Ecosystem: a large community of living organisms that live in an interconnected network in a symbiotic, balanced relationship to each other.

Looked at scientifically, TV fandoms are ecosystems. They are vibrant, colorful, dynamic communities that connect individuals across time and geography into an ever-changing, adaptive network. Like all ecosystems, they are symbiotic: fans derive energy from the TV show they love, which they then reflect back into the system. The show and the actresses associated with it absorb this fan energy and channel it into further production in an iterative feedback cycle. Or to use a different analogy, the fan-show relationship is like a fire on a cold day: the more wood fans pile on, the hotter the fire burns, and the warmer they get. As a music fan recently noted, fans are essential to the success of a project, but fandoms take that success to stratospheric levels.

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