“The computer screen is the gateway to new forms of negotiation and relationship building by enabling individual imaginations to meet with the collective imaginings of others through various online communities of television fans.” (Bowen, 2008, p.569).
The purpose of this blog is to explore how people have become more intimate with their favorite fictional television characters and how this behavior is shared with other like-minded viewers participating in fan websites (Bowen, 2008, p.570).
In the past, television programs could only be viewed once a week based on the networks programmed schedule. If you missed a new episode, you would most likely fall behind and not be able to catch up again until the network showed a re-run of the episode. Now that television networks have established websites with streaming video, people are able to watch their favorite television programs at any time during the week or even watch several episodes in one sitting.
More importantly, viewers can now develop a more personal attachment to their favorite television characters by becoming more familiar with them. The Internet has provided a way for viewers to create fan websites where information regarding the television program can be shared with other viewers. The creation of these websites has led to new Internet communities, where viewers can discuss their favorite characters and plots. New cyberspace friendships emerge and this online experience is “more likely to shift viewers’ sense of intimacy and connectivity to distant others, fictional or otherwise” (Bowen, 2008, p.570).
In conclusion, the Internet has provided a way for television viewers to enhance their fondness of a television program and it’s characters by bringing it to life on the Internet. The experience is then enhanced when the viewer is able to connect with other online users who share similar interests and opinions.
References:
Bowen, T. (2008). Romancing the screen: an examination of moving from television to the world wide web in a quest for quasi-intimacy. Journal of Popular Culture 41:4, 569-590. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2008.00537.x
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