This week in class we watched Galaxy Quest and learned a lot about U&G theory. I found it very interesting to go over the key needs of gratification; Cognitive, affective, personal integration and tension free needs. This conversation that we had in class on Monday made me very reflective of my own needs, thinking about what I actually needed versus what society tells me that I need or want. Social media not only uses and expands on these needs but it convinces us of new needs that may be completely unnecessary.

A big focus of this week was fandoms, to expand and explore this idea of fandom and fans we watched Galaxy Quest. I thought that this movie was very well done and I was very intrigued when it was the fans came to the rescue at the end. I believe that this was genius writing because it was an ending that so many people and fans of anything could connect aspire and dream about helping their heroes, even if they may not be real.

People often desire another life, at least for a moment, I think that the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side” if very true and that people need to dream of different possibilities that may or may not be possible, this is one of the bog reasons that fandoms are so big, fans can put themselves into their favorite movie, television or comics and imagine what that world could be like.

There is also a group dynamic to Fandoms that is very strong, we watched a Ted talk at the beginning of the week which told the story of the women who before the internet thought that she was the only woman star was fan in the world, this shows how the internet can bring people of all sort of groups, not just fans, together and although them to connect and feel heard by similar minded people. In class, you were talking about how you met a group of people who “could finish your sentences” and how amazing that feeling is to be with a group of people that are so like-minded and understand your passion for something completely.

I too had this experience over the summer where I had an incredible oppirtunity to go to a pottery workshop in Wisconson with potters of all ages from all over the world. This was so amazing becuase even though we had such differnt expiremntces, we all got along incredibly well and understood each others passion for cermics in a way that nobody esle could. (picture on the left is me loading the Anagama kiln full of our work)

-Grace Hanlon