Abstract

This paper examines the way fandom is experienced in Brazil. The analysis is based on fan discourse as it appears in letters sent to actors and actresses who work at Rede Globo de Televisão, the major Brazilian TV network, situated at Rio de Janeiro. The analysis proceeds along two axes: the attempts made by fans to distinguish themselves among the crowd and the frequent use of romantic discourse to express their feelings for their idols. Both issues are understood as ‘singularization strategies’, whose recurrence creates a paradox: it is precisely the effort to distinguish themselves that makes the fans alike. This paradox is used as a way to discuss how the tension between singularization and massification is experienced in Brazil, contributing to the understanding of how one of the main trends of Western modern life appears in South America's largest country.

Keywords: Brazilian culture, modernity, Fandom

How to Cite:

Coelho, M., (2017) “Experiencing Television Fandom: Notes on the Tension Between Singularization and Massification in Brazil1”, Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture 2(2), 97-112. doi: https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.30