sitcom, from niche to Geek Chic, fans are becoming the most visible and important audience
of the twenty-first century. For years the media industries ignored fans and fan activities, but
now they're paying attention and a lot of money to develop a whole new wave of products
intended to harness the power of fandom. What impact do such corporate media efforts have
on fan practice and fan identities? And are the media industries actually responding to fans …