Fandom: Identities and Communities in a Mediated World

6 The Fans of Cultural Theory

6 The Fans of Cultural Theory Alan McKee The Fans of Theory In common usage, the word “theory” refers to a “scheme or system of ideas or statements held as an explanation or account of a group of facts or phenomena” (OED). But in the humanities, the word “theory” (sometimes capitalized to “Theory”) has a particular usage. For humanities academics (particularly in cultural studies, philosophy, and literary studies), “Theory” is the term used to describe a subset of philosophical writings— those that pay attention to questions of representation and culture, and particularly those written by the philosophers of continental Europe. Among the most influential “Theorists” are Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Gayatri Spivak, Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Julia Kristeva, Judith Butler, Jacques Lacan, Theodor Adorno, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, Slavoj Žižek, Jean Baudrillard, Paul Virilio, Jürgen Habermas, Michael Hardt, and Antonio Negri. Many academics in the humanities—as well as other intellectuals and artists—use Theory in their work. Some go further, and enjoy reading Theory for the pleasure it gives them. And others go further still—not only using Theory and reading it for pleasure, but even integrating it into their everyday lives and identities (calling themselves by titles such as “Foucauldians” or “Marxists”), spending large amounts of time and money on collecting the books and publications of Theorists, and traveling around the world to attend meetings with other people who feel the same way. It is these “Theory fans” who are the focus of this chapter. 88 The Activity of Theory Fans In some ways, Theory fans are typical cultural consumers: they buy books and journals (or borrow copies bought by libraries), and read these for pleasure. But in other ways, Theory fans—like other groups of fans—are an atypical audience. They do not just consume Theory passively. Indeed, in some ways they are remarkably active. I would distinguish three key ways in which we can describe the consumption practices of Theory fans as being “active.” First, Theory fans have a passion for Theory that goes beyond a passive acceptance of whatever they are given by publishers and conference organizers. They actively seek out more work by their favorite authors and build strong emotional relationships with it. While some consumers read Theory for purely utilitarian, work-related purposes (for example, to complete a Ph.D., prepare a lecture, or write an article that will be useful on their c.v.), Theory fans will also read it for pleasure. In order to illustrate this point, let me quote some fan comments. I surveyed a group of Theory fans on the email list of the Cultural Studies Association of Australasia in 2003 and 2005.1 One of the questions I asked was whether they read Theory for pleasure as well as for work. Of the fourteen respondents, all stated that this is indeed the case. As one fan put it, “Yes. It can feel wickedly unproductive.” Another says, “Yes, it is always a pleasure,” while a third reads Theory “even at bedtime.” One described his fandom of Walter Benjamin as “a private passion and I can also make a living teaching and writing about his ideas.” The fans describe a heady mix of emotional pleasures from consuming Theory. One Theory fan describes her emotional involvement with the work of Adorno: “Determination in the face of the weight of the text, like climbing. Pain at the lyric beauty of some lines. Shame that I will never be so clever”; for another, his consumption of the work of Australian philosopher Muecke “fill[s] me” with “both exhilaration and sadness.” A Foucault fan notes that his work gives her “an emotional feeling [ . . . ] of challenge, satisfaction but, best of all, excitement.” Another notes that “Foucault always cheers me up [ . . . ] I get very happy and stimulated, sometimes with a pleasurably manic edge.” A Barthes fan claims that “fundamentally it [reading Barthes’s writing] makes me happy. Without fail.” Some fans even go so far as to claim the ultimate emotional relationship with Theory, writing “I love Foucault,” or “I love [Benjamin].” Trinh Minh Ha inspires “love and anger” from her fans; and another Theory fan talks The Fans of Cultural Theory 89 in similar terms as she notes of her fanship of Kristeva that “I certainly hold a special place in my heart for her.” These are all powerful emotional responses...