Mel Stanfill Livres

The book explores the phenomenon of fan engagement in the digital age, highlighting how the industry's call for fan feedback may create an illusion of empowerment. Instead of enhancing fan power, it suggests that this participation primarily serves the industry's interests, emphasizing the concept of fans as valuable resources rather than active decision-makers. Through this lens, the work critiques the dynamics between fans and creators in contemporary media landscapes.

Exploring the paradox of fandom, this book delves into the darker side of fan engagement, highlighting instances of social media harassment across various platforms, including comic books, TV shows, and politics. It examines the motivations behind these aggressive behaviors and what they reveal about contemporary media and public culture. By analyzing these dynamics, the work sheds light on the complexities of love and anger within fandom, challenging the conventional notion of fans as mere enthusiasts.

"In theory, fans are people who love something, so why, across cases from comic books to TV shows to YouTube to politicians to fan fiction, do fans engage in large-scale social media harassment to express their anger, and what does it tell us about media and public culture?"--