Since this is our last blog, how could I not pay homage to
our professor by mentioning his own in-depth ethnographical work, Pinning Down Fan Involvement: An Examination
of the Multiple Modes of Engagement for Professional Wrestling Fans. You
fill the exact niche in the void of scholarly work of fan involvement, that is
to say, looking at fan engagement through the eyes of the fans.
I have not seen a body of work like this previously. You
were able to identify five ways in which fans interact with pro wrestling, as
spectators, critics, performers, community members, and theorists. To my
knowledge, no one has ever done this before. Your work brings a unique clarity
of the “fan culture/group,” thereby labeling five subgroups. I enjoyed the
demographic breakdown you presented also, such as the amount of factory
workers, skilled or retail, students, housewives, etc.
What I found really interesting (and humorous by way of actual fan responses) was your
observations and conclusions of the five types: Fans as Spectators—your basic passive
fan who comes to the show to be surprised. Fans as critics—fans who need a
little more than the spectator fan, wants a performance to be executed well and
focuses on the artistry of the performance. Fans as Performers—a more active and
vocal process of engagement with the wrestlers, a vital part in wrestling
culture. Fans as Community—fans who come for the social interaction with other
fans as they have gathered at events over a period of time. While this type of
fan still exists, I believe the “Community Fan” was far more in existence pre-McMahon,
when wrestling was still not only regional, but local. This local level
provided the true Community Fan in abundance. I loved your phenomenon of “fan
of fans,” that particular sub, sub group where fans would come to watch how
other active fans would behave as things unfolded. This group reminds me of
Hatpin Mary and her fan following in the old days. Fans as Theorists—fans who
explain why they or other fans engage the way they do, mainly by social or
psychological reasons. Of course, this is for the benefit of those who do not
know it is fake.
All in all, this is really a great piece of work, and *really*
explains the fan base as it should heretofore have been explored, through the
fans themselves.
1 comment:
Appreciate the reflections, Gary. As I mentioned, this is a vestige of my undergraduate work...and was originally written very much like an undergraduate "research paper" should be. Life has been going a mile a minute since, and I've neglected getting back to this to really focus in on those "5 modes of engagement" that I think could make a useful contribution to others' work. As I said, the academic writing world is certainly faker than wrestling. :) But glad you found the piece helpful. And looking forward to our precious final few sessions together as we wrap up a semester's looking at pro wrestling.
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