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Fan Activism consists of various forms of civil engagement and political participation that emerge from within the fan culture itself, often in response to the shared interests of fans, and conducted through existing fan practices and relationships.^[1] Fan Activists often outline and discuss different ideas and perspectives that their respective fan communities may have. The subject of fan activism has become popularized and expanded upon due to the emergence of new media, in which there has been a shift in the relationship between producer and consumer, as consumers are able to create their own fan based content.^[2] Examples of fan activism include campaigns for social equality, including the representation of minorities in entertainment media, advocating for the continuation or return of a television show, suggesting specific actors for television and movie roles, and campaigning for sports teams to either remain in the city or relocate. Fan activists use petitions as a way to quantify common interests, in order to gain attention and coverage towards their cause..^[3]

Fan Activism in Television

In 2008, a blog posted a black and white photo of Star Trek fans from the 1960’s. The photo depicts a crowd of individuals holding picket signs participating in a Star Trek rally in front of NBC studios. The rally attempted to show the studio that the show maintained fan support and advocated for the continuation of the show. Aside from the messages written on the signs, the photo is similar to other protest rallies during the 1960’s. Throughout the decades, fan activism would continue to expand, eventually making its way to various online platforms. Fan activism has been a part of television culture as viewers have advocated for previously cancelled television shows to be renewed on the airways. Television fan activism often comes as a response to a network’s decision to cancel a certain television show due to low ratings. One of the first examples of fan activism in television can be seen with the Star Trek television series, as Star Trek fans in the 1960’s came together to put pressure on NBC to keep and later return the show to the airways. The Star Trek movement provided a model for other potential fan advocacy campaigns. Examples of these campaigns include Star Trek (NBC, 1966-69), Cagney and Lacey (CBS, 1982-88), Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981-87), Beauty and the Beast (CBS, 1987-90), and Twin Peaks (ABC, 1990-91).^[4] These campaigns used methods such as mass-mailed letters and telegraphs, phone calls to both network and studio headquarters, and word of mouth among members of the fan community. Fans looked to use these methods to gain attention towards their cause in the hopes that their favorite television series would be kept on the air. Fan activists also use petitions as a way to quantify common interests, and outline the shared support among fans. In the later 2000s, petitions have become digital as fan activists use change.org and petitiononline.com. These websites are free hosting services for online petitions, in which fans interested in creating a petition can do in just a couple of steps. The animated television show “Teen Titans” originally aired on the Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and concluded on January 16, 2006. Fans of the show have since created a petition on change.org asking Warner Brothers to renew the show for a new season. The petition was signed by 1,082 supporters in which fans have expressed the desire for the show to continue from where it ended, while also bringing back the original voice actors. Social media has been a platform for fan activism, allowing fans to engage and participate with their favorite television shows. This allowed fans to enhance their exposure and have a greater influence on the ways they promote and support their favorite shows. Fans participate through live-tweeting, watching and discussing their experiences with the show online through computers and cell phones. Fans use tweets, retweets, and hashtags to discuss their support or critiques of the television show.

Doctor Who

The British television series Doctor Who has been on air since the 1960’s, in which the main character known as The Doctor travels through time. The show’s protagonist is known to regenerate every time they die. The Doctor has been portrayed by 12 different men over the course of the series. In 2017, it was announced that the 13th doctor would be a woman which was a first in the series.^[5] Fans took to Twitter to react to the news, as while some fans welcomed the change of gender for the Doctor, others believed it was an unnecessary change.

Iron Fist

In 2017. Streaming service Netflix released the series “Iron Fist” which is based on the Marvel superhero of the same name, and actor Finn Jones was cast in the main role. Although the comic book character is originally written as a white character who becomes a master of various martial arts, fans tweeted to both Marvel and Netflix, asking that the role be re-cast and given to an actor of Asian descent.^[6]

Adventure Time

Cartoon Network’s animated series “Adventure Time” aired from April 5, 2010 and aired its finale on September 3, 2018. After being on air for 10 seasons, the show confirmed the same-sex relationship between the series main characters Princess Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire which has long been speculated among fans of the series, as the two characters share a kiss after defeating the creature known as GOLB. After the conclusion of the finale, fans took to social media to praise the show’s creators for making the relationship between the two characters “canon”.^[7]

Fan Activism in Film

Fan activism has been established in film, as fans have campaigned for social equality, particularly in regards to equal representation within the film industry. In 2008, producers of the film adaptation of the Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender became a topic for discussion when they announced the casting decisions for the live action adaptation. Fans became concerned with the subject of representation. Although the original animated series reflected elements and characters from East Asian and Inuit cultures, the live action adaptation casted four white actors in the lead roles. Many fans of the series demanded that the lead roles should go to Asian actors because majority of fans saw that the characters in the show were of primarily Asian descent. Furthermore, fans also pointed out that white actors were portraying the heroes, while the non-white actors were portraying the villains.^[8] The conversations surrounding diverse casting continued through online debates. Fans also participated in various activities from sharing fan created content and media, to some fans asking potential audiences to avoid seeing the film. After the announcement that main characters known as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko would be portrayed by white actors, various artists who worked on the original cartoon were first to react to the announcement. These artists anonymously created an entry on the website LiveJournal encouraging fans to write and submit letters to the filmmakers. In response, the filmmakers refused to read any of the letters, and decided to make no changes to the original cast. Despite this, the entry on LiveJournal became a platform for fans to interact with one another, as well as share their thoughts and participate in virtual discussion. Fans have also been active in advocating for roles in film to either be given or removed from actors. In 2013, Warner Brothers announced that a sequel to Man of Steel was in development. At San Diego Comic-Con 2013, the studio revealed that the sequel would introduce the superhero Batman, marking the first time that the characters would interact in live action form. In August of 2013, actor Ben Affleck who previously starred in the 2003 adaptation of Daredevil, was cast to become the new Batman. Shortly after the announcement, fans created a petition asking Warner Brothers to remove Ben Affleck from the role. The petition which can be found on change.org, has been signed by 97,311 supporters. Supporters of the petition shared the concern of the actor’s ability to accurately portray the character, considering Daredevil was not received well both critically and commercially. Fan activism has shifted the relationship between the production and consumption of film, as consumers are able to actively voice their opinions and perspectives regarding content they are given. On December 15, 2017, Walt Disney Studios released the latest entry into the Star Wars franchise titled, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Fans created a petition to Walt Disney shortly after the release of the film. The petition was created online by user Henry Walsh who wrote, “It completely destroyed the legacy of Luke Skywalker and the Jedi. It destroyed the very reasons most of us, as fans, liked Star Wars. This can be fixed. Just as you wiped out 30 years of stories, we ask you to wipe out one more, ‘The Last Jedi.’ Remove it from canon, push back Episode IX and re-make Episode VIII properly to redeem Luke Skywalker’s legacy, integrity, and character.”^[9] The petition has since been signed by 116,973 fans online.

Fan Activism in Sports

Fan activism in sports has been the result of the relationship between fan and sports team. Sports fans share similar senses of belonging, social support, and a sense of pride within the community.^[10] Fan activism has been part of sports as through the shared support of a team, fans develop a sense of community. A sense of community comes from the various social interactions that fans have between one another. From watching the events on television, attending sporting events, and participating in online discussions, sports fans often have their own thoughts and perspectives on their teams. These social interactions are an example of the shared passion and support that fans have for their teams. Despite this passion and support, many sports teams and fan bases have faced the possibility of relocation. Throughout various professional sports, teams can become subjected to moving from one location to another. Within the last few decades, the Vancouver Grizzlies, Seattle Supersonics, and St. Louis Rams have relocated to new cities. More recently, owners of the Oakland Raiders announced that the team would be relocating to Las Vegas for the 2020 season. The process of relocation has led to sports fans advocating for their team to remain in their city. The relocation of sports franchises often occurs when owners of the team experience financial decline, are unsuccessful in building a new arena, or have the desire to the team to a larger market. From 1967 to 2008, the Seattle Supersonics were a team in the National Basketball Association. In 2006, after unsuccessful attempts to generate political and financial support with updating the team’s arena, majority owner Howard Schultz sold the team to a financial group led by Oklahoma City business man Clay Bennett. By 2008, the Seattle Supersonics were relocated to Oklahoma City becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder.^[11] Although the team is no longer in Seattle, fans have remained active in the attempt to bring the Supersonics back to Seattle. In 2012, the Oklahoma City Thunder played the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. After the Heat defeated the Thunder to take a 3-1 series lead, media coverage showed that Seattle Supersonics fans were in attendance wearing Supersonic merchandise. Throughout the arena, Sonic fans held signs asking the NBA to return a professional team back to Seattle. Furthermore, fans went on social media creating Twitter and Facebook accounts named BringBackOurSonics.^[12]

Fan Activism and Social Change

The introduction of new media has enabled for activism to expand its communication capacities. The public has more interaction and involvement with the production and circulation of media. Fan cultures originally interacted with popular media by attending conventions, creating fan made videos, writing fan fiction, and participating in cosplay. Fan activism involves advocating and campaigning for social justice. Harry Potter Alliance is a non-profit organization that consists of fan activists. The group was established in 2005 and has consisted of over 100,000 youth members. The group participates in various forms of human rights activism, as the organization uses the shared interests among Harry Potter fans to draw attention to their cause. The organization has an online presence in which members often participate in discussion forums, website design, vlogs, and remain actively engaged with social media platforms. The organization’s website explains, “Just as Harry and his friends fought the Dark Arts in JK Rowling’s fictional universe, we strive to destroy real-world horcruxes like inequality, illiteracy, and human rights violations”.^[13] The organization looks to encourage civic engagement, using aspects of the Harry Potter franchise to promote social change. The Harry Potter Alliance started the “Not in Harry’s Name” campaign in which the organization asked Warner Brothers to change the production and distribution of their Harry Potter edible products. The organization focused on the chocolate frogs, which were being sold at theme parks and online. Members of Harry Potter Alliance were concerned that the chocolate frogs were produced through child labour. In response, Harry Potter Alliance gathered over 16,000 signatures asking for Warner Brothers to make changes in the production of these products. Warner Brothers would later respond to the petition assuring fans that they were complying with all rules and regulations. Harry Potter Alliance would continue with the campaign, asking for the studio to release reports that were internally conducted. Members of Harry Potter Alliance would again gather signatures for petitions, collecting more than 60,000 signatures while also receiving media coverage. Members also posted videos, blogs, and vlogs to inform the public of their ongoing campaign. Aside from these campaigns, the Harry Potter Alliance has also raised over $123,000 for charities in Haiti, while also donating books for community centres across the country. The work of Harry Potter Alliance is an example of the shift in the relationship between producers and consumers.

Celebrity-Based Fan Activism and Social Media

The traditional notions of fan activism often centred around fans collective efforts to protect, extend, or bring back their favourite groups, television shows, and films. The emergence of social media platforms has added a new way for fans to take part in political participation. Fans are able to use social media to explore and outline their political perspectives. The use of social media enables fans to interact with their favourite celebrities. Like fans, celebrities also use social media to interact with fans, often sharing their perspectives regarding different subjects. The use of social media encourages fans to discuss political issues with celebrities online. Social media allows fans to receive direct guidance and encouragement from celebrities that they are fans of. The use of social media and the internet enables for discussions surrounding politics to take place online. Celebrity-based fan activism demonstrates that celebrities can influence the attitudes and beliefs of fans who identify with them. This identification results in both audiences and fans looking to celebrities for social and political cues.^[14] Social media gives a space where fans can access, discuss, and engage with other individuals who share the same beliefs. Among celebrities, recording artist Lady Gaga has been known to advocate for social justice. Lady Gaga’s social media has millions of followers. Throughout her career, Gaga has participated in various activist efforts such as raising awareness and funding for AIDS and HIV, contributing to natural disaster relief efforts for Haiti, Japan, and New York. Through the use of social media, Gaga is able to share her political positions with fans, often encouraging fans to join her causes. Fans of the artist have created their own fan group calling themselves “Little Monsters”. The fan base has suggested that Lady Gaga’s perspectives on human rights have become a part of the groups construction of identity. Fans have also indicated that social media remains an important part of the Little Monster community as a fan stated, “You make so many friends and you know you’re not alone, and if you’re talking to another Monster on Twitter, they’ll try to help you or something. So it’s kind of a big family”.^[15]

Fan Activism in Video Games

Fan activism in video games has looked to change the processes of how video game developers produce content. On November 17, 2017, Star Wars Battlefront II was released on various gaming consoles. The game was the second installment in the multi-year publishing agreement between game developer EA and Disney. After launch, fans created an online petition stating that EA, “proven to their consumers that they don’t care about the gameplay experience”.^[16] Fans who signed the petition asked that changes be made with both gameplay, and the removal of certain elements of the game. The petition had an initial goal of gathering 15,000 signatures, but has now been signed by over 200,000 fans. Through the petition and other fans highlighting issues within the game, Disney and EA decided to make changes to the game. Electronic Arts chief executive officer Andrew Wilson and Disney consumer products and interactive media chairman Jimmy Pitaro made the decision to remove player’s ability to make in-game purchases, using real money. Players were no longer able to purchase loot boxes which was meant to unlock characters in the game at random. DICE general manager Oskar Gabrielson released a statement, “We will now spend more time listening, adjusting, balancing, and tuning. This means that the option to purchase crystals in the game is now offline, and all progression will be earned through gameplay”.^[17]

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