Week 13: Media and Fan Culture

I'll have to admit that I am an avid fangirl. I fan girl about a lot of different TV series, books, games and even comics. Of course, I grew up with Harry Potter so naturally I would fall into the "Potterhead" community. I remember begging my mom to take me to the midnight screenings of the movies and even the midnight events to purchase the upcoming book at the time. I would gather around with my friends and we would quiz each other about pointless trivia and sort ourselves into our Hogwarts houses. I never actually knew which one I belonged in because it was usually a tie between Ravenclaw and Gryffendor...

"Harry Potter fandom" refers to the community of fans of the Harry Potter books and movies who participate in entertainment activities that revolve around the series, such as reading and writing fan fiction, creating and soliciting fan art, engaging in role-playing games, socializing on Harry Potter-based forums, and more. The fandom interacts online as well as offline through activities such as fan conventions, tours of iconic landmarks relevant to the books and production of the films, and parties held for the midnight release of each book and film. Harry Potter fans usually call themselves "Potterheads", though some may refer to themselves as "witches/wizards" or "Pottermaniacs".

The Potterhead fan community has grown so large that it's often rare to meet someone who doesn't enjoy at least some once of Harry Potter. Like the Bronies, studies on the Harry Potter fandom have shown that both children and adults are fans, despite Rowling's original marketing of the books towards children aged nine to twelve. Hogwarts is our home.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raRJhypEgzE)