Whether they help bring down Jose Mourinho, march to demand the resignation of their club owner or push back against plans to commercialize their sport, fan protest stories remind us that fan activism isn’t a passing fad. The articles in this collection offer multiple and complementary frames for understanding fan activism and the ways that it may challenge core debates about civic engagement, culture, and politics.
For example, Ashley Hinck explores the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) and how the HPA’s use of Harry Potter fiction to promote human rights advocacy draws on core concepts from the literature about social movements and the public sphere. Hinck describes how HPA taps into the world of Hogwarts as a kind of “cultural acupuncture,” which allows it to draw on fans’ deep investment in the fictional series to inspire and support its diverse interventions (ranging from campaigns highlighting genocide in Darfur to efforts to pressure Warner Bros. to tie its chocolate contracts with fair trade).
Similarly, Lucy Bennett explores the celebrity-based activism of Nerdfighters, and how that movement draws on its fans’ sense of intimacy with celebrities to generate support for its causes. She suggests that this kind of activism can make important contributions to society by mobilizing fans who might otherwise be reticent to participate in political movements, especially those with conservative views.
Other pieces focus on the power of fan protest and its limits. A statewide Florida law that penalizes people who cross police lines at presidential rallies has led to a number of arrests, including a pair of university students who were arrested for violating the state’s new rules. We report on their case and others like it to examine the impact of this repression on protesters, as well as the effect that stories about their demonstrations have on the way readers perceive their credibility.