Supernatural: Saving People, Hunting Things, the Fandom's Business (Warren)

## Introduction

*“That is exactly why our lives suck. I mean,come on,we hunt monsters!What the hell? I mean,normal people,they see a monster,and they run.But not us,no,no,no,we search out things that want to kill us. Or eat us!You know who does that? Crazy people! We are insane!You know, and then there's the bad diner food and then the skeevy motel rooms and then the truck-stop waitress with the bizarre rash.I mean,who wants this life,Sam? Seriously? Do you actually like being stuck in a car with me eight hours a day, every single day? I don't think so! I mean,I drive too fast. And I listen to the same five albums over and over and over again, and I sing along.I'm annoying,I know that.And you,you're gassy!You eat half a burrito,and you get toxic! I mean,you know what?You can forget it.Stay away from me Sam,OK? Because I am done with it.I'm done with the monsters and the hellhounds and the ghost sickness and the damn apocalypse. I'm out. I'm done. Quit."* -Dean Winchester

TV shows today are highly influenced by the Internet. The Internet provides ways to express and communicate thoughts or ideas among fans, haters, cast members, and creators of shows. This accessibility leads to extreme fan involvement and interactions of fans with actual cast members. Supernatural is an example of a show that has extreme involvement and dedication of fans. The show is set around two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who are at constant battle with the forces of Heaven and Hell. For a TV show to continue and not be canceled, it has to have high ratings. High ratings come from not only critics, but also the fans. Supernatural has a bunch of fans and has had high ratings ever since it first aired. It is so successful that it has gone on longer than originally planned. Fans would be devastated if it was canceled, which is unlikely at this point since it just gets more and more fans with every season. The show is a prime example of how fans can have an impact or influence on a show. The show also uses actual myths, biblical stories, historic events, and pulp culture to bring in more fans. There are several references to songs or movies along with guest stars. One episode in particular featured Linda Blair, the star from The Exorcist, in which they made a reference to her famous scene of vomiting split pea soup. Supernatural also pokes fun at its fans, but in a good-non harsh way. Another thing is the character Sam is always doing research online and in ancient books which is a way that the show connects the use of literature and new media simultaneously. Haters of the show are mostly people that think the acting is terrible, the biblical stories are false or mistold, and then people who are just scared easily. There are not that many haters of this show because it tries to appeal to as many as it can; the internet and online communities help producers figure out what the viewers want to see.

## On the Road so Far....A Little History of Supernatural

The American scary/fantasy TV show Supernatural was originally aired on The WB. After The WB was shut down in 2006, Supernatural was immediately put in the line up on The CW because of the success it was bringing along with Smallville.The show was created by Eric Kripke and it stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. Jensen Ackles had a role on Smallville previously and Jared Padalecki had been in the show Gilmore Girls so they both had experience with The WB network. Supernatural is a thrilling show that revolves around two brothers, Sam and Dean, who hunt the forces of evil. Producers of the show other than Eric Kripke are McG, Robert Singer, Phil Sgriccia, Sera Gamble, Jeremy  Carver, John Shiban, Ben Edlund, and Adam Glass. Kim Manners was also a producer but she lost her battle with lung cancer during season four. The show is filmed in Vancouver mostly, but also British Columbia and other close settings. The first couple of times the show was pitched, it was rejected. But when the pilot was released, it had over five million viewers and high rating so The WB gave it a full season. The show was only originally supposed to have three season but it then it was expanded to five seasons.After those first five seasons ended, so did the main story line. Now the show is on its eleventh season, long surpassing Smallville in being the longest series in North America.

## Knowledge Communities

*"What kind of douche-bag names a character after himself" -* Dean Winchester "The French Mistake"

The show has such a dedicated and enthused fan base that the online communities are alwasy buzzing with excitement too. On sites such as PopSugar or TvLine, fans are able to discuss spoliers. Currently, fans are conversing over what this new season has in store. The article Spoiling Survivor by Henry Jenkins, talks about how online communities can ruin shows and how some fans seem to depend on the spoilers. The producers and cast of Supernatural do not release certain information but the information they do reveal is usually released at panels at Comic Con.

A site called The Winchester Family Business is a very interactive place for fans to come together. Fans not only get to read articles, spoilers, and news on Supernatural, but they also get to interact with other fans on the discussion page. The discussion page is very informal; much like a blog. The topics are very scattered and some are quite long, so long that more discussions have branched off. The discussion page also requires the users to create an account. It is also easy to know if the person that a user is talking to is online because one of the features of the discussion page is a bubble next to the user's icon that says offline or online. Users are also encouraged to give credit when it's due.

          Another topic being talked about is Jared Padalecki's battle with anxiety. Fans get the chance to help Jared with his anxiety and he gets to help the fans that are dealing with the same problem. Jared has live chat sessions on Facebook to talk to fans, and he also has an Instagram account that he uses to post inspirational messages. Media and texts have changed in modern times because the audience feels part of the show and can interact on a personal level with the cast. When the audience can connect with the cast, they feel more connected to the show, which will in turn get more fans or viewers.

## Remediation

The show Supernatural has a huge fan remediation. Remediation is the way fans or the audience uses or interprets the show. In Supernatural's case, the fans create fanfiction, youtube videos, memes, costumes, role plays, forums, and so much more. The Hillywood video here is a very good example of how fans came together to create a sort of parody, but respecting the show too. The actual cast is featured too.

The fanfictions written about Supernatural range from Dean and Sam pairings to Buffy the Vampire Slayer crossovers. The show even featured an episode called Fan Fiction in which Sam and Dean go to a high school that happens to be producing a musical about the life of Sam and Dean. This is how the show creators are able to respond to fans in a humorous and fun way.

## Authorial Interaction

Supernatural is good example of a show that has very forthcoming producers. They are constantly releasing tiny

hints about episodes or futures for certain characters or the next season. Major spoilers are always released at comic con. Everyone (cast members) is usually pretty forthcoming about answering questions from fans having to do with the next season or plotlines for characters. They also have false spoilers or jokes too. At comic con, a big thing fans come to see, is the gag reel. The producers always give a peek at the gag reel several months before that season even come out on DVD. The show is very humored and a lot of the viewers of the show like the show because of the comedic part; the show is scary but also light hearted. Authorial interaction is even more possible now compared to like when the book *Dracula* was published. Bram Stoker never interacted with his audience, and won't ever be able to, on the same level that media and TV shows today. In fact, TV shows thrive with authorial interaction. Authorial interaction makes the fans feel part of the show and descions. Supernatural actually had a contest recently where a fans sent in a video and one got chosen to come on set for the day. The fan got to meet the cast and a tour of the set, but they also got to help direct the episode. Fans also get a chance every once and a while to actually be in the show as an extra. The producers take in to great consideration of what the fans want. For example, in one of the episodes Jensen Ackles added his own extra scene that involved him lipsyncing to "Eye of the Tiger"; the fans loved it so the producers added the full scene in the special features on the DVD.

## References

The Winchester Family Business

Supernatural Wiki Page

Tv Line Supernatural Season 11

Pop Sugar Supernatural Season 11

Supernatural Wikipedia Page

Jared Padalecki Instagram