investigacion - explorando la relación entre fans y celebridades en espacio online. amanda palmer

R01310 – “Amanda Palmer and her

fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online

spaces

“Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces R01310

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MA Cultural and Creative Industries Dissertation cover sheet

Candidate number (Pxxxxx) R01310 Date 29th August 2013 Dissertation title “Amanda Palmer and her fans”:

Exploring the relationships between fans and celebrities in online spaces.

Word count 12, 046 My dissertation research involved the participation of human subjects, and therefore needs Research Ethics clearance (Y / N)

Y

I have obtained the necessary Research Ethics clearance and attached the statement of approval from the Research Ethics committee (Y / N/ n/a)

Y

The act of submitting this essay confirms that I have read and understand the college guidance on plagiarism, and agree with the following statement: This assignment is entirely my own work. Quotations from secondary literature are indicated by the use of inverted commas around ALL such quotations AND by reference in the text or notes to the author concerned. ALL primary and secondary literature used in this piece of work is indicated in the bibliography placed at the end, and dependence upon ANY source used is indicated at the appropriate point in the text. I confirm that no sources have been used other than those stated. I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS MEANT BY PLAGIARISM AND HAVE SIGNED THE DECLARATION CONCERNING THE AVOIDANCE OF PLAGIARISM. I UNDERSTAND THAT PLAGIARISM IS A SERIOUS EXAMINATIONS OFFENCE THAT MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION BEING TAKEN.


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“Amanda Palmer and her fans” :

Exploring the relationship between

fans and celebrities in online spaces

Abstract

This dissertation concerns the relationship that exists between celebrities and

their fans in online spaces. The study will be investigating this with the use of a case

study: celebrity Amanda Palmer and her fans. It aims to understand how this 5

relationship operates online and the intricacies involved in developing and

maintaining it. It also seeks to question the definition of the fan-celebrity relationship,

and whether or not it is a one-sided or two-sided relationship. The perspective of

Amanda Palmer and her fans will be analysed in order to understand both sides of the

story and gain an insight into the opinions of those directly involved this relationship. 10


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Table of Contents

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Table of Contents. …………………………………………………………………. 5 15 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………6 Section 1: Literature Review………………………………………………………. 10 20 Section 2: Research Methods………………………………………………………. 21 Section 3: Data Collected and Analysis……………………………………………. 25 Conclusions………………………………………………………………………… 45 25 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….. 49 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………. 51 30

Introduction

“The familiar stranger is by no means unprecendented in history. People have long

imagined a world populated by figures who were not physically at hand and yet

seemed somehow present” – (Gitlin, 2001, p. 22) 35

The consumption of celebrity or the idolising of the “familiar stranger” is not a

new phenomenon as illustrated by Gitlin’s statement above. From ancient Roman

leaders to reveered Broadway actors of the past, figures of power and prestige have

been bestowed with public admiration. However, in the 21st century there has been a 40

major shift in the level and intensity of this familiarity with the stranger that is the

modern day celebrity, particularly with the boom of the PR industry and rapid growth

of online social networking. The relationship between the fan and the celebrity is no

longer as strange nor as disconnected as before. The ablity for fans and celebrities to

exist in the same space, online, makes it more plausible for a more “genuine” 45

relationship to exist, an interactive one, where intimacy may occur. Thus the

“familiar stranger” is no longer a stranger anymore, but very much actively present in

the lives of fans online.

The aim of this research project is to discuss the nature of this online fan-

celebrity relationship that is relentlessly growing by the day as another celebrity signs 50

up to Twitter and another fan clicks “follow”. The main research question I will

address is the idea of the “para-social relationship” that Turner (2004) identifies as the

primary status of the relationship between fans and celebrities; in other words a one-

sided relationship where the fan follows the activities of a celebrity and a level of

intimacy develops. However it is inherently one-sided, as the celebrity is still 55


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disconnected from the individual fan however connected they may seem to their

fanbase as a collective. It gives the illusion of an intimate personal social relationship,

how authentic it is however, needs to be questioned. The limitations in this research

project is that it is investigating a very specific case study.

The topic of this research is relevant to artists who embark on social 60

networking as a means of connecting with their fanbase. It will highlight the intricate

nature of the fan-celebrity relationship and how it works in favour or against the

celebrity and the affect it has on their fans. It will focus only on the the relationship in

online spaces. Research has already been done on the nature of fan communities in

online spaces by Myc Wiatrowski (2011), so this research project will not divulge into 65

fan community relationships, though they may be referred to. Research has also been

done on the psychological nature of fandom by Stever (2009) who believes there is

too much focus on the negative aspects of fan activity like stalking and

obsessiveness. I will focus primarily on social and cultural nature of online fan-

celebrity relationships. I will also discuss how these interactions affect the fans 70

attachment to Amanda Palmer. The motivations behind and the gratifications of being

a part of this online relationship will be explored and the factors that contribute to the

maintenance of this relationship.

The research will focus on the case study of singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer

and her fans. She has been chosen due her extremely active presence online, 75

considered by some as an “online celebrity”, raising over $1 million dollars on the

crowd-funding site Kickstarter purely from fans. She interacts with her fanbase on a

daily basis and promotes the idea of actively engaging with them as part of her career;

Tweeting, video blogging and even staying in their homes. She speaks about this in


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her TEDtalk entitled “The art of asking” (TEDtalksDirector, 2013).This research 80

project will analyse this text to use as part of the literature review and analysis.

The research questions will be addressed through qualitative interviewing with

selected Amanda Palmer fans. It will focus firstly on which at online platforms a

relationship between a fan and a celebrity is most likely to occur. Secondly, the

factors that contribute to enhancing the relationship and finally it will examine the 85

definition of this relationship and question whether it is a one-sided “para-social

relationship” or a mutual two-sided relationship.

Amanda Palmer will also be interviewed. Her opinion will shed light on the

perspective of the celebrity in this relationship rather than solely the fans point of

view. This will give a more rounded perpective of the fan-celebrity relationship and 90

overcome assumptions that could be arise about her during the fan interviews. One of

the limitations of this research is the highly subjective nature of this subject matter.

Awareness of any assumptions going into the research will need to be overcome and

also awareness that bias may be present in the participants answers.

This research project is structered as follows: the first section will discuss the 95

current literature present on celebrity and fandom, particularly literature that relates

the two together. Then it will explain the research methods that were used to conduct

this research project, highlighting any limitations in the study. The findings will then

be analysed and the themes that arose in them discussed, relating back to the literature

where relevant. Finally the research will be concluded by summarising the key 100

findings and putting forward recommendations that could be useful for further

research on this topic.


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1. Literature Review 105

Definining Celebrity

“Celebrity” is a contested term in cultural studies. The definition of what a

celebrity actually is varies depending on the time and context. “Celebrity” may seem

like a modern term but the phenomenon is not: 110

“People have long imagined a world populated by figures who were not physically at

hand and yet seemed somehow present” (Gitlin, 2001, p. 22)

This is quite an accurate deconstruction of the zeitgeist of celebrity today. The 115

ubiquitous nature of the promotion of the individual is rife, yet the individual celebrity

themself is a stranger to most of us. This is due to the influence of the PR industries

and the “commodification of the invidual” (Turner, LOC 65, 2004). It operates

through the “representational processes employed by the media” (Turner, LOC 65,

2004). This can be seen from print to TV and online publications. It is apparent that 120

celebrity exists in conjunction with consumption, without which such a thing could

not operate. Turner (Loc 56, 2004) describes celebrity as a discursive category; that it

is a commercial commodity and an object of consumption. Therefore, celebrity is both

a creation of the marketing and PR industries but subsequently sustained by its

consumption by media consumers. There is a symbiotic relationship between the 125

celebrity and consumer. The production and consumption of celebrity are both active

processes and feed off one another.


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A good way of thinking of how celebrity functions is to relate it to the PR

industries method of promotion through something they call the “pseudo event”

(Turner, 2004, Loc 73). What this entails is a carefully staged event, put on show to 130

the public or specific audiences in order to sell to or influence an audience to buy into

this event. Every aspect of the “pseudo event” is planned and managed in order to be

successful. Turner (2004, Loc 73) applies this to the promotion of individuals and

refers to celebrities as “human pseudo events”. The same principles from the original

pseudo event apply but instead of managing a public event they manage the 135

personality of the celebrity. This is in order for them to be consumed in the most

commercially pleasing way possible. In this way the authenticity of the individual

behind the manufactured image or public persona being promoted is often doubted

due to the commercial motivations, fame and success, driving them. This is because to

successfully commodify the invididual there are “frequent modifications to suit the 140

role being promoted” (Turner, 2004, Loc 211).

Media Consumers: Fan Culture

Myc Wiatrowski (2011) analyses the effect fan communities and fan culture

has on a cultural text. In doing so he sheds light on the effect fan culture may have on 145

a cultural artefact, like a celebrity. He defines fandom as follows:

“Fandom can be defined by its consumption of a text and its subsequent

cultural productions of and about that text” (Wiatrowski, 2011, p. 6)

In this case, the text is the celebrity singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and her

fan community are her followers online. This is a useful definition of fan culture as it 150

opens up all the possibilities of ownership and the interaction fan communities may

have with a celebrity online. It accounts for the meanings they effectuate from this


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relationship and the subsequent effect interaction with fans may have on fandom. It

also defines fandom as a form of consumption which as earlier stated, is vital to the

maintenence of celebrity. The interesting add-on is that it is also a form of cultural 155

production and not just passive consumption. This in turn places the consumer into

the role of producer, all-be-it one that is anchored to a specific cultural text. If this is

so, the interaction between fans and celebrities online must have a strong impact on

the level and intensity of comsumption. If a celebrity is interacting with a fanbase

who are constantly producing meanings from the celebrity’s activities, the reception 160

of their persona and work will surely be intensified, effecting the level of engagement

of their fans.

An important analysis on fandom by Stever (2009) is to view fandom not as an

abnormal or eccentric activity. Rather he normalises fandom as an activity not too dis-

similar from everyday relationships. He quotes Caughey to further explain this; 165

“The basis of most fan relationships is not an aesthetic appreciation but a

social relationship. Fans have attachments to unmet media figures that are analogoues

to and in many ways directly parallel to actual relationships…” (Caughey, 1984, p.

40)

Stever (2009) attempts to in some way dismiss the stereotypical view of the 170

fan as an isolated figure that creates a fantasy relationship with media personas. The

media representation of fandom, despite fandom being a form of media consumption,

doesn’t acurately represent them.

“It is an implicit assumption in most of this work that the fan never meets the

celebrity and that most “interaction” is secondary to one on a fantasy level” (Stever, 175

2011, p.7)


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However, with the high level of fan-celebrity interactions online, the notion

that taking part in fan activity has to be an isolated activity, is contradictory. As

mentioned above, community has a huge part to play in fandom. Relationships

amongst fans and the relationship between a fanbase and a celebrity are all part of 180

fandom, in fact it is a very social activity. This research project is particularly

exploring the social element that is now possible directly between a fan and a

celebrity in online spaces. The fact that this is now possible may change some of the

definitions of fandom and transformative process involved in how they produce

meaning from cultural texts. 185

The Commodification of Celebrity

The question of what a celebrity is links closely to how one becomes a

celebrity. Daniel Boorstin (1961, p.58) famously defined celebrity as:

“the celebrity is a person who is well-known for their well knowness” 190

(Boorstin, 1961, 58)

This quote does not explain the how or the why of the individual’s well

knowness though. He further states that celebrities can be created and used by the

media to represent cultural ideals:

“[celebrity is] fabricated on purpose to satisfy our exaggerated expectations of 195

human greatness” ( Boorstin, 1961, p.58)

This is highly debatable in our current social state now as the reasoning behind

how someone becomes a celebrity can be more varied with the introduction of reality

TV and the micro-celebrity. This discussion resides in the futility of their actual trade,

rather the media opts for the power of their personality as a differentiating force. 200

(Turner, 2004, Loc 73) The reason behind why a person is a celebrity is not the most


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important factor to their success but rather that they are relentlessly promoted; almost

like marketable faces for discourse and ideologies.

“the ‘dissementation of the face’ displaced the ‘dissemination of ideas’ laying

the ground for the ‘publicizing of people’ ” (Gamson, 1994, p. 21) 205

Turner (2004) does go into detail about the various types of celebrity that

exist; from sporting heroes to the aristocracy. However it is the consumption of

celebrity regardless of their assigned status that this research project is interested in

exploring. The relationship between fans and celebrities can transcend the actual

nature of the celebrity’s job. The principles lie more so in the promotion and the 210

ideals created between producers and consumers that make these relationships

possible. The reason behind this may be that the relationships fans develop with a

celebrity are not so different from those which we develop with our own close friends

in “real” life.

215

Celebrity Consumption by Fans

The definition of what a celebrity is and the development of fan culture are

linked. One can define the other, the maintenance of the celebrity and keeping the fan

engaged rely on one another’s activities. James (2011) states that when celebrities are

marketing themselves to fans, they must thread a thin line between revealing too little 220

or too much.

“the illusion of intimacy between celebrity and fan has become not only

common, but also seen as a neccesary marketing tool key to the celebrity’s success. In

this context, the celebrity walks a fine line between revealing too much, and not

sharing enough so that the “fan” can feel a sense of connection” (James, 2011, p.2) 225


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She also relates the same problem to the fans who are interested in the

celebrity’s life but who must try not to become too invested in their career and

personal life. Originally the relationship between celebrity and fans was referred to as

a “para-social relationship” (Turner, 2004). It’s considered a one sided relationship

where the fan was emotionally invested in the life of the celebrity with no 230

reciprocation. Stever (2009) discusses the classification of fan audiences and thus

para-social interactions are also analysed in his writing:

“Parasocial interaction was defined as a one-way relationship to a person,

most often of higher status, whom you know intimately but who hardly knows you, if

at all.”(Stever, 2009, p. 4) 235

This relates directly to the promotion of the individual we are exposed to in

the 21st century of media consumption and production. Audiences are greeted with in

depth knowledge on a celebrity persona whether they choose to invest in those

specific details of the celebrities lives or not. This is turn leads to audiences knowing

the intimate details of essentially a stranger’s life yet not knowing them at all at the 240

same time. The effect that this may have on a fan’s relationship with a celebrity can

be very strong. This intimacy can be intesified if it is the celebrity themselves

revealing this information on social networking sites.

James (2011, p. 144) also discusses para-social relationships referring to John

Thompson’s work where he describes it as a “mediated quasi-interaction”. The fan 245

contacts or responds to the celebrity whereas the celebrity does not respond to the fan.

It is a one-sided relationship. This explicitly means that there is no interaction, no

direct reciprocation of communication from the celebrity to the fan. Therefore, the

mere possibility of interacting with a celebrity in online spaces does not fall into the

definition of a “para-social relationship” and is thus something else, something new. 250


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If interaction is possible then the ability to communicate back and forth is something

that could develop and change the strict one-sided nature of fan-celebrity relationships

previously studied.

Intimacy in Online Spaces: The Celebrity & Fan Relationship 255

Turner (2004, Loc. 211) addresses the idea of managing the self within

celebrity. Though he doesn’t address online celebrity directly some of the theory

behind the film stars and TV personalities he writes about can be applied to online

spaces of celebrity consumption. He states that during the era of the film “star” the

“merging of onscreen and off-screen identities” would occur. This is where their 260

personality onscreen and in real life begins to crossover and the interest in their

personality dominates the curiosity of the public. In this way, actors would become

known for being themselves and in demand for their “personality” or “stardom” by

producers of films. The personality of the “film star” could determine the success of a

movie or at least the attraction for audiences to go see it. This relates to an interesting 265

definition of celebrity that Turner (2004) emphasises. He states that one becomes a

“celebrity” when the public interest shifts from your professional life to your personal

life.

Turner’s (2004) definition of the celebrity’s personal life taking precedence in

the consumer’s eyes is particularly relevant when studying celebrities online because 270

they are given an opportunity to represent themselves directly with online profiles.

They are able to control personal blogs and social networking websites to speak to

their audiences as their selves as they may not have done before. This opens up a new

realm of possible fan engagement. This has a huge effect on the previous “para-social

relationship” that was inherent in the fan-celebrity relationship. Now, it is possible for 275


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the celebrity to speak back to individual fans and acknowledge their fan behaviour.

Twitter is a particularly good example of the breakdown of this barrier, opening up

lines of communication:

“Twitter allows celebrity practitioners to create a sense of closeness and

familiarity between themselves and their followers” (James, 2011, p. 149) 280

While this may be the case the phrase a “sense of closeness” is key here to

understanding the possible one-sided nature still present in this relationship. The

battle to understand the relationship between fans and celebrities online is figuring out

whether it is merely an illusion of a relationship. Amanda Palmer (TEDtalkDirectors,

2013) states “I love this random closeness” when speaking of the interactions she has 285

with her fans online. This is from the perspective of a celebrity and she seems to

receive pleasure and satisfaction from it. However to say that it is “random” may be

incorrect. Fans being fans may continuously strive to develop or seek out this

closeness. It is also fair to question the motivation of the celebrity who might try to

develop this closeness in order to attract fans. It is merely a “sense” of closeness, but 290

may not be anything more than that.

This closeness might be sustained by what seems to be to backstage access

provided by the celebrity’s online profile. The ability for celebrities to speak to fans

may actually create a mutual relationship in online spaces. Or, it might just provide a

more believable illusion of one. The basic fact that it is one person addressing many 295

instills an unequal power dynamic. The level of closeness one can have with a mass is

surely limiting. This research project will address this question to the fans of Amanda

Palmer and see how they feel about the closeness that has developed between them.

“Famous people frequently use these services (online social networking sites),

creating the illusion of first-person glimpses into their lives” (James, 2011, p.148) 300


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The question lies in whether the celebrities are actually providing gilmpses

into their “real” lives or if it just another platform for the staging of “pseudo events”

to market themselves on. On the other hand, it could be considered a new form of

relationship that is enabled by interactive social networking sites such as Twitter.

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Authenticity

“’Authenticity’ is a social construct that is ultimately always relative and

context dependent” (Bendix, 1997; Cheng 2004)

The presentation of the celebrity and the fans interpretation of their

interactions with them raises the question of authenticity. The relationship that is 310

being developed could be “authentic” or merely another marketing ploy. This is

dependent on the negotiation the celebrity must continually battle between front and

back stage access to their personal lives and their career. Erving Goffman’s (1959)

writing on the presentation of self is very relevant to this. Everyday everyone

negotiates the presentation of one’s self. They walk the line between frontstage and 315

backstage access to their lives depending on the social context. For celebrities, this

backstage access no longer has to lie in the hands of the PR company and can be

controlled independently by themselves for pleasure or for profit. The

commodification of the individual by agents and managers can transform into the self-

commodification of one’s own online identity. 320

“There is indeed a tension between deliberate self-presentation – what Erving

Goffman called impressions ‘given’ and unintentional self-presentation, or

information ‘given off’” (Marwick & Boyd, 2011, p. 153)

The production of their online persona lies on them but as soon as it is

published it is then consumed by fans and transformed, as stated earlier in the 325


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definition of fandom. New meanings and therefore new personas are created by the

interpretation and reading of the fans.

“Arguably, this ‘new media democracy’(Braudy, 1986; Turner 2004:79)

allows celebrity personas to be constructed and interpreted in an ongoing process that

exists between reader, fan, and celebrity, both on and offline” (Marwick & Boyd, 330

2011, p. 155)

It would be interesting to discover whether ‘authenticity’ matters for fans

when they are interacting with celebrities online. If it makes a difference to the level

of their engagement and opinion of the celebrity as a person.

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Why interact with your fans?

The motivation behind why celebrities are now stepping up and connecting

with their fans directly is an important question. What is the benefit of a celebrity

putting themselves in what could be the firing line? Why do they seek to interact with

the public as themselves without the buffer of PR personel? The question behind the 340

motivation is an important one for this research project. However, this research will

be exploring the perspective of the fans primarily and their motivations behind

connecting with celebrities. But, it is when a celebrity allows for this interaction to

occur that a relationship between fans and celebrities in online spaces can actually

take place. Without the willingness of the celebrity it would be almost impossible for 345

a relationship to develop, even a para-social one. They are the gatekeepers that will

either deny or grant access into their online lives. Marwick & Boyd (2011) do go on

to discuss how social media is now a necessity for any celebrity to succeed.

Amanda Palmer gave a TEDtalk this year on “The art of asking”

(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013). This talk explains what she feels is the importance of 350


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asking people and in this case, her fans for help with her career. She highlights in this

talk the ways and means she goes about this. Online interaction was central to her

methods.

“Twitter came along and made things even more magic because I could ask

instantly for anything anywhere” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) 355

So, for a celebrity or artist like Amanda Palmer the instant connection with her

fans is one of the reasons why interacting with them online has become so useful. She

justifies these interactions by citing that the inherent nature of being an artist is to

connect with an audience. Therefore, online spaces are now the most instantaneuos

and direct way to this, “artists…have been connectors, openers, not untouchables” 360

(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013)

She speaks about online interaction with her fanbase as though it is the most

natural of practices and similar to those interactions she would have with people in

person. This relates back to what Stever (2009) stated on the idea that fan

relationships are not so different from “real” relationships. Amanda Palmer doesn’t 365

differenatiate between online or offline so much apart from the instant connection that

is attainable in online spaces. Marwick & Boyd (2010) elaborate on this by claiming

that social networking sites like Twitter have not only challenged but transformed the

idea of the para-social relationship.

“The fans’s ability to engage in discussion with a famous person de-370

pathologizes the parasocial and recontextualises it within a medium that the follower

may use to talk to real-life acquaintances” Marwick & Boyd (2010, p.148)

If it is not a para-social relationship the question then becomes what is the

relationship that occurs between fans and celebrities online? Interaction occurs but the

focus is still on one person connecting with a group – their fanbase. The research that 375


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needs to be conducted must focus on the intricacies of these relationships. This will

help discover how online platforms have transformed the fan-celebrity relationship

and unveil the traits of this relationship that can help define it.

380


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2. Research Methods

This study aimed to shed light on the relationship between fans and celebrities

in online spaces. Singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer was selected as the case study for

this research project as she is a celebrity I had previous knowledge of. I was aware 385

she had a strong online fanbase who helped her raise over $1 billion on Kickstarter

(see Appendix 4.4). It was evident that a relationship existed online between her and

her fans for this to take place. The aim of this research project was not to find how

many fans Amanda Palmer has, but rather the relationship that exists between

Amanda Palmer and her fans. In order to determine this, investigative qualitative 390

research methods were used. Qualitative research methods were most effective

methods due to the very subjective nature of the research topic. As I was already

aware to some degree of the relationship Amanda had with her fans, I had previous

assumptions about Amanda Palmer. Therefore self-awareness and reflexivity was key

throughout the entire process. As Finlay states ‘thoughtful [and] conscious self-395

awareness’ throughout all phases of research and analysis is necessary. (Finlay, 2002,

p. 532)

Initially the aim of this study was to discover how this fan-celebrity

relationship operates online from the perspective of the fans. This was to understand

how fans engage with Amanda online and how this relationship develops. I located 400

the fans by contacting Amanda Palmer’s management for assistance. Amanda’s

manager sent out an email to her “biggest fans”, requesting participants. From that

there were enough responses for me to proceed. In the end nine fans were

interviewed. The fact that the research was connected with Amanda’s management


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added credibility to the research project and thus contributed a level of trust, which is 405

essential in qualitative interviewing. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were

conducted with the selected fans over instant messaging applications Gmail Chat or

Skype, depending on the fan’s preference. This method was chosen because most of

the fans were located abroad and face-to-face interviews were not possible. In

addition some fans did not have the correct technology to engage in video or audio 410

chat, therefore all were written to maintain validity and consistency.

The qualitative interviews allowed for more in-depth and personalised

accounts from the fans of their activity online. They also allowed for more scope and

flexibility in conversing naturally with the fans. However, as Byrne (Seale, 2012, p.

207) states, it is a “somewhat unpredictable form of social research” and so the data 415

collected sometimes deviates from the research questions. An interview topic guide

(see Appendix 3) was formulated beforehand and used during all interviews to ensure

validity and to prevent going off topic. It included focused open-ended questions with

follow up questions if needed. However, the focus remained on their online activity as

fans of Amanda Palmer and did not digress to exploring off-line interactions or non-420

Amanda Palmer related online interactions. The flexible nature of the interviews shed

light on new information unknown to me beforehand. The case studies featured in the

findings and analysis were those that contributed to current literature or shed light on

the research questions posed. Qualitative methods are not as generalisable as

quantitative, thus limiting the findings of this research to be used as data reflective of 425

a wider population. The findings analysed may only be relevant to the fans

interviewed but the themes raised could be extrapolated from these accounts or used

for further research on fan-celebrity relationships.


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After the interviews, an analysis of Amanda Palmer’s TEDtalk “The Art of

Asking” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) was done. This talk features Amanda speaking 430

about her career and her fans. It is extremely relevant to this research project as she

speaks of the interaction she has with fans in online spaces. This analysis was

important to the research as it gave Amanda Palmer’s side of the story. It helped

contrast and compare the relationship between the two sides (fans and celebrities) and

eliminates a possibility of an overly one-sided perspective in the findings. It also 435

highlights her public opinion on some on the research questions and how strong she

feels about the matters raised.

At the end, an email interview with Amanda Palmer featured in the findings.

Originally Amanda Palmer was not going to be contacted for this research project as

gaining access to her as a researcher is difficult. But, after quite some networking 440

efforts I was put in touch with Amanda’s PA who told me to send on three questions

to Amanda. The analysis didn’t rely on this email interview to be completed and I

proceeded with the analysis without it. However, when the research project was near

completion, Amanda sent back her answers. In fear of having too much data I was not

going to include them however they ended up being very insightful and worked well 445

next to the findings from the fans.

In relation to the ethical considerations, all the interviewees were given a

consent form and an information sheet. [see Appendix 2] This explained the position

of the researcher and the academic position from which the research was conducted.

The consent form ensured that interviewees were fully aware of what they 450

participating in, how the data was being obtained and what it was being used for. The

interviewees were assured anonymity and they are cited in the findings under aliases.


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They were emailed these forms and electronically signed them before emailing them

back to the researcher.

This study reveals in-depth how the relationship between Amanda Palmer and 455

her fans operates in online spaces. Due to the flexibility and informal manner in

which it was conducted I was able to extract very detailed accounts of the fans’

relationships with Amanda Palmer. This allowed for their personal thoughts about her

to emerge, eliminating any assumptions and giving the fans a voice. Having Amanda

Palmer’s perspective present in the findings gave the analysis a more rounded 460

perspective lessening any bias that could arise from a single-sided perspective

analysis. The data gathered could then be analysed through ‘qualitative thematic

analysis’ (Seale, 2004, p. 509).

465


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3. Data Collected and Analysis 465

The Online Spaces of Choice

Each of the 9 interviews conducted with fans roughly followed the topic guide

in the same order. One of the first issues uncovered was where the fans primarily keep

up to date with Amanda Palmer online. In most cases the fans followed her on

multiple online platforms or moved from one website to another based on their 470

preference. Amanda Palmer has multiple sites where her fans follow her work: her

personal blog on her website [http://amandapalmer.net/blog/], her Twitter account

“@amandapalmer”, the official mailing list, The Shadowbox (her official fan forum)

and other associated social networking platforms including Instagram, Google+ and

Facebook. 475

The majority of fans followed her blog, mailing list and her Twitter account.

Twitter was the primary online platform all of them said they preferred using to

follow Amanda. This was the first follow up question raised; why did they choose

Twitter as the preferred medium to follow Amanda Palmer? Steph (Interview 5)

responded by stating that she outright prefers Twitter and solely started her Twitter 480

account to follow Amanda - “because she interacts with her fans. And because she

keeps us up to date on everything she’s working on.” This statement in itself gives an

idea of the important key points that the fans subsequently raised about their

relationship with Amanda Palmer online. The main themes were interaction,

authenticity, involvement and personality. The platforms they used were those that 485

complimented these themes the most and contained or allowed for these themes and

elements of the relationship to flourish.


26

As discussed earlier in the literature, Amanda Palmer herself cited Twitter as a

new platform that she finds a perfect tool to communicate with her fans. Since she has

joined the site, she has made use of it as one of the main means of communication 490

with her fanbase.

“Twitter came along and made things even more magic because I could ask

instantly for anything anywhere” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013)

Amanda’s blog was also a popular site a lot of fans used before Twitter took

off, and still is. On this blog Amanda writes long personal narratives on something to 495

do with her personal life, her career or her thoughts in general. However one fan,

Emily (Interview 2), who follows both the blog and Twitter states her overall

preference for Twitter for the reason that it is more casual and she gains more

backstage information on Amanda:

“I keep up with her blog as well, but that seems more formal and official, 500

Twitter is like an acceptable way of peeking in someone’s window and seeing what

they’re doing all day.” (Emily, Interview 2)

Although the blog is one of the most popular ways these fans follow Amanda

Palmer, and provides updates on her life and career, Twitter is preferred based on its

direct and informal nature. This relates to the literature review which postulates 505

backstage information is sought by consumers. It also relates to Turner’s (2004)

definition of celebrity when the attention is shifted from one’s professional life to

one’s personal life. However, in the case of Amanda both her career and personal life

feature on these sites. The literature and findings both highlight the necessity for the

artist to thread that line between the front and backstage information. Twitter provides 510

a more instant line of communication compared to a blog post which is long and


27

appears more thought out. The less planned and the more candid, informal forms of

communication seem to be more popular amongst fans.

Ross (Interview 6) particularly likes the mixture of official and more casual

forms of communication. She follows Amanda’s Twitter and stays up to date through 515

the mailing list;

“Twitter has the advantage of getting the chance to chat with Amanda, the e-

mail list is awesome because you’re the first to know about the big announcements

most of the time and the info doesn’t get lost in the ephemera” (Ross, Interview 6)

That possibility of interaction occurring is an important feature present in the 520

majority the fans answers. This is in comparison to the blog which is more of a

soapbox style of communication with fans. But they do have the ability to leave

comments below. It offers its own benefits compared to Twitter as the artist can

elaborate on her thoughts and allow fans a more in depth insight into her feelings on a

subject, which Alanna (Interview 3) elaborates on: 525

‘I feel her blog is more an ‘open diary into her thoughts’. Longer, as you can

see Amanda’s thought process. I’ve only commented on her blogs a few times, just

adding along my thoughts to hers…” (Alanna, Interview 3)

It is more in line with the ‘para-social relationship’ where-by the artist

communicates to the public but the fans cannot communicate directly back to her. 530

They communicate amongst themselves about the cultural text in the comments. This

is also relevant to current literature on how fans create their own meanings through

consuming a cultural text, such as a celebrity (Wiatrowksi, 2011). If they are left to

discuss and analyse the celebrities’ activities amongst themselves, they are left to

extrapolate their own meanings about the artist. This produces new ideas and 535

communities based on this cultural text, outside of celebrity’s activities. However it


28

still provides that backstage information about the artist’s personal views that fans

enjoy. Twitter on the other hand is believed to be less contrived and more direct.

Alanna (Interview 3) expressed Twitter as her preference as it is “more of a two way

conversation…”. The fact that fans can communicate with Amanda Palmer directly, 540

to her personal Twitter account, is important to them as fans for multiple reasons.

Alanna says it’s important as she feels “they (the artist) should be able to receive that

compliment directly”. Whereas before these interactive online platforms, contact with

the artist by a fan would be limited. Richard (Interview 1) remembers when he

followed artists years ago, the opportunity to interact with them in online spaces was 545

not available, any interaction at all almost impossible:

“I remember when there was a huge wall between rock stars and the only way

to know when they would be coming to town was when you heard it on the radio.

There was virtually no interaction at all.” (Richard, Interview 1)

But now Richard (Interview 1) has been following Amanda for years on 550

multiple platforms, her blog, mailing list and Twitter. The reason the fans choose

certain platforms over others seems to be because of the themes that will be discussed

below.

Interaction & Engagement 555

Engagement and interaction were key themes that were raised by fans when

speaking about their reasons why they follow Amanda online. Both of these themes

seem to be related, more interaction with Amanda often led to more engagement by

fans. The interviewees were asked if Amanda’s strong online presence contributed to

their engagement with her and her career. All of them responded positively to this 560

question. It kept them connected to her in a way that they could not achieve


29

otherwise. They also feel she is extremely engaging because they believe her presence

online is “natural” and “unforced” compared to more staged forms of promotion. This

was discussed earlier when explaining the “pseudo event” that Turner (2004) writes

about in relation to celebrity promotion. 565

“Yes. Because she is so active it definitely keeps you engaged. And the thing

is that it’s totally natural and unforced. It’s not like she’s developed this marketing

plan and is running around saying Must.Interact.With.Fans. That’s just how she is.”

(Richard, Interview 1)

The relationship between a fan and a celebrity online allows fans to stay up to 570

date and gives the celebrity the opportunity to control what is being promoted. Nico

(Interview 4) says that he’s interested in following people who are actually interested

in engaging with him not using it as solely a marketing tool. Both Turner (2004) and

James (2011) refer to celebrity marketing practice, particularly the tension between

image management and authenticity. The celebrity must negotiate between marketing 575

the individual and connecting with fans.

“The point being – that I am interested in following people who are there

looking for engagement. Who are not JUST trying to sell me a product” (Nico,

Interview 7)

Annabelle (Interview 4) believes that even though it’s Amanda’s job “to make 580

you feel connected” she is “genuine” and “that sets her apart from most artists”. She

does it in a way that is enjoyable and seemingly not staged.

“Some [bands] just use it like a PR feed…that’s a one-way street, there’s no

interaction” (Annabelle, Interview 4)

This authenticity in the engagement is vital for some of the fans and a perk for 585

others. To the fans interviewed, she appears to have cultivated a completely natural


30

way of communicating with them that they feel is in no way contrived or false. When

the interviewees were asked why this was important they compared it with contempt

for the PR industries. They enjoyed the fact that it was actually Amanda

communicating with them directly and not a third party agent, manager or PA. 590

“The fact that she actually updates it HERSELF – even more bands tend to

update frequently, but are actually updated by management team, or just used to

promote their material.” (Ciaran, Interview 8)

The frequency of updates about her career and life also help keeps fans

engaged. They all commended her on her continuous blogging and tweeting of her 595

life. They enjoyed being in the know all the time. Ciaran (Interview 8) responded with

a “Definitely” when asked if her online presence is what keeps him interested in her.

“It’s so easy to lose momentum if there isn’t contact and updates from people.

I follow a lot of bands, so I am used to bands sort ‘disappearing’ in between

projects…Whereas that never happens with Amanda – all the time, she’s always 600

keeping people updated…it’s still far more engaging when you’re always aware of

what’s going on”. (Ciaran, Interview 8)

One of the key factors to maintaining this fan-celebrity relationship is

nurturing the connection with fans. Once it is established, to keep them engaged

regular updates and communication is necessary. It may be a common strategy for a 605

celebrity to announce and promote their work online. This was discussed earlier in the

literature review in reference to James (2011) and the ‘illusion of intimacy’.

“the illusion of intimacy between celebrity and fan has become not only

common, but also seen as a necessary marketing tool key to the celebrity’s success. In

this context, the celebrity walks a fine line between revealing too much, and not 610

sharing enough so that the “fan” can feel a sense of connection” (James, 2011, p.2)


31

For many artists these new platforms are now a possible method for keeping

fans and the general public aware of what is happening in their career. But they must

choose what to share. This is not alien to how Amanda Palmer operates where her

online presence is strong and fans are used to her sharing most of what she does. Nico 615

(Interview 7) explains how her “online presence is what keeps her ‘dots

connected’…”. However Ciaran (Interview 8) does explain that often too much

information can be negative;

“So yeah, I guess ALWAYS being told what’s going on behind the scenes can

be anti-climactic, or can be less than great if you have to wait over a year for 620

something they’re planning” (Ciaran, Interview 8)

It is apparent that these lines are present between sharing a little and

oversharing. But the interaction Amanda has cultivated with her fans seems to have

taken precedence over their interest in how much she is actually sharing. The fact that

it is actually genuinely her communicating with them is of key concern. 625

Even the possibility of being able to communicate directly with Amanda

Palmer means something to the fans interviewed. Many of the reasons behind this is

the ability to directly express their admiration to her, be involved in discussions and to

be acknowledged as a fan and supporter of her work. Alanna (Interview 3) explains

how she sees herself as a supporter of Amanda and that the connection Amanda has 630

with her fans is more than a “numbers game”. She has been contacted personally by

Amanda online. At first she was extremely excited by this as she felt part of the online

community associated with Amanda Palmer’s fanbase, “Amanda makes an effort to

acknowledge each individual that has listened to her music” (Alanna, Interview 3).

Ross (Interview 6) also explains how important this is to her by agreeing that the fact 635


32

that Amanda interacts with her fans online makes a difference to how engaged she is

with her:

“Very much so. I have some other bands whose music I love, but I know I’m

more invested in the ones that engage somehow…the interaction plays a huge part in

how the whole thing works. It’s an act of trust” 640

Justin (Interview 9) likes the interaction online because he feels it equalises

the relationship between the fan and the artist. He sees it as a more natural way to

communicate and one that lacks pretence. He thinks it is important to be able to

contact and interact with an artist:

“I think it also demystifies rockstars in a way that I think can be really 645

constructive…they sort of can’t get that get the deity treatment anymore, you know?”

(Justin, Interview 9)

The interaction also means a lot to Emily (Interview 2) who openly loves the

possibility of receiving a reply from Amanda, “Yes, she has (responded) a few times,

or retweeted something I’ve posted. Makes me so happy!”. When asked why she feels 650

this way when she receives a message from Amanda, “I think it’s the

acknowledgement”. This acknowledgement of being a fan may be one of the key

reasons why interaction and a relationship is sought by fans in online spaces. Emily

(Interview 2) also felt that it “makes me feel a bit more connected.” This connection is

something that James (2011) writes about and is discussed earlier. She refers to this as 655

a “sense of closeness” cultivated by the celebrity online:

“Twitter allows celebrity practitioners to create a sense of closeness and

familiarity between themselves and their followers” (James, 2011, p. 149)

This closeness is not necessarily inauthentic or that the feelings expressed by

the fans interviewed are not genuine. The sense of closeness may be the connection 660


33

that these fans seek or enjoy experiencing when interaction occurs. Without these

interactions online, this closeness would not be achievable, at least not so

instantaneously. From interviewing the fans, this interactive relationship that occurs

with Amanda is important to them and part of the reasons why they are engaged with

her on such an high level. Steph (Interview 3) does believe that this is the case and 665

attributes the very strong interactive online presence of Amanda to how big a fan of

hers she is:

“I think her interaction with me and other fans makes her more human so we

care a lot more and are more devoted or intense fans” (Steph, Interview 3)

Interaction seems an important factor to maintaining an active fanbase. It is 670

apparent that if an artist chooses to interact with their fans, it can be of benefit to them

and to enjoyment of the fans. However many of the fans interviewed express a lack of

interaction from other artists they follow:

“I like that’s a reciprocity in being an Amanda Palmer fan. It’s something you

don’t always get with other artists.” (Ross, Interview 6) 675

Challenging the Para-social Relationship

The question remains as to how this relates to the current literature. The fact

that the possibility of interacting with a celebrity adds to the level of engagement, 680

means that a connection is sought on some level by the fan with the artist. Being

“connected” to the artist in some way via the fan community associated with the artist

is also another possibility for remaining engaged. As discussed earlier the para-social

relationship is often cited when writing about fan-celebrity relationships. It is a one-

way relationship where a fan knows a celebrity intimately; contacts them or interacts 685


34

with them but the celebrity does not reciprocate in any way. There is an obvious

imbalance, it is not a mutual relationship. Richard (Interview 1) implied this earlier in

the analysis when he mentioned that years ago the only time you knew what a

celebrity was doing was from the radio. Nico (Interview 7) also mentioned that since

he was a child he would be aware of music releases from publications such as 690

Pitchfork and wouldn’t engage further with an artist beyond that. But now with

celebrities cultivating an online presence the boundary that existed previously is

blurring. Having a presence online gives fans the opportunity to contact the celebrity

directly (if they self-manage their online profiles). In the case of such platforms like

Twitter, these are interactive sites where a response is now enabled in the form of 695

@replies and direct messaging. The same is possible on blogging websites where a

celebrity can reply to comments, or online forums where they can take part in

conversation threads.

All of the fans interviewed were asked if they felt the relationship between

them and Amanda Palmer was mutual or one-sided. The responses varied from each 700

fan. Some of them believed that it was still very much one-sided but with some

deviation. This is where Amanda would often reciprocate and respond directly to her

fans and engage in discussions with them, but that it was still very much one way.

This response was often backed up with the excuse that she has a huge fanbase she

has to negotiate when interacting with them: 705

“SORT of (is one-sided). I mean it’s much more lopsided, of course. It’s more

one-way…But of course she has like 800k followers so she can’t keep up a detailed

back and forth with all of them” (Richard, Interview 1)


35

Ross (Interview 6) answers this by singling Amanda Palmer out as an artist

who is unusually interactive with her fanbase. However, despite this regular 710

interaction she does feel it is still a one-sided relationship:

“Even with being a fan of Amanda things can be one sided. I mean, not every

mention thrown her direction gets a response (hardly half of them do!) But you get to

see, that she does try to respond to things” (Ross, Interview 6)

The difference she feels as a fan is that the possibility of interaction is now 715

present. This in itself intensifies the experience and the level of engagement online,

even if it may be one-sided. The mention of authenticity also arises once again. The

fact that she tries to contact with her fans means something to them. The

acknowledgement of them as a collective in itself seems to prevail even if the

individual fans themselves don’t get a reply. As a fan of Amanda’s the possibility of 720

being acknowledged is apparently strong and adds to their level of engagement.

“So yes, there’s still a lot of one way interaction, and a lot more of it than the

reciprocated interaction you get from some artists…but there’s potential and

possibility” (Ross, Interview 6)

Earlier in the idea that the para-social relationship no longer exists is discussed 725

by Stever (2011) with the possibility of a newer type of fan-celebrity relationship

emerging. Emily (Interview 2) raises an interesting point when asked if she feels like

her relationship with Amanda is one-sided or not, and refers to it as “Maybe a 1 ½

relationship? Is that a thing?”. She understands that she is connecting with one person

but this person is responding back to many, “Realistically, I know that I put far more 730

effort into following her” (Emily, Interview 2). She is invested in Amanda Palmer’s

life but the same personal level of investment into her life as individual fan may not


36

be reciprocated by Amanda. This does not seem to bother the fans though and most of

them acknowledge this reality in the interviews.

Other fans expressed the feeling that it was somewhat a mutual relationship. 735

Steph (Interview 5) answered directly by disagreeing with the question posed that it

may be a one-sided relationship, “No I don’t think so. From what she’s said from time

to time, it seems that her fanbase online is a lifeline for her sometimes”. Steph

(Interview 5) elaborated on this, expressing that she felt it was mutual in a different

sense. She felt it was a two-sided relationship between an individual and a group en 740

masse, Amanda to her fanbase as a whole.

“Not on a personal level. Like, I don’t think she relies on ME personally, but I

think that she does rely on her fanbase as a group” (Steph, Interview 5)

This is not a para-social relationship that exists between Amanda Palmer and

her fans. But it is neither a completely two-sided relationship in line with “regular” 745

offline relationships. It is something new. It is a relationship that exists between an

individual (the celebrity) and a group (the fanbase). But, it does have elements

associated with offline relationships: interaction, communication and emotional

investment. This goes against previous literature Turner (2004) mentions on para-

social relationships, as interaction is now not only possible, it does in fact occur. But 750

it is not a two-sided relationship in the traditional sense as there is an apparent

imbalance; it is one-to-many. But it does have similarities to offline relationships

which Stever (2011) discusses earlier. Richard (Interview 1) backs this up when

describing how engaging it is following Amanda online:

“It really is very much akin to your best friend sending you a random text 755

about something that just happened.” (Richard, Interview 1)


37

The Art of Asking

Amanda Palmer is known among the crowdfunding community for raising

over $1 million on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter (Appendix 4.5). On this 760

website you set a monetary target to reach for a specific project and you have a certain

amount of days to raise this money. Backers pledge money and receive rewards in

return e.g. a signed album, tickets to a show. Amanda raised this money by asking for

help from her fans online. She speaks of this in her TEDtalk “The art of asking”

(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013). What this research project endeavoured to discover is what 765

the fans of Amanda think about her asking for their help from them. This should give

insight into whether there are any obvious problems with this practice, or whether it is

something that fans enjoy.

The question the fans were asked was whether or not they liked being asked

for help from Amanda. There was a unanimous response. All of the fans enjoyed 770

being asked for help from Amanda and in fact wanted her to ask them for help. “I

liked it. I liked that she was involving us” (Steph, Interview 5) They even actively

pursued opportunities to get involved in her projects. Part of the discussions arose in

relation to the Kickstarter (see Appendix 4.5) campaign but they also mentioned other

occasions e.g. Amanda asking for help about lyrics, designs for merchandise. They 775

each had contributed in some form to Amanda’s projects, either the Kickstarter or

funding other projects of hers.

Ross (Interview 6) says she enjoys being involved and her interaction online

stems from “wanting to be useful”. She says that Amanda “asks if things are working,

or for help with lyrics, or for an opinion on something. It’s to be a part of a 780

conversation”. It seems a lot of these “conversations” take place on Twitter e.g.

#lofnotc (Losers of Friday Night on Their Computers) [See Appendix 4.7]. This is


38

where Amanda would tweet to her fans and engage in mass group conversations with

them using this hash-tag on Twitter. They would exchange thoughts, photos, ideas etc.

This would happen regularly and became an event that was associated with her 785

Twitter account.

This not only challenges the regular fan-celebrity relationship but also

challenges the notion of fans transforming the cultural text, the celebrity, through

consumption. It in fact puts the celebrity at the centre of all the engagement with the

fans and in some ways in control of the consumption through mediation. This raises 790

quite an important question as to how celebrities can develop a relationship more

successfully with fans online. By cultivating a direct connection it allows for the

celebrity to be part of the fan community and part of the consumption. This disrupts

the gap that exists where the fans would consume the celebrity as a cultural text and

create their own meanings from their activities amongst themselves as a fanbase. 795

Instead, the celebrity is part of the transformation and the consumption becomes a

form of collaboration between the producer and consumer, the celebrity and the fan.

This breaks down those lines of production and consumption that previously existed.

It may also contribute to the earlier notion of the 1½-sided relationship of one-to-

many that may exist. This is a question that needs to be further explored and how it 800

could work for other artists outside of Amanda Palmer. It would be interesting to

know how the status of a fan is altered through this collaborative consumption and

production with the celebrity in question.

Emily (Interview 2) enjoys being asked for help by Amanda and has been

involved in previous projects. “I think it’s great. From what I’ve seen and 805

experienced, fans like to help.” She has had direct offline connections with Amanda

due to her online interactions with her. She organised a house party for Amanda


39

Palmer fans in her area that Amanda attended. Because Emily (Interview 2) organised

this herself she became part of the production of this Amanda Palmer event

transforming her from a consumer to a producer. 810

“I went and picked her up from her hotel to bring her to my house party and it

was one of the most exciting thing ever! […] But I was happy to do it. I think a lot of

people who maybe aren’t fans see it as freeloading or begging, but I think it’s really a

chance to get to know each other better and be a part of what’s happening” (Emily,

Interview 2) 815

The key themes that kept arising from the discussions with the fans about

Amanda asking her for help, as demonstrated above, is that firstly; they like it; they

are happy to do it and they want to be involved, to be a “part of what’s happening”.

“It’s great to be a part of it, and to know that I’m helping out someone who I admire”

(Emily, Interview 2). It also adds another possibility of interacting with Amanda 820

online and offline. This could be considered a motivation for becoming involved in

these activities. Another motivation may be the direct acknowledgement of being a

fan by supporting or being involved in a project alongside Amanda.

Amanda (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) speaks about her desire to meet people

from the Internet and connect with them. As a former street performer she relates this 825

practice of encountering strangers on the street to that of her encounters online.

“My music career has been spent trying to encounter people on the Internet the

way I could on the box (that she performed on)” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013)

She seeks out this connection with her fans like the fans may seek the same

from her. She says we do this by “blogging and tweeting about our work, our art, our 830

fears and our mistakes” (TEDtalkDirectors. She has no qualms about asking her fans


40

for help and enjoys it. As mentioned early, once Twitter came along she seized it as

an opportunity to connect instantly with her fans.

An interesting case study that arose was from Justin (Interview 9) (see

Appendix 4.6) who designed a t-shirt for Amanda. It was subsequently sold as official 835

merchandise on her website. He volunteered to design it for her on Twitter while she

was in conversation with fans and asked for help with a t-shirt design. During this

time Justin (Interview 9) had direct interaction with Amanda about the design. It was

a form of collaboration between him as a fan and Amanda.

“I asked Amanda for help, she retweeted a couple of things I asked for” 840

(Justin, Interview 9)

He was asked if he received any payment for the design as it was sold online

afterwards. This question was raised to see how equal the collaboration was since the

t-shirt was subsequently sold commercially.

“At first I was like, “what is going to happen with this? I don’t mind if they 845

don’t pay me because OMG AFP (“Amanda Fucking Palmer”) T-SHIRT, but I could

do with the money.” (Justin, Interview 9)

Being involved in a project with Amanda at first was more important to Justin

(Interview 9) than being paid. In the end he received a box of t-shirts as payment “So

I was happy…Best payment ever.” (Justin, Interview 9) It also made him interested in 850

further collaborating with Amanda.

“I’m getting some images and paintings ready to send her along with an e-mail

asking for a chance in future collaborations” (Justin, Interview 9)

This is another example of how the boundaries in the fan-celebrity relationship

are breaking down with this increase of online interactivity. Amanda is consumed by 855

fans in a way that she is seen as more equal and “human” as quoted by some fans.


41

Amanda sees her fans as potential collaborators and thus transforms their role from

consumers into producers, equalising the relationship to some degree. This is similar

to what Justin (Interview 9) stated earlier about the interaction equalising their

relationship and demystifying the celebrity. However, to what extent needs further 860

investigation. The notion of the consumer-producer could possibly be another area of

that needs investigation in relation to the fan-celebrity relationship today.

Amanda Palmer’s Online Persona

When asked if Amanda’s personality had anything to do with their 865

relationship with her online, all interviewees believed it did on some level. One of the

key questions asked at the end of every interview was whether or not the fan believed

Amanda would be as successful if her online presence wasn’t as strong. Interestingly,

and without contempt for the question, all the fans believed she would not be as

successful if she wasn’t so active online.,“I think it’s not very likely” (Justin, 870

Interview 9) Ciaran (Interview 8) feels like he has developed quite a strong

connection with Amanda, stating her personality “inspires” him. He is a fan her not

just her music, “she means a lot to me” (Ciaran, Interview 8). Amanda apparently

shares more than just her music online. She shares a lot about herself and personality,

therefore fans may develop a relationship with her as a person rather than just as an 875

artist.

“The fact that she shares so much means that it’s easier to see her almost as a

friend than just some far away celebrity” (Ciaran, Interview 8)

This relates back to Goffman’s (1954) theory on the presentation of self and

also Stever’s (2009) writing on fan-celebrity relationships resembling those of offline 880

relationships. Amanda Palmer has cultivated a relationship with her fans in a manner


42

that seems democratic and real. Ciaran (Interview 8) even refers to her TEDtalk

(TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) when she says:

“celebrity is about a lot of people loving you from afar, whereas the internet is

about a few people loving you up close” (TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) 885

Emily (Interview 2) has a slightly more reserved view on her relationship with

Amanda online. She believes that she is “privy to her inner most thoughts at times”

but she doesn’t think she knows Amanda personally. However, she does think that

Amanda’s personality contributes to her engagement as a fan. The remainder of the

fans interviewed agreed that her online presence was one of the key components to 890

her success.

Amanda Palmer’s Response

Amanda Palmer (Interview 10) responded to the question posed in the email

interview on whether she feels she walks a line between sharing everything she does 895

online or keeping some information private. She had quite a lot to say on this, stating

that she in fact does suffer the constant dilemma of what to and what not to share. She

says she does want people to know the real her but that it is risky:

“I want people to know the real me. It's a fun game, to see how much I can

risk, and share, and how vulnerable I can allow myself to be.” (Amanda Palmer, 900

Interview 10)

The fact that there is risk involved for her does concur with the literature that

explains how it is constant negotiation of the self a celebrity faces when interacting

online. As someone who has to do this, she sheds light on how she deals with this

negotiation of the presentation of the self: 905


43

“But I do have rules, having learned the hard way, that some things about

"the real me" are absolutely not fodder for this friendship. Some things stay within

my private circle, and are only for my two or three best friends and my husband.”

(Amanda Palmer, Interview 10)

The fact that she does refer to the relationship she has with her fanbase as a 910

friendship helps tie up some of the themes raised in this research project that the

fans discussed. She believes it is a completely two-sided relationship that she has

with her fans. She feels that she is involved with them as much as they are

involved with her and relates her emotions and approach to nurturing it to a

regular relationship. 915

“They tell me their secrets. They write to me. They talk to me at shows. I

invite them into my home. I produce their records. I read about their lives in the app

comments. I give advice. They give me advice. I take it. I follow their bands and their

projects, I support their kickstarters. We're definitely in an extreme two-way situation.

Some of my fans have become my true friends. That boundary gets blurry, and it's a 920

beautiful blur.” (Amanda Palmer, Interview 10)

The acknowledgement that the boundary is blurred concurs with the idea of a

new form of relationship now possible between fans and artists online. It also is in

line with what many of the fans interviewed declare the relationship as. Amanda

(Interview 10) believes it to be two-way but the fact that she may only be able to 925

connect with certain individuals more than others still leaves some fans not quite as

intimately connected as she relays above. There are clearly multiple interpretations of

the nature of the relationship Amanda has with her fans, amongst the fans themselves

and her own opinion on it.


44

Finally, as the fans interviewed were asked if they believe her online presence 930

is part of her success, a similar question was posed to Amanda (Interview 10) about

the importance of interacting with your fans online as an artist. She believed it wasn’t

important for every artist. For her, the importance is more than promoting her work,

“I don't connect with people to promote my art, that's almost a byproduct. I connect

with people because I truly love the conversation.” (Amanda, Interview 10) However, 935

she does acknowledge, from a marketing perspective, that it is useful:

“But in terms of mercenary marketing...sure, it helps a lot to have a real

relationship, and a two-way conversation, with your audience, who are ultimately

your supporters.” (Amanda, Interview 10) One of the first interviews conducted with

Richard (Interview) also spoke of this approach that Amanda has with her fans. That 940

it is a marketing tool, interacting with fans, but that it has also become more than just

this.

“Amanda’s goal in itself is to live in a community of people who share her

values and aesthetic”. (Richard, Interview 1)

945


45

Conclusions

This research project investigated the relationship between fans and a celebrity

in online spaces, focusing on the case study of singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer and

her fans. It demonstrated how this relationship operates, primarily from the

perspective of the fans. But, it also provides a rounded perspective on the relationship 950

by including the perspective of Amanda Palmer too.

The interviews with her fans helped understand these processes. The

motivations behind and gratifications inherent in this online relationship were

explored. The fans explained how their relationship with Amanda worked and it was

found that multiple factors effect the fan-celebrity relationship online. It is not clear-955

cut and contains elements that overlap. The flexible nature of the interviews led to

further information unknown before the interviews were conducted to emerge. This

allowed for case studies demonstrating their activity to be analysed. These case

studies anchored the themes raised and contextualised the theory relevant to the

findings. It showed how the fans became involved in projects online through 960

interacting with Amanda and how a fan-celebrity relationship online can connect fans

in a very direct manner with the artist e.g. Kickstarter, hosting house parties.

The findings from Amanda Palmer’s TEDtalk “The Art of Asking” (

TEDtalkDirectors, 2013) provided comparative analysis. It wasn’t a large feature in

the findings, only some of the issues Amanda raised in the talk were relevant. It did 965

provide insight into Amanda’s feelings about interacting with her fans online,

demonstrating her strong public argument for this practice. The email interview with

Amanda Palmer (Interview 10) was useful in rounding off the findings by discussing

her overall opinion of her relationship with her fanbase. The limitations of this


46

method however was that it didn’t allow for follow up questions or clarification. It 970

also contradicted some of the fans opinions on the relationship highlighting the highly

interpretive and subjective nature of this relationship and research. However, it also

concurred with a lot of the fans assumptions about Amanda’s relationship with them.

The main themes present in the fan-celebrity relationship in online spaces are

interaction, engagement, authenticity and personality. These arose multiple times in 975

relation to the relationship the fans had cultivated with Amanda online. Each theme

had a significant impact on the relationship and thus shed light on how it operates and

is maintained. The research also contextualised the themes present in the relationship

by identifying the primary online platforms used to interact with one another. Twitter

was the preferred site for interaction between Amanda Palmer and her fans, with her 980

blog another favourite. Why these sites were the preferred related to the themes. In

other words, Twitter was the website in which interaction, engagement, authenticity

and personality were most likely to be seen. The blog was second as it was more

formal and less interactive. In order to develop an intimate online relationship with a

fanbase it is evident that making use of these social media sites effectively is key, as 985

fans commended Amanda on this skill.

The findings uncovered possible traits vital for a a relationship between fans

and celebrities survive in online spaces. Engagement and interaction were closely

linked with another. The more interaction Amanda had with her fans the more

engaged they were. This intensified their online relationship. It seems like something 990

fans seek out by choosing to follow Amanda more avidly on Twitter where these

interactions are more likely to take place. The reasons why interaction with the

celebrity was important to them wasn’t clear cut, but acknowledgement of being a fan

was prevalent. James’(2011) writing on the “illusion of intimacy” that celebrities


47

cultivate through Twitter is relevant to this. Another motivation is to become involved 995

in projects, “being useful” and “a part of what’s happening”. The frequency of

interaction increased engagement also. The fact that it was her personally interacting

with them, that authenticity was evident, proved imporant to them versus their online

spaces being used solely for marketing or PR.

The inherent nature of the relationship between Amanda Palmer and her fans 1000

lies somewhere between a 1 ½ - sided relationship and a mutual relationship. It is not

a para-social relationship as interaction is a core element to this online relationship.

This challenges previous research that Turner (2004) discusses and adds to Stever’s

(2009) research on fan-celebrity relationships resembling regular offline relationships.

It contains elements that exist in an offline relationship but deviates from this in that it 1005

is not a one-to-one rather one-to-many. In this way, it is not straight forward, but

opens up avenues for redefining the fan-celebrity relationship that can exist in online

spaces. Further research is necessary, as these findings are not generalisable to other

celebrities and fanbases. But, it does raise key themes and questions that could be

applied to other fan-celebrity relationships. 1010

The limitations of this research means that the information gathered may not

be representative of Amanda Palmer’s entire fanbase. It provides only a selected

glimpse into the factors that offer an understanding into how these relationships work

on a fan-by-fan basis, though trends did emerge. A broader sample of fans would

benefit this research topic. The use of quantitative analysis could be useful in further 1015

studies where the themes raised in these interviews could be put as survey questions

to a wider sample audience. This could help find out if they are generalisable to fans

outside of this case study. As these themes were only discovered during this research

project, this could not been done as part of it.


48

I would recommended to any celebrity looking to cultivate an online 1020

relationship with their fans to follow Amanda Palmer. Her fans express great

appreciation for her strong online presence and compare that with the more contrived

PR and image management that is sometimes carried out by others. Her authenticity,

frequency of interaction and openess to connect are all factors she has cultivated in

order engage successfully with her fans in online spaces. 1025


49

Bibliography

Amanda Palmer (2013a) Amanda Palmer [Facebook] Available from: < 1030 https://www.facebook.com/amandapalmer > [Accessed: 29th August 2013]. Amanda Palmer. (2013b) The Shadow Box: Amanda Palmer – The Dresden Dolls – Brian Viglione. [online forum] Available at: < http://www.theshadowbox.net > [Accesssed 29th August 2013] 1035 Amanda Palmer. (2013c) Amanda Palmer: the official website of Amanda Fucking Palmer. Available at: < http://www.amandapalmer.net > [Accessed: August 29th 2013] 1040 Amanda Palmer. (2013d) Amanda Palmer [Twitter] Available at: < https://twitter.com/amandapalmer > [Accessed: 29th August 2013] Amanda Palmer. (2013e) Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra [blog]. Available at: <http://amandapalmer.net/blog/> [Accessed: 29th August 2013]. 1045 Amanda Palmer. (April 2012) Amanda Palmer: The new record, art book, and tour. Kickstarter. Available at: < http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amandapalmer/amanda-palmer-the-new-record-art-book-and-tour/posts > [Accessed: 29th August 2013] 1050 Braudy, L. (1986) The Frenzy of Reknown: Fame and Its History. New York: Oxford University Press. Boorstin, D. (1971) The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America, New York: 1055 Antheneum. Originally published as The Image or What Happened to the American Dream? (1961) Caughey, J.L. (1984) Imaginary social worlds. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 1060 Cheng V.J. (2004) Inauthentic: The Anxiety over Culture and Identity. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. Bendix, R. (1997) In Search of Authenticity: The Formation of Folklore Studies. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. 1065 Gamson, J. (1994) Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America, Berkeley, California: University of California Press. Gitlin, T. (2001) Media Unlimited: How the Torrent of Images and Sounds 1070 Overwhelms Our Lives. New York: Metropolitan Books. Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday.


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James, C.A. (2011) A Caricature of Intimacy: Online Fan Communities and Intimacy 1075 Between Strangers. In: Farghaly, N. & Toralba, C.T. eds. Love on Trial: Adjusting and Assigning Relationships, UK: Inter-Diciplinary Press, 2011. Marwick, A. & Boyd, D. (2011) To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1080 17(2), 139-158. Seale, C. (2004) Researching Society and Culture. 3rd ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Stever, G.S. (2009) Parasocial and Social Interaction with Celebrities: Classification 1085 of Media Fans. Journal of Media Psychology, 14(3). TEDtalksDirector (2013) Amanda Palmer: The art of asking. [video online] Available at: <http://youtu.be/xMj_P_6H69g> [Accessed August 29th 2013] 1090 Turner, G. (2004) Understanding Celebrity. 1st ed. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Wiatrowski, M. (2011) The Dynamics of Fandom: Exploring Fan Communities in Online Spaces', paper presented to The Fourth Annual Folklore and Ethnomusicology Joint University Conference, Bloomington, Indiana, March 25-26, 2011. Available at: 1095 <http://www.academia.edu/491940/The_Dynamics_of_Fandom_Exploring_Fan_Communities_in_Online_Spaces …>. [Accessed 29th August 2013] 1100 Interviews Interview 1: Richard. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 24, 2013. Interview 2: Emily. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 25, 2013. Interview 3: Alanna. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 25, 2013. 1105 Interview 4: Anabelle. Interview by author. Skype. July 28. 2013. Interview 5: Steph. Interview by author. Skype. July 28. 2013. Interview 6: Ross. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 29, 2013. Interview 7: Nico. Interview by author. Gmail Chat. July 28, 2013. Interview 8: Ciaran. Interview by author. Skype. July 25, 2013. 1110 Interview 9: Justin. Interview by author. Skype. August 5. 2013. Interview 10: Amanda Palmer. Interview by author. Email Interview. August 26. 2013. 1115

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51

1120

Appendices 1125

1130


52

Appendices

1135 Appendix 1: Ethics Approval……………………………………………………………………….. 53 Appendix 2: Information Sheet and Consent Form for Interviews…………………. 55 Appendix 3: Interview Topic Guide……………………………………………………………… 58 1140 Appendix 4: Graphics and Screenshot of Websites………………………………………... 59 4.1 Amanda Palmer’s Official Blog………………………………………...... 60 1145 4.2 Amanda Palmer’s Twitter Account……………………………………. 60 4.3 Amanda Palmer’s Facebook Page……………………………………… 60 4.4 The Shadow Box: online fan forum……………………………………. 61 1150 4.5 Kickstarter: Amanda Palmer’s campaign page from 2012…... 61 4.6 Justin’s (Interview 9) t-shirt design for Amanda Palmer ………… 62 1155 4.7 Example of #LOFNOTC tweets with Amanda Palmer…………… 63 1160 1165 1170 1175 1180


53

1185 Appendix 1: Ethics Approval

Research Ethics Office King's College London 1190

Rm 5.2 FWB (Waterloo Bridge Wing) Stamford Street

London SE1 9NH

10 July 2013 1195 TO: SUBJECT: Approval of ethics application Dear _______ 1200 KCL/12/13-980–‘ “Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationships between fans and celebrities in online spaces’ I am pleased to inform you that full approval for your project has been granted by the A&H Research Ethics Panel. Any specific conditions of approval are laid out at the end 1205 of this email which should be followed in addition to the standard terms and conditions of approval, to be overseen by your Supervisor:

o Ethical approval is granted for a period of one year from 10 July 2013. You will not receive a reminder that your approval is about to lapse so it is your responsibility to apply for an extension prior to the project lapsing if you need 1210 one (see below for instructions).

o You should report any untoward events or unforeseen ethical problems arising from the project to the panel Chairman within a week of the occurrence. Information about the panel may be accessed at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/committees/sshl/reps/i1215 ndex.aspx

o If you wish to change your project or request an extension of approval you will need to submit a new application with an attachment indicating the changes you want to make (a proforma document to help you with this is available at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/innovation/research/support/ethics/applications/modificati1220 ons.aspx

o All research should be conducted in accordance with the King’s College London Guidelines on Good Practice in Academic Research available at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/iop/research/office/help/Assets/good20practice20Sept200920FINAL.pdf 1225

If you require signed confirmation of your approval please forward this email to [email protected] indicating why it is required and the address you would like it to be sent to.

1230 Please also note that we may, for the purposes of audit, contact you from time to time to ascertain the status of your research.


54

With best wishes,

1235 Rebecca Cowper – Research Support Assistant

On behalf of

A&H REP Reviewer

1240 Reviewer’s Comments:

APPROVED

Primary Comments:

This application has been carefully prepared and I can see no particular ethical issues arising out of this research that have not been addressed in the application.

Further Amendments to Application (please identify the relevant section number before each comment):

Amendments to Information Sheet and Consent Form:

1245


55

Appendix 2: Information Sheet and Consent Form 1245 INFORMATION SHEET FOR PARTICIPANTS REC Reference Number: KCL/12/13-980

1250 YOU WILL BE GIVEN A COPY OF THIS INFORMATION SHEET Title of study: “Amanda Palmer and her fans”: Exploring the relationships between fans and celebrities in online spaces. 1255 We would like to invite you to participate in this postgraduate research project. You should only participate if you want to; choosing not to take part will not disadvantage you in any way. Before you decide whether you want to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what your participation will involve. Please take time to read the following 1260 information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.

This research project aims to explore the relationship that develops between fans and celebrities in online spaces such as Twitter, blogs 1265 and other interactive online social networks. The research considers the case of singer Amanda Palmer and examines the ways in which she engages with her fans, and develops and maintains the relations.

This project is recruiting people who identify themselves as Amanda 1270 Palmer fans and who are engaged in fan activity online e.g. following Amanda Palmer on Twitter, on her website, watch videos online, follow her blog, and interact with her and other fans online. There is no exclusion regarding age, ethnicity, class or other social classifications. 1275

Participants who agree to take part in this research will be asked to engage in a semi-structured interview with the researcher about their fan activity with Amanda Palmer. This interview, depending on the location of the fan, will take part face-to-face or online through instant messaging, Skype or e-mail. The interviews will be no longer than 1280 approx: 1 hour and will be conducted during summer 2013.

Interviews will be recorded, subject to your permission

You may also withdraw any data/information you have already 1285 provided up until it is transcribed for use in the final report. 15th August 2013

If you have any questions or require more information about this study, please contact the researcher using the following contact details: 1290 If this study has harmed you in any way, you can contact King's College London using the details below for further advice and information: SUPERVISOR: Fidele Vlavo – [email protected]


56

CONSENT FORM FOR PARTICIPANTS IN RESEARCH STUDIES 1295 Please complete this form after you have read the Information Sheet and/or listened to an explanation about the research. Title of Study: ___________________________________________ King’s College Research Ethics Committee Ref:________________ 1300 Thank you for considering taking part in this research. The person organising the research must explain the project to you before you agree to take part. If you have any questions arising from the Information Sheet or explanation already given to you, please ask the 1305 researcher before you decide whether to join in. You will be given a copy of this Consent Form to keep and refer to at any time.

• I understand that if I decide at any time during the research that I 1310

no longer wish to participate in this project, I can notify the researchers involved and withdraw from it immediately without giving any reason. Furthermore, I understand that I will be able to withdraw my data up to 25th July 2013.

1315 • I consent to the processing of my personal information for the

purposes explained to me. I understand that such information will be handled in accordance with the terms of the UK Data Protection Act 1998.

1320 • I understand that confidentiality and anonymity will be maintained

and it will not be possible to identify me in any publications [or explain the possible anonymity options that you are offering participants and provide appropriate ‘Yes/No’ tick box options accordingly]. 1325

• I consent to my interview being audio/video recorded. Participant’s Statement: 1330 I -_____________________________________________________________________ agree that the research project named above has been explained to me 1335 to my satisfaction and I agree to take part in the study. I have read both the notes written above and the Information Sheet about the project, and understand what the research study involves. Signed Date 1340 Investigator’s Statement:

Yes No

Yes No

Please tick or initial


57

I __________________________________________ Confirm that I have carefully explained the nature, demands and any foreseeable risks (where applicable) of the proposed research to the 1345 participant. Signed Date 1350


58

Appendix 3: Interview Topic Guide

Interview Topic Guide Semi-Structured Interviews

1355

1. How did you become a fan of Amanda Palmer ?

2. Where do you follow what she is doing / how & where do you keep up to date with her activity the most? 1360

3. How often do you interact with Amanda Palmer or engage in fan activity

online?

4. Does the fact that she interacts with her fans online make a difference to how 1365 you feel towards her personally?

5. Do you feel like you know her better because of her online presence?

6. Is it important to you that she interacts with her fans? If so, why? 1370

7. Has she ever messaged you personally, if so, how did that make you feel?

8. Have you ever had a negative experience?

1375 9. Do you think it is a one-sided or mutual relationship?

10. Does Amanda Palmer’s frequent online presence make you more keen to

follow and keep up do date with her? 1380

11. How do you feel about her asking for help from her fans?

a. Do you like this? b. Do you or other fans ever feel exploited?

1385


59

Appendix 4: Graphics and Screenshots of Websites

4.1 Amanda Palmer’s Official Blog 1390

[Available at: http://www.amandapalmer.net/blog ] 1395


60

4.2 Amanda Palmer’s Official Twitter Account

1400

[Available at: http://www.twitter.com/amandapalmer.com ]

4.3 Amanda Palmer’s Official Facebook Page 1405

[Available at: http://www.facebook.com/amandapalmer ]

1410


61

4.4 The Shadow Box: Amanda Palmer’s online fan forum 1410

[Available at: http://www.theshadowbox.net ] 1415

4.5 Amanda Palmer’s Kickstarter Campaign Page from 2012

1420


62

4.6 Justin’s (Interview 9) t-shirt design

1425

[front of t-shirt – image provided by Justin (Interview 9)]

[ back of t-shirt – image provided by Justin (Interview 9) ] 1430


63

4.7 Screenshot of #LOFNOTC Tweets with Amanda Palmer

1435

[ Captured on 29th August 2013. Available at https://twitter.com/search?q=%23LOFNOTC&src=hash ]

1440

1445


64

investigacion - explorando la relación entre fans y celebridades en espacio online. amanda palmer

Education