Citation: Vellar, A.

(2009) Shaping the Pop: US Tv Series and Italian Networked Publics,

in Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7(2), pp. 144 160.

In the first decade of the XXI century, the Internet has evolved from a textbased to a cross-media platform where corporation distribute mainstream
visual contents. It was also during this time that social media as forums,
blogs, and social network site became popular among youth. From the convergence between old and new media emerged a convergence culture
where mobilized audience compete with corporation in the production of
audiovisual flows of contents and participate in the construction of networked publics that are digital social spaces and imagined communities.
Those socio-technical changes are affecting the way audience communicate
with each other and participate in the construction of new social identity.
The aim of this paper is to describe how the contemporary audience shape
fictional and audiovisual resources that are available in the cross-media
platform. In the networked publics fans of Tv programs appropriate professionally produced contents and pop icons to express their affiliation to a
mainstream global culture participating in the construction of a complex
social network that I propose to call starring system. With this term Id
like to focus on a new dynamic in the networked publics that is the blurring
of celebrity (professional) and fan (amateur). In particular I will describe
how Italian fans of US Tv series combine the use of social media and the
creative remixing of audiovisual contents distributed by US broadcasters to
communicate with each other. This process will be exemplified with a case
study on an online community of fans of US Tv series: ::Italian Subs Addicted::.

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

avatar

banner

fanart
fancfic fanvid

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

ad hoc community

club culture
objectified

fanart
fanfict

audience community of practice

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

primary
webisodes mobisodes

speak peak
webisode

pop cosmopolitanism

hang out
mess around
geek out

invisible audiences
lapsed context

blurring of public and private

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

col-

Publicly Private
Privately Public
hang out

mess around

fanart

egocentric network

networked collectivism
egocentric networks

starring system
blurring of celebrity (professional) and fan (amateur)

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

collapsed context

blurring of public and

private

starring system

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

fanarts

fanarts

concept oriented

social oriented
Beverly Hills 90210

Dawson's Creek

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

Sex and the City

shophaolic

fanfiction
fansite

Gossip Girl

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

fansub

fanart
tertiary text

Gossip Girl

Telefilm Festival 2008

Gossip
Girl
Gossip Girls

Gossip Girl

Telefilm Festival 2008

single-fandom
multi-fandom

gg_akame

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

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Telefilm Festival

Lost
Lost

Lost

Twin Peaks

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

The L Word

Lost
The L Word

Lost

Telefilm Festival

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

Lost
tight knit group

fanart

fanfic
fanart
Fanarts

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

screencap
fansong

avatar
banner
usebar
image
wallpaper
comic
animated gif
fanvid
fanfic
calendar
fanarts
avatar banner sign
usebar

usebar
wallpaper
calendars
digital bedroom

fanart
screencaps
screencaps

fanart

animated gif

comincs

fanart

fanarts

avatar banner

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

avatars

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

Skins
screencaps

visual circuit

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

fanarts

webseries

mobisodes

starring
system
lingua franca
fanarts

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160

Special Issue Selected Urbino Contributions

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009)

Journal of Sociocybernetics, 7 (S) (2009) pp 1-160