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Fandom, after all, is born of a balance between fascination and frustration: if media content didn't fascinate us, there would be no desire to engage with it; but if it didn't frustrate us on some level, there would be no drive to rewrite or remake it.
Henry Jenkins
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Fandom arises from both the attraction to and dissatisfaction with media content.

Henry Jenkins suggests that fandom is a complex phenomenon that emerges from a delicate interplay between fascination with media and frustration towards it. When we are captivated by a piece of media, it sparks our interest and engagement, yet moments of frustration or imperfection inspire us to reshape, reinterpret, or create new narratives within that context. Therefore, both positive and negative emotions fuel our connection to media, leading to the vibrant culture of fandom.

Themes

FandomMediaFrustrationFascinationEngagement

In practice

Example use cases

During a panel discussion on creators' relationships with their fans, this quote illustrates the dual nature of fans' feelings toward media.

More from Henry Jenkins

If old consumers were assumed to be passive, then new consumers are active. If old consumers were predictable and stayed where you told them, then new consumers are migratory, showing a declining loyalty to networks or media. If old consumers were isolated individuals, then new consumers are more socially connected. If the work of media consumers was once silent and invisible, then new consumers are now noisy and public.
Henry JenkinsRead
...Fan fiction is a way of the culture repairing the damage done in a system where contemporary myths are owned by corporations instead of owned by the folk.
Henry JenkinsRead

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