Post on 14-Jan-2017
R01310 – “Amanda Palmer and her
fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online
spaces
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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MA Cultural and Creative Industries Dissertation cover sheet
Candidate number (Pxxxxx) R01310 Date 29th August 2013 Dissertation title “Amanda Palmer and her fans”:
Exploring the relationships between fans and celebrities in online spaces.
Word count 12, 046 My dissertation research involved the participation of human subjects, and therefore needs Research Ethics clearance (Y / N)
Y
I have obtained the necessary Research Ethics clearance and attached the statement of approval from the Research Ethics committee (Y / N/ n/a)
Y
The act of submitting this essay confirms that I have read and understand the college guidance on plagiarism, and agree with the following statement: This assignment is entirely my own work. Quotations from secondary literature are indicated by the use of inverted commas around ALL such quotations AND by reference in the text or notes to the author concerned. ALL primary and secondary literature used in this piece of work is indicated in the bibliography placed at the end, and dependence upon ANY source used is indicated at the appropriate point in the text. I confirm that no sources have been used other than those stated. I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MEANT BY PLAGIARISM AND HAVE SIGNED THE DECLARATION CONCERNING THE AVOIDANCE OF PLAGIARISM. I UNDERSTAND THAT PLAGIARISM IS A SERIOUS EXAMINATIONS OFFENCE THAT MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION BEING TAKEN.
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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“Amanda Palmer and her fans” :
Exploring the relationship between
fans and celebrities in online spaces
Abstract
This dissertation concerns the relationship that exists between celebrities and
their fans in online spaces. The study will be investigating this with the use of a case
study: celebrity Amanda Palmer and her fans. It aims to understand how this 5
relationship operates online and the intricacies involved in developing and
maintaining it. It also seeks to question the definition of the fan-celebrity relationship,
and whether or not it is a one-sided or two-sided relationship. The perspective of
Amanda Palmer and her fans will be analysed in order to understand both sides of the
story and gain an insight into the opinions of those directly involved this relationship. 10
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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Table of Contents
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Table of Contents. …………………………………………………………………. 5 15 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………6 Section 1: Literature Review………………………………………………………. 10 20 Section 2: Research Methods………………………………………………………. 21 Section 3: Data Collected and Analysis……………………………………………. 25 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………… 45 25 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….. 49 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………. 51 30
Introduction
“The familiar stranger is by no means unprecendented in history. People have long
imagined a world populated by figures who were not physically at hand and yet
seemed somehow present” – (Gitlin, 2001, p. 22) 35
The consumption of celebrity or the idolising of the “familiar stranger” is not a
new phenomenon as illustrated by Gitlin’s statement above. From ancient Roman
leaders to reveered Broadway actors of the past, figures of power and prestige have
been bestowed with public admiration. However, in the 21st century there has been a 40
major shift in the level and intensity of this familiarity with the stranger that is the
modern day celebrity, particularly with the boom of the PR industry and rapid growth
of online social networking. The relationship between the fan and the celebrity is no
longer as strange nor as disconnected as before. The ablity for fans and celebrities to
exist in the same space, online, makes it more plausible for a more “genuine” 45
relationship to exist, an interactive one, where intimacy may occur. Thus the
“familiar stranger” is no longer a stranger anymore, but very much actively present in
the lives of fans online.
The aim of this research project is to discuss the nature of this online fan-
celebrity relationship that is relentlessly growing by the day as another celebrity signs 50
up to Twitter and another fan clicks “follow”. The main research question I will
address is the idea of the “para-social relationship” that Turner (2004) identifies as the
primary status of the relationship between fans and celebrities; in other words a one-
sided relationship where the fan follows the activities of a celebrity and a level of
intimacy develops. However it is inherently one-sided, as the celebrity is still 55
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disconnected from the individual fan however connected they may seem to their
fanbase as a collective. It gives the illusion of an intimate personal social relationship,
how authentic it is however, needs to be questioned. The limitations in this research
project is that it is investigating a very specific case study.
The topic of this research is relevant to artists who embark on social 60
networking as a means of connecting with their fanbase. It will highlight the intricate
nature of the fan-celebrity relationship and how it works in favour or against the
celebrity and the affect it has on their fans. It will focus only on the the relationship in
online spaces. Research has already been done on the nature of fan communities in
online spaces by Myc Wiatrowski (2011), so this research project will not divulge into 65
fan community relationships, though they may be referred to. Research has also been
done on the psychological nature of fandom by Stever (2009) who believes there is
too much focus on the negative aspects of fan activity like stalking and
obsessiveness. I will focus primarily on social and cultural nature of online fan-
celebrity relationships. I will also discuss how these interactions affect the fans 70
attachment to Amanda Palmer. The motivations behind and the gratifications of being
a part of this online relationship will be explored and the factors that contribute to the
maintenance of this relationship.
The research will focus on the case study of singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer
and her fans. She has been chosen due her extremely active presence online, 75
considered by some as an “online celebrity”, raising over $1 million dollars on the
crowd-funding site Kickstarter purely from fans. She interacts with her fanbase on a
daily basis and promotes the idea of actively engaging with them as part of her career;
Tweeting, video blogging and even staying in their homes. She speaks about this in
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her TEDtalk entitled “The art of asking” (TEDtalksDirector, 2013).This research 80
project will analyse this text to use as part of the literature review and analysis.
The research questions will be addressed through qualitative interviewing with
selected Amanda Palmer fans. It will focus firstly on which at online platforms a
relationship between a fan and a celebrity is most likely to occur. Secondly, the
factors that contribute to enhancing the relationship and finally it will examine the 85
definition of this relationship and question whether it is a one-sided “para-social
relationship” or a mutual two-sided relationship.
Amanda Palmer will also be interviewed. Her opinion will shed light on the
perspective of the celebrity in this relationship rather than solely the fans point of
view. This will give a more rounded perpective of the fan-celebrity relationship and 90
overcome assumptions that could be arise about her during the fan interviews. One of
the limitations of this research is the highly subjective nature of this subject matter.
Awareness of any assumptions going into the research will need to be overcome and
also awareness that bias may be present in the participants answers.
This research project is structered as follows: the first section will discuss the 95
current literature present on celebrity and fandom, particularly literature that relates
the two together. Then it will explain the research methods that were used to conduct
this research project, highlighting any limitations in the study. The findings will then
be analysed and the themes that arose in them discussed, relating back to the literature
where relevant. Finally the research will be concluded by summarising the key 100
findings and putting forward recommendations that could be useful for further
research on this topic.
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1. Literature Review 105
Definining Celebrity
“Celebrity” is a contested term in cultural studies. The definition of what a
celebrity actually is varies depending on the time and context. “Celebrity” may seem
like a modern term but the phenomenon is not: 110
“People have long imagined a world populated by figures who were not physically at
hand and yet seemed somehow present” (Gitlin, 2001, p. 22)
This is quite an accurate deconstruction of the zeitgeist of celebrity today. The 115
ubiquitous nature of the promotion of the individual is rife, yet the individual celebrity
themself is a stranger to most of us. This is due to the influence of the PR industries
and the “commodification of the invidual” (Turner, LOC 65, 2004). It operates
through the “representational processes employed by the media” (Turner, LOC 65,
2004). This can be seen from print to TV and online publications. It is apparent that 120
celebrity exists in conjunction with consumption, without which such a thing could
not operate. Turner (Loc 56, 2004) describes celebrity as a discursive category; that it
is a commercial commodity and an object of consumption. Therefore, celebrity is both
a creation of the marketing and PR industries but subsequently sustained by its
consumption by media consumers. There is a symbiotic relationship between the 125
celebrity and consumer. The production and consumption of celebrity are both active
processes and feed off one another.
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A good way of thinking of how celebrity functions is to relate it to the PR
industries method of promotion through something they call the “pseudo event”
(Turner, 2004, Loc 73). What this entails is a carefully staged event, put on show to 130
the public or specific audiences in order to sell to or influence an audience to buy into
this event. Every aspect of the “pseudo event” is planned and managed in order to be
successful. Turner (2004, Loc 73) applies this to the promotion of individuals and
refers to celebrities as “human pseudo events”. The same principles from the original
pseudo event apply but instead of managing a public event they manage the 135
personality of the celebrity. This is in order for them to be consumed in the most
commercially pleasing way possible. In this way the authenticity of the individual
behind the manufactured image or public persona being promoted is often doubted
due to the commercial motivations, fame and success, driving them. This is because to
successfully commodify the invididual there are “frequent modifications to suit the 140
role being promoted” (Turner, 2004, Loc 211).
Media Consumers: Fan Culture
Myc Wiatrowski (2011) analyses the effect fan communities and fan culture
has on a cultural text. In doing so he sheds light on the effect fan culture may have on 145
a cultural artefact, like a celebrity. He defines fandom as follows:
“Fandom can be defined by its consumption of a text and its subsequent
cultural productions of and about that text” (Wiatrowski, 2011, p. 6)
In this case, the text is the celebrity singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and her
fan community are her followers online. This is a useful definition of fan culture as it 150
opens up all the possibilities of ownership and the interaction fan communities may
have with a celebrity online. It accounts for the meanings they effectuate from this
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relationship and the subsequent effect interaction with fans may have on fandom. It
also defines fandom as a form of consumption which as earlier stated, is vital to the
maintenence of celebrity. The interesting add-on is that it is also a form of cultural 155
production and not just passive consumption. This in turn places the consumer into
the role of producer, all-be-it one that is anchored to a specific cultural text. If this is
so, the interaction between fans and celebrities online must have a strong impact on
the level and intensity of comsumption. If a celebrity is interacting with a fanbase
who are constantly producing meanings from the celebrity’s activities, the reception 160
of their persona and work will surely be intensified, effecting the level of engagement
of their fans.
An important analysis on fandom by Stever (2009) is to view fandom not as an
abnormal or eccentric activity. Rather he normalises fandom as an activity not too dis-
similar from everyday relationships. He quotes Caughey to further explain this; 165
“The basis of most fan relationships is not an aesthetic appreciation but a
social relationship. Fans have attachments to unmet media figures that are analogoues
to and in many ways directly parallel to actual relationships…” (Caughey, 1984, p.
40)
Stever (2009) attempts to in some way dismiss the stereotypical view of the 170
fan as an isolated figure that creates a fantasy relationship with media personas. The
media representation of fandom, despite fandom being a form of media consumption,
doesn’t acurately represent them.
“It is an implicit assumption in most of this work that the fan never meets the
celebrity and that most “interaction” is secondary to one on a fantasy level” (Stever, 175
2011, p.7)
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However, with the high level of fan-celebrity interactions online, the notion
that taking part in fan activity has to be an isolated activity, is contradictory. As
mentioned above, community has a huge part to play in fandom. Relationships
amongst fans and the relationship between a fanbase and a celebrity are all part of 180
fandom, in fact it is a very social activity. This research project is particularly
exploring the social element that is now possible directly between a fan and a
celebrity in online spaces. The fact that this is now possible may change some of the
definitions of fandom and transformative process involved in how they produce
meaning from cultural texts. 185
The Commodification of Celebrity
The question of what a celebrity is links closely to how one becomes a
celebrity. Daniel Boorstin (1961, p.58) famously defined celebrity as:
“the celebrity is a person who is well-known for their well knowness” 190
(Boorstin, 1961, 58)
This quote does not explain the how or the why of the individual’s well
knowness though. He further states that celebrities can be created and used by the
media to represent cultural ideals:
“[celebrity is] fabricated on purpose to satisfy our exaggerated expectations of 195
human greatness” ( Boorstin, 1961, p.58)
This is highly debatable in our current social state now as the reasoning behind
how someone becomes a celebrity can be more varied with the introduction of reality
TV and the micro-celebrity. This discussion resides in the futility of their actual trade,
rather the media opts for the power of their personality as a differentiating force. 200
(Turner, 2004, Loc 73) The reason behind why a person is a celebrity is not the most
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important factor to their success but rather that they are relentlessly promoted; almost
like marketable faces for discourse and ideologies.
“the ‘dissementation of the face’ displaced the ‘dissemination of ideas’ laying
the ground for the ‘publicizing of people’ ” (Gamson, 1994, p. 21) 205
Turner (2004) does go into detail about the various types of celebrity that
exist; from sporting heroes to the aristocracy. However it is the consumption of
celebrity regardless of their assigned status that this research project is interested in
exploring. The relationship between fans and celebrities can transcend the actual
nature of the celebrity’s job. The principles lie more so in the promotion and the 210
ideals created between producers and consumers that make these relationships
possible. The reason behind this may be that the relationships fans develop with a
celebrity are not so different from those which we develop with our own close friends
in “real” life.
215
Celebrity Consumption by Fans
The definition of what a celebrity is and the development of fan culture are
linked. One can define the other, the maintenance of the celebrity and keeping the fan
engaged rely on one another’s activities. James (2011) states that when celebrities are
marketing themselves to fans, they must thread a thin line between revealing too little 220
or too much.
“the illusion of intimacy between celebrity and fan has become not only
common, but also seen as a neccesary marketing tool key to the celebrity’s success. In
this context, the celebrity walks a fine line between revealing too much, and not
sharing enough so that the “fan” can feel a sense of connection” (James, 2011, p.2) 225
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She also relates the same problem to the fans who are interested in the
celebrity’s life but who must try not to become too invested in their career and
personal life. Originally the relationship between celebrity and fans was referred to as
a “para-social relationship” (Turner, 2004). It’s considered a one sided relationship
where the fan was emotionally invested in the life of the celebrity with no 230
reciprocation. Stever (2009) discusses the classification of fan audiences and thus
para-social interactions are also analysed in his writing:
“Parasocial interaction was defined as a one-way relationship to a person,
most often of higher status, whom you know intimately but who hardly knows you, if
at all.”(Stever, 2009, p. 4) 235
This relates directly to the promotion of the individual we are exposed to in
the 21st century of media consumption and production. Audiences are greeted with in
depth knowledge on a celebrity persona whether they choose to invest in those
specific details of the celebrities lives or not. This is turn leads to audiences knowing
the intimate details of essentially a stranger’s life yet not knowing them at all at the 240
same time. The effect that this may have on a fan’s relationship with a celebrity can
be very strong. This intimacy can be intesified if it is the celebrity themselves
revealing this information on social networking sites.
James (2011, p. 144) also discusses para-social relationships referring to John
Thompson’s work where he describes it as a “mediated quasi-interaction”. The fan 245
contacts or responds to the celebrity whereas the celebrity does not respond to the fan.
It is a one-sided relationship. This explicitly means that there is no interaction, no
direct reciprocation of communication from the celebrity to the fan. Therefore, the
mere possibility of interacting with a celebrity in online spaces does not fall into the
definition of a “para-social relationship” and is thus something else, something new. 250
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If interaction is possible then the ability to communicate back and forth is something
that could develop and change the strict one-sided nature of fan-celebrity relationships
previously studied.
Intimacy in Online Spaces: The Celebrity & Fan Relationship 255
Turner (2004, Loc. 211) addresses the idea of managing the self within
celebrity. Though he doesn’t address online celebrity directly some of the theory
behind the film stars and TV personalities he writes about can be applied to online
spaces of celebrity consumption. He states that during the era of the film “star” the
“merging of onscreen and off-screen identities” would occur. This is where their 260
personality onscreen and in real life begins to crossover and the interest in their
personality dominates the curiosity of the public. In this way, actors would become
known for being themselves and in demand for their “personality” or “stardom” by
producers of films. The personality of the “film star” could determine the success of a
movie or at least the attraction for audiences to go see it. This relates to an interesting 265
definition of celebrity that Turner (2004) emphasises. He states that one becomes a
“celebrity” when the public interest shifts from your professional life to your personal
life.
Turner’s (2004) definition of the celebrity’s personal life taking precedence in
the consumer’s eyes is particularly relevant when studying celebrities online because 270
they are given an opportunity to represent themselves directly with online profiles.
They are able to control personal blogs and social networking websites to speak to
their audiences as their selves as they may not have done before. This opens up a new
realm of possible fan engagement. This has a huge effect on the previous “para-social
relationship” that was inherent in the fan-celebrity relationship. Now, it is possible for 275
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the celebrity to speak back to individual fans and acknowledge their fan behaviour.
Twitter is a particularly good example of the breakdown of this barrier, opening up
lines of communication:
“Twitter allows celebrity practitioners to create a sense of closeness and
familiarity between themselves and their followers” (James, 2011, p. 149) 280
While this may be the case the phrase a “sense of closeness” is key here to
understanding the possible one-sided nature still present in this relationship. The
battle to understand the relationship between fans and celebrities online is figuring out
whether it is merely an illusion of a relationship. Amanda Palmer (TEDtalkDirectors,
2013) states “I love this random closeness” when speaking of the interactions she has 285
with her fans online. This is from the perspective of a celebrity and she seems to
receive pleasure and satisfaction from it. However to say that it is “random” may be
incorrect. Fans being fans may continuously strive to develop or seek out this
closeness. It is also fair to question the motivation of the celebrity who might try to
develop this closeness in order to attract fans. It is merely a “sense” of closeness, but 290
may not be anything more than that.
This closeness might be sustained by what seems to be to backstage access
provided by the celebrity’s online profile. The ability for celebrities to speak to fans
may actually create a mutual relationship in online spaces. Or, it might just provide a
more believable illusion of one. The basic fact that it is one person addressing many 295
instills an unequal power dynamic. The level of closeness one can have with a mass is
surely limiting. This research project will address this question to the fans of Amanda
Palmer and see how they feel about the closeness that has developed between them.
“Famous people frequently use these services (online social networking sites),
creating the illusion of first-person glimpses into their lives” (James, 2011, p.148) 300
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The question lies in whether the celebrities are actually providing gilmpses
into their “real” lives or if it just another platform for the staging of “pseudo events”
to market themselves on. On the other hand, it could be considered a new form of
relationship that is enabled by interactive social networking sites such as Twitter.
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Authenticity
“’Authenticity’ is a social construct that is ultimately always relative and
context dependent” (Bendix, 1997; Cheng 2004)
The presentation of the celebrity and the fans interpretation of their
interactions with them raises the question of authenticity. The relationship that is 310
being developed could be “authentic” or merely another marketing ploy. This is
dependent on the negotiation the celebrity must continually battle between front and
back stage access to their personal lives and their career. Erving Goffman’s (1959)
writing on the presentation of self is very relevant to this. Everyday everyone
negotiates the presentation of one’s self. They walk the line between frontstage and 315
backstage access to their lives depending on the social context. For celebrities, this
backstage access no longer has to lie in the hands of the PR company and can be
controlled independently by themselves for pleasure or for profit. The
commodification of the individual by agents and managers can transform into the self-
commodification of one’s own online identity. 320
“There is indeed a tension between deliberate self-presentation – what Erving
Goffman called impressions ‘given’ and unintentional self-presentation, or
information ‘given off’” (Marwick & Boyd, 2011, p. 153)
The production of their online persona lies on them but as soon as it is
published it is then consumed by fans and transformed, as stated earlier in the 325
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definition of fandom. New meanings and therefore new personas are created by the
interpretation and reading of the fans.
“Arguably, this ‘new media democracy’(Braudy, 1986; Turner 2004:79)
allows celebrity personas to be constructed and interpreted in an ongoing process that
exists between reader, fan, and celebrity, both on and offline” (Marwick & Boyd, 330
2011, p. 155)
It would be interesting to discover whether ‘authenticity’ matters for fans
when they are interacting with celebrities online. If it makes a difference to the level
of their engagement and opinion of the celebrity as a person.
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Why interact with your fans?
The motivation behind why celebrities are now stepping up and connecting
with their fans directly is an important question. What is the benefit of a celebrity
putting themselves in what could be the firing line? Why do they seek to interact with
the public as themselves without the buffer of PR personel? The question behind the 340
motivation is an important one for this research project. However, this research will
be exploring the perspective of the fans primarily and their motivations behind
connecting with celebrities. But, it is when a celebrity allows for this interaction to
occur that a relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces can actually
take place. Without the willingness of the celebrity it would be almost impossible for 345
a relationship to develop, even a para-social one. They are the gatekeepers that will
either deny or grant access into their online lives. Marwick & Boyd (2011) do go on
to discuss how social media is now a necessity for any celebrity to succeed.
Amanda Palmer gave a TEDtalk this year on “The art of asking”
(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013). This talk explains what she feels is the importance of 350
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asking people and in this case, her fans for help with her career. She highlights in this
talk the ways and means she goes about this. Online interaction was central to her
methods.
“Twitter came along and made things even more magic because I could ask
instantly for anything anywhere” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) 355
So, for a celebrity or artist like Amanda Palmer the instant connection with her
fans is one of the reasons why interacting with them online has become so useful. She
justifies these interactions by citing that the inherent nature of being an artist is to
connect with an audience. Therefore, online spaces are now the most instantaneuos
and direct way to this, “artists…have been connectors, openers, not untouchables” 360
(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013)
She speaks about online interaction with her fanbase as though it is the most
natural of practices and similar to those interactions she would have with people in
person. This relates back to what Stever (2009) stated on the idea that fan
relationships are not so different from “real” relationships. Amanda Palmer doesn’t 365
differenatiate between online or offline so much apart from the instant connection that
is attainable in online spaces. Marwick & Boyd (2010) elaborate on this by claiming
that social networking sites like Twitter have not only challenged but transformed the
idea of the para-social relationship.
“The fans’s ability to engage in discussion with a famous person de-370
pathologizes the parasocial and recontextualises it within a medium that the follower
may use to talk to real-life acquaintances” Marwick & Boyd (2010, p.148)
If it is not a para-social relationship the question then becomes what is the
relationship that occurs between fans and celebrities online? Interaction occurs but the
focus is still on one person connecting with a group – their fanbase. The research that 375
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needs to be conducted must focus on the intricacies of these relationships. This will
help discover how online platforms have transformed the fan-celebrity relationship
and unveil the traits of this relationship that can help define it.
380
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2. Research Methods
This study aimed to shed light on the relationship between fans and celebrities
in online spaces. Singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer was selected as the case study for
this research project as she is a celebrity I had previous knowledge of. I was aware 385
she had a strong online fanbase who helped her raise over $1 billion on Kickstarter
(see Appendix 4.4). It was evident that a relationship existed online between her and
her fans for this to take place. The aim of this research project was not to find how
many fans Amanda Palmer has, but rather the relationship that exists between
Amanda Palmer and her fans. In order to determine this, investigative qualitative 390
research methods were used. Qualitative research methods were most effective
methods due to the very subjective nature of the research topic. As I was already
aware to some degree of the relationship Amanda had with her fans, I had previous
assumptions about Amanda Palmer. Therefore self-awareness and reflexivity was key
throughout the entire process. As Finlay states ‘thoughtful [and] conscious self-395
awareness’ throughout all phases of research and analysis is necessary. (Finlay, 2002,
p. 532)
Initially the aim of this study was to discover how this fan-celebrity
relationship operates online from the perspective of the fans. This was to understand
how fans engage with Amanda online and how this relationship develops. I located 400
the fans by contacting Amanda Palmer’s management for assistance. Amanda’s
manager sent out an email to her “biggest fans”, requesting participants. From that
there were enough responses for me to proceed. In the end nine fans were
interviewed. The fact that the research was connected with Amanda’s management
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added credibility to the research project and thus contributed a level of trust, which is 405
essential in qualitative interviewing. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were
conducted with the selected fans over instant messaging applications Gmail Chat or
Skype, depending on the fan’s preference. This method was chosen because most of
the fans were located abroad and face-to-face interviews were not possible. In
addition some fans did not have the correct technology to engage in video or audio 410
chat, therefore all were written to maintain validity and consistency.
The qualitative interviews allowed for more in-depth and personalised
accounts from the fans of their activity online. They also allowed for more scope and
flexibility in conversing naturally with the fans. However, as Byrne (Seale, 2012, p.
207) states, it is a “somewhat unpredictable form of social research” and so the data 415
collected sometimes deviates from the research questions. An interview topic guide
(see Appendix 3) was formulated beforehand and used during all interviews to ensure
validity and to prevent going off topic. It included focused open-ended questions with
follow up questions if needed. However, the focus remained on their online activity as
fans of Amanda Palmer and did not digress to exploring off-line interactions or non-420
Amanda Palmer related online interactions. The flexible nature of the interviews shed
light on new information unknown to me beforehand. The case studies featured in the
findings and analysis were those that contributed to current literature or shed light on
the research questions posed. Qualitative methods are not as generalisable as
quantitative, thus limiting the findings of this research to be used as data reflective of 425
a wider population. The findings analysed may only be relevant to the fans
interviewed but the themes raised could be extrapolated from these accounts or used
for further research on fan-celebrity relationships.
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After the interviews, an analysis of Amanda Palmer’s TEDtalk “The Art of
Asking” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) was done. This talk features Amanda speaking 430
about her career and her fans. It is extremely relevant to this research project as she
speaks of the interaction she has with fans in online spaces. This analysis was
important to the research as it gave Amanda Palmer’s side of the story. It helped
contrast and compare the relationship between the two sides (fans and celebrities) and
eliminates a possibility of an overly one-sided perspective in the findings. It also 435
highlights her public opinion on some on the research questions and how strong she
feels about the matters raised.
At the end, an email interview with Amanda Palmer featured in the findings.
Originally Amanda Palmer was not going to be contacted for this research project as
gaining access to her as a researcher is difficult. But, after quite some networking 440
efforts I was put in touch with Amanda’s PA who told me to send on three questions
to Amanda. The analysis didn’t rely on this email interview to be completed and I
proceeded with the analysis without it. However, when the research project was near
completion, Amanda sent back her answers. In fear of having too much data I was not
going to include them however they ended up being very insightful and worked well 445
next to the findings from the fans.
In relation to the ethical considerations, all the interviewees were given a
consent form and an information sheet. [see Appendix 2] This explained the position
of the researcher and the academic position from which the research was conducted.
The consent form ensured that interviewees were fully aware of what they 450
participating in, how the data was being obtained and what it was being used for. The
interviewees were assured anonymity and they are cited in the findings under aliases.
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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They were emailed these forms and electronically signed them before emailing them
back to the researcher.
This study reveals in-depth how the relationship between Amanda Palmer and 455
her fans operates in online spaces. Due to the flexibility and informal manner in
which it was conducted I was able to extract very detailed accounts of the fans’
relationships with Amanda Palmer. This allowed for their personal thoughts about her
to emerge, eliminating any assumptions and giving the fans a voice. Having Amanda
Palmer’s perspective present in the findings gave the analysis a more rounded 460
perspective lessening any bias that could arise from a single-sided perspective
analysis. The data gathered could then be analysed through ‘qualitative thematic
analysis’ (Seale, 2004, p. 509).
465
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3. Data Collected and Analysis 465
The Online Spaces of Choice
Each of the 9 interviews conducted with fans roughly followed the topic guide
in the same order. One of the first issues uncovered was where the fans primarily keep
up to date with Amanda Palmer online. In most cases the fans followed her on
multiple online platforms or moved from one website to another based on their 470
preference. Amanda Palmer has multiple sites where her fans follow her work: her
personal blog on her website [http://amandapalmer.net/blog/], her Twitter account
“@amandapalmer”, the official mailing list, The Shadowbox (her official fan forum)
and other associated social networking platforms including Instagram, Google+ and
Facebook. 475
The majority of fans followed her blog, mailing list and her Twitter account.
Twitter was the primary online platform all of them said they preferred using to
follow Amanda. This was the first follow up question raised; why did they choose
Twitter as the preferred medium to follow Amanda Palmer? Steph (Interview 5)
responded by stating that she outright prefers Twitter and solely started her Twitter 480
account to follow Amanda - “because she interacts with her fans. And because she
keeps us up to date on everything she’s working on.” This statement in itself gives an
idea of the important key points that the fans subsequently raised about their
relationship with Amanda Palmer online. The main themes were interaction,
authenticity, involvement and personality. The platforms they used were those that 485
complimented these themes the most and contained or allowed for these themes and
elements of the relationship to flourish.
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As discussed earlier in the literature, Amanda Palmer herself cited Twitter as a
new platform that she finds a perfect tool to communicate with her fans. Since she has
joined the site, she has made use of it as one of the main means of communication 490
with her fanbase.
“Twitter came along and made things even more magic because I could ask
instantly for anything anywhere” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013)
Amanda’s blog was also a popular site a lot of fans used before Twitter took
off, and still is. On this blog Amanda writes long personal narratives on something to 495
do with her personal life, her career or her thoughts in general. However one fan,
Emily (Interview 2), who follows both the blog and Twitter states her overall
preference for Twitter for the reason that it is more casual and she gains more
backstage information on Amanda:
“I keep up with her blog as well, but that seems more formal and official, 500
Twitter is like an acceptable way of peeking in someone’s window and seeing what
they’re doing all day.” (Emily, Interview 2)
Although the blog is one of the most popular ways these fans follow Amanda
Palmer, and provides updates on her life and career, Twitter is preferred based on its
direct and informal nature. This relates to the literature review which postulates 505
backstage information is sought by consumers. It also relates to Turner’s (2004)
definition of celebrity when the attention is shifted from one’s professional life to
one’s personal life. However, in the case of Amanda both her career and personal life
feature on these sites. The literature and findings both highlight the necessity for the
artist to thread that line between the front and backstage information. Twitter provides 510
a more instant line of communication compared to a blog post which is long and
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
27
appears more thought out. The less planned and the more candid, informal forms of
communication seem to be more popular amongst fans.
Ross (Interview 6) particularly likes the mixture of official and more casual
forms of communication. She follows Amanda’s Twitter and stays up to date through 515
the mailing list;
“Twitter has the advantage of getting the chance to chat with Amanda, the e-
mail list is awesome because you’re the first to know about the big announcements
most of the time and the info doesn’t get lost in the ephemera” (Ross, Interview 6)
That possibility of interaction occurring is an important feature present in the 520
majority the fans answers. This is in comparison to the blog which is more of a
soapbox style of communication with fans. But they do have the ability to leave
comments below. It offers its own benefits compared to Twitter as the artist can
elaborate on her thoughts and allow fans a more in depth insight into her feelings on a
subject, which Alanna (Interview 3) elaborates on: 525
‘I feel her blog is more an ‘open diary into her thoughts’. Longer, as you can
see Amanda’s thought process. I’ve only commented on her blogs a few times, just
adding along my thoughts to hers…” (Alanna, Interview 3)
It is more in line with the ‘para-social relationship’ where-by the artist
communicates to the public but the fans cannot communicate directly back to her. 530
They communicate amongst themselves about the cultural text in the comments. This
is also relevant to current literature on how fans create their own meanings through
consuming a cultural text, such as a celebrity (Wiatrowksi, 2011). If they are left to
discuss and analyse the celebrities’ activities amongst themselves, they are left to
extrapolate their own meanings about the artist. This produces new ideas and 535
communities based on this cultural text, outside of celebrity’s activities. However it
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
28
still provides that backstage information about the artist’s personal views that fans
enjoy. Twitter on the other hand is believed to be less contrived and more direct.
Alanna (Interview 3) expressed Twitter as her preference as it is “more of a two way
conversation…”. The fact that fans can communicate with Amanda Palmer directly, 540
to her personal Twitter account, is important to them as fans for multiple reasons.
Alanna says it’s important as she feels “they (the artist) should be able to receive that
compliment directly”. Whereas before these interactive online platforms, contact with
the artist by a fan would be limited. Richard (Interview 1) remembers when he
followed artists years ago, the opportunity to interact with them in online spaces was 545
not available, any interaction at all almost impossible:
“I remember when there was a huge wall between rock stars and the only way
to know when they would be coming to town was when you heard it on the radio.
There was virtually no interaction at all.” (Richard, Interview 1)
But now Richard (Interview 1) has been following Amanda for years on 550
multiple platforms, her blog, mailing list and Twitter. The reason the fans choose
certain platforms over others seems to be because of the themes that will be discussed
below.
Interaction & Engagement 555
Engagement and interaction were key themes that were raised by fans when
speaking about their reasons why they follow Amanda online. Both of these themes
seem to be related, more interaction with Amanda often led to more engagement by
fans. The interviewees were asked if Amanda’s strong online presence contributed to
their engagement with her and her career. All of them responded positively to this 560
question. It kept them connected to her in a way that they could not achieve
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
29
otherwise. They also feel she is extremely engaging because they believe her presence
online is “natural” and “unforced” compared to more staged forms of promotion. This
was discussed earlier when explaining the “pseudo event” that Turner (2004) writes
about in relation to celebrity promotion. 565
“Yes. Because she is so active it definitely keeps you engaged. And the thing
is that it’s totally natural and unforced. It’s not like she’s developed this marketing
plan and is running around saying Must.Interact.With.Fans. That’s just how she is.”
(Richard, Interview 1)
The relationship between a fan and a celebrity online allows fans to stay up to 570
date and gives the celebrity the opportunity to control what is being promoted. Nico
(Interview 4) says that he’s interested in following people who are actually interested
in engaging with him not using it as solely a marketing tool. Both Turner (2004) and
James (2011) refer to celebrity marketing practice, particularly the tension between
image management and authenticity. The celebrity must negotiate between marketing 575
the individual and connecting with fans.
“The point being – that I am interested in following people who are there
looking for engagement. Who are not JUST trying to sell me a product” (Nico,
Interview 7)
Annabelle (Interview 4) believes that even though it’s Amanda’s job “to make 580
you feel connected” she is “genuine” and “that sets her apart from most artists”. She
does it in a way that is enjoyable and seemingly not staged.
“Some [bands] just use it like a PR feed…that’s a one-way street, there’s no
interaction” (Annabelle, Interview 4)
This authenticity in the engagement is vital for some of the fans and a perk for 585
others. To the fans interviewed, she appears to have cultivated a completely natural
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30
way of communicating with them that they feel is in no way contrived or false. When
the interviewees were asked why this was important they compared it with contempt
for the PR industries. They enjoyed the fact that it was actually Amanda
communicating with them directly and not a third party agent, manager or PA. 590
“The fact that she actually updates it HERSELF – even more bands tend to
update frequently, but are actually updated by management team, or just used to
promote their material.” (Ciaran, Interview 8)
The frequency of updates about her career and life also help keeps fans
engaged. They all commended her on her continuous blogging and tweeting of her 595
life. They enjoyed being in the know all the time. Ciaran (Interview 8) responded with
a “Definitely” when asked if her online presence is what keeps him interested in her.
“It’s so easy to lose momentum if there isn’t contact and updates from people.
I follow a lot of bands, so I am used to bands sort ‘disappearing’ in between
projects…Whereas that never happens with Amanda – all the time, she’s always 600
keeping people updated…it’s still far more engaging when you’re always aware of
what’s going on”. (Ciaran, Interview 8)
One of the key factors to maintaining this fan-celebrity relationship is
nurturing the connection with fans. Once it is established, to keep them engaged
regular updates and communication is necessary. It may be a common strategy for a 605
celebrity to announce and promote their work online. This was discussed earlier in the
literature review in reference to James (2011) and the ‘illusion of intimacy’.
“the illusion of intimacy between celebrity and fan has become not only
common, but also seen as a necessary marketing tool key to the celebrity’s success. In
this context, the celebrity walks a fine line between revealing too much, and not 610
sharing enough so that the “fan” can feel a sense of connection” (James, 2011, p.2)
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For many artists these new platforms are now a possible method for keeping
fans and the general public aware of what is happening in their career. But they must
choose what to share. This is not alien to how Amanda Palmer operates where her
online presence is strong and fans are used to her sharing most of what she does. Nico 615
(Interview 7) explains how her “online presence is what keeps her ‘dots
connected’…”. However Ciaran (Interview 8) does explain that often too much
information can be negative;
“So yeah, I guess ALWAYS being told what’s going on behind the scenes can
be anti-climactic, or can be less than great if you have to wait over a year for 620
something they’re planning” (Ciaran, Interview 8)
It is apparent that these lines are present between sharing a little and
oversharing. But the interaction Amanda has cultivated with her fans seems to have
taken precedence over their interest in how much she is actually sharing. The fact that
it is actually genuinely her communicating with them is of key concern. 625
Even the possibility of being able to communicate directly with Amanda
Palmer means something to the fans interviewed. Many of the reasons behind this is
the ability to directly express their admiration to her, be involved in discussions and to
be acknowledged as a fan and supporter of her work. Alanna (Interview 3) explains
how she sees herself as a supporter of Amanda and that the connection Amanda has 630
with her fans is more than a “numbers game”. She has been contacted personally by
Amanda online. At first she was extremely excited by this as she felt part of the online
community associated with Amanda Palmer’s fanbase, “Amanda makes an effort to
acknowledge each individual that has listened to her music” (Alanna, Interview 3).
Ross (Interview 6) also explains how important this is to her by agreeing that the fact 635
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32
that Amanda interacts with her fans online makes a difference to how engaged she is
with her:
“Very much so. I have some other bands whose music I love, but I know I’m
more invested in the ones that engage somehow…the interaction plays a huge part in
how the whole thing works. It’s an act of trust” 640
Justin (Interview 9) likes the interaction online because he feels it equalises
the relationship between the fan and the artist. He sees it as a more natural way to
communicate and one that lacks pretence. He thinks it is important to be able to
contact and interact with an artist:
“I think it also demystifies rockstars in a way that I think can be really 645
constructive…they sort of can’t get that get the deity treatment anymore, you know?”
(Justin, Interview 9)
The interaction also means a lot to Emily (Interview 2) who openly loves the
possibility of receiving a reply from Amanda, “Yes, she has (responded) a few times,
or retweeted something I’ve posted. Makes me so happy!”. When asked why she feels 650
this way when she receives a message from Amanda, “I think it’s the
acknowledgement”. This acknowledgement of being a fan may be one of the key
reasons why interaction and a relationship is sought by fans in online spaces. Emily
(Interview 2) also felt that it “makes me feel a bit more connected.” This connection is
something that James (2011) writes about and is discussed earlier. She refers to this as 655
a “sense of closeness” cultivated by the celebrity online:
“Twitter allows celebrity practitioners to create a sense of closeness and
familiarity between themselves and their followers” (James, 2011, p. 149)
This closeness is not necessarily inauthentic or that the feelings expressed by
the fans interviewed are not genuine. The sense of closeness may be the connection 660
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33
that these fans seek or enjoy experiencing when interaction occurs. Without these
interactions online, this closeness would not be achievable, at least not so
instantaneously. From interviewing the fans, this interactive relationship that occurs
with Amanda is important to them and part of the reasons why they are engaged with
her on such an high level. Steph (Interview 3) does believe that this is the case and 665
attributes the very strong interactive online presence of Amanda to how big a fan of
hers she is:
“I think her interaction with me and other fans makes her more human so we
care a lot more and are more devoted or intense fans” (Steph, Interview 3)
Interaction seems an important factor to maintaining an active fanbase. It is 670
apparent that if an artist chooses to interact with their fans, it can be of benefit to them
and to enjoyment of the fans. However many of the fans interviewed express a lack of
interaction from other artists they follow:
“I like that’s a reciprocity in being an Amanda Palmer fan. It’s something you
don’t always get with other artists.” (Ross, Interview 6) 675
Challenging the Para-social Relationship
The question remains as to how this relates to the current literature. The fact
that the possibility of interacting with a celebrity adds to the level of engagement, 680
means that a connection is sought on some level by the fan with the artist. Being
“connected” to the artist in some way via the fan community associated with the artist
is also another possibility for remaining engaged. As discussed earlier the para-social
relationship is often cited when writing about fan-celebrity relationships. It is a one-
way relationship where a fan knows a celebrity intimately; contacts them or interacts 685
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34
with them but the celebrity does not reciprocate in any way. There is an obvious
imbalance, it is not a mutual relationship. Richard (Interview 1) implied this earlier in
the analysis when he mentioned that years ago the only time you knew what a
celebrity was doing was from the radio. Nico (Interview 7) also mentioned that since
he was a child he would be aware of music releases from publications such as 690
Pitchfork and wouldn’t engage further with an artist beyond that. But now with
celebrities cultivating an online presence the boundary that existed previously is
blurring. Having a presence online gives fans the opportunity to contact the celebrity
directly (if they self-manage their online profiles). In the case of such platforms like
Twitter, these are interactive sites where a response is now enabled in the form of 695
@replies and direct messaging. The same is possible on blogging websites where a
celebrity can reply to comments, or online forums where they can take part in
conversation threads.
All of the fans interviewed were asked if they felt the relationship between
them and Amanda Palmer was mutual or one-sided. The responses varied from each 700
fan. Some of them believed that it was still very much one-sided but with some
deviation. This is where Amanda would often reciprocate and respond directly to her
fans and engage in discussions with them, but that it was still very much one way.
This response was often backed up with the excuse that she has a huge fanbase she
has to negotiate when interacting with them: 705
“SORT of (is one-sided). I mean it’s much more lopsided, of course. It’s more
one-way…But of course she has like 800k followers so she can’t keep up a detailed
back and forth with all of them” (Richard, Interview 1)
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Ross (Interview 6) answers this by singling Amanda Palmer out as an artist
who is unusually interactive with her fanbase. However, despite this regular 710
interaction she does feel it is still a one-sided relationship:
“Even with being a fan of Amanda things can be one sided. I mean, not every
mention thrown her direction gets a response (hardly half of them do!) But you get to
see, that she does try to respond to things” (Ross, Interview 6)
The difference she feels as a fan is that the possibility of interaction is now 715
present. This in itself intensifies the experience and the level of engagement online,
even if it may be one-sided. The mention of authenticity also arises once again. The
fact that she tries to contact with her fans means something to them. The
acknowledgement of them as a collective in itself seems to prevail even if the
individual fans themselves don’t get a reply. As a fan of Amanda’s the possibility of 720
being acknowledged is apparently strong and adds to their level of engagement.
“So yes, there’s still a lot of one way interaction, and a lot more of it than the
reciprocated interaction you get from some artists…but there’s potential and
possibility” (Ross, Interview 6)
Earlier in the idea that the para-social relationship no longer exists is discussed 725
by Stever (2011) with the possibility of a newer type of fan-celebrity relationship
emerging. Emily (Interview 2) raises an interesting point when asked if she feels like
her relationship with Amanda is one-sided or not, and refers to it as “Maybe a 1 ½
relationship? Is that a thing?”. She understands that she is connecting with one person
but this person is responding back to many, “Realistically, I know that I put far more 730
effort into following her” (Emily, Interview 2). She is invested in Amanda Palmer’s
life but the same personal level of investment into her life as individual fan may not
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
36
be reciprocated by Amanda. This does not seem to bother the fans though and most of
them acknowledge this reality in the interviews.
Other fans expressed the feeling that it was somewhat a mutual relationship. 735
Steph (Interview 5) answered directly by disagreeing with the question posed that it
may be a one-sided relationship, “No I don’t think so. From what she’s said from time
to time, it seems that her fanbase online is a lifeline for her sometimes”. Steph
(Interview 5) elaborated on this, expressing that she felt it was mutual in a different
sense. She felt it was a two-sided relationship between an individual and a group en 740
masse, Amanda to her fanbase as a whole.
“Not on a personal level. Like, I don’t think she relies on ME personally, but I
think that she does rely on her fanbase as a group” (Steph, Interview 5)
This is not a para-social relationship that exists between Amanda Palmer and
her fans. But it is neither a completely two-sided relationship in line with “regular” 745
offline relationships. It is something new. It is a relationship that exists between an
individual (the celebrity) and a group (the fanbase). But, it does have elements
associated with offline relationships: interaction, communication and emotional
investment. This goes against previous literature Turner (2004) mentions on para-
social relationships, as interaction is now not only possible, it does in fact occur. But 750
it is not a two-sided relationship in the traditional sense as there is an apparent
imbalance; it is one-to-many. But it does have similarities to offline relationships
which Stever (2011) discusses earlier. Richard (Interview 1) backs this up when
describing how engaging it is following Amanda online:
“It really is very much akin to your best friend sending you a random text 755
about something that just happened.” (Richard, Interview 1)
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37
The Art of Asking
Amanda Palmer is known among the crowdfunding community for raising
over $1 million on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter (Appendix 4.5). On this 760
website you set a monetary target to reach for a specific project and you have a certain
amount of days to raise this money. Backers pledge money and receive rewards in
return e.g. a signed album, tickets to a show. Amanda raised this money by asking for
help from her fans online. She speaks of this in her TEDtalk “The art of asking”
(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013). What this research project endeavoured to discover is what 765
the fans of Amanda think about her asking for their help from them. This should give
insight into whether there are any obvious problems with this practice, or whether it is
something that fans enjoy.
The question the fans were asked was whether or not they liked being asked
for help from Amanda. There was a unanimous response. All of the fans enjoyed 770
being asked for help from Amanda and in fact wanted her to ask them for help. “I
liked it. I liked that she was involving us” (Steph, Interview 5) They even actively
pursued opportunities to get involved in her projects. Part of the discussions arose in
relation to the Kickstarter (see Appendix 4.5) campaign but they also mentioned other
occasions e.g. Amanda asking for help about lyrics, designs for merchandise. They 775
each had contributed in some form to Amanda’s projects, either the Kickstarter or
funding other projects of hers.
Ross (Interview 6) says she enjoys being involved and her interaction online
stems from “wanting to be useful”. She says that Amanda “asks if things are working,
or for help with lyrics, or for an opinion on something. It’s to be a part of a 780
conversation”. It seems a lot of these “conversations” take place on Twitter e.g.
#lofnotc (Losers of Friday Night on Their Computers) [See Appendix 4.7]. This is
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
38
where Amanda would tweet to her fans and engage in mass group conversations with
them using this hash-tag on Twitter. They would exchange thoughts, photos, ideas etc.
This would happen regularly and became an event that was associated with her 785
Twitter account.
This not only challenges the regular fan-celebrity relationship but also
challenges the notion of fans transforming the cultural text, the celebrity, through
consumption. It in fact puts the celebrity at the centre of all the engagement with the
fans and in some ways in control of the consumption through mediation. This raises 790
quite an important question as to how celebrities can develop a relationship more
successfully with fans online. By cultivating a direct connection it allows for the
celebrity to be part of the fan community and part of the consumption. This disrupts
the gap that exists where the fans would consume the celebrity as a cultural text and
create their own meanings from their activities amongst themselves as a fanbase. 795
Instead, the celebrity is part of the transformation and the consumption becomes a
form of collaboration between the producer and consumer, the celebrity and the fan.
This breaks down those lines of production and consumption that previously existed.
It may also contribute to the earlier notion of the 1½-sided relationship of one-to-
many that may exist. This is a question that needs to be further explored and how it 800
could work for other artists outside of Amanda Palmer. It would be interesting to
know how the status of a fan is altered through this collaborative consumption and
production with the celebrity in question.
Emily (Interview 2) enjoys being asked for help by Amanda and has been
involved in previous projects. “I think it’s great. From what I’ve seen and 805
experienced, fans like to help.” She has had direct offline connections with Amanda
due to her online interactions with her. She organised a house party for Amanda
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
39
Palmer fans in her area that Amanda attended. Because Emily (Interview 2) organised
this herself she became part of the production of this Amanda Palmer event
transforming her from a consumer to a producer. 810
“I went and picked her up from her hotel to bring her to my house party and it
was one of the most exciting thing ever! […] But I was happy to do it. I think a lot of
people who maybe aren’t fans see it as freeloading or begging, but I think it’s really a
chance to get to know each other better and be a part of what’s happening” (Emily,
Interview 2) 815
The key themes that kept arising from the discussions with the fans about
Amanda asking her for help, as demonstrated above, is that firstly; they like it; they
are happy to do it and they want to be involved, to be a “part of what’s happening”.
“It’s great to be a part of it, and to know that I’m helping out someone who I admire”
(Emily, Interview 2). It also adds another possibility of interacting with Amanda 820
online and offline. This could be considered a motivation for becoming involved in
these activities. Another motivation may be the direct acknowledgement of being a
fan by supporting or being involved in a project alongside Amanda.
Amanda (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) speaks about her desire to meet people
from the Internet and connect with them. As a former street performer she relates this 825
practice of encountering strangers on the street to that of her encounters online.
“My music career has been spent trying to encounter people on the Internet the
way I could on the box (that she performed on)” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013)
She seeks out this connection with her fans like the fans may seek the same
from her. She says we do this by “blogging and tweeting about our work, our art, our 830
fears and our mistakes” (TEDtalkDirectors. She has no qualms about asking her fans
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
40
for help and enjoys it. As mentioned early, once Twitter came along she seized it as
an opportunity to connect instantly with her fans.
An interesting case study that arose was from Justin (Interview 9) (see
Appendix 4.6) who designed a t-shirt for Amanda. It was subsequently sold as official 835
merchandise on her website. He volunteered to design it for her on Twitter while she
was in conversation with fans and asked for help with a t-shirt design. During this
time Justin (Interview 9) had direct interaction with Amanda about the design. It was
a form of collaboration between him as a fan and Amanda.
“I asked Amanda for help, she retweeted a couple of things I asked for” 840
(Justin, Interview 9)
He was asked if he received any payment for the design as it was sold online
afterwards. This question was raised to see how equal the collaboration was since the
t-shirt was subsequently sold commercially.
“At first I was like, “what is going to happen with this? I don’t mind if they 845
don’t pay me because OMG AFP (“Amanda Fucking Palmer”) T-SHIRT, but I could
do with the money.” (Justin, Interview 9)
Being involved in a project with Amanda at first was more important to Justin
(Interview 9) than being paid. In the end he received a box of t-shirts as payment “So
I was happy…Best payment ever.” (Justin, Interview 9) It also made him interested in 850
further collaborating with Amanda.
“I’m getting some images and paintings ready to send her along with an e-mail
asking for a chance in future collaborations” (Justin, Interview 9)
This is another example of how the boundaries in the fan-celebrity relationship
are breaking down with this increase of online interactivity. Amanda is consumed by 855
fans in a way that she is seen as more equal and “human” as quoted by some fans.
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
41
Amanda sees her fans as potential collaborators and thus transforms their role from
consumers into producers, equalising the relationship to some degree. This is similar
to what Justin (Interview 9) stated earlier about the interaction equalising their
relationship and demystifying the celebrity. However, to what extent needs further 860
investigation. The notion of the consumer-producer could possibly be another area of
that needs investigation in relation to the fan-celebrity relationship today.
Amanda Palmer’s Online Persona
When asked if Amanda’s personality had anything to do with their 865
relationship with her online, all interviewees believed it did on some level. One of the
key questions asked at the end of every interview was whether or not the fan believed
Amanda would be as successful if her online presence wasn’t as strong. Interestingly,
and without contempt for the question, all the fans believed she would not be as
successful if she wasn’t so active online.,“I think it’s not very likely” (Justin, 870
Interview 9) Ciaran (Interview 8) feels like he has developed quite a strong
connection with Amanda, stating her personality “inspires” him. He is a fan her not
just her music, “she means a lot to me” (Ciaran, Interview 8). Amanda apparently
shares more than just her music online. She shares a lot about herself and personality,
therefore fans may develop a relationship with her as a person rather than just as an 875
artist.
“The fact that she shares so much means that it’s easier to see her almost as a
friend than just some far away celebrity” (Ciaran, Interview 8)
This relates back to Goffman’s (1954) theory on the presentation of self and
also Stever’s (2009) writing on fan-celebrity relationships resembling those of offline 880
relationships. Amanda Palmer has cultivated a relationship with her fans in a manner
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
42
that seems democratic and real. Ciaran (Interview 8) even refers to her TEDtalk
(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) when she says:
“celebrity is about a lot of people loving you from afar, whereas the internet is
about a few people loving you up close” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) 885
Emily (Interview 2) has a slightly more reserved view on her relationship with
Amanda online. She believes that she is “privy to her inner most thoughts at times”
but she doesn’t think she knows Amanda personally. However, she does think that
Amanda’s personality contributes to her engagement as a fan. The remainder of the
fans interviewed agreed that her online presence was one of the key components to 890
her success.
Amanda Palmer’s Response
Amanda Palmer (Interview 10) responded to the question posed in the email
interview on whether she feels she walks a line between sharing everything she does 895
online or keeping some information private. She had quite a lot to say on this, stating
that she in fact does suffer the constant dilemma of what to and what not to share. She
says she does want people to know the real her but that it is risky:
“I want people to know the real me. It's a fun game, to see how much I can
risk, and share, and how vulnerable I can allow myself to be.” (Amanda Palmer, 900
Interview 10)
The fact that there is risk involved for her does concur with the literature that
explains how it is constant negotiation of the self a celebrity faces when interacting
online. As someone who has to do this, she sheds light on how she deals with this
negotiation of the presentation of the self: 905
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
43
“But I do have rules, having learned the hard way, that some things about
"the real me" are absolutely not fodder for this friendship. Some things stay within
my private circle, and are only for my two or three best friends and my husband.”
(Amanda Palmer, Interview 10)
The fact that she does refer to the relationship she has with her fanbase as a 910
friendship helps tie up some of the themes raised in this research project that the
fans discussed. She believes it is a completely two-sided relationship that she has
with her fans. She feels that she is involved with them as much as they are
involved with her and relates her emotions and approach to nurturing it to a
regular relationship. 915
“They tell me their secrets. They write to me. They talk to me at shows. I
invite them into my home. I produce their records. I read about their lives in the app
comments. I give advice. They give me advice. I take it. I follow their bands and their
projects, I support their kickstarters. We're definitely in an extreme two-way situation.
Some of my fans have become my true friends. That boundary gets blurry, and it's a 920
beautiful blur.” (Amanda Palmer, Interview 10)
The acknowledgement that the boundary is blurred concurs with the idea of a
new form of relationship now possible between fans and artists online. It also is in
line with what many of the fans interviewed declare the relationship as. Amanda
(Interview 10) believes it to be two-way but the fact that she may only be able to 925
connect with certain individuals more than others still leaves some fans not quite as
intimately connected as she relays above. There are clearly multiple interpretations of
the nature of the relationship Amanda has with her fans, amongst the fans themselves
and her own opinion on it.
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
44
Finally, as the fans interviewed were asked if they believe her online presence 930
is part of her success, a similar question was posed to Amanda (Interview 10) about
the importance of interacting with your fans online as an artist. She believed it wasn’t
important for every artist. For her, the importance is more than promoting her work,
“I don't connect with people to promote my art, that's almost a byproduct. I connect
with people because I truly love the conversation.” (Amanda, Interview 10) However, 935
she does acknowledge, from a marketing perspective, that it is useful:
“But in terms of mercenary marketing...sure, it helps a lot to have a real
relationship, and a two-way conversation, with your audience, who are ultimately
your supporters.” (Amanda, Interview 10) One of the first interviews conducted with
Richard (Interview) also spoke of this approach that Amanda has with her fans. That 940
it is a marketing tool, interacting with fans, but that it has also become more than just
this.
“Amanda’s goal in itself is to live in a community of people who share her
values and aesthetic”. (Richard, Interview 1)
945
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45
Conclusions
This research project investigated the relationship between fans and a celebrity
in online spaces, focusing on the case study of singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and
her fans. It demonstrated how this relationship operates, primarily from the
perspective of the fans. But, it also provides a rounded perspective on the relationship 950
by including the perspective of Amanda Palmer too.
The interviews with her fans helped understand these processes. The
motivations behind and gratifications inherent in this online relationship were
explored. The fans explained how their relationship with Amanda worked and it was
found that multiple factors effect the fan-celebrity relationship online. It is not clear-955
cut and contains elements that overlap. The flexible nature of the interviews led to
further information unknown before the interviews were conducted to emerge. This
allowed for case studies demonstrating their activity to be analysed. These case
studies anchored the themes raised and contextualised the theory relevant to the
findings. It showed how the fans became involved in projects online through 960
interacting with Amanda and how a fan-celebrity relationship online can connect fans
in a very direct manner with the artist e.g. Kickstarter, hosting house parties.
The findings from Amanda Palmer’s TEDtalk “The Art of Asking” (
TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) provided comparative analysis. It wasn’t a large feature in
the findings, only some of the issues Amanda raised in the talk were relevant. It did 965
provide insight into Amanda’s feelings about interacting with her fans online,
demonstrating her strong public argument for this practice. The email interview with
Amanda Palmer (Interview 10) was useful in rounding off the findings by discussing
her overall opinion of her relationship with her fanbase. The limitations of this
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
46
method however was that it didn’t allow for follow up questions or clarification. It 970
also contradicted some of the fans opinions on the relationship highlighting the highly
interpretive and subjective nature of this relationship and research. However, it also
concurred with a lot of the fans assumptions about Amanda’s relationship with them.
The main themes present in the fan-celebrity relationship in online spaces are
interaction, engagement, authenticity and personality. These arose multiple times in 975
relation to the relationship the fans had cultivated with Amanda online. Each theme
had a significant impact on the relationship and thus shed light on how it operates and
is maintained. The research also contextualised the themes present in the relationship
by identifying the primary online platforms used to interact with one another. Twitter
was the preferred site for interaction between Amanda Palmer and her fans, with her 980
blog another favourite. Why these sites were the preferred related to the themes. In
other words, Twitter was the website in which interaction, engagement, authenticity
and personality were most likely to be seen. The blog was second as it was more
formal and less interactive. In order to develop an intimate online relationship with a
fanbase it is evident that making use of these social media sites effectively is key, as 985
fans commended Amanda on this skill.
The findings uncovered possible traits vital for a a relationship between fans
and celebrities survive in online spaces. Engagement and interaction were closely
linked with another. The more interaction Amanda had with her fans the more
engaged they were. This intensified their online relationship. It seems like something 990
fans seek out by choosing to follow Amanda more avidly on Twitter where these
interactions are more likely to take place. The reasons why interaction with the
celebrity was important to them wasn’t clear cut, but acknowledgement of being a fan
was prevalent. James’(2011) writing on the “illusion of intimacy” that celebrities
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
47
cultivate through Twitter is relevant to this. Another motivation is to become involved 995
in projects, “being useful” and “a part of what’s happening”. The frequency of
interaction increased engagement also. The fact that it was her personally interacting
with them, that authenticity was evident, proved imporant to them versus their online
spaces being used solely for marketing or PR.
The inherent nature of the relationship between Amanda Palmer and her fans 1000
lies somewhere between a 1 ½ - sided relationship and a mutual relationship. It is not
a para-social relationship as interaction is a core element to this online relationship.
This challenges previous research that Turner (2004) discusses and adds to Stever’s
(2009) research on fan-celebrity relationships resembling regular offline relationships.
It contains elements that exist in an offline relationship but deviates from this in that it 1005
is not a one-to-one rather one-to-many. In this way, it is not straight forward, but
opens up avenues for redefining the fan-celebrity relationship that can exist in online
spaces. Further research is necessary, as these findings are not generalisable to other
celebrities and fanbases. But, it does raise key themes and questions that could be
applied to other fan-celebrity relationships. 1010
The limitations of this research means that the information gathered may not
be representative of Amanda Palmer’s entire fanbase. It provides only a selected
glimpse into the factors that offer an understanding into how these relationships work
on a fan-by-fan basis, though trends did emerge. A broader sample of fans would
benefit this research topic. The use of quantitative analysis could be useful in further 1015
studies where the themes raised in these interviews could be put as survey questions
to a wider sample audience. This could help find out if they are generalisable to fans
outside of this case study. As these themes were only discovered during this research
project, this could not been done as part of it.
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
48
I would recommended to any celebrity looking to cultivate an online 1020
relationship with their fans to follow Amanda Palmer. Her fans express great
appreciation for her strong online presence and compare that with the more contrived
PR and image management that is sometimes carried out by others. Her authenticity,
frequency of interaction and openess to connect are all factors she has cultivated in
order engage successfully with her fans in online spaces. 1025
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
49
Bibliography
Amanda Palmer (2013a) Amanda Palmer [Facebook] Available from: < 1030 https://www.facebook.com/amandapalmer > [Accessed: 29th August 2013]. Amanda Palmer. (2013b) The Shadow Box: Amanda Palmer – The Dresden Dolls – Brian Viglione. [online forum] Available at: < http://www.theshadowbox.net > [Accesssed 29th August 2013] 1035 Amanda Palmer. (2013c) Amanda Palmer: the official website of Amanda Fucking Palmer. Available at: < http://www.amandapalmer.net > [Accessed: August 29th 2013] 1040 Amanda Palmer. (2013d) Amanda Palmer [Twitter] Available at: < https://twitter.com/amandapalmer > [Accessed: 29th August 2013] Amanda Palmer. (2013e) Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra [blog]. Available at: <http://amandapalmer.net/blog/> [Accessed: 29th August 2013]. 1045 Amanda Palmer. (April 2012) Amanda Palmer: The new record, art book, and tour. Kickstarter. Available at: < http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amandapalmer/amanda-palmer-the-new-record-art-book-and-tour/posts > [Accessed: 29th August 2013] 1050 Braudy, L. (1986) The Frenzy of Reknown: Fame and Its History. New York: Oxford University Press. Boorstin, D. (1971) The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America, New York: 1055 Antheneum. Originally published as The Image or What Happened to the American Dream? (1961) Caughey, J.L. (1984) Imaginary social worlds. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 1060 Cheng V.J. (2004) Inauthentic: The Anxiety over Culture and Identity. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. Bendix, R. (1997) In Search of Authenticity: The Formation of Folklore Studies. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. 1065 Gamson, J. (1994) Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America, Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Gitlin, T. (2001) Media Unlimited: How the Torrent of Images and Sounds 1070 Overwhelms Our Lives. New York: Metropolitan Books. Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday.
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James, C.A. (2011) A Caricature of Intimacy: Online Fan Communities and Intimacy 1075 Between Strangers. In: Farghaly, N. & Toralba, C.T. eds. Love on Trial: Adjusting and Assigning Relationships, UK: Inter-Diciplinary Press, 2011. Marwick, A. & Boyd, D. (2011) To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1080 17(2), 139-158. Seale, C. (2004) Researching Society and Culture. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Stever, G.S. (2009) Parasocial and Social Interaction with Celebrities: Classification 1085 of Media Fans. Journal of Media Psychology, 14(3). TEDtalksDirector (2013) Amanda Palmer: The art of asking. [video online] Available at: <http://youtu.be/xMj_P_6H69g> [Accessed August 29th 2013] 1090 Turner, G. (2004) Understanding Celebrity. 1st ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Wiatrowski, M. (2011) The Dynamics of Fandom: Exploring Fan Communities in Online Spaces', paper presented to The Fourth Annual Folklore and Ethnomusicology Joint University Conference, Bloomington, Indiana, March 25-26, 2011. Available at: 1095 <http://www.academia.edu/491940/The_Dynamics_of_Fandom_Exploring_Fan_Communities_in_Online_Spaces …>. [Accessed 29th August 2013] 1100 Interviews Interview 1: Richard. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 24, 2013. Interview 2: Emily. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 25, 2013. Interview 3: Alanna. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 25, 2013. 1105 Interview 4: Anabelle. Interview by author. Skype. July 28. 2013. Interview 5: Steph. Interview by author. Skype. July 28. 2013. Interview 6: Ross. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 29, 2013. Interview 7: Nico. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 28, 2013. Interview 8: Ciaran. Interview by author. Skype. July 25, 2013. 1110 Interview 9: Justin. Interview by author. Skype. August 5. 2013. Interview 10: Amanda Palmer. Interview by author. Email Interview. August 26. 2013. 1115
1120
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1120
Appendices 1125
1130
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Appendices
1135 Appendix 1: Ethics Approval……………………………………………………………………….. 53 Appendix 2: Information Sheet and Consent Form for Interviews…………………. 55 Appendix 3: Interview Topic Guide……………………………………………………………… 58 1140 Appendix 4: Graphics and Screenshot of Websites………………………………………... 59 4.1 Amanda Palmer’s Official Blog………………………………………...... 60 1145 4.2 Amanda Palmer’s Twitter Account……………………………………. 60 4.3 Amanda Palmer’s Facebook Page……………………………………… 60 4.4 The Shadow Box: online fan forum……………………………………. 61 1150 4.5 Kickstarter: Amanda Palmer’s campaign page from 2012…... 61 4.6 Justin’s (Interview 9) t-shirt design for Amanda Palmer ………… 62 1155 4.7 Example of #LOFNOTC tweets with Amanda Palmer…………… 63 1160 1165 1170 1175 1180
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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1185 Appendix 1: Ethics Approval
Research Ethics Office King's College London 1190
Rm 5.2 FWB (Waterloo Bridge Wing) Stamford Street
London SE1 9NH
10 July 2013 1195 TO: SUBJECT: Approval of ethics application Dear _______ 1200 KCL/12/13-980–‘ “Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationships between fans and celebrities in online spaces’ I am pleased to inform you that full approval for your project has been granted by the A&H Research Ethics Panel. Any specific conditions of approval are laid out at the end 1205 of this email which should be followed in addition to the standard terms and conditions of approval, to be overseen by your Supervisor:
o Ethical approval is granted for a period of one year from 10 July 2013. You will not receive a reminder that your approval is about to lapse so it is your responsibility to apply for an extension prior to the project lapsing if you need 1210 one (see below for instructions).
o You should report any untoward events or unforeseen ethical problems arising from the project to the panel Chairman within a week of the occurrence. Information about the panel may be accessed at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/committees/sshl/reps/i1215 ndex.aspx
o If you wish to change your project or request an extension of approval you will need to submit a new application with an attachment indicating the changes you want to make (a proforma document to help you with this is available at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/applications/modificati1220 ons.aspx
o All research should be conducted in accordance with the King’s College London Guidelines on Good Practice in Academic Research available at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iop/research/office/help/Assets/good20practice20Sept200920FINAL.pdf 1225
If you require signed confirmation of your approval please forward this email to crec-lowrisk@kcl.ac.uk indicating why it is required and the address you would like it to be sent to.
1230 Please also note that we may, for the purposes of audit, contact you from time to time to ascertain the status of your research.
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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With best wishes,
1235 Rebecca Cowper – Research Support Assistant
On behalf of
A&H REP Reviewer
1240 Reviewer’s Comments:
APPROVED
Primary Comments:
This application has been carefully prepared and I can see no particular ethical issues arising out of this research that have not been addressed in the application.
Further Amendments to Application (please identify the relevant section number before each comment):
Amendments to Information Sheet and Consent Form:
1245
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Appendix 2: Information Sheet and Consent Form 1245 INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARTICIPANTS REC Reference Number: KCL/12/13-980
1250 YOU WILL BE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS INFORMATION SHEET Title of study: “Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationships between fans and celebrities in online spaces. 1255 We would like to invite you to participate in this postgraduate research project. You should only participate if you want to; choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you in any way. Before you decide whether you want to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what your participation will involve. Please take time to read the following 1260 information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.
This research project aims to explore the relationship that develops between fans and celebrities in online spaces such as Twitter, blogs 1265 and other interactive online social networks. The research considers the case of singer Amanda Palmer and examines the ways in which she engages with her fans, and develops and maintains the relations.
This project is recruiting people who identify themselves as Amanda 1270 Palmer fans and who are engaged in fan activity online e.g. following Amanda Palmer on Twitter, on her website, watch videos online, follow her blog, and interact with her and other fans online. There is no exclusion regarding age, ethnicity, class or other social classifications. 1275
Participants who agree to take part in this research will be asked to engage in a semi-structured interview with the researcher about their fan activity with Amanda Palmer. This interview, depending on the location of the fan, will take part face-to-face or online through instant messaging, Skype or e-mail. The interviews will be no longer than 1280 approx: 1 hour and will be conducted during summer 2013.
Interviews will be recorded, subject to your permission
You may also withdraw any data/information you have already 1285 provided up until it is transcribed for use in the final report. 15th August 2013
If you have any questions or require more information about this study, please contact the researcher using the following contact details: 1290 If this study has harmed you in any way, you can contact King's College London using the details below for further advice and information: SUPERVISOR: Fidele Vlavo – fidele.vlavo@kcl.ac.uk
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH STUDIES 1295 Please complete this form after you have read the Information Sheet and/or listened to an explanation about the research. Title of Study: ___________________________________________ King’s College Research Ethics Committee Ref:________________ 1300 Thank you for considering taking part in this research. The person organising the research must explain the project to you before you agree to take part. If you have any questions arising from the Information Sheet or explanation already given to you, please ask the 1305 researcher before you decide whether to join in. You will be given a copy of this Consent Form to keep and refer to at any time.
• I understand that if I decide at any time during the research that I 1310
no longer wish to participate in this project, I can notify the researchers involved and withdraw from it immediately without giving any reason. Furthermore, I understand that I will be able to withdraw my data up to 25th July 2013.
1315 • I consent to the processing of my personal information for the
purposes explained to me. I understand that such information will be handled in accordance with the terms of the UK Data Protection Act 1998.
1320 • I understand that confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained
and it will not be possible to identify me in any publications [or explain the possible anonymity options that you are offering participants and provide appropriate ‘Yes/No’ tick box options accordingly]. 1325
• I consent to my interview being audio/video recorded. Participant’s Statement: 1330 I -_____________________________________________________________________ agree that the research project named above has been explained to me 1335 to my satisfaction and I agree to take part in the study. I have read both the notes written above and the Information Sheet about the project, and understand what the research study involves. Signed Date 1340 Investigator’s Statement:
Yes No
Yes No
Please tick or initial
“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310
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I __________________________________________ Confirm that I have carefully explained the nature, demands and any foreseeable risks (where applicable) of the proposed research to the 1345 participant. Signed Date 1350
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Appendix 3: Interview Topic Guide
Interview Topic Guide Semi-Structured Interviews
1355
1. How did you become a fan of Amanda Palmer ?
2. Where do you follow what she is doing / how & where do you keep up to date with her activity the most? 1360
3. How often do you interact with Amanda Palmer or engage in fan activity
online?
4. Does the fact that she interacts with her fans online make a difference to how 1365 you feel towards her personally?
5. Do you feel like you know her better because of her online presence?
6. Is it important to you that she interacts with her fans? If so, why? 1370
7. Has she ever messaged you personally, if so, how did that make you feel?
8. Have you ever had a negative experience?
1375 9. Do you think it is a one-sided or mutual relationship?
10. Does Amanda Palmer’s frequent online presence make you more keen to
follow and keep up do date with her? 1380
11. How do you feel about her asking for help from her fans?
a. Do you like this? b. Do you or other fans ever feel exploited?
1385
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Appendix 4: Graphics and Screenshots of Websites
4.1 Amanda Palmer’s Official Blog 1390
[Available at: http://www.amandapalmer.net/blog ] 1395
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4.2 Amanda Palmer’s Official Twitter Account
1400
[Available at: http://www.twitter.com/amandapalmer.com ]
4.3 Amanda Palmer’s Official Facebook Page 1405
[Available at: http://www.facebook.com/amandapalmer ]
1410
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4.4 The Shadow Box: Amanda Palmer’s online fan forum 1410
[Available at: http://www.theshadowbox.net ] 1415
4.5 Amanda Palmer’s Kickstarter Campaign Page from 2012
1420
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4.6 Justin’s (Interview 9) t-shirt design
1425
[front of t-shirt – image provided by Justin (Interview 9)]
[ back of t-shirt – image provided by Justin (Interview 9) ] 1430
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4.7 Screenshot of #LOFNOTC Tweets with Amanda Palmer
1435
[ Captured on 29th August 2013. Available at https://twitter.com/search?q=%23LOFNOTC&src=hash ]
1440
1445
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