Abstract
China is considered to be a nation with the largest number of netizens and online fandom throughout the world. The power of netizens cannot be overlooked, particularly with regard to the digital mobilization of nationalism. In a recent event regarding a geographic map controversy spawned by the TV series of “Go Go Squid!” many netizens became fan patriots and activists for territorial integrity. This TV series caused tremendous resistance due to its showing an incomplete Map of China in one of its episodes on 31st July 2019. This research deploys three research methods of netnography (digital scraping of fan expression), a qualitative interview and commentary analysis to examine fans’ engagement upon this sensitive issue in China. The fans of the series and its main character naturally divided into different groups to show their opposing standpoints. With the help of Chinese featured cyberspace, Chinese netizens were hierarchically grouped as either loyal fans of the series, general/ordinary fans of the actress, or fan patriots and fan activists of the nation. Ambivalent attitudes from state media intensified the debates to call for a much more robust mechanism to guide cyber fandom.
Highlights
Fan activists organized thousands of posts with extreme and sensitive expression to assert the importance of national unity and territorial integrity that aims to overwhelm loyal fans of the series and Yangzi. Their protection of China served as a movement of patriotism that metamorphosed into fan activism in cyberspace that included a mix of points of view
The intention of this research is to provide a further understanding of how fan patriotism and its textual productivity becomes a means of political engagement and civic participation
As Rongbin Han (2019, p.355) argues, cyber nationalism “is clearly a form of individual empowerment for many citizens, allowing them to act on behalf of a grand goal.”
Summary
This new kind of fan patriots have spawned diverse practices and as a result have become an increasingly controversial group in the studies of Chinese fandom because of their rapid growth and increased calls for cyber movements They are growing a new community that has the power to express patriotic opinions online through both individual practices and organized collective events. Their protection of China served as a movement of patriotism that metamorphosed into fan activism in cyberspace that included a mix of points of view. The intention of this research is to provide a further understanding of how fan patriotism and its textual productivity becomes a means of political engagement and civic participation
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