American Idol (Grothe)

Introduction


The definition of literature has transformed and become ambiguous with the introduction of a wired world. The internet and other technological advances have allowed for various new forms of literature to evolve and become easily accessible and transferred at an efficiently increased rate internationally among communities. Through new tools, such as blogs and wikis, individuals can interact with others in a communal way to discuss and interpret these various forms of literature. These blogs and wikis themselves can also fall under the category of literature as they both require audience engagement and interpretation. Written books are still on shelves in bookstores, but are now made available online. Forms of electronic literature have also developed and advanced, providing new genres such as generative art, hypertext fiction, blog fiction, interactive fiction and digital poetry.

The idea and dynamics of literature have shifted from the traditional sequence of an author cr eating a text as a physical object for a reader to individually interpret and respond. A reciprocal relationship has formed among the author, text, and audience. This changeover has led to video games and even reality television shows to classify as literature for they require the audience to interact, engage with and interpret the work at hand. The solitary act of writing by a single author can now be a communal act of discussion and interpretation, as with interactive communities. In some cases, as with video games and wikis, the audience can also take part in the literary process through controlling the work of literature and editing it to his or her preference. The internet, and technology alike, have distorted the traditional boundaries of literature and given rise to new forms.

Online interpretive communities have evolved in the internet world. They are spaces in which individuals can actively engage with one another in reference to a particular media or literature type. The communal aspect of audience engagement emphasizes the shift in dynamics of traditional literature. The act of interpretation and response to a form of literature is not solitary, and individuals collaborate on information and share ideas. Such online interpretive communities have developed surrounding works such as books, movies, and reality television shows. The act of communal interpretation can change how an author desires an audience to perceive his or her work, and instead allows for multiple interpretations that the author may have not intended. The idea that one is anonymous when participating on one of these websites also affects how an individual may contribute. Communal agreement is optimal, as psychology has proven that "social identity influence's people's behavior via the process of categorization" (Kim, Zheng & Gupta, 2011). Individuals desire to follow what others have posted and be considered an accepted member of the community, rather than the outcast. These characteristics of online interpretive communities, then, influence both the work in which they are critiquing, as well as the members involved.

 For this project, I will explore the impact that technology has on literature, focusing in particular on online interpretive and knowledge communities that develop surrounding the renowned reality television show, American Idol. Although its popularity has somewhat declined, the show has still maintained a steady fanbase. With weekly shows airing every Wednesday and Thursday on FOX, suspenseful and eager fans compile on interpretive online communities to discuss, analyze and interpret each show. Through applying information learned in this course, I will analyze how the internet has impacted American Idol, audience interpretations, and the changing interactions among fans.

Knowledge Communities
Knowledge communities are forms of interpretive online communities which act in a participatory way to discuss and engage with others around a particular work. These knowledge communities go a step further than simply interpreting a work, however, and instead try to figure out "forbidden knowledge" that is not available to the public. Individuals go to great lengths to find out confidential information about the work and will then post it online to share with their community.

The show American Idol was first aired in the United States on FOX in 2002, with the original host Ryan Seacrest, and judges Simon Fuller, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. The show immediately gained popularity and in 2005, was one of the biggest shows on television. Subsequently, fans jumped to online communities to discuss the latest episodes and congregate with one another to decipher who could be the "next American Idol". The show continues to this day and remains popular, and the online communities that have formed around it have grown to include such websites as Facebook and Twitter, as well as blogs and wikis. Fans comment on episodes, contestants, and new celebrity hosts. Sites such as Idol Nation Fan Hub and Fan Pop: American Idol, have encouraged communal audience interactions.

Knowledge communities have formed around American Idol, and fans aim to find out rumors and gossip about contestants, judges, hosts, or anything that they can get their hands on. Since American Idol is a show in which the winner is ultimately decided upon by fan votes, it is difficult for fans to try to know the winner before he or she is announced. However, fans are still able to unlock confidential information, such as Paula Abdul's infamous "affair" with a contestant Corey Clark, and immediately go to discuss it online. In 2010, the alleged identities of the not yet known contestants for season nine were leaked, with detailed descriptions of each.

Leaked information brings about confidentiality issues, especially with names and locations of individuals coming into play. Therefore, these knowledge communities have suffered much criticism, especially by devoted fans who wait diligently for each week's episodes and do not wish for American Idol to be spoiled.

Interpretive Disputes
With communal engagement comes interpretive disputes, fueled by opinionated individuals whose comments oppose the communal agreements. These interpretive disputes arise toward the host, the judges, and even more so the contestants. Since the winner of American Idol is ultimately decided upon by the audience, these interpretive disputes are inevitable. Since the original judges of American Idol have left, and new judges have taken their place, disputes have risen regarding how well the new judges replace the old. On American Idol Fan Reviews, a blog filled with comments from die-hard fans, disputes exist over how well of a judge Jennifer Lopez is compared to Paula Abdul.

The disputer, however, always tends to fall short in comparison with the group as a whole, since status on these online fan communities is valued and ultimately influences the credibility of one's opinion. Online communities thrive on their characteristic "group identity" versus "individual identity", as shown through studies on intragrop status and social presence (Reyser et al, 2010). When an individual decides to break away from the norm and leave a comment that opposes group opinion, it is usually shut down by the majority. Such is the case in the discussion on Simon Cowell's judging techniques--the minority shows a distate for him, while the majority accepts and defends him.

Another example of an interpretive dispute of American Idol in online communities is that of Paula Abdul's affair with Corey Clark, as stated earlier. Although it occured in 2005, the incident brought on an immediate debate: defenders of Paula versus opposers of Paula. Sites, such as DemocraticUnderground.com share posts that threaten those who defame Paula and argue that she did not have the affair. On other sites, fans are declaring the exact opposite, and even throwing in the shock-factor that they have secret information and evidence showing Paula has slept with multiple contestants.

Interpretive disputes are inevitable, as stated earlier, especially with a reality television contest. The internet has allowed for these disputes to be carried out at an international level, and anonymous identities have helped to mask individuals and their opinions from following them into their everyday lives.

Activism
The internet and new tools, especially online communities, have allowed for fan activism to become prevalent. Fans speak their minds about their dislikes on a particular work and aim to have something changed. The internet has allowed for fans with similar opinions to come together on innumerable groups, blogs, wikis, and online comunities alike. The internet has allowed for international communication, so that fans on one side of the world can come together with fans on the complete other side to engage and communicate. With vast numbers of fans agreeing and disagreeing on a particular piece of work, activism has erupted and fans aim to unite to cause change.

As with American Idol, fans are actively engaged in trying to get judges fired or contestants eliminated. With American Idol, and fan voting being the deciding factor on who wins, fans can actively participate to push their favorite contestant on to the next round. There are even some sites that think American Idol has fallen off and should be removed from television to make room for new shows. The internet allows for fans to come together where it would not be possible otherwise, making it easier for activism to arise. Online communities have allowed for digital protests that have made it to mass media, such as the online protest against Lady Gaga preforming on American Idol. The wired world has allowed for communication at another level, leading to new protests and activism at another level.

References
Earl, J., & Kimport, K. (2009). Movement societies and digital protest: Fan activism and other nonpolitical protest online. Sociological Theory, 27(3), 220-244.

Reysen, S., Lloyd, J. D., Katzarska-Miller, I., Lemker, B. M., & Foss, R. L. (2012). Intragroup status and social presence in online fan groups. Computers in Human Behavior, 26, 1314-1317.

Gammelgaard, J. (2009). Knowledge retrieval through virtual communities of practice. Behaviour & Information Technology, 29(4), 349-362.

Kim, H., Zheng, J. R., & Gupta, S. (2011). Examining knowledge contribution from the perspective of an online identity in blogging communities. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 1760-1770.

Salter, C. (2011). Going online for social change: Techniques, barriers and possibilities for community groups. Social Alternatives, 30(1), 19-24.