance while I was growing up, Buffy the Vampire slayer was a household name and one could say that it’s because of the immense support of its dedicated fans that it was able to become so successful around the world. Had it never received the same kind of support then I most likely never would of heard of it before and it probably wouldn’t have continued on for as many seasons as it did. Without a strong fan base backing it, it’s arguable to assume that regardless of genre it’s doomed to fail and one of those reasons being that there are just too many TV shows to compete with in not only the cult genre, but every genre. Hill goes on to state that “The overwhelming majority of those series that evolve substantial creative fan cultures belongs to the fantastic genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror (Hill, 2004)”. By saying that I think that it’s possible that the popularity of fan bases of those certain series were also due to the Cult genre appealing and including elements from those three different genres compiled into one which unifies everyone under one interest and furthers the Cult genre.

The new media is central to all of this because it plays a huge role in how the public views cult TV. Things like how and where cult TV is presented and advertised all contribute directly to the possible fan base. Without a driving force such as new media, shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer would quite possibly have never even amassed a fan base to start with. It’s so much easier for fans to gather and celebrate their shared interests thanks to new media. 

References

Hills, M. (2004). Defining Cult TV; Texts, Inter-texts and Fan Audiences, The Television Studies   Reader, in R. C. Allen & A. Hill. London and New York: Routledge.