Fan labour as labour : the economy of fandom in the age of the Internet

Urbańczyk revisits the argument presented in John Fiske's The Cultural Economy of Fandom from a Marxist and feminist perspective. Researchers in cultural studies have often discussed fan labour as a form of emancipation and subversion, although from the outset it has also represented a form of labour. Attempts are now being made to capitalize on this labour. With the increasing popularity of the Internet and the expansion of fan communities, inequalities within fan circles are beginning to take root. This is especially noticeable where paid work is involved. Despite the optimistic assumptions that used to mark fan studies, some aspects of fandom on the Internet not only fail to support actual emancipation but indeed help perpetuate women's economic exclusion.