Jessica Bay | York University (original) (raw)

Papers by Jessica Bay

Animal Heroes, Villains and Others: The Narrative Functions of Strange and Familiar Creatures in Film and Television, edited by Karin Beeler and Stan Beeler, Lexington Books, 2022

Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (2014, 2017, 2023 expected) constellates around a figu... more Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (2014, 2017, 2023 expected) constellates around a figure characterized by juvenile, dismissive, and reck-
less masculinity deeply invested in nostalgia that thrives within the universe
the films depict and explore. Here, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) exists as the only
‟human” character, and his Terran/Earth heritage marks him as distinctly
alien. Because of this, the (Terran) audience is encouraged to both identify
with and situate him as both an individual immersed in a galaxy of Otherness
and as the leader of a group of flawed ‟others.” This positionality encour-
ages a conversation constellating around the concepts of human and alien in
which the ‟human” is defined through the actions, sentiments, and belong-
ings of Peter Quill and the ‟alien” exists as almost anything else. With this
in mind, the earthly and problematic dichotomy between human and animal
is extended out into the galaxy so that the term ‟animal,” as with geographer
Yi-Fu Tuan’s conception of “pet,” incorporates multiple forms of aliens—
women, animals, and plants.1
In this chapter, we will discuss the portrayal of significant nonhuman
characters within the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (hereafter GotGV.1
and GotGV.2) with a focus on three aliens from Star-Lord’s menagerie: the
warrior woman, Gamora (Zoe Saldana); the laboratory animal, Rocket Rac-
coon (Bradley Cooper, voice); and the sentient plant, Groot (Vin Diesel,
voice), in relation to their status as Quill’s ‟pets” and companions. These
characterizations will be discussed through their changing relationships with
the objects, individuals, and collectives present within the morally gray con-
structed galaxy that they inhabit and in relation to archetypal animal figures
with Northrop Frye’s Romance Mythos.

Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, 2024

This piece explores commonly held adult beliefs about young people’s play and challenges some of ... more This piece explores commonly held adult beliefs about young people’s play and challenges some of these ideas through published research and examples from child and youth participatory fan cultures. We begin this piece by examining some of these misconceptions and myths, primarily the ideas that children’s play is in decline, that children’s play is trivial and non-productive, that popular culture reduces children’s desire to play, and that children are no longer creating their own cultural artifacts (Small 259). Challenging these assumptions, we discuss the ways that children and youth engage in three participatory fan activities—writing fanfiction, creating fan videos, and participating in cosplay—drawing on examples from a range of popular youth fandoms including Harry Potter, Girl Meets World, Percy Jackson, The Avengers, Monster High, and The Hunger Games.

The Journal of Fandom Studies

Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historica... more Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historically much of fandom was situated in the position of counterpublic as fans not only were placed on the outskirts by others but also actively participated in acts that ran counter to the mainstream reading and consumption of media content. Current media fans of popular American franchises, however, are often courted by corporations and those with the power to influence the mainstream. There is an interest in the types of transformative practices in which fans engage. In actively seeking these audience members and their practices, corporations are forcing these groups into a more public position while helping to shift the types of activities that are considered part of fandom. Essentially, by bringing ‘desirable’ and ‘affirmational’ media fans into the mainstream, corporations are reorganizing them as publics in terms of their position within society, and this shift could contribute to a cha...

Journal of Radio & Audio Media

Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and ... more Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Golden Age of Radio.

The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 2015

Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part... more Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part of the decision making process for Hollywood studios and producers. This thesis indicates that sequels are not homogenous groups of films, as they are often considered, but offer a variety of story construction and utilize a variety of production methods. Three types of blockbuster sequel sets are identified and discussed in this thesis. The Traditional Blockbuster Sequel Set, as exemplified by Back to the Future (1985, 1989, 1990) films, is the most conventional type of sequel set and capitalizes on the winning formula of the first film in the franchise. The MultiMedia Sequel Set, such as The Matrix (1999,2003) trilogy, allows the user/viewer to experience and consume the story as well as the world of the film through many different media. The Lord a/the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003) set of films is an illustration of The Saga Sequel Set where plot lines are continuous over the entire franc...

Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an establ... more Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an established work of fiction in order to rework this material. This thesis examines the relationship between fanfiction and digital self-publication within the popular fiction genre of urban fantasy. Emerging technologies in digital publishing have created a new world for authors and readers alike. Online publishing companies make it possible for any author to self-publish an ebook and distribute it through a global platform without an agent. The practice of writing fanfiction connected with urban fantasy has combined with the relative ease of digital self-publication to create an environment within which many new authors can explore non-traditional forms of publication. While all genres have access to this possibility, I suggest that urban fantasy is one of the few that is poised to revolutionise the publication industry due to its historical connection with digital fanfiction.

Journal of Fandom Studies, 2020

Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historica... more Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historically much of fandom was situated in the position of counterpublic as fans not only were placed on the outskirts by others but also actively participated in acts that ran counter to the mainstream reading and consumption of media content. Current media fans of popular American franchises, however, are often courted by corporations and those with the power to influence the mainstream. There is an interest in the types of transformative practices in which fans engage. In actively seeking these audience members and their practices, corporations are forcing these groups into a more public position while helping to shift the types of activities that are considered part of fandom. Essentially, by bringing ‘desirable’ and ‘affirmational’ media fans into the mainstream, corporations are reorganizing them as publics in terms of their position within society, and this shift could contribute to a change in what it means to be a media fan.

Flow: A Critical Forum on Media and Culture, 2018

The Lethbridge Journal Incubator is a joint project of the University of Lethbridge Library, Sch... more The Lethbridge Journal Incubator is a joint project of the University of Lethbridge Library, School of Graduate Studies, and Faculty of Arts and Science. Its goal is to address the issue of the sustainability of gold open access journals by aligning the publication process with the educational and research missions of the public University. In this way, the open access publication, which is more commonly understood as a cost center that draws resources away from a host university's core missions, is transformed into a sustainable, high-impact resource that improves retention and recruitment. It does this by providing graduate students with early experience with scholarly publishing (a proven contributor to in- and post-program student satisfaction and career success), highly-sought after research and technical skills, and project management experience. This article provides a background to the problem of financing gold open access publication and reports on the experience of the researchers responsible for establishing the incubator as it leaves its experimental phase and becomes a center of the University.

Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an establ... more Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an established work of fiction in order to rework this material. This thesis examines the relationship between fanfiction and digital self-publication within the popular fiction genre of urban fantasy. Emerging technologies in digital publishing have created a new world for authors and readers alike. Online publishing companies make it possible for any author to self-publish an ebook and distribute it through a global platform without an agent.
The practice of writing fanfiction connected with urban fantasy has combined with the relative ease of digital self-publication to create an environment within which many new authors can explore non-traditional forms of publication. While all genres have access to this possibility, I suggest that urban fantasy is one of the few that is poised to revolutionise the publication industry due to its historical connection with digital fanfiction. (Master's Thesis)

Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part... more Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part of the decision making process for Hollywood studios and producers. This thesis indicates that sequels are not homogenous groups of films, as they are often considered, but offer a variety of story construction and utilize a variety of production methods. Three types of blockbuster sequel sets are identified and discussed in this thesis. The Traditional Blockbuster Sequel Set, as exemplified by Back to the Future (1985, 1989, 1990) films, is the most conventional type of sequel set and capitalizes on the winning formula of the first film in the franchise. The Multi-Media Sequel Set, such as The Matrix (1999Matrix ( ,2003 trilogy, allows the user/viewer to experience and consume the story as well as the world of the film through many different media. The Lord a/the Rings (2001Rings ( , 2002Rings ( , 2003 set of films is an illustration of The Saga Sequel Set where plot lines are continuous over the entire franchise thus allowing the viewer to see the entire set as a unified work. The thesis also demonstrates how the blockbuster sequel sets, such as the Pirates a/the Caribbean (2003Caribbean ( , 2006Caribbean ( , 2007 franchise, restructure the production process of the Hollywood film industry. 15 18 31 38 47 54 66 85 89 94

Book Reviews by Jessica Bay

Digital Studies/Le champ numérique

TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies

Projections: The Journal for Movies and Minds, 2021

Review of Smith's Storytelling Industries (2018).

Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 2017

Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Gold... more Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Golden Age of Radio.

Talks by Jessica Bay

Calgary Expo 2014 panel on Ender's Game. A consideration of Ender in his role as a hero and a chi... more Calgary Expo 2014 panel on Ender's Game. A consideration of Ender in his role as a hero and a child. This presentation makes use of Northrop Frye's Romance Mythos to ground the definition of hero.

In this video I discuss my experience using data visualization to guide my research on fanfiction.

Animal Heroes, Villains and Others: The Narrative Functions of Strange and Familiar Creatures in Film and Television, edited by Karin Beeler and Stan Beeler, Lexington Books, 2022

Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (2014, 2017, 2023 expected) constellates around a figu... more Disney’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (2014, 2017, 2023 expected) constellates around a figure characterized by juvenile, dismissive, and reck-
less masculinity deeply invested in nostalgia that thrives within the universe
the films depict and explore. Here, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) exists as the only
‟human” character, and his Terran/Earth heritage marks him as distinctly
alien. Because of this, the (Terran) audience is encouraged to both identify
with and situate him as both an individual immersed in a galaxy of Otherness
and as the leader of a group of flawed ‟others.” This positionality encour-
ages a conversation constellating around the concepts of human and alien in
which the ‟human” is defined through the actions, sentiments, and belong-
ings of Peter Quill and the ‟alien” exists as almost anything else. With this
in mind, the earthly and problematic dichotomy between human and animal
is extended out into the galaxy so that the term ‟animal,” as with geographer
Yi-Fu Tuan’s conception of “pet,” incorporates multiple forms of aliens—
women, animals, and plants.1
In this chapter, we will discuss the portrayal of significant nonhuman
characters within the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise (hereafter GotGV.1
and GotGV.2) with a focus on three aliens from Star-Lord’s menagerie: the
warrior woman, Gamora (Zoe Saldana); the laboratory animal, Rocket Rac-
coon (Bradley Cooper, voice); and the sentient plant, Groot (Vin Diesel,
voice), in relation to their status as Quill’s ‟pets” and companions. These
characterizations will be discussed through their changing relationships with
the objects, individuals, and collectives present within the morally gray con-
structed galaxy that they inhabit and in relation to archetypal animal figures
with Northrop Frye’s Romance Mythos.

Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, 2024

This piece explores commonly held adult beliefs about young people’s play and challenges some of ... more This piece explores commonly held adult beliefs about young people’s play and challenges some of these ideas through published research and examples from child and youth participatory fan cultures. We begin this piece by examining some of these misconceptions and myths, primarily the ideas that children’s play is in decline, that children’s play is trivial and non-productive, that popular culture reduces children’s desire to play, and that children are no longer creating their own cultural artifacts (Small 259). Challenging these assumptions, we discuss the ways that children and youth engage in three participatory fan activities—writing fanfiction, creating fan videos, and participating in cosplay—drawing on examples from a range of popular youth fandoms including Harry Potter, Girl Meets World, Percy Jackson, The Avengers, Monster High, and The Hunger Games.

The Journal of Fandom Studies

Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historica... more Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historically much of fandom was situated in the position of counterpublic as fans not only were placed on the outskirts by others but also actively participated in acts that ran counter to the mainstream reading and consumption of media content. Current media fans of popular American franchises, however, are often courted by corporations and those with the power to influence the mainstream. There is an interest in the types of transformative practices in which fans engage. In actively seeking these audience members and their practices, corporations are forcing these groups into a more public position while helping to shift the types of activities that are considered part of fandom. Essentially, by bringing ‘desirable’ and ‘affirmational’ media fans into the mainstream, corporations are reorganizing them as publics in terms of their position within society, and this shift could contribute to a cha...

Journal of Radio & Audio Media

Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and ... more Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Golden Age of Radio.

The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 2015

Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part... more Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part of the decision making process for Hollywood studios and producers. This thesis indicates that sequels are not homogenous groups of films, as they are often considered, but offer a variety of story construction and utilize a variety of production methods. Three types of blockbuster sequel sets are identified and discussed in this thesis. The Traditional Blockbuster Sequel Set, as exemplified by Back to the Future (1985, 1989, 1990) films, is the most conventional type of sequel set and capitalizes on the winning formula of the first film in the franchise. The MultiMedia Sequel Set, such as The Matrix (1999,2003) trilogy, allows the user/viewer to experience and consume the story as well as the world of the film through many different media. The Lord a/the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003) set of films is an illustration of The Saga Sequel Set where plot lines are continuous over the entire franc...

Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an establ... more Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an established work of fiction in order to rework this material. This thesis examines the relationship between fanfiction and digital self-publication within the popular fiction genre of urban fantasy. Emerging technologies in digital publishing have created a new world for authors and readers alike. Online publishing companies make it possible for any author to self-publish an ebook and distribute it through a global platform without an agent. The practice of writing fanfiction connected with urban fantasy has combined with the relative ease of digital self-publication to create an environment within which many new authors can explore non-traditional forms of publication. While all genres have access to this possibility, I suggest that urban fantasy is one of the few that is poised to revolutionise the publication industry due to its historical connection with digital fanfiction.

Journal of Fandom Studies, 2020

Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historica... more Using Michael Warner’s (2002) conception of publics and counterpublics, we can see that historically much of fandom was situated in the position of counterpublic as fans not only were placed on the outskirts by others but also actively participated in acts that ran counter to the mainstream reading and consumption of media content. Current media fans of popular American franchises, however, are often courted by corporations and those with the power to influence the mainstream. There is an interest in the types of transformative practices in which fans engage. In actively seeking these audience members and their practices, corporations are forcing these groups into a more public position while helping to shift the types of activities that are considered part of fandom. Essentially, by bringing ‘desirable’ and ‘affirmational’ media fans into the mainstream, corporations are reorganizing them as publics in terms of their position within society, and this shift could contribute to a change in what it means to be a media fan.

Flow: A Critical Forum on Media and Culture, 2018

The Lethbridge Journal Incubator is a joint project of the University of Lethbridge Library, Sch... more The Lethbridge Journal Incubator is a joint project of the University of Lethbridge Library, School of Graduate Studies, and Faculty of Arts and Science. Its goal is to address the issue of the sustainability of gold open access journals by aligning the publication process with the educational and research missions of the public University. In this way, the open access publication, which is more commonly understood as a cost center that draws resources away from a host university's core missions, is transformed into a sustainable, high-impact resource that improves retention and recruitment. It does this by providing graduate students with early experience with scholarly publishing (a proven contributor to in- and post-program student satisfaction and career success), highly-sought after research and technical skills, and project management experience. This article provides a background to the problem of financing gold open access publication and reports on the experience of the researchers responsible for establishing the incubator as it leaves its experimental phase and becomes a center of the University.

Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an establ... more Fanfiction is the practice of fans writing stories using the world and/or characters of an established work of fiction in order to rework this material. This thesis examines the relationship between fanfiction and digital self-publication within the popular fiction genre of urban fantasy. Emerging technologies in digital publishing have created a new world for authors and readers alike. Online publishing companies make it possible for any author to self-publish an ebook and distribute it through a global platform without an agent.
The practice of writing fanfiction connected with urban fantasy has combined with the relative ease of digital self-publication to create an environment within which many new authors can explore non-traditional forms of publication. While all genres have access to this possibility, I suggest that urban fantasy is one of the few that is poised to revolutionise the publication industry due to its historical connection with digital fanfiction. (Master's Thesis)

Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part... more Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part of the decision making process for Hollywood studios and producers. This thesis indicates that sequels are not homogenous groups of films, as they are often considered, but offer a variety of story construction and utilize a variety of production methods. Three types of blockbuster sequel sets are identified and discussed in this thesis. The Traditional Blockbuster Sequel Set, as exemplified by Back to the Future (1985, 1989, 1990) films, is the most conventional type of sequel set and capitalizes on the winning formula of the first film in the franchise. The Multi-Media Sequel Set, such as The Matrix (1999Matrix ( ,2003 trilogy, allows the user/viewer to experience and consume the story as well as the world of the film through many different media. The Lord a/the Rings (2001Rings ( , 2002Rings ( , 2003 set of films is an illustration of The Saga Sequel Set where plot lines are continuous over the entire franchise thus allowing the viewer to see the entire set as a unified work. The thesis also demonstrates how the blockbuster sequel sets, such as the Pirates a/the Caribbean (2003Caribbean ( , 2006Caribbean ( , 2007 franchise, restructure the production process of the Hollywood film industry. 15 18 31 38 47 54 66 85 89 94

Digital Studies/Le champ numérique

TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies

Projections: The Journal for Movies and Minds, 2021

Review of Smith's Storytelling Industries (2018).

Journal of Radio & Audio Media, 2017

Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Gold... more Book Review of Cynthia B. Meyers's book A Word from Our Sponsor: Admen, Advertising, and the Golden Age of Radio.

Calgary Expo 2014 panel on Ender's Game. A consideration of Ender in his role as a hero and a chi... more Calgary Expo 2014 panel on Ender's Game. A consideration of Ender in his role as a hero and a child. This presentation makes use of Northrop Frye's Romance Mythos to ground the definition of hero.

In this video I discuss my experience using data visualization to guide my research on fanfiction.

A defining feature of life in academia is the degree to which we get to decide what is important ... more A defining feature of life in academia is the degree to which we get to decide what is important to us. In many fields there is broad agreement as to what must be taught or what the major research questions are. But there are, outside some certification requirements in the professional faculties, no provincial or national curricula we are required to follow. Likewise, in our work as researchers, we decide what topics and approaches are interesting and appropriate to pursue. We set our own research agendas and through our citation and publication patterns decide collectively what our generation considers to be the most important questions and results. Many of us end up on the editorial boards and agency panels that select the research that is to be funded and published. If we are lucky enough to be tenured, we serve on the committees that decide who our colleagues will be. Not everybody shares in this autonomy, of course, including a growing number of adjunct faculty. And even for those of us who do share in it, a few brilliant exceptions aside, the exercise of our freedom is constrained by our need to work within the consensus we have helped establish. But for the most part the working lives of tenured researchers and teachers, at the very least, are marked by a remarkable degree of autonomy.

The National Post, 2021

Why should we let Google and Facebook decide which news is valuable to us, the public? Considerin... more Why should we let Google and Facebook decide which news is valuable to us, the public? Considering the role of 'Big Tech' and government regulation in Canada given recent (2021) moves by Google and Facebook to reject regulation in Australia.

Excalibur: York University's Community Newspaper, 2014

Discussion of the pairing of John Watson and Sherlock Holmes as one of the earliest slash pairing... more Discussion of the pairing of John Watson and Sherlock Holmes as one of the earliest slash pairings in fanfiction, though before "slash" or fan fiction were defined. Publication for University Newspaper's Queer Special Section.

Excalibur: York University's Community Newspaper, 2014

Introduction to the idea of The Hawkeye Initiative for University Newspaper's Queer Special Secti... more Introduction to the idea of The Hawkeye Initiative for University Newspaper's Queer Special Section.

Next Projection, 2015

Review of the fourth episode of the first season of the The Librarians (2014-2018), "And Santa's ... more Review of the fourth episode of the first season of the The Librarians (2014-2018), "And Santa's Midnight Run" for the Christmas Advent Calendar series on Next Projection's Television section.

University of Calgary Press, 2024

A collection of critical discussions of the Netflix Marvel adaptation Jessica Jones. Jessica Jon... more A collection of critical discussions of the Netflix Marvel adaptation Jessica Jones.

Jessica Jones made her first Marvel Comics appearance in Alias #1, November 2001, and went on to star in three ongoing series. In 2015 the Netflix adaptation Jessica Jones premiered to positive reviews. Following the scarred and superpowered titular character as she struggled to run a private detective agency and face her past, the show ran for three seasons and received a Hugo Award, a Peabody Award, and a Creative Arts Emmy.

Diverging the Popular, Gender and Trauma AKA The Jessica Jones Anthology brings together a diverse group of scholars to explore the evolving depiction of the superheroine as embodied in both Jessica Jones and in the series. Contributors draw on trauma-informed study, lived experience, feminist approaches, cultural studies, and more to present multifaceted analyses. Specifically addressing survivorship, trauma, masculinities, and militarization, this book makes space for conversations that recognize the diverse, multi-layered narratives and complex, sometimes contradictory depictions presented by the show.

Taking Jessica Jones as part of an evolving depiction of the superheroine, this anthology focuses not only on the content of the television series but female superheroes more broadly. It recognizes and critically discusses gendered and racialized roles and spaces, the changing expectations of fans, and the places in which media industries and fans interact. Connecting Jessica Jones to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is a thoughtful and thorough study of a ground-breaking character and boundary-pushing show.