Fan work is a complex form of self-expression that utilizes components of pre-existing works such as television shows, films, games and other forms literature as the basis of these new fan made creations whilst incorporating personal interpretation. This practice is unique because it allows for the fanwork creator to voice their own personal opinions and create alternate universes, scenarios and timelines in which character from the original text would have the opportunity to explore. Typically, these works are not for profit and are not considered canon in the source that it is derived from. There is a struggle for legitimacy for fanwork creators, as fan work, especially fan fiction, is generally interpreted to only contain explicit sexual …show more content…
In this essay, I will discuss my research regarding fan work in the Supernatural fandom and discuss why the emergence of folk culture from pop culture is so prevalent and why this is important to …show more content…
In this context, the folk group is referred to as a fandom. In the article “Whence Fandom” by written by Brad R. Torgersen, the word fandom is described as a group of individuals that share overlapping interests and participate in patterned behaviour such as interacting with one another whilst discussing creative works, or to observe events together, such as a movie screening or a convention. Fandom is an ever-changing and tumultuous experience. It connects and binds people together in ways that had never been seen before, creating interpersonal relationships and connections across the globe that, before the dawn of the internet age, would have never been formed in the first place. There also is an element of re-writing traditional folk narratives in fan works. This idea is even embedded into the framework of the television show itself. Supernatural, particularly early seasons, heavily capitalizes on re-telling traditional folk legends such as Bloody Mary and The Hook Man and assigning new ideologies, messages and morals onto these stories. Fan work does this as well through the usage of alternate universes or AU situations where, for example, the folktale of Little Red Riding Hood, would be revamped to feature characters from Supernatural and perhaps end differently than the original to relay different messages to their readers