Adoring Audience Fan Culture and Popular Media

Star-crazed adolescents camping on pavements for a glimpse of their adored figure. Obsessive fans who kill for their heroes. Housewives immersed in escapist fantasy. Hysterical teenage girls, soap addicts and rock music 'groupies'.Fans get a bad press. The familiar images of fandom are loaded with negative stereotypes and labels of deviancy. Yet in many ways we are all 'fans' and fans remain the most visible and dedicated of any audience. What is it that defines and motivates this intense admiration? And why is it so maligned and stigmatized? The Adoring Audience considers the relationship between fans, stars, media texts and media industries. From 'Beatlemania' to the Elvis worship, from science fiction fans and 'trekkies' to Madonna's imitators and Hollywood films about fans, The Adoring Audience examines the ways in which fandom relates to identity, sexuality and textual production. How does gender, along with age, play a significant role in fan representation and activity? What is the place of sexual fantasy in fandom, especially for the female fans? What of male sports fans? And why are female rock music fans classified exclusively as 'groupies' by the media?Lewis, Lisa A. is the author of 'Adoring Audience Fan Culture and Popular Media' with ISBN 9780415078207 and ISBN 0415078202.