The Networked Negotiation of Controversial Transmedial Texts

The networked negotiation of controversial transmedial texts
In our work on transmedial worlds (Tosca and Klastrup 2019), Susana Tosca and I point to the ethos, logos and mythos and central characters of a transmedial world as fundamental elements of fictional worlds, which users/audiences of a world have a shared perception of. A study of a transmedial worlds could therefore include the exploring of acts of “networked reception” in fan communities discussing these elements, such as the shared discussions on social media platforms of how new additions to a transmedial world (e.g. a new movie) relate to the ethos, logos and ethos of the world in question. However, so far we have only few studies of what happens, when the author of a work, the actor behind a beloved character, or a new addition to the transmedial world suddenly violates the ethical norms both of the world of fiction and of the “real” world. How do fans, in this case specifically children and young people, use social media to understand, negotiate and react to these violations? The talk will take its point of departure in a pilot case study of the reception and discussion of the Grindelwald character as played by respectively Johnny Depp and Mads Mikkelsen in light of the Depp-Heard defamation case, and the reaction to the J.K. Rowlings transgender debate by the younger Harry Potter-fans and followers, through explorations of memes, videos and their comments on Tik-Tok, YouTube and other social media.