Alright I’ll be honest… I love South Park. I was there in the beginning, and with the shows continued airing, I have not been disappointed. Where can I put this often hated show into ideas we have seen in class?
Considering there are about 170 episodes or so, there is so much to choose from. Even if you aren’t familiar with the show, I am sure you have been privy to news coverage about the controversies surrounding the show. I have been thinking for the past day about some ideas that could tie in to these controversies.
Obviously, there’s the Scientology episode, the Censorship episode, the any number of profane or religiously offensive episodes, and most recently, the use of the “n” word.
I have been interested in the concept of convergence since we read Jenkins book. After doing some research, I have become more interested in what Trey Parker and Matt Stone are doing behind the scenes, rather than on the screen.
Here is an editorial I found in the Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/opinion/28tue3.html?ref=opinion
South Park has gone from being a lowbrow show to being a monster of a multimedia. It has spawned a feature film, fanfiction, online forums, mobile phone technology, itune downloads, etc. South Park Studios has become a digital hub that can be experienced through a plethora of other media. Of course at the heart of this is the creators and the fans.
Now how can I approach this? I’m still a little early on, but I suppose I am interested in the relationship the show has spawned with its fans. The creators encourage discourse between fans and have even supported the pirating and sharing of their show. I want to do research into their multimedia approach to immersing the fans. Specifically, how the fans experience the show, if the multimedia approach does it for them, and if this convergence creates a richer experience for them. It’s going to be in the style of Jenkins and see if South Park and their multimedia approach is part of the lifeblood of the show.
I think there’s something here. I will engage specific episodes, but overall I want to get a sense of the online community-of which I am not a part. I’ve been a passive fan, but I want to know what the benefits of interactivity are?
Any suggestions?
Louis
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Louis—based on our conversation, I think you’ve decided against this topic, yes? On to World of Warcraft? Okay, so, a couple of things to check out: first, Jill Walker Rettberg’s blog. She’s releasing an edited volume on WoW, and you can search the blog for what she’s said about it. Second, two particularly good resources to think about the connection between immersive environments and the “real world”: Ryan, of course, and maybe also Noah Wardrip Fruin and Pat Harrigan’s books on First Person as Narrative, and Second Person.