SALON: "So, this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause": Fandom, Politics, Public Discourse and Democracy
Western civilizations commonly frame news and politics as informative, to encourage logical public discourse to promote collaborative problem solving. Fandom, however, is primarily affective-based, with motivations to consume influenced by emotional relationships to some object of affection. However, in the 21st century, many journalists, political analysts, and politicians reconceptualize citizens and constituents as fans. For example, politicians talk about their loyal constituents and utilizing grassroots campaigns in ways similar to media producers discuss their fans. Thus, a politician builds a fandom around themselves and persuades it to engage in certain civic activities. This type of political organizing, however, often becomes criticized as populism and is seen as antithetical to democracy. Such framing would see fandom as antithetical to democracy.
It may also be true, however, that such affective organizing exists at the core democratic participation, providing the impetus to become involved, and thus fandom essentially has always been a part of democracy. If citizenship is performance, and fan communities provide a space in which to experience and enact a political identity, then when citizens or politicians bring fandom into politics, they do so based on generating an affective citizenship to encourage political citizenship and help people fulfill their legal-judicial citizenship. Western-style democracies, for example, perhaps cultivate and encourage affective political engagement, at least since the rise of “commoners” voting.
This salon tackles the question: “what would happen to political engagement and democracy if we consider citizens as fans, and what are the benefits/drawbacks of this type of framing?”
Participants: CarrieLynn Reinhard (Dominican University), Namita Gupta, Stacey Lantagne (University of MIssissippi) (Amber Davisson & Ashley Hinck, moderators)
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