Arts and Humanities Commons^™

There is an often unacknowledged symbiotic relationship between creators and owners of mass media works and the fan communities inspired by their work. The nature of participatory fan communities makes it possible for both authors and fans to be active agents in collectively determining the validity of the “official” storyline. The interaction

between creators and fans illustrates John Fiske's idea of a “semiotic democracy,” the power of media in enabling audiences to become involved in the creative process of constructing cultural symbols rather than serving merely as passive consumers.

This paper will explore the concepts of pop culture canon and …