I'm just going to put this out there that I don't care a whole bunch about Star Wars. I do really like Star Wars! I struggle to think of a more unforgettable franchise: the music, the action, the characters and the rest are all incredibly strong, and the first films deserve the praise. The Empire Strikes Back is one of my favourite sci fi adventure films. I really enjoyed Episode 7, but that was mainly because I had no idea, aside from the cameos, what was going to be in this film. I experienced the film in my own way. That is, outright ignoring months and months of marketing and intense speculation. And with the new methods of marketing and new kinds of consumer/producer, online relationships, it's becoming increasingly harder to ignore marketing - and increasingly harder to just experience a film.
Once upon a time, sci fi, superheroes and fantasy were not cool. I was a teenager when Spider-Man was out, so the superhero genre was starting to pick up in Hollywood. Okay, maybe they were kind of cool. It was I who wasn't cool - for many, many reasons, one of which being that I used to draw Spider-man. A lot.
No, a lot. Here's 0.005% of what remains.
As a teenage boy, I was a bad consumer. I somehow came to the conclusion that Harry Potter was not cool, whereas the direct-to-DVD Inspector Gadget sequel was. I was a 14 year-old country boy, go away. I used to research the shit out of films I was into. Long nights were spent trying to find new promo pics of the cast of X-Men: The Last Stand like an idiot - if I had waited a few more years to obsess over an awful film, my news feed would have provided me with everything!
My point is - The level of hype for these things were not as intense as hype gets now, probably because mainstream audiences are now more interested in these brands. Hollywood had figured out that franchises make money because of existing fanbases, and because these stories carried a spectacle that would be 100% easier to recreate on screen with new techology. That's nothing new, we all know that. But there was no Facebook. No Twitter. There was Bebo (quick, look your old Bebo profile up! It may still exist!). I use social media to be stupid and also to promote my work, social media's fantastic for that. But I'm aware that other people use it, and that other people perhaps have not seen certain movies or TV shows. Star Wars and Marvel are not nerdy things, and are very accessible to all types of movie goers. I'd hate to spoil the twists and turns of a good story through some internet meme because I thought it was funny.
One of the worse things about fans nowadays is not that they're excited about the franchises they like. It's how some of them seem to think that everyone is a same level of fan as they are; that because they've seen every trailer and leaked set photo, that they've read every plot rumour and every script sample, so has everyone else. It's the part of fandom that I've grown to dislike (hate is a strong word for something like this). The part that assumes that casual fans live in the same, awful bubble of the hardcore consumers who eat up every carefully-constructed and tested marketing ploys, the part that seems to enjoy being a #geek over the thrill of surprise and suspense of watching a new film.
"HAHA, I got that! I understand that reference! I'm smart because I got this thing that only other #geeks will appreciate! I will share everything related to it, because certain aspects of my personality still revolve around my #childhood media consumption!"Nah, I'm not that bitter. But now these things are 'cool', do we have to act like only a small circle of people will understand a spoilery reference to something? Is that enough of a justification to post a spoiler of a popular film/book/TV show on a platform that is shared by thousands, who just want to wait until release date?
~ Made-up fan, 10
(Well, that's not their age, they're no. 10 on some Buzzfeed list. They're actually in their mid-40's and are currently watching the foundations of their marriage crumble, because they care too much about fictional RPGs.)
Though perhaps the part of fandom I've grown to dislike is the marketing aspect. Perhaps it's not entirely the fan's fault after all. The internet's not that free. A lot of articles and 'listicles' are essentially paid adverts, that know the importance of brand loyalty. Whether or not they are responsible consumers, 'Superfans' are only excited about something they love, and will therefore always be drawn to whatever has a face they recognise on it. It doesn't even feel like it's films that are being sold to us - sometimes it feels like only trailers are. Perhaps the film-makers know that these films are just not that engaging. If not, then why bother showing everything of narrative and nostalgic importance in a 3-minute summary? Look at the trailer for the TMNT sequel. Warning: it shows everything you need to know, and every character you need to see.
There you go. No need to see the film, now you know what those characters look like when made realistic. Your thirst for their adaptation has been quenched. Where's the next bite-sized nostalgia trip?
Just like films and their marketing are tailored and constructed around nostalgia, recognition and hype, we all tailor our social media accounts around our own lives whether we actively choose to or not. I strive to tailor my online life away from that type of marketing and hype. If I come across a spoiler, it should be my own fault, and not because someone shares a promotional item, manufactured to look like a 'leaked spy photo of a secret character' on the same platform that I use to catch up with people and work.
Also Merry Christmas.
And a happy new year.
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