Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 4-2007 Fabricating Freddy vs. Jason: Understanding a Motion Picture as a Social Encounter between Fans and Filmmakers Jason M. Rapelje Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Film and Media Studies Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons, and the Sociology of Culture Commons Recommended Citation Rapelje, Jason M., "Fabricating Freddy vs. Jason: Understanding a Motion Picture as a Social Encounter between Fans and Filmmakers" (2007). Dissertations. 910. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/910 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FABRICATING FREDDY VS. JASON: UNDERSTANDING A MOTION PICTURE AS A SOCIAL ENCOUNTER BETWEEN FANS AND FILMMAKERS by Jason M. Rapelje A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology Dr. Paula S. Brush, Advisor Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 2007 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. FABRICATING FREDDY VS JASON: UNDERSTANDING A MOTION PICTURE AS A SOCIAL ENCOUNTER BETWEEN FANS AND FILMMAKERS Jason M. Rapelje, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 2007 The break in the mass communicative chain, which separates producers and receivers from one another in both time and space, impedes researchers from studying motion pictures as social encounters. As with face-to-face encounters, producers and receivers of motion pictures depend upon the use of “rules of relevance” (Goffman, 1961) and “typifactory schemes” (Berger & Luckmann, 1966) for their encounters to take place. I examine the social encounter that takes place between some of the filmmakers and fans of Freddy vs Jason through the use of these concepts, as well as a revision of John B. Thompson’s (1990) methodological framework of depth hermeneutics. The four steps of my methodological framework follow. First, I undertake a textual analysis ofFreddy vs Jason to provide those readers who are unfamiliar with the film an understanding of its narrative structure. Second, I undertake a template analysis of a purposive sample of statements made by nineteen filmmakers on the special feature sections of the film’s DVD to identify those aspects of Freddy vs Jason to which they felt obligated to attend. Third, I undertake a template analysis of a purposive sample of statements made by eleven fans on an Internet message forum to identify those aspects of Freddy vs Jason to Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. which they expected the filmmakers to attend. Fourth, I compare the statements made by these filmmakers and fans to see if the perspectives on aspects of the film that both groups discussed were consistent, or if the filmmakers broke frame by expressing a perspective not in line with the fans’ expectations. I found that the nineteen filmmakers and eleven fans discussed five aspects in common, and more often than not, the nineteen filmmakers broke frame by expressing perspectives not in line with the eleven fans’ expectations. Because of these findings, it appears that Freddy vs Jason was not a successful interaction between these particular filmmakers and fans. Nonetheless, I was able to study the motion picture as an encounter “fabricated,” or socially created, through the continual negotiation of the filmmakers, fans and their typifications (Griswold, 1987). Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3259741 Copyright 2007 by Rapelje, Jason M. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3259741 Copyright 2007 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © 2007 Jason M. Rapelje Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to Laura Geist for agreeing to marry someone whose idea of a first date was watching A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th back-to-back. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I acknowledge that I have a lot to be thankful for. First and foremost, I cannot thank Dr. Paula Brush enough for her guidance, support and inspiration, not only during my writing of this dissertation, but throughout my entire graduate education at Western Michigan University. This dissertation would not be the same without her suggestion that I consider Goffman’s (1961) notion of “rules of relevancy” with regards to the interaction that occurs between two parties. I am also thankful for having experienced Dr. Brush’s stellar teaching abilities for which she has received numerous, deserved , accolades. While I could not be more proud of her advancement to the position of Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Radford University, I must admit that I miss her dearly. I especially miss attending her theory lectures. Watching her get covered in chalk dust as she fills the blackboard from end- to-end with such an invigorating passion for her subject is like watching Frida Kahlo paint her own reality. The inevitable chalk mustache that rests on Dr. Brush’s upper lip at the end of these impassioned lectures is also comparable to exaggerated facial hair that Kahlo included in her self-portraits. Indeed, Dr. Brush’s lectures, and other scholarly endeavors, have provided me with the best examples of sociology as an art form. I thank all the members of my committee for providing me with examples of ideal type educators to which I believe few others are comparable not only in their intellect, but also, more importantly, in their humbleness. Specifically, I thank Dr. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements—Continued Douglas Davidson for hanging around the department almost as much as Subhash, for always having his door open, and for always being ready and willing to help out any way he can. Likewise, I thank Dr. Gregory Howard for his willingness to go above and beyond what anyone asks of him, and for nurturing this “fool” with his Jeffersonian anarchist ideals of “resisting much and obeying little.” I thank Dr. Rudolf Siebert for carrying on his discourse with students outside of the classroom each and every week at venues like Russ’ and the “Neo” Colonial Kitchen (because “the people need their cheeseburgers”). I will do my best to follow the examples these individuals have set, not just as educators, but also as decent human beings. I thank the following friends for the good times we shared during my years as a graduate student at Western Michigan University. I thank Vicky Curtis for her kindness and all around good spirit. I thank Paul and Alexandrea Gregory for their numerous dinner dates with Laura and I, and for our many movie viewings at M-89 Cinema, the best theater ever! I thank Susan Standish whose smile is only outshined by her laugh. I thank Craig Tollini whose skill as a statistician is second only to his skill as a baker. I thank Jon VanWieren whose confused and disjointed ramblings tend to make a lot of sense to me. I thank Mary Hasse-Rosenbecker, Judy Johnson, Cathy Collins, Margie Collins, and the rest of the Hasse kin for their unending love and support. I thank Pat Keysor for watching over my mother and being the best neighbor anyone could ask for. I thank the various members, moderators and iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgements—Continued administrators of Friday the 13th: The Forum for their insights, and I especially thank Brenna O’Brien for her support. I would also like to thank Nick Bama, Mike Erickson and Chris Cox for the many memories between us that I will forever cherish. I thank the following family members for their love and support as well. I thank dad for always driving me to school when I was little, and mom for always giving me my spelling words during commercials breaks of Unsolved Mysteries. I thank Lloyd, Linda, Ben and Heidi for taking care of things at home. I specifically thank each of them for the following: Lloyd for encouraging me to go to college, Linda for always doing my laundry during my visits home, Ben for taking me to my first movie ( Conan the Barbarian), and Heidi for graciously being the butt of my jokes. I would also like to thank my niece and nephews for treating me like a brother rather than an uncle. I thank the Geists and Bonfiglios for accepting me into their “crazy” family, and I specifically thank Grandma Bonfiglio and “Aunt” for overfeeding us when we come to visit (“ mangia e statti zitto"). Last but not least, I thank Laura for putting up with her “strange and unusual” husband, and for helping me edit this monster.