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Last fall I spent four months conducting a limited ethnographic research project as part of my final MLIS class. I had recently discovered the field of fan studies and decided to design a project around the fandom nearest to my cold black heart - the #MutantFam. What makes a mutant? What are their traditions? What emotional processes and meaning making takes place around these traditions? What is the role of social media in this community?
I've been a fan of Joe Bob Briggs since I was a baby drive-in mutant. I watched him on TV throughout most of my childhood and adolescence. I was more or less a loner and often grounded for months at a time growing up. I spent a tremendous amount of time alone in my room watching TV, frequently horror movies. Watching JB made me feel like I was a part of conversation and a lot less alone. Now he's back on my TV via Shudder and I still can't get enough!
Writing about the fandom surrounding his show was unavoidably enmeshed with my own nostalgia. But I really wanted to get out of my own head for this project. No one in my offline life (except my much better half, @JoeyRockyHorror) is a part of this fandom so I was going to have to enter the field for my research.
My experience with Twitter was almost nonexistent. I had an account but didn't really do much with it. I selected it as my field site because of the participatory aspect of live tweeting/watch parties. This ritual was at the heart of what I hoped to explore. But I am the quintessential lurker. This project would require fieldwork and interviews...so as excited as I was to begin, I'm also a barely functional introvert and wanted to throw up. It sounds so cliché, "I went into the wilds of Twitter to learn about the #MutantFam but I actually learned about myself" - yuck. I hadn't intended this to have an autoethnographic component but it happened organically.
Ultimately, the final product exceeded my wildest expectations. As commencement neared I was disappointed I wouldn't be able to continue my work. Unless I go full masochist and try for the PhD? Anyone want to fund my drive-in mutant research? Until then, I suppose I am an independent scholar. I'm sure I'll write more about it later - I'm still thinking of ways to expand the project and possibly submitting it to a #FanStudies conference for feedback.
If you're interested, brave, or bored, feel free to check it out here.