Response to Convergence Culture (Ch 2-3)

The story of American Idol introduced in chapter two of Henry Jenkins’s Convergence Culture illustrates the increasing importance of “expression” in media theory. I understand what Jenkins means about a consumer’s “investment” in a brand as it relates to his notion of “mass customization and personalization”—with more media being produced than a single person can possibly consume, the choices we make about what to pay attention to has important implications not only for the markets, but for our social self-image as participants in American culture. I see the places where these public and private interests converge as the origins of the highly ethical nature of the discussions they produce—If a company succeeds in establishing an emotional investment with me, I have an expectation that the interactions produced from their end have a high fidelity, otherwise these aspects of my social self-image are disrupted and revealed to be shallow constructions unworthy of being associated with my valuable attention.



The Idol example of fans’ outcry against unfair voting practices and deliberately fabricated results designed to increase dramatic tension resembles some of my recent experiences with reality programming. The show Master Chef has a similar structure and appeal as Idol, narrowing a huge number of amateur contestants down to a small group of the most talented individuals, yet due to the fact that advancement in the competition depends not on votes from viewers but judgments from the expert panelists one is forced to suspect the “reality” of the scenarios we are trying to invest in. Feedback from judge Gordon Ramsey often seems designed to evoke the most passionate responses from the contestants, enflaming rivalries and leading to increased dramatic tension. One can’t help but focus on the apparent arbitrariness of this tactic and then begins to wonder whether they should even bother watching.



Chapter three seemed to be speaking directly to me—having grown up a fan of The Matrix, Pokemon, and Star Wars, Jenkins’s examples truly resonated with my own experiences. The concept of “transmedia storytelling” is extremely appealing to me because it has the potential to expand and capitalize on the power of narratives, which Jenkins suggests guides and supports all of human understanding. One reason for its appeal may be that it puts the fan, or “loyal,” at the center of attention—attempts to shovel out bland, easy-to-produce tie-ins across media platforms have proven to be misguided, with the majority of the recent superhero movies trying and failing to do justice to the beloved intellectual properties they represent. I love that Jenkins feels that successful transmedia storytelling relies on designers’ passion for the brand; a strong emotional connection to the material leads to a higher fidelity product that is rich and satisfying to the loyals, who are themselves responsible for the existence of cult culture.