Mike Madison has a great post on Steelers fan memorabilia. The quoted materials make the point that many people look down on sports fans, ignoring their creative and curatorial work. Good point; and also, try being a media fan sometime!
There has actually been some very interesting scholarship specifically on the difference between sports fans and media fans, and on the difference in scholars' reactions to both. See, in particular, Schimmel, Kimberley, Hamilton, C. Lee, & Bielby, Denise (2007). Keep your fans to yourself: The disjuncture between sport studies' and pop culture studies' perspectives on fandom. Sport in Society, 10(4), 580-600.
Rebecca,
ReplyDeleteThere has actually been some very interesting scholarship specifically on the difference between sports fans and media fans, and on the difference in scholars' reactions to both. See, in particular, Schimmel, Kimberley, Hamilton, C. Lee, & Bielby, Denise (2007). Keep your fans to yourself: The disjuncture between sport studies' and pop culture studies' perspectives on fandom. Sport in Society, 10(4), 580-600.
Thanks for the link; I will check it out.
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