Changing Discursive Formations from Supernatural: Fanfic and the Legitimation Paradox
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i Changing Discursive Formations from Supernatural: Fanfic and The Legitimation Paradox. By Judith May Fathallah Submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy at the School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University. December 2013. ii Abstract Changing Discursive Formations from Supernatural: Fanfic and the Legitimation Paradox This thesis argues that fanfic operates through a paradox of legitimation. Using the current cult text Supernatural (CW, 2006-) as a case study, discourse theory adapted from Foucault is utilized to establish that discursive formations from the source text can be de- and re-constructed, sometimes consolidating canon’s constructions, but at other times, altering Othered characterizations and criticising statements from canon. Paradoxically, however, this process utilizes and functions through the capital of the already-empowered: the White male Author (Jenkins 1995; Hills 2002; 2010a; Wexelblat 2002; Gray 2010; Kompare 2011; Scott 2011), and/or the White male protagonists of the series (c.f. Dyer 1992). The discursive formations studied are identified from the researcher’s situated position as fan- insider and academic (c.f. Hills 2002; Hodkinson 2005). They are judged to be of significance in the canon and fandom, and pertinent to the questions of power and Authority this study addresses. The methodology utilizes some techniques from network analysis (Park and Thelwall 2003) to chart the impact of fan-statements in an innovative fashion, using both quantitative and qualitative measures, whilst retaining insights from discourse theory to account for the specificity of fiction as a particular form of writing. In this way, the strength of statements, discursive boundaries, and techniques for alteration can be observed. The study concludes that, though the legitimation paradox cannot be unproblematically escaped or overcome, fanfic has begun to compromise it via deconstruction of the concepts of originality and authorship; and iii thus, from a postmodern perspective, the terms of the legitimation paradox can begin to be questioned. iv Statements of Declaration I declare that a) except where sources are explicitly acknowledged, this thesis is the result of my own investigation and the views expressed are my own; and b) no portion of this thesis has been submitted or is under consideration for any other degree or award at any university or place of learning. v Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Matt Hills, for his thoughtful, thorough and stimulating guidance throughout this project. I am also indebted to the staff and post-graduate community at Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, for creating and sustaining such an exciting and productive research environment, especially Dr. Paul Bowman, Head of PhD Studies, and Mr. Andrew Blackmore, Subject Librarian. Equally, I would thank the Supernatural fan community. Without your talent, generosity and friendship, this thesis would never have been possible. Here’s to Season 10! vi Contents Title Page i Abstract ii Statements of Declaration iii Acknowledgements iv Contents v List of Figures ix ~~~ Introduction p. 1 Chapter 1: Literature Review p. 9 vii I. The Use of Foucault in the Study of Fanfic p. 9 a) Power p. 11 b) Language p. 17 c) Foucault and Bourdieu on Fiction p. 22 i) Bourdieu p. 22 ii) Foucault p. 27 d) Conclusion p. 34 II. Fan Studies p. 35 a) Resistant Poaching and Cultural Capital: The Socio-Political Branch p. 36 b) Intrapersonal/Psychological Perspectives p. 48 III. Fan fiction p. 55 a) Fan fiction in the Academy p. 56 b) Slash Theory p. 68 Chapter 2: Methodology p. 82 I. Discourse Analysis p. 83 II. Internet Studies p. 92 viii III. Sampling and Process p. 96 IV. The Discursive Formations p. 109 V. Perspective p. 117 VI. Ethics p. 127 Chapter 3: “All Black and White”: Race, Darkness and the Story of Gordon Walker p. 132 I. Introduction p. 132 II. Canon p. 134 III. Fandom p. 147 IV. Conclusions p. 192 Chapter 4: ‘Erotically Co-Dependent’: Incest and the Winchester Brothers p. 195 ix I. Introduction p. 195 II. Canon p. 203 III. Fandom p. 212 IV. Conclusions p. 256 Chapter 5: ‘I’m a God’: The Author and the Writing Fan p. 259 I. Introduction p. 259 II. Canon p. 263 III. Fandom p. 276 IV. Conclusions p. 314 Chapter 6: Conclusion p. 318 x I. Summary of Findings; Implications for Further Study p. 318 II. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Thesis p. 320 ~~~ References p. 324 xi List of Figures. Figure 1: the Fanfiction.net category for Supernatural p. 98 Figure 2: the LiveJournal community Supernatural Story Finders p. 99 Figure 3: the LiveJournal community Supernaturalfic___________________ p. 100 Figure 4: a small sample of the numerous tags at Supernatural Story Finders p. 102 Figure 5: a variously tagged entry on A03 p. 103 Figure 6: methodology p. 107 Figure 7: Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles); ‘Bloodlust’ coda_ p. 137 Figure 8: Sam (Jared Padalecki), framed by light, considers executing Gordon but refrains (‘Hunted’) p. 138 Figure 9: Gordon (Sterling K. Brown) tortures Lenore (Amber Benson), ‘Bloodlust’ p. 142 Figure 10: the canonical construction of the Black man p. 145 xii Figure 11: fandom’s reconstruction p. 146 Figure 12: Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are reunited (1x01) p. 204 Figure 13: Sam's death (2x21, 'All Hell Breaks Loose, Part 1') p. 207 Figure 14: The discursive (non)formation of incest in canon p. 210 Figure 15: fandom’s reconstruction p. 211 Figure 16: The Author and the Fan in canon p. 264 Figure 17: Becky (Emily Perkins) is delighted by the 'firmness' of her formerly-fictional hero p. 267 Figure 18: Chuck (Rob Benedict) reluctantly concludes his own Godhood (4x18) p. 268 Figure 19: The Author construction reconstructed by statements from fanfic p. 274 Figure 20: the fan, reconstructed by fanfic p. 275 1 Changing Discursive Formations from Supernatural: Fanfic and the Legitimation Paradox Introduction Contemporary understandings of fanfic eschew the utopian pronouncements of what Gray et. al called the ‘Fandom is Beautiful’ phase of academia (2007, 1). It is generally now accepted that, contra Jenkins (1992) and Bacon-Smith (1992), fanfic is neither automatically transformative of media texts, nor a peacefully democratic and supportive community. It is a complex and contested arena of textual production with its own hierarchies, norms and disciplining practices (Scodari 2003; Thomas 2005; Hills 2013, 149). Moreover, despite and because of the laissez- faire attitudes to or outright affirmation of fanwork by TV auteurs like Joss Whedon and Eric Kripke, fanfic still negotiates a subordinated relationship to its canons (Scott 2011). This thesis uses Foucauldian discourse theory to analyse how fanfic generates new statements that alter formations from the cult TV show Supernatural. The practice is far from unregulated. Through the tools of discourse theory and network analysis, I hope to provide one answer to Giovanni Boccia Artieri’s timely call for investigation ‘whether and in what ways’ fannish textual production can take ‘forms that allow us to experience media contents differently as well as generate different interpretative categories of our society’ (2012, 463). Scott (2011) sets an important precedent, identifying a gendered divide between legitimated and culturally approved fannish production (primarily coded masculine, e.g. vid creation from licensed material) and 2 fanwork that is scorned and devalued (primarily coded feminine, e.g. slash). Building on her recognition of the ‘fanboy-auteur’, who performs acceptance and legitimation of fannish production para-textually whilst retaining a position of economic and industrial power, this thesis argues that fanwork is pervaded by and functions through what I call the legitimation paradox. Here, the legitimation and revaluation of the Other, be it racial; sexual; or gendered, is enabled and enacted via the cultural capital of the White male. The clearest example is the fan’s writing legitimated by the TV-auteur, simultaneously empowered and contained as showrunners grant metatextual acknowledgment and paratextual permission of fanfic. Derivative writing is legitimated and empowered - because and so far as the author says so. Yet the paradox also functions to revaluate aspects of race and sexuality that are typically denigrated and Othered through the capital of the White male protagonists utilized in fanfic. Othered properties are actively revaluated, but the process by which this operates ironically reaffirms the primacy of the White Male (author). Supernatural both incites and disciplines fanfic, in accordance with Foucault’s theories of the productive capacities of discourse ([1976] 1998). I pay specific attention to how boundaries are formed and policed; how and if they can be crossed; and how statements differ at the peripheries of formations. Supernatural is an apropos case study due to its current cult status, its fanboy- auteur in the persona of Eric Kripke, and active involvement with and representation of its own fan cultures. The current coinage for this practice is ‘fan-tagonism’ (Johnson 2007a), which I retain, but supplement with the concept of textual provocation. Fulfilling the discursive function of incitement, the textual inclusion of fans can be provocative in the sense of baiting, but it also provokes the production of more text, which is always in excess of that provocation and can alter 3 the discourse construction. ‘Fan-tagonism’ describes the practices of producers and content of the official text, but textual provocation works two ways: it references both provocation in the source text, such as fan-tagonism, and the texts provoked into existence in response to that, like fanfic. Firstly, will I situate this work in the context of Foucauldian approaches to text. I explain my choice to give central place to discourse theory in a study of fanfic, over the more typical primacy of Bourdieu. I argue that whilst Bourdieu’s theories of cultural capital remain important, a discourse analysis based on Foucault’s theories of power as an ‘open and capillary network’ (Callewaert 2006, 87) better accommodates the online context of fanfic today.