The Case Study of Sherlock Holmes (2009) - Scholarly Commons ...

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“fandom seems to have become a common and ordinary aspect of . . . the industrialised world that is actively fostered and utilised in industry marketing strategies” (p.3). Gray et al. (2007) describe the fan as a “specialised yet dedicated consumer [who] has become a centrepiece of media industries‟ marketing strategies” (p. 4). Cavicchi (as cited in Hills, 2002) calls fans “ideal consumers” (p. 29) as their “consumption habits can be very highly predicted by the culture industry, and are likely to remain stable” (Hills, 2002, p. 29). Economically a fan and a consumer appear to be one in the same. Fans however are valuable because they are more active in the commercial acquisition of their fan object and any surrounding merchandise associated. All of the descriptions above, however, are only applicable to commercially instigated fans; anti- commercialism is obviously bad for business. Hills (2002) points out that “fans also express anti-commercial beliefs (or „ideologies‟ . . . since these beliefs are not entirely in alignment with the cultural situation in which fans find themselves)” (p. 29). Gray et al. (2007) similarly notice that while “fan audiences are [only] wooed and championed by cultural industries . . . as long as their activities do not divert from principles of capitalist exchange and recognise industries‟ legal ownership of the object of fandom” (p. 4). Therefore, with fans and fandom becoming such a commodity in both business and academia, I ask the question: When does a consumer become a fan, and what happens next? 20
Methodology This chapter explains the parameters of my research and its limitations, covering my choice of case study, ethnography, cultivation analysis, reflexivity and the model and creative component I will produce to exemplify the theories underpinning this research. My case study is an instrumental/collective case study, focused on the film Sherlock Holmes (2009). I explain how this film applies to my research topic and examine the Holmes fandom‟s historical lineage, media and audience diversity, fan hierarchy (akin to Bourdieu‟s class system) and its wealth of official and fan-created works. In order to create a thorough account of fan cultivation, my main method for conducting research is ethnography. I discuss and define ethnography, its application to the construction of my fan model, how this method creates qualitative limitations for my actions as a researcher and the media products/objects I examine. In defining my ethnographic inquiry, I have chosen the position of participant observer and variation of observant participant, and will explain the importance of this approach and the limitations in place. Specifically the keeping of an ethnographic journal, in which I take substantive, analytic and thick description field notes. Therefore, I also describe this process and examine ethnographic narratives applicable for the final documentation of my work. Following on from ethnography, I discuss cultivation analysis and how the method of examining cultivated messages and patterns in Holmes products, Holmes audiences (including myself as ethnographic researcher) and Holmes fan products should convey the varying degrees of fandom created by media influence and interaction. After discussing cultivation analysis, I cover my plans to conduct a reflexive investigation on my findings, therefore filtering my research before it is translated into a model, and from that model, into a critique of Sherlock Holmes (2009). I will then define that creative component, explaining my choice of the critique, how it coincides with the model, and how it ultimately fulfils the research question. Case Study Type of case study: Instrumental and collective In order to accomplish a comprehensive and reliable outcome from my research, I chose the structure of a case study. Babbie‟s researcher intent theory (as cited in Ruddock, 2001), following on from Ruddock‟s (2001) three points of antagonism, encourages a scholar‟s work to “generate insights that will tell us something about the way in which the media impact upon our lives” (p. 18). A case study on the Sherlock Holmes 21
Page 1 and 2: The Case Study of Sherlock Holmes (
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Attestation of Au
Page 5 and 6: List of Figures Figure 1. Abercromb
Page 7 and 8: Attestation of Authorship I hereby
Page 9 and 10: Abstract This study investigates a
Page 11 and 12: Abercrombie and Longhurst‟s audie
Page 13 and 14: and Morgan‟s (1990) and Shanahan
Page 15 and 16: two and turn them into action” (G
Page 17 and 18: Jenkins (1992), however, would disa
Page 19 and 20: that to be a secondary phase, a res
Page 21 and 22: they designed their continuum, were
Page 23 and 24: economistic theory, alongside Aberc
Page 25: informs us that we take our communi
Page 29 and 30: albeit in Sherlock Holmes for Dummi
Page 31 and 32: Figure 2. Original model from Maste
Page 33 and 34: and like many, have a stereotypical
Page 35 and 36: Drawing from Shanahan and Morgan (1
Page 37 and 38: Model My research advocates the the
Page 39 and 40: Creative component Critiques Regard
Page 41 and 42: ethnographic position is made on tw
Page 43 and 44: Table 2. Ethnographic order of prod
Page 45 and 46: Good Doctor to placate any qualms t
Page 47 and 48: preconception was derived from its
Page 49 and 50: and Watson in defeating Lord Blackw
Page 51 and 52: The common picture of Holmes is of
Page 53 and 54: “embrace of fiction” (p. 606) a
Page 55 and 56: was lost. Therefore, Doyle‟s orig
Page 57 and 58: this was the only Holmes novel the
Page 59 and 60: 9). While the tale and its quick pu
Page 61 and 62: his feet with a cry of pleasure.
Page 63 and 64: Cultivation analysis: Official seco
Page 65 and 66: their flaws and their frailties, in
Page 67 and 68: may suggest, this film is not a dir
Page 69 and 70: Holmes in the role of supporting ac
Page 71 and 72: have endeavoured to intertwine and
Page 73 and 74: Official secondary products: The Pr
Page 75 and 76: 245). Redmond‟s (2009) statement,
Page 77 and 78:
“shocking affair of the Dutch ste
Page 79 and 80:
cited in Jenkins, 1992, p. 32). In
Page 81 and 82:
The fan Sandvoss (2005) believes th
Page 83 and 84:
emotional, or cognitive); they tres
Page 85 and 86:
knowledgeable fans [who] may . . .
Page 87 and 88:
negative connotation, for it no lon
Page 89 and 90:
Figure 6, the consumer-to-fan culti
Page 91 and 92:
Creative Component Introduction Fan
Page 93 and 94:
esponsible, Lord Blackwood, played
Page 95 and 96:
short and are exposed as fraudulent
Page 97 and 98:
Conclusion We take our communicatio
Page 99 and 100:
References Abercrombie, N., & Longh
Page 101 and 102:
Davies, D. S. (2009). The further a
Page 103 and 104:
Doyle, A. C. (2005k). The case-book
Page 105 and 106:
Jenkins, H. (2007). Afterword: The
Page 107 and 108:
Signorielli, N., & Morgan, M. (1990
Page 109 and 110:
Bibliography Ackroyd, P. (2001). In
Page 111:
Miller, P. V. (1994). Made-to-order
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