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A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of pop culture.
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History
Cult followings most often develop around television shows, films, and books. Some comic books, video games, musicians and writers also gain cult followings. Non-media items may also have what could be considered cult followings, for example the soft drink Tab.
Cult followings are often dedicated enough that many people of similar interest are familiar with one another due to convention gatherings, concerts, message boards, Internet chat rooms, word of mouth, or shops featuring related items.
These dedicated followings are usually relatively small and pertain to items that don't have broad mainstream appeal.
"Cult following" is also used to describe the more obsessive fans of established mainstream performers. For example, many persons have been interested in Michael Jackson's music or in Disney films, but some fans take their interest to extreme levels, hoarding vast amounts of collectibles. Some such "cult fans" occasionally veer into obsessive-compulsive behaviors or stalking; however, cult followings do not necessitate that individuals partake in such activities. And in such cases like (for example) Marilyn Manson, Tori Amos, Sublime, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa, U2, Prince, Green Day, Dave Matthews Band, and Pink Floyd, though these bands and artists have millions of fans and are practically a household name, there are certain intensely devoted fans who know about every song on every album as opposed to just the songs that receive airplay. These fans may buy imports and other rare items pertaining to the bands; often they were into the bands before they became mainstream. The Grateful Dead are the epitome of a cult band; their fans are called Deadheads.
Cult followings establish their own canons and cherish the notion of cult classics, which are individual items with cult followings. Cult followings are usually generated through a film or television show having targeted a particular genre, such as fantasy, sci-fi, comedy or horror, but other types of films or TV series can produce a cult following as well.
Cult followings are prevalent in pop culture, which is produced through identification of sources to be made objects of dedication or even obsession from the figures of both elite and pop culture. Thus, the objects of cult followings are found among the following figures of pop and "high" culture: writers, such as Yukio Mishima, J.K. Rowling, H. P. Lovecraft, J.D. Salinger, Simone de Beauvoir and perhaps most famously, J.R.R. Tolkien; composers like Erik Satie or Edgard Varèse; and performers, like Maria Callas, Ferenc Fricsay, Wilhelm Furtwangler or Magda Olivero.
Cult band
A cult band is a term often used to describe a rock and roll band with a dedicated base of fans whose appreciation of the band goes beyond merely enjoying their music.
Cult bands often have a unique conception or musical style which has led to their cult status. It is this uniqueness which sets the band apart from others and which fans find attractive. This also has prevented some cult bands from achieving wider success, as some cult bands are known for experimentation or musical styles outside of mainstream tastes. Often, cult bands are no longer performing and recording, but continue to have a following. Indeed, a band such as the Ramones show the following today can be larger than when the band was still together.
Specific musical styles may also have a cult following of the entire subgenre, including ambient music, comedy rock, experimental music, industrial music, intelligent dance music, hardcore punk, heavy metal, jam rock, japanoise, math rock, nintendocore, noise music, noise rock, outsider music, progressive rock, psychedelic music, ska, wizard rock, surf music and theme music.
Cult fiction
Cult fiction is a term used to denote literature that has attracted a cult following.
Literature that tends to attract a cult following include banned books, transgressive fiction, controversial books, erotic literature and genre fiction.
There are three main categories of cult fiction.
- Books that attract a cult following after being published in a different medium - e.g. TV; Film. Examples include Red Dwarf and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
- Books that expand or 'spin-off' from another medium. Examples include the Doctor Who novels and toys.
- Books that attract a cult following in their own right. These appear to arise less frequently than cult followings in other media.
Closely related are writers that may attract a cult following. Examples may include Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, Jane Austen, and Tom Robbins.
Cult figure
A cult figure or cult icon is a person who attracts the attention of a small band of aficionados. Some cult figures are well-known to the general public (Christopher Walken, Chuck Norris, Samuel L. Jackson, Christian Bale, Edward Norton, John Bunnell) while others are mostly obscure outside of a subculture (Bruce Campbell, Ed Wood Jr., Matt Pike, Mitch Hedberg, Robert Cohen, Valérie Allain[1], Vanessa Duriès). The notoriety of cult figures may be contrasted with that of pop icons.
In most of the cases, the work of a cult figure is unusual or exists outside current trends in his or her field. Thus, his or her appeal is limited to only a small group.
Although most cult figures are artists and entertainers who are genuinely recognized for their talent, others gain a following mostly for strange behavior (Wesley Willis, Ellen Feiss) or particularly memorable 15 minutes of fame (William Hung, Clara Peller, Darva Conger).
Who is a cult figure?
The term cult figure is difficult to define and different people may or may not qualify as cult figures by different standards.
The term usually refers to someone who is admired by a small group of fans and not by the general public or at least not for the same reasons he or she is admired by the general public. For example, Christopher Walken and Crispin Glover are both known for their acting abilities to the general public, but to their cult followings Walken is better known for his recognizable mannerisms and Glover for his strange behavior and distinctive poetry. Actor Bruce Campbell, best known for his starring roles in the Evil Dead movies, a notable cult film series, has become a major cult figure, especially in Sci-Fi circles.
The term usually does not refer to a person who is both a widely celebrated figure in culture at large and the object of the acute interest of many dedicated fans, such as Neil Young, Richey James Edwards, Buckethead, Johnny Cash, Syd Barrett, Glenn Gould, Gary Glitter (until his convictions for Pedophillia in the late 1990's), Marilyn Monroe, or George Lucas. The term also usually does not refer to a widely significant figure who is particularly important to a subculture, such as Judy Garland, Cher, George Michael, Boy George, and Madonna in gay culture or John Lennon, Phish, and Bob Marley in hippie and neo-hippie culture.
In some cases, a cult following is so large or so infamous that the figure becomes a household name. Examples include the British rock band Feeder, 1960's band The Doors (in the UK at least, unlike in their homeland), Jimmy Buffett, Bruce Lee, and Elvira. Still these people are usually considered cult figures because a relatively small group of fans are responsible for their fame.
Cult film
Cult film is a colloquial term for a film that has acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of fans. Often, cult movies have not achieved fame outside of this small group (however, there are a few exceptions.) Some cult movies have gone on to transcend their original cult status and have become recognized as classics, others are of the "so bad it's good" variety, and are destined to remain in obscurity. Some examples are horror films such as Freaks, Little Shop of Horrors, Carnival of Souls, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Evil Dead. Other cult film examples include A Clockwork Orange, The Crow, Trainspotting, Pulp Fiction, Blade Runner, Donnie Darko, Soylent Green, Boondock Saints, The Big Lebowski, Office Space, Clerks, and Blue Velvet.
Cult television
Cult television, like cult figures, cult film and cult radio, attracts a band of aficionados or appreciators, known as a cult following, devoted to a specific television series or fictional universe.
Although some cult TV series are longer-lasting science fiction, fantasy or horror shows such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess, Star Trek, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Invader Zim, Code Lyoko, Stargate SG-1, Doctor Who, Futurama, seaQuest DSV, The X-Files, Charmed, Lost, Heroes, Supernatural, The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, many pilots or short-lived shows such as Veronica Mars, American Gothic', My So-Called Life, Arrested Development, Fawlty Towers, The Paul Daniels Magic Show, Fastlane, Firefly, Lookwell, Twin Peaks, Dark Skies, Millennium, TV Funhouse, Strangers with Candy, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Mr. Show with Bob and David, Freaks and Geeks, and Invasion have also developed strong followings. A "cult" show can also be from the genres of drama, action adventure, animation, comedy, and children's series.
Some cult shows are considered "underground" such as the hard to find show The Sleep of Reason[2] which has only a web presence as a guide or "Wolf Lake" which runs sporadically on the Sci-Fi Channel
What exactly makes something a "cult" is widely debated. Some popular and strongly interconnected definitions are:
- A genre, covering all series that play with widely held beliefs and perceptions. This covers most shows in genres like science fiction, fantasy fiction, horror fiction and some forms of sitcom (especially most forms of British comedy). Most adult animation series (like much anime) are included.
- Any series that has a strong loyal audience that thinks a lot about the show, especially the world in which it is set. Such shows generally have a much higher than average level of intensity. Most such programmes are of the "cult" genre. This interest and support by fans is seen by some as being similar to religions and cults, hence the term. An example of this is Monty Python's Flying Circus. This may also include quoting the show in question as an inside joke amongst its followers.
- Any fictional series made for television that encourages its viewers to do more than just sit and watch it. This can be in the form of interacting, debating and partying with other fans, either via conventions or online communities, or through activities such as writing series-related fiction, costume creation, replica prop and model building, or creating their own audio or video productions based around the formats and characters. This is the definition of choice of Cult TV[3], a group of appreciators who are also the owners of the Registered Trademark "Cult TV" in the UK.
- Any series that has achieved a moderate level of popularity, but not a large one. This is what is usually meant when a series is said to have "achieved cult status". Even if a group of people agree on this definition of "cult status", arguments on a show's status within this type are common as the "moderate" band has two highly subjective borders. Arrested Development or Quigley's Village, are an example of this.
- Any unpopular or obscure series. This definition encompasses the fourth one, but also includes shows with only a small level of popularity, but are usually critically acclaimed and have devoted following. This definition is also used by those conferring "cult status". It is easier to reach consensus on this definition than the other because only one subjective boundary is involved. Examples include Firefly and The Prisoner, though Firefly's development of a substantial fanbase subsequent to its cancellation (and the feature film release that followed) suggests it is no longer unpopular or obscure.
Many series that some people found strongly compelling were not hits in their original runs, and quite a few well-loved shows had only a season (or less) worth of material.
Computing
Cult computers
Many people become attached to a specific computer and platform despite their marketplace failures (marketplace success suggests mere fandom). Computers known to have large cult followings include the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A, Commodore Amiga, DEC PDP-11, and SGI Indy. The Sega Dreamcast, which is relatively easy to modify, gained a cult following as enthusiasts modified them for their own amusement. Although still very successful, and being the fastest growing computer brand over the past several years, Apple's range of Macintosh computers still have a large cult following to this day, Mac 'Fanboys' flock to sites such as TUAW, MacRumors and Mac World to express their appreciation, and fuel their passion.
Software
Recent developments
Since the late 1990s, cult shows have increasingly been available on DVD (Such as Invader ZIM), leading to many formerly niche series (such as Futurama, Metalocalypse, Family Guy and Freaks and Geeks) becoming popular as new people discover them. Cartoon Network's adult oriented "Adult Swim" programming block in the USA shows cult television quite often. Before the DVD and internet file sharing, cult shows were often much harder to obtain and spread. Success in syndication and DVD sales even influenced Fox to bring back Family Guy, and then later Futurama, a rare phenomenon in television. The DVD success of the short-lived series Firefly led to the show being followed-up with the feature film Serenity. Other creators refuse to release DVDs into the mainstream as it may be a threat to the cult status of a show (such as The Bronx Bunny Show).
The internet has also been instrumental in growing TV series cults through inter-fan communication. Previously, a cult required enough people to support local clubs, conventions and book publishing to raise fan communications beyond the monthly newsletter level. Now many fans communicate daily with others about the series they are fans of. They can access vast stores of information on websites, even if there are only a few dozen people worldwide interested in a show.
The internet is also increasingly a platform for publishing cult shows. Programs like Happy Tree Friends and Queer Duck both went from online hobbies to broadcast cult TV. Others like Homestar Runner are immensely popular without any traditional TV presence.
As it has become easier to make, distribute and promote TV shows, there has been a correlated increase in material of very modest support. This correlation is partially explained by the Long Tail theory. According to the theory, if these shows become yet easier to create and access, we will see yet more niche programming produced, and mainstream material will eventually make up a substantially lower proportion of all viewership.
See also
References
- ^ http://radioanyway.org/pastshows/show46.html Internet Radio program on Allain dated 11-19-05, entitled Cults
- ^ http://www.thesleepofreason.com
- ^ www.Cult.TV - The Official Cult TV Magazine
