As a member of several fandoms (Harry Potter and Game of Thrones), I was particularly interested in Nisbett’s discussion regarding misogyny in today’s online fandoms. In her paper, she quoted Jenkin et al. to define fandoms as groups that are “made up of ‘members who consciously identify as apart of a larger community to which they feel some degree of commitment and loyalty’.” (Nisbett, p. 172) 

Both Nisbett (2018) and Parks (2011) defined the traits of online communities but did not explore how these online communities were formed in the first place. I would argue that just like offline communities who are bound together by a geographic space (Parks, p. 108), online communities are bound together by a common interest, whether it’s a media (Harry Potter or Game of Thrones), interest (knitting or gardening) or political beliefs (liberal or conservative), members of every online community need to have something in common in order to participate in that community. 

This observation brings me to Nisbett’s (2018) exploration of the misogyny displayed within certain fandoms, especially in video games, anime, books and popular television – and discussed why some fandoms are more inclusive than others, citing that “the content of media consumed” (p. 183) dictates the values, practices and expectations of members within the fandom. In other words, “the attitude within the media shapes attitude within the fandom.” (p. 183)

I argue that this is true not only for online fandoms but for most online communities – the shared interest or belief that bound community members together would dictate the social behaviours and attitude within that community. 

In this blog post, I want to explore how the juxtaposition between the misogynistic and the feminist content in Game of Thrones shape its fandom. Game of Thrones is a series of books that have been adapted to an eight-season Television show. In this post, I will refer to the hugely popular Television show, since the rise of the fandom began when the show started becoming popular in 2011. 

I want to explore Game of Thrones fandom as a case study because the media itself is (at best) questionable on its treatment of women. The show has come under fire numerous times for its objectification of women, its depiction of sexual violence and sacrificing female characters’ agency in favour of male characters (Sansa’s rape scene in Season 4 and Daenarys’ death in Season 8). 

However, the show also has the most portrayals of women in power by its final season. At times, the show is even seen as “empowering” for women, telling stories of victims of abuse (the Stark sisters, Daenerys Targaryen, Brienne of Tarth, among others) who rose to power using their strength, wit, and intelligence. Below is an example of Sansa Stark’s journey in Game of Thrones: in Season 1, she was a child bride who was forced to watch her father’s beheading – by the end of Season 8, she was Queen of the North. 

This juxtaposition in Game of Thrones’ “text” came up at “Con of Thrones” – a Game of Thrones full-scale convention which took place in 2017. Sharing her experience at the convention, Tiffany (2017) called this “a better version of ‘nerd’ fandom” where “the cult of the self-centred, misogynist, white male nerd” culture was nowhere to be found. She said that although the topics of objectification of women or sexual violence did come up in the discussions, they “represent at least an inkling of interest, curiosity, and maybe care. As a story becomes culturally central, it takes on new responsibilities. Part of being a fan in a serious way is feeling as though you share in those.” (Tiffany, 2017) The fandom, Tiffany argues, is inclusive and sees the problems with the show’s portrayals of women. But rather than demonizing the show, they are trying to address the problem behind these portrayals.

The larger culture context also affects fandom. Game of Thrones took off at a time where women’s rights and sexual violence are getting more and more attention in popular culture, so it’s somewhat inevitable that its fandom is becoming more “woke” about these issues. As Nisbett concluded in her article: “As communities change and becoming more tolerant spaces, perhaps the corrosive and hostile aspects of social media can change as well.” (Nisbett, p. 186)

References

Nisbett, G. (2018). Don’t Mess with My Happy Place: Understanding Misogyny in Fandom Communities. In: J. Vickery and T. Everbach, ed., Mediating Misogyny : Gender, Technology, and Harassment. [online] Palgrave Macmillan US, pp.171-188. Available at: https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.brighton.ac.uk/lib/ubrighton/detail.action?docID=5295028 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2019].

Parks, M. (2011). Social Network sites as Virtual Communities. In: A networked self: identity, community, and culture on social network sites. Routledge.

Tiffany, K. (2017). The biggest Game of Thrones fans in the world are not what I thought they’d be. [online] The Verge. Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/7/15909708/game-of-thrones-convention-fan-fest-report [Accessed 21 Nov. 2019].