University Honors

This project takes a critical look at online fandom communities and the individuals thatinhabit them, specifically taking a look at the American Girl doll online community on YouTube,also known by its inhabitants as “AGTube”. This community, primarily composed of young girlsmaking YouTube videos with their American Girl dolls, is an example of how fandom coincideswith artistic creation. Thus, this research goes into depth on the intersection of fandom and art,and what it means for the individuals, in this case young people, who inhabit these types offandoms. My research will chronicle the existence of this community, going back to the originsof the American Girl company, to the height of the community’s online presence, in addition toproviding a textual analysis of the content created. By documenting each point in this fandom’shistory, as well as the creative projects produced by the community, this project seeks tocritically understand where, how, and why the fandom originated. This essay will be compilingprior groundwork on American Girl and fandom in general, including works by Mark Duffettand Emilie Zaslow, combining them into an analysis of a community that has, up until now, beenoverlooked.