century . The creator and writers of Castle ceded power to a dedicated group of fans . Fans responded favorably on social media . Ratings continued at a high level for six years . Several of the actual books written by Richard Castle , the fictitious lead character , topped the bestseller list . However , Castle ’ s writers ignored the protests of shippers when they brought in unlikeable characters and muddled the story line . They deviated from what shippers expected : emphasis on the romantic attraction between the two leads . Modern fans are no longer passive . When the writers failed to heed their desire for relationships , they abandoned the show and ratings plummeted . Shippers knew what they wanted and how to get it . When the writers and producers of Castle ignored this fact , shippers forced them to cancel this popular and profitable show .
Cultivation Theory
Journalist George Gerbner founded cultivation theory , one of the most influential approaches to the field of mass communication . He hypothesized that viewers who watched television perceived the real world in ways that reproduced the most common and recurrent messages of the television world ( Shanahan and Morgan 8 ). The primary objective of Castle ’ s producers was to secure and mold audiences . Castle reflected and shaped the attitudes of these viewers . The fans invited its delightful characters into their lives and felt entitled to influence their behavior .
According to cultivation theory , television swayed the behavior of individuals in a targeted demographic group . It created a synthetic world that fans viewed as reality ( Moon 5 ). Individuals were involved in the friendships and feelings of the characters as they emotionally attached to the show . Media scholar Henry Jenkins in Textual Poachers commented on this phenomenon . “ Only by integrating media content back into their everyday lives , only by close engagement with its meanings and materials , can fans fully consume the fiction and make it an active resource ” ( 62 ).
Before the Internet , producers anxiously awaited weekly ratings to determine their success or failure and continued sponsorship . The Castle community posted immediate and copious comments on network and independent websites . Their outpourings constituted critical discourse about Castle , influenced other viewers ’ opinions , and pressured the networks regarding the program ’ s fate . The strong bond between fans and Castle produced a dedicated following . They texted , tweeted , and blogged their approval when relationships on the show were sweet and their anger when they soured . Jenkins noted in Convergence of Culture that over his career he
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