‘Lizzie’s story felt like home’: Narrative intimacy in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries fandom | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Volume 9, Issue 3
  • ISSN: 2046-6692
  • E-ISSN: 2046-6706

Abstract

In 2012, () began to reimagine Austen’s beloved novel, , for the twenty-first century by conveying the narrative through multiple digital media platforms. centred on a series of YouTube video diaries ostensibly uploaded by Lizzie Bennet, a 20-something graduate student. The narrative eventually expanded to include four complementary YouTube channels, thirteen interconnected Twitter feeds, Tumblr posts, Facebook profiles and numerous social media interactions and ‘conversations’ between the narrative’s characters and its fans. One of the key features of was how the narrative actively invited fans and readers to participate and interact with the characters through its multiple media platforms, providing fans with the sense that their contributions to the narrative mattered and creating what Sarah K. Day has termed ‘narrative intimacy’. According to Day, texts with narrative intimacy ‘reflect, model, and reimagine intimate interpersonal relationships through the disclosure of information and the experience of the story as a space that the narrator invites the reader to share’. This article explores how used the interactive and participatory functions of YouTube, Twitter and Tumblr to create a deeply immersive narrative experience for fans and how that immersion helped contribute to the development of ’s narrative intimacy through the use of Lizzie and Lydia as vulnerable narrators. Drawing on results from the author’s mixed-methods survey of fans, this article highlights the lasting affective attachment fans have to the narrative and how their experience reinforced their connection to Austen’s original novel.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship from the Irish Research Council (Award GOIPG/2016/148)
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jfs_00046_1
2021-09-01
2024-03-28
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abidin, C.. ( 2015;), ‘ Communicative ❤ intimacies: Influencers and perceived interconnectedness. ’, Ada: A Journal of Gender, New Media and Technology, 8, https://adanewmedia.org/2015/11/issue8-abidin/. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Biel, J.,, Aran, O., and Gatica-Perez, D.. ( 2011;), ‘ You are known by how you vlog: Personality impressions and nonverbal behavior in YouTube. ’, Proceedings of the Fifth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, 17–21 July, pp. 44649.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Biel, J., and Gatica-Perez, D.. ( 2011;), ‘ VlogSense: Conversational behavior and social attention in YouTube. ’, ACM Transactions on Multimedia Computing, Communications, and Applications, 7S:1, pp. 121.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Buenneke, K.. ( 2014;), ‘ Why Emma Approved didn’t work as well as The Lizzie Bennet Diaries did. ’, LA Weekly, 7 April, https://www.laweekly.com/arts/why-emma-approved-didnt-work-as-well-as-the-lizzie-bennet-diaries-did-4499200. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Chambers, D.. ( 2013), Social Media and Personal Relationships: Online Intimacies and Networked Friendship, New York:: Palgrave Macmillan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Chandler, D., and Munday, R.. (eds) ( 2016;), ‘ Network sampling. ’, in A Dictionary of Social Media, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780191803093.001.0001/acref-9780191803093?rskey=6IYhB8&result=5. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Cooper, C.. ( 2014;), ‘ Lizzie Bennet Diaries book to be released on July 1st, 2014. ’, Pemberley Digital, 30 January, https://www.pemberleydigital.com/lizzie-bennet-diaries-book-to-be-released-on-july-1st-2014/. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Cooper, C.. ( 2015;), ‘ The epic adventures of Lydia Bennet: Now coming fall 2015. ’, Pemberley Digital, 21 January, https://www.pemberleydigital.com/the-epic-adventures-of-lydia-bennet-now-coming-fall-2015/. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Dabek, M.. ( 2017;), ‘ The Lizzie Bennet Diaries reader survey anonymised data. ’, unpublished, https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/12635/. Accessed 7 March 2022.
  10. Day, S. K.. ( 2013), Reading Like a Girl: Narrative Intimacy in Contemporary American Young Adult Literature, Jackson, MS:: University Press of Mississippi;.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Ekman, P.. ( 2003), Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication and Emotional Life, New York:: Henry Holt and Company;.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Fergus, J.. ( 2006;), ‘ The professional woman writer. ’, in E. Copeland, and J. McMaster. (eds), The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 1231.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Green, H.. ( 2012;), ‘ Hank Green ask me anything. ’, Reddit, 25 November, https://www.reddit.com/r/LizzieBennet/comments/13rx7y/i_am_hank_green_cocreator_executive_producer_and/. Accessed 2 February 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Green, H., and Su, B.. ( 2012;), ‘ The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. ’, Pemberley Digital, https://www.pemberleydigital.com/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries/. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Hamby, A.,, Brinberg, D., and Jaccard, J.. ( 2016;), ‘ A conceptual framework of narrative persuasion. ’, Journal of Media Psychology, 30:3, pp. 11324, https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000187. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Horton, D., and Wohl, R. R.. ( 1979;), ‘ Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observation on intimacy at a distance. ’, in G. Gumpert, and R. Cathcart. (eds), Inter/Media: Interpersonal Communication in a Media World, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;, pp. 3255.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Jenkins, H.. ( 2007;), ‘ Transmedia storytelling 101. ’, Confessions of an Aca-Fan, 21 March, https://henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Jenkins, H.. ( 2011;), ‘ Transmedia 202: Further reflections. ’, Confessions of an Aca-Fan, 31 July, https://henryjenkins.org/blog/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Johnson, C. L.. ( 2006;), ‘ Austen cults and cultures. ’, in E. Copeland, and J. McMaster. (eds), The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 23247.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Kiefer, J.. ( 2008;), ‘ Anatomy of a Janeite: Results from The Jane Austen Survey 2008. ’, Persuasions On-Line: A Publication of the Jane Austen Society of North America, 29:1, https://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol29no1/kiefer.html. Accessed 13 February 2022.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Kuznetsova, E.. ( 2014;), ‘ Social network services as fiction generating platforms and the rise of social media fiction. ’, in A. Rospigliosi, and S. Greener. (eds), Proceedings of the European Conference on Social Media, University of Brighton, Brighton, 10–11 July, Reading:: Academic Conferences and Publishing International, Ltd;, pp. 27176.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Lancer, D.. ( 2017;), ‘ The truth about abusers, abuse, and what to do. ’, Psychology Today, 6 June, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/toxic-relationships/201706/the-truth-about-abusers-abuse-and-what-do. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2012a;), ‘ My name is Lizzie Bennet – Ep: 1. ’, YouTube, 9 April, https://youtu.be/KisuGP2lcPs. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2012b;), ‘ The green bean gelatin plan – Ep: 19. ’, YouTube, 11 June, https://youtu.be/ce_URjhJ3Xs. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2012c;), ‘ Care packages – Ep: 58. ’, YouTube, 25 October, https://youtu.be/LuPegu56xrY. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2012d;), ‘ Are you kidding me! – Ep: 60. ’, YouTube, 1 November, https://youtu.be/cZqL4ux1Yq0. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2012e;), ‘ Letter analysis – Ep: 62. ’, YouTube, 8 November, https://youtu.be/QTS60Gll1HQ. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2013;), ‘ Lydia responds. ’, Pemberley Digital, 28 January, https://www.pemberleydigital.com/lydia-responds/. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ( 2015;), ‘ Press. ’, Pemberley Digital, https://www.pemberleydigital.com/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries/the-lizzie-bennet-diaries-2/. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. Looser, D.. ( 2013;), ‘ The cult of Pride and Prejudice and its author. ’, in J. Todd. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Pride and Prejudice, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;, pp. 17485.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. Looser, D.. ( 2017), The Making of Jane Austen, Baltimore, MD:: Johns Hopkins University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. The Lydia Bennet ( 2012a;), ‘ About a boy – Ep: 2. ’, YouTube, 17 July, https://youtu.be/97RGpx08RXA. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. The Lydia Bennet ( 2012b;), ‘ Babysitting – Ep: 5. ’, YouTube, 27 July, https://youtu.be/gG3gd0mPnL8. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. The Lydia Bennet ( 2012c;), ‘ Dear Lizzie. ’, YouTube, 19 December, https://youtu.be/ryXOrkSkaeQ. Accessed 11 June 2018.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. The Lydia Bennet ( 2012d;), ‘ Runaway – Ep: 13. ’, YouTube, 30 October, https://youtu.be/pDvAdXGGms0. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. The Lydia Bennet ( 2012e;), ‘ Vegas, bitches!! – Ep: 20. ’, YouTube, 28 December, https://youtu.be/NL6rSVCTXAo. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. The Lydia Bennet ( 2013a;), ‘ Mistakes – Ep: 23. ’, YouTube, 8 January, https://youtu.be/h2EVPhyT5KY. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. The Lydia Bennet ( 2013b;), ‘ Good enough – Ep: 29. ’, YouTube, 29 January, https://youtu.be/I_uoHtpH-CY. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  39. McNutt, M.. ( 2013;), ‘ Lydia, legacy, and the end of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. ’, Cultural Learnings, 28 March, https://cultural-learnings.com/2013/03/28/lydia-legacy-and-the-end-of-the-lizzie-bennet-diaries/. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  40. Page, R.. ( 2013;), ‘ Seriality and storytelling in social media. ’, StoryWorlds, 5:1, pp. 3154, https://doi.org/10.1353/stw.2013.0007. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Papacharissi, Z.. ( 2014), Affective Publics, Oxford:: Oxford University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  42. Poletick, R.. ( 2013;), ‘ How The Lizzie Bennet Diaries won over an audience and the Emmys jury. ’, Yahoo! TV Emmys Blog, 22 August, https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/emmys/how--the-lizzie-bennet-diaries--won-over-an-audience-and-the-emmys-jury-235634599.html. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  43. Rivkin, D.. ( 2017;), ‘ Celebrating The Lizzie Bennet Diaries 5 year anniversary!. ’, Pemberley Digital, 21 March, https://www.pemberleydigital.com/celebrating-the-lizzie-bennet-diaries-5-year-anniversary/. Accessed 5 August 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Rose, F.. ( 2011;), ‘ The art of immersion. ’, Frank Rose: Digital Anthropologist, 11 March, https://www.frankrose.com/the-art-of-immersion.html. Accessed 21 January 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Rose, F.. ( 2012), The Art of Immersion, New York:: W. W. Norton & Company;.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. Ryan, M.-L.. ( 2009;), ‘ From narrative games to playable stories: Toward a poetics of interactive narrative. ’, StoryWorlds: A Journal of Narrative Studies, 1:1, pp. 4359.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. Ryan, M.-L.. ( 2013;), ‘ Transmedial storytelling and transfictionality. ’, Poetics Today, 34:3, pp. 36188.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. Ryan, M.-L.. ( 2015;), ‘ Transmedia storytelling: Industry buzzword or narrative experience. ’, StoryWorlds, 7:2, pp. 119.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Stein, L.. ( 2016;), ‘ The digital literary fangirl network: Representing fannishness in the transmedia web series. ’, in L. Bennett, and P. Booth. (eds), Seeing Fans: Representations of Fandom in Media and Popular Culture, New York:: Bloomsbury Academic;, pp. 16980.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Tepper, A.. ( 2015;), ‘ Lizzie in real life: Social and narrative immersion through transmedia in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. ’, Film Matters, 6:1, Spring, pp. 4550.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Werner, E. A.. ( 2012;), ‘ Rants, reactions, and other rhetorics: Genres of the YouTube vlog. ’, Ph.D. thesis, Chapel Hill, NC:: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill;.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Dabek, Meredith. ( 2021;), ‘ “Lizzie’s story felt like home”: Narrative intimacy in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries fandom. ’, Journal of Fandom Studies, 9:3, pp. 30119, https://doi.org/10.1386/jfs_00046_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jfs_00046_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/jfs_00046_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): fan studies; fandoms; immersion; Jane Austen; narrative; social media
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error