In class we discussed how media is fragmented. On TV, for example, there are thousands of channels, many of them targeted at a specific audience. These are ‘niche channels.’ When it was mentioned in class that the average American watches an average of 15-20 channels, I thought “No way, not me!” Then when I started writing down the channels I watch, I was proven wrong….my total is about 12:
ABC, Fox, The CW, Spike, Disney, ABC Family, MTV, E!, VH1, Comedy Central, MTV2, and TLC were the first few that I thought of.
Some of the channels that I watch could be called niche channels. For example, I watch Spike TV because CSI runs for about 10 hours a day. This is targeting of a specific audience – CSI fans.
In this case, when I call myself a CSI fan, I mean that I enjoy the show – I dont know episode numbers and I haven’t seen every single episode ever made, and you certainly will never find me at a CSI convention (if such a thing exists?). I agree with Joli Jenson in her article “Fandom as Pathology: The Consequences of Characterization” that often saying you are a fan of something means that you are crazed and obsessed. I think this is a sad connotation because what other word are we supposed to use to express our feelings about our favorite shows/sports/other media/etc.?
Below is a video of Avril Lavigne being chased by a crazed fanatic, or in better words, a celebrity stalker…
Jenson, Joli. Fandom as Pathology: Consequences of Characterization.
