Shows
This Week In Fandom HistoryBONUS! Trans Fans Have Always Been Here (TW Old-Fashioned Terminology Uses)In light of certain fandoms' creators recently using their considerable fortunes to substantively make life worse for trans people, particularly trans women, this week, V and Emily take a look at a pioneering gender-conforming person who, literally, founded modern scifi fandom: Donald Wollheim. We look at Donald's fannish history, including hosting the very first scifi con ever; publishing Lord of the Rings in the US; and founding the Futurians, the early East Coast scifi fan club who definitely won the all-time BNF war. Then, we look at the other side of Donald's life as a landmark figure in the...2025-05-0746 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryApril 8, 2023: Trans Hanni Day + Adapt, Evolve, BecomeDo you see, Will? This week, V and Emily finally have a happy, joyous, euphoric episode! And it's about... Hannibal, the scariest show ever to be on television. But the fandom has embraced the show and one another so wholly and so delightfully that we can't help but be charmed. In particular, we are looking at the annual fannish holiday of Trans Hanni Day, a day celebrating fanworks created by trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer Fannibals, celebrating headcanons about trans, nonbinary, or genderqueer characters from the Hannibal Extended Universe. In particular, we look at the zine "Adapt. Evolve. Become," which...2025-05-0444 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 31, 1995: The Death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (TW: Murder, gun violence)This week, Emily and V look at the brilliant life and tragic death of the Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was murdered by the president of her national fan club. While Selena's life was cut way too short, the amount of genius and joy that she exuded onstage and offstage is the most important part of her story. Emily skillfully guides us through Selena's life, her music, and her fashion, and V is along for the very sad ride. We also reference other stars who were killed by people claiming to be their fans, such as J...2025-04-241h 14This Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 28, 2010: The Indie Twific Award Winners AnnouncedAU/AH/OOC! This week, V and Emily fall down an Internet rabbithole to the wild and weird world of Twilight fanfiction in 2010, where contests, rec blogs, and awards reigned supreme. Specifically, the rabbithole of the Lazy Yet Discerning Ficster blog led straight to the Indie Twific Awards, where undersung Twilight fics in quirky and delightful categories were given laurels by readers and a judging panel of BNAs. There's so much going on. It's all wonderful. Also, V recounts the single most insane plot-twist she's ever encountered in anything, fic or otherwise, and it's a doozy. Join us, won't...2025-04-131h 04This Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 16, 2014: Wizard Rock Goes Down in Flames (TW Sexual Assault, Coercive Control, Emotional Abuse, Neil Gaiman Discussion)Yuck... This week, Emily and V tackle a requested topic and look at the downfall of wrock, AKA Wizard Rock, aka music about Harry Potter made by semi-pro musicians in the 2000s and early 2010s. Much of the wrock genre was caught up in the blizzard of allegations that made up YouTube Abuse in 2014, the pre-MeToo movement that aimed to take vloggers who preyed on their fans to account. In particular, we look at the total shitheads who made up the band Ministry of Magic. As an extra content warning, if you miss it in the episode title: we...2025-03-3055 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryBONUS! Femslash Deep Dive with TGIF/FThank god it's femslash... part two! This week, in lieu of a minisode, V and Emily were joined by jarrow, the founder of FaberryCon and TGIF/F (see Episode #111), for a lengthy chat about all things femslash. We talk migratory (fem)slash fandom; subtext; female friendships and friend-ships; and why the death of the 22-episode season is killing shipping, especially for noncanonical pairings. Femslash has a parallel history to slash fandom, and it's one that we don't get to talk about nearly enough on this show, so it was a delight to skip the shallow wading and get right...2025-03-261h 05This Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 16, 1982: Earthshock Rocks Doctor Who FandomTo the TARDIS! This week, V and Emily tackle a requested episode about a deeply controversial Doctor Who episode: Earthshock, which aired in 1982, featuring the Fifth Doctor. This episode killed off -- 40-year-old spoilers -- child companion Adric, and we're still seeing the effects of that choice in the writing of the show today. Although as far as it actually affected the Doctor or his other companions... well, that's up for debate. Compared to New Who companion deaths like those of Clara and Bill, Adric's was handled... uh. Well. They made some choices. Who was your favorite Doctor Who...2025-03-2358 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMinisode #007What was the most shocking character death you’ve witnessed, and how did it make an impact on you? In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new… minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for these minisodes! If you’ve ever wanted to hear yourself on a podcast, send us a voice note! We’ve turned Submissions on on our Tumblr, and we’ll also accept links to uploaded .mp3 files. If you wan...2025-03-1926 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 2, 2012: The Onceler Becomes Tumblr Sexyman SupremeHow bad can he be? This week, Emily and V peek through their fingers at their MOST REQUESTED TOPIC EVER: how The Onceler, from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, became Tumblr's #1 Sexyman in 2012. Not other 2012 villains like Loki or Moriarty or Cato The Hunger Games. No. The Onceler. The animated Onceler. And you know what? After this episode, we kind of understand what was going on with all the Onceler love, and we're 100% in support of it. Did you have your very own Onceler? Tell us on our Tumblr! Sources Quinn Clark for Buzzfeed Sexymanthology2025-03-1652 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 28, 1986: Pretty In Pink Proves the Brat Pack Possess PowerThat's not a name, that's a major appliance! This week, V and Emily use the release of iconic teen film "Pretty In Pink" as an excuse to look at the influence of the Brat Pack on film, fandom, and film fandom since 1985. "Pretty In Pink" is a part of why Star Wars IX has the chopped-up feel it does; the Brat Pack themselves changed the nature of how fans and celebrities were meant to relate to one another. And, of course, the VCRification (it's a word) of movie-watching feeds right into the issues with direct-to-streaming fan culture today. What's...2025-03-091h 06This Week In Fandom HistoryMinisode #005 + Minisode #006How would you celebrate a holiday all about your blorbo? + What is the biggest contribution you’ve made to your fandom? Anything counts, including being a kudos-leaver and headcanon-cheerleader! In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new… minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for this minisode. Additionally, thank you to everyone who has been kind and patient with us as we had to take an unexpected break due to bereavement. If y...2025-03-0508 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 15-17, 2013: FaberryCon East (Plus, T.G.I.Femslash!)Thank god it's femslash! This week, Emily and V discuss the absolutely pie-in-the-sky delightful FaberryCon, a long-running convention dedicated to Quinn Fabray/Rachel Berry in the Glee fandom, a noncanonical femslash ship. Then, even more delightfully, after the end of Glee, the conventioneers transformed the experience into @tgifemslash, a multi-fandom, ship-neutral, femslash convention OF DREAMS that is still ongoing! We take a look at the absolute pinnacle of con panel planning, cute vidshows, and why a small, niche audience is almost always better than trying to please everyone. Have you ever been to, or hosted, a ship-centric con? Let...2025-03-0345 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 12, 2011: The Odds Are Not In V's FavorThank you for your consideration! This week, V and Emily are joined by a very special guest, Heidi Tandy AKA Heidi8, who is on the show to explain the intricacies of fandom and copyright law because, well, she was V's attorney for the event this week in fandom history. In 2011, V made a fanwork map of the fictional country of Panem from The Hunger Games novels -- not the movies, which had not even been officially announced yet -- and in 2023, Lionsgate released an official map of Panem that looks... extremely similar. (You can see a side-by-side on our...2025-02-161h 18This Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 2, 2024: #CoDayHe's a special li'l guy! This week, V and Emily look at a very recent event in fandom history, Star Wars: The Clone Wars' fannish holiday celebrating their main man, almost everyone's favorite clone, Cody. Since his clone identification number is CC-2224, a mysterious yet enterprising fan saw the date 2/2/24 approaching and ran with it, creating a delightful celebration of all things fannish and all things Cody. Cody is so popular and beloved, in fact, that this episode's event was requested by not one, not two, but THREE listeners: Elismor, soundssimpleright, and an anonymous request. And having researched it...2025-02-1247 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 24, 1996: The NATPE 7 Strike Las VegasGet in position! This week, Emily and V look at one of the most impressive fan campaigns that we've ever covered on the show, and we also got to revisit one of our favorite fandoms to cover: Forever Knight. When FK was canceled mid-season in 1996, the fandom scrambled to cover all bases and make sure USA Network knew that these vampires needed their day in the sun. So to speak. What ensued was a bold takeover of the NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives, aka TPTB's bosses' bosses) conference in Las Vegas. The tale is delightful. Those seven...2025-02-091h 01This Week In Fandom HistoryMinisode #004 If you could save one TV show from cancellation, what would it be — and what would you send to the network to save it? In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new... minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for this minisode! Additionally, thank you to everyone who has been kind and patient with us as we had to take an unexpected break due to bereavement. If you've ever wanted to he...2025-02-0511 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 19, 1993: The Death of Superman Almost Kills American ComicsUp, up, and oh no! This week, V and Emily take a request from listener @nerteragranadensis a little bit sideways and look at the ways that the "Death of Superman" arc -- geez, '90s DC had problems -- almost ended the American comics industry as it blew up the boom-and-bust comics speculation culture that arose after 1989's Batman movie. We look at how money is dumb, how capitalism is stupid, and also, why we're super salty about Beanie Babies. The Man of Steel deserved better. Did you ever buy something just for its potential collectors' value? Let us...2025-01-1958 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMinisode #003 What is your favorite collectible or piece of fannish merch that you own? In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new... minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for this minisode! Check out our tumblr to see some photos of the submitted merch, too! If you've ever wanted to hear yourself on a podcast, send us a voice note! We've turned Submissions on on our Tumblr, and we'll also accept links...2025-01-1509 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 14, 2014: SPN Versus The Beliebers, Or: The Dumbest Twitter BeefOy, vey. This week, Emily and V have a loosey-goosey look at the dumbest celebrity beef in the history of Twitter: Jared Padalecki versus the Beliebers. And also, a look at the dumbest celebrity arrest in the history of Los Angeles: Justin Bieber in 2014. And also, the dumbest tweets in Jared Padalecki's long history of dumb tweets. And then also, just to round it out, some celebrity drama and feuds from our own fandoms past. Remember when Emily said that the AO3 Top Ships Poll Fraud was the silliest thing she's covered on TWIFH? This probably beats it. 2025-01-1256 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMinisode #002 + Patreon Preview!What is the silliest celebrity feud you've ever followed or had investment in? In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new... minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for this minisode! Show Notes Agents of SHIELD/Agent Carter Dubsmash War If you've ever wanted to hear yourself on a podcast, send us a voice note! We've turned Submissions on on our Tumblr, and we'll also accept links...2025-01-0823 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 1994: H.E.A.T. Sets Out to Avenge Green LanternIn brightest day, in blackest night...! This week, V and Emily look at a demographic that we haven't covered too much on TWIFH: fanboys. And this week, it's the fanboys who are behaving badly, as once AGAIN we head over to DC Comics in the early 1990s for some straight-up bullshit. This time, it's all grand and it's all green as an "Emerald Twilight" descends over Coast City and hoo, boy, were the results -- both in-universe and in the real world -- terrible. Nothing says "I'm a fan of this thing" like declaring that you're going to attack...2025-01-0554 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMinisode #001Which fictional character would you go to battle for -- especially against their canon writer(s)? Happy New Year! In 2025, TWIFH is starting something new... minisodes! These will be released on Wednesdays as a li'l sneak preview of the topic for the upcoming full-length episode on Sunday. Huge thank-you to all of the wonderful listeners who sent in replies for this very first minisode! If you've ever wanted to hear yourself on a podcast, send us a voice note! We've turned Submissions on on our Tumblr, and we'll also accept links to uploaded .mp3 files. ...2025-01-0119 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryDecember 30-31, 2019: John Boyega Is Attacked by Reylos (Again)Twitter is a mistake... This week, Emily and V delve into the sordid, racist behavior of Reylos (Rey/Kylo Ren shippers) towards John Boyega (Finn) in the wake of Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and how they weaponized their white femininity to excuse their actions. This is a tough, emotional topic, but the episode also explores just why Star Wars makes people so uniquely insane, possible reasons Disney fumbled TROS so badly, and that Kelly Marie Tran is an absolute treasure. Plus, an interlude about the terrible ending of The Baby-Sitters' Club canon. This episode...2024-12-291h 17This Week In Fandom HistoryDecember 1997: Kielle Founds the CBFFAsTo us, our X-people! This week, V and Emily try desperately to understand the X-Men-specific fic genre of Subreality, created by Kielle, a huge community builder who passed too soon. We look at many of Kielle's amazingly impressive undertakings in '90s and early '00s X-Men fandom, including the creation of Subreality and the Subreality Cafe, her website the Comic Fan-Fiction Authors Network (CFAN), the Comic Book Fan-Fiction Awards (CBFFAs), the Scratching Post, and, also, just how damn much she was beloved by her fellow X-Men fans. Special thanks go out to Nevanna, our lovely Patreon donor who...2024-12-2250 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryDecember 1998 - December 2011: The Hanson Advent CalendarOh my god. This week, Emily and V discovered the existence of the single most galaxy-brain brilliant fanfiction of all time. No spoilers, but you WILL NOT predict ANY facet of this story. Also, we delve into the extremely long and impressive (and sometimes hilarious, because the '90s) history of Hanson fanfiction, AKA Hanfic. The Wayback Machine really earned its $2 donation this week, folks, because it turned up some pure gold. Sources Christmas Time on Fanlore Embers by ahestele Embers Fanart by Lily Fox 1998 1999 2003 USA Today2024-12-1857 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryDecember 11, 2010: Fancake Opens with "Amnesia" ft. Interview with Jerakeen!Holy shit, two cakes! This week, V and Emily poke around over on Dreamwidth and its potentially coolest rec comm: Fancake. Its founder and former longtime mod (9 years of work!) @jerakeenc did a really thoughtful interview with V about the inspiration for the community, things they've learned over the long course of modding a panfandom comm, and tips for starting and maintaining a positive social space on the internet. Plus, Emily and V wrestle with hanahaki disease and swoon over a good tagging system. Sources Fancake Ad Swaps & Other Business Candy...2024-12-1556 minThis Week In Fandom History1924: The Centennial Special!The bees' knees! This week, for the ONE HUNDREDTH EPISODE, V and Emily take a trip back 100 years to look at four fandoms that ruled the year of 1924: George Gershwin's jazz, Harold Lloyd's romantic comedies, Little Orphan Annie's laughs, and Babe Ruth's colossal clout. From the amazing breadth of the Gershwin brothers' catalog to the hilarity of what passed for celebrity gossip in Photoplay, from the plight of a little Orphant to the Bambino's birthday party shenanigans, we're celebrating 100 years of fannish passion and what it really means to be a legend that never dies. Sources 2024-12-081h 17This Week In Fandom HistoryNovember 23, 1998: It's Up To You As Nancy DrewIt's locked! This week, V and Emily (although V hardly gives Emily a chance to get a word in edgewise) delve into the 94-year history of the Nancy Drew fandom. From a congressional hearing about whether Nancy is Bad For The Children in the '50s to a woman in the '30s who made her living traveling from town to town to evangelize against the girl sleuth, Nancy Drew is an OG fandom with big "fuck you purity culture" vibes. Also, she once jumped a shark in a jetski and solved a mystery by tap-dancing with some cats...2024-12-0451 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryNovember 11, 2005: The Scarlet Witch Sparks 19 Years of Fannish DebateNo more mutants! This week, Emily and V look at an event that had seismic effects both in-universe in its franchise and out-universe, in the real world: Marvel Comics' M-Day. The events depicted in the House of M event would go on to drive much of the forward motion of X-Men for the next 15 years and spawned whole swaths of the Marvel universe (including Agatha All Along!). And of course, any swing that wild is going to spark... a lot of Reddit posts. Thank you to listener @raineday for the request! Do you X-Men? What do you think of...2024-12-0157 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryNovember 2021: NoCoVemberTime to catch the boat of losers! This week, V and Emily encounter not one, not two, not three, but SO MANY areas of fandom that we've never covered on the show, nor encountered in our elderly lives, as we cover the Total Drama fandom and its juggernaut ship, Noah/Cody AKA NoCo. From anime terminology and Wattpad novels to TikTok stitches and Roblox's existence, we are out of our depth this week. A HUGE thank you to lovely Patron @cavewomania AKA @tylejandro for helping V understand this fandom and ship! Have you ever participated in fandom on a...2024-11-271h 00This Week In Fandom HistoryNovember 9, 2010: Blaine Anderson Warbles "Teenage Dream"The Warblers are like rockstars here! This week, Emily and V look at the juggernaut slash ship to come out of Glee: Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson, AKA Klaine, which was born in the space of three glorious musical minutes this week in fandom history in 2010, when Blaine (Darren Criss) serenaded Kurt and the rest of Dalton Academy's student body with an accappella rendition of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" and hearts around the world exploded into confetti and tiny birds. We also discuss the logistics of using slushies as a weapon for an INORDINATE length of time. Were you a...2024-11-2453 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryOctober 2011: Project Girl Wonder Honors DC's Stephanie BrownArgh, DC... This week, V and Emily take another frustrating look at how DC Comics just loves to kill off Robins, this time with added explicit misogyny toward the fanbase as well as the character they've doomed to the gallows. On the bright side, V got an amazing primer from listener katieiscunning, who loves the character of Spoiler AKA Robin AKA Batgirl AKA Stephanie Brown, and made V and Emily love her, too! Plus, author Mary Borsellino began a comics accountability website known as Project Girl Wonder in reaction to Steph's awful death, and fans have been taking DC...2024-11-1057 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryOctober 21, 1994: Scully Is Abducted!Scullay!!! This week, Emily and V head back to a happy happenstance in 1994 as the birth of Gillian Anderson's real-life baby changes the fictional life of Dana Scully forever, in more ways than one. By changing the scope of Scully's life, the lore of The X-Files grew and expanded into something network TV had never seen before. Plus, we love how much Gillian and David Duchovny love each other, and we're both terrified IRL about Eugene Tooms possibly hiding in V's A/C vents. Sources X-Files Wikia Shitty things that happened to Dana...2024-10-3156 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryOctober 18-19, 2019: The First Ineffable Con, Plus We Talk About Neil Gaiman (TW Sexual Assault [Not Detailed])Apocalypse now? This week, V and Emily start out the episode by talking about the super-cool annual convention that Good Omens fans created and host as part of The Ineffable Society: the Ineffable Con, going strong since 2019. Then, we have to delve into the allegations against Good Omens co-author and showrunner Neil Gaiman, former Tumblr everyman and (alleged) total sleazebag. Looking at the Gaiman situation through the lens of, "how are fans reacting, and how are fans treating each other's reactions?" makes us feel a little better than looking too deeply at him as a person. The episode closes...2024-10-2159 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryOctober 1912: Edgar Rice Burroughs Publishes Tarzan of the Apes, Invents the Franchise*insert Tarzan yell here* This week, Emily and V explore a totally new-to-them fandom thanks to requester pandaimitator: Tarzan of the Apes. And frankly, it's crazy that we haven't heard about everything this old-timey fandom created that we still use and do today. Fan clubs! Conventions! Fan campaigns! Fanfiction! The Pizza Hut Book-It model of consumerism! The concept of the franchise itself! While the source material does not stand up to modern sensibilities — at all, and we're not defending it; it's super racist — the actions of the early fandom, and of Edgar Rice Burroughs' author-incorporation, are totally worth talking abou...2024-10-1555 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryOctober 2-16, 2010: WAR Thirteen, In Memory of Susan M. GarrettGet out your tissues, listeners! (Seriously.) This week, V and Emily split the episode in two parts: first, the very silly attempt to understand how the Forever Knight fandom went to WAR! for the thirteenth time in 2010. Second, a look into the fannish life and ongoing impact of Forever Knight BNF Susan M. Garrett, who seems like she was a completely awesome fangirl, writer, and person. V and Emily both weep like babies in this episode because sometimes, the fans who make history ARE well-behaved, and they rock, and we love to learn about and remember them. ...2024-10-0645 minThis Week In Fandom HistorySeptember 25 - October 5, 2023: Voter Fraud Upsets the AO3 Top Ships Bracket Tumblr PollWhat?! This week, Emily and V travel all the way back one year to look at... the dumbest thing we've ever had to cover for this show, possibly. You all remember this one: @ao3topshipsbracket pitted Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes against Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet, and things got insanely, unnecessarily, WEIRDLY nuts. We're baffled. We're a little bitter. We're mostly confused? Sources The Infamous Poll The Mary Sue This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in...2024-10-021h 01This Week In Fandom HistorySeptember 16, 2012: The Bullshit Tweet#*@%$(*! This week, V and Emily head back to the event that caused the Great Schism Of One Direction Fandom: The Bullshit Tweet. V has an epiphany about her longest-ever fic and one of her big OTPs of the early 2010s, and Emily feels a lot of empathy for both Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson in the face of all the, well, bullshit thrown at them for years. Plus, Zayn Malik has common sense about emus. Have you ever been in a fandom that got its wrist slapped by the object of its affection (or its creator)? Sources2024-09-261h 03This Week In Fandom HistorySeptember 14-15, 1974: The First Fest for Beatles FansCome together, right now! This week, Emily and V head back to the extremely seventies 1970s to look at a fandom currently having a resurgence on Tumblr: The Beatles. V has actually been to "The Fest," as groovy kids call it, and wrote a paper on Beatlemania that got published a zillion years ago to boot, so she chimes in about what this fandom is like from ground level while Emily marvels at the guts of The Fest's founder, Mark Lapidos, and how very accessible people were in 1974. Then we end with a tangent on the importance of internet...2024-09-1858 minThis Week In Fandom HistorySeptember 1, 2017: The Handbook for (My) Immortals: Or, Two Literary Frauds!Fukkin' preps. This week, V and Emily have their brains melted by not ONE incredibly stupid and obvious literary fraud, but TWO incredibly stupid and obvious literary frauds! Yes! In one week! And both involving the most infamous fanfic of all time, everyone's favorite: My Immortal. Dust off your fishnets and stretch out your middle fingers, it's time to get goffik. Sources The Hollywood Reporter EW Books V's Handbook for Mortals tag on Tumblr jewishkeith on Tumblr Vox Culture Wikipedia My Immortal Wiki2024-09-081h 10This Week In Fandom HistorySummer 2000-2003: Harry Potter Fandom and the Three-Year SummerIcicle?! This week, Emily and V hold a sort of jazz funeral for a fandom event that shaped both of them as human people, and that cannot and should not ever happen again. The Three-Year Summer was a pivotal stretch of time for fandom culture as a whole because a) every fucking person alive was in this fandom, b) the whole point was that there was no canon and the world was wide open for the taking, and c) the Internet was young enough that you could claim ANYTHING on that shit. And we all did! And we all...2024-09-011h 18This Week In Fandom HistoryAugust 1994: Green Lantern's Girlfriend Is Fridged::General rage noises:: This week, V and Emily discuss the trope-namer for "fridging," or the killing off of female characters purely to cause manpain and advance male characters' stories. It's rage-inducing. Plus, the Hawkeye Initiative brings attention to undue sexualization of female comics characters, and Dead Men Defrosting debunk the myth that male superheroes suffer as much as women do. Additional Reading The Woman Dies by Aoko Matsuda, trans. Polly Barton This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Wee...2024-08-2151 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 20 - August 2, 2016: Cipher Hunt!Buy gold...! This week, Emily and V look at one of the coolest fan experiences that they've ever heard about: Gravity Falls fandom's Cipher Hunt. To both celebrate and mourn the end of the series, writer Alex Hirsch created an international scavenger hunt for the fandom, and OUR LOVELY PATRON HOLLY played a pivotal role in connecting fans across the world! Plus, a look at the messages between Alex Hirsch and the absolute fucking goons of Disney Channel's S&P department. Sources Holly's archived blog Messages From S&P This Week...2024-08-1146 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 22-23, 2017: The Supergirl Musical Homophobia ScandalUp, up, and... oh no. This week, V and Emily look at yet another fandom whose femslash juggernaut OTP got dealt an unfair hand by TPTB, in looking at the fallout of the Supergirl Season 2 Musical Recap from San Diego ComicCon 2017. So much rage. So much disappointment. So much annoyance. Why can't femslashers have nice things?! This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at @thisweekinfandomhistory You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.pat...2024-08-0456 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 16, 2010: Inception Incepts Fandom with Arthur/EamesDream a little bigger, darlings. This week, Emily and V go deeper and deeper into the mindscape of fandom in 2010, when Inception became an unlikely juggernaut fandom-that-ate-fandom because of two minor (as in tertiary) characters played by internet boyfriends Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon Levitt. They talk that iconic ending, reasons this weird movie resonated with people so hard, and how fandom itself was in a time of transition in 2010, which left its mental landscape wide open for Christopher Nolan to plant a little thought-seed in there. Were you an Arthur/Eames shipper? How do you think the movie...2024-07-281h 07This Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 4: Merry Stevemas!We can do this all day! This week, Emily surprises V with an episode all about her blorbo, Steve Rogers (Captain America). It's a loosey-goosey chat about their baby blorbo boy, from his origin as the creation of two Jewish men who wanted a golem to punch Hitler in the face to their own origin stories as Steve fangirls. Plus, a rundown on AO3's top ten Steve ships! Note: There were some technical issues with the recording on this episode, so there are a few places where the audio goes a bit fuzzy. It might sound...2024-07-151h 00This Week In Fandom HistoryJune 2016: Bubble Pop! Zine Party Rocks D.C.Bubble, bubble, bubble pop! This week, V and Emily explore the highs of fandom and lows of the kpop trainee system as they look at one of the coolest fanworks ever made, possibly: the guerilla zine Bubble Pop! Spearheaded by one Washington D.C. kpop fan who wanted to know who the other kpop fans of her city were, Bubble Pop! was the coolest (and most fun-sounding) party of this week in fandom history. V also tells Emily a lot of things about kpop that Emily does not enjoy at all. This episode was very helpfully aided by one o...2024-06-3047 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJune 19-20, 1982: The Con of WrathBeam us up! This week, Emily and V were expecting a disaster of epic proportions and bad feelings all around, but instead we got a surprisingly delightful and warm story of fandom community spirit saving a very bad situation. We both cry in this episode. It's fine. It's just Star Trek fans being great, okay?! Have you ever met a new friend at a convention? What would you do with a suitcase full of fanfiction? This Week In Fandom History is a fandom-centric podcast that tells you… what happened this week in fandom history! Follow This We...2024-06-2355 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJune 10, 2016: Voltron: Legendary Defender Premieres & June 10, 2017: #shoegateSee ya later, pala-dudes! This week, V and Emily hit a double-header in the Voltron: Legendary Defender fandom (thanks to two requesters and V's VLD primer pal, Fran!). First, V attempts to explain what the show is about and why it launched on Netflix with a built-in fandom. And then... oh, boy. You know how our ending stinger is "well-behaved fandoms rarely make history"? Well, this fandom is VERY POORLY BEHAVED and therefore, have made history. That's for sure... Not really a TW, but just be aware that this episode is heavy on discussions of purity culture...2024-06-161h 01This Week In Fandom HistoryJune 5-6, 1832—Present: Barricade Day Makes Les Amies de Les Mis Fandom CryAnd I can hear them now! This week, Emily and V pre-emptively apologize for their French accents and inability to pronounce "Enjolras" as we look at the Les Mis fandom holiday of Barricade Day. While the real event was an unmitigated tragedy, and it was also an unmitigated tragedy in the book, musical, and movie adaptations, Barricade Day is a wholesome fandom holiday for Les Mis fans to gather and write, draw, sing, and hope for a happier ending for their beloved Amis de l'ABCs. We love it. This is also a very silly and loosey-goosey episode...2024-06-0952 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJune 1, 2015: The Marion Zimmer Bradley & Walter Breen Episode (TW: CSA, Rape, Incest, Total Institutional Failure)No quippy exclamation this week, because V and Emily delve into probably the worst, most shameful, most infuriating, just awful pair of people ever to be associated with fandom history: scifi authors and fucking monsters Marion Zimmer Bradley and Walter Breen. This is not a lighthearted episode in any way. Please heed the trigger warnings and take care of yourself if you choose to listen. History is not always fun and celebratory and silly Star Trek holidays. Sometimes it's going, "This horrible, ugly thing is part of our architectural foundation. Now what?" TW: CSA, rape, incest, total in...2024-06-031h 02This Week In Fandom HistoryMay 23, 2001: Die, Seven, Die! + What Was Usenet?NET.SPACE! This week, Emily and V surf their way to the earliest days of being able to connect with other human beings in cyberspace, and also, once again bow to the king of fandoms that takes place in actual space. First, Emily explains the pure haterade that was the Die, Seven, Die! Challenge after the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager. (Also, we looked up how to pronounce "Chakotay.") Then, to give some context for this unconstrained summer hatefest of fun, we look into what, exactly, Usenet was, and why Alice was the fucking best. Did you Usenet...2024-05-2651 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMay 19, 2009: Glee Premieres on FOXDon't stop believin'! This week, V and Emily go back to a very different world. A pre-Glee world. And it kind of isn't pretty. While V loved Glee at first, its legacy is... not super chill and great? Outside of a few key ships that will get their own episodes later on this year and/or early next year? So this episode is about Glee as a whole, which... listen. The songs slapped. They did. However. There are so many "howevers." Also, V had a life-paradigm-shifting experience on YouTube vis-a-vis show choir while researching this episode, so there's that.2024-05-1949 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMay 3, 2021: Dracula Daily Delivers the First Message From Our Friend JonathanPaprika! This week, Emily and V head back to 2021 -- but mostly 2022, carte blanche -- to look at the phenomenon of Dracula Daily and its explosion of popularity on Tumblr. We also head to 1992 to look at the worst movie of all time, Bram Stoker's Dracula, starring extremely beautiful people who were all in extremely different movies all at once. And then we traipse to 1897 to look at the original novel of Dracula and its extremely weird creation by a very strange l'il guy, Bram Stoker. Plus, bats! Bats everywhere! Also, Jack the Ripper! Also, you may...2024-05-131h 03This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 3, 1999: What Would They Think?What would they think? This week, Emily and V -- okay. This episode was supposed to be about the April 2000 Slate Magazine article, "Luke Skywalker Is Gay?" And it does start out that way. But thanks to Emily's personal fannish history and a tiny footnote in the article, this episode goes... somewhere else. And oh my god. Links Follow This Week in Fandom History on Tumblr at http://thisweekinfandomhistory.tumblr.com! You can support the show via our Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/thisweekinfandomhistory. If you hav...2024-04-141h 00This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 2, 1956: As the World Turns Premieres on CBSIt wasn't me... it was... my evil twin brother! This week, V and Emily look at a somewhat different kind of fandom by delving into the long, long history of As The World Turns, a daytime soap opera that ran for over 50 years. ATWT made television history in 2007 when they featured the first M/M kiss, and first positively-portrayed M/M relationship, on American daytime television, but of course, Luke/Noah were not without drama. Melodrama. This star-studded episode features green-card marriages, murder attempts, doctor-blackmailing, Meg Ryan, and Spanish prisons. What more could you want from your stories? 2024-04-0846 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 26, 2005: Doctor Who Returns to the BBCFantastic! This week, Emily and V finally get to talk about one of their shared favorite fandoms: Doctor Who (New Who). With a focus on the emotional, oft-overlooked Ninth Doctor as played by Christopher Eccleston, they discuss the best and worst aspects of the show, how it makes them cry, and some timely (pun intended) elements brought specifically to the reboot by Eccleston, Billie Piper, and writer Russell T. Davies. Come along with us on the TARDIS, won't you? Additional Sources A Love Letter to the Aggressive Queerness of Captain Jack Harkness by Patrick Lenton2024-03-3158 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 22-25, 2012: Holy Musical B@man!He's darkness! He's vengeance! This week, V and Emily look at the uniquely nerdy StarKid fandom and their superhero parody musical, HOLY MUSICAL B@MAN! (That's "B@man," not "Batman," in case Warner Brothers asks.) They look at the way StarKid musicals feel like your Tumblr dashboard, how Sean Astin will do basically anything you ask him to do apparently, and how absolutely insufferable your hosts were as high school theatre kids. (Yes, theatre, not theater. That's how insufferable.) Musical references abound! And, amazingly, we understand a joke in the show BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS EPISODE OF TWIFH! 2024-03-2449 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary-March 2009: Racefail '09 Continues, with Guest bossymarmaladeNo pithy exclamation this week, folks, we're jumping right into the actual episode description: This week, V and Emily are joined by Maggie @bossymarmalade, who was one of the key meta-writers during this unfortunate fandom (and wider writing world) event. "Racefail '09" is the moniker for a lengthy discussion on LiveJournal in 2009 about the role of race in fandom and the SF/F community, from heinous depictions of POC in SF/F titles to the way POC always seem to die first in fan-favorite TV shows to the lack of representation of fans of color at conventions, and more...2024-03-031h 03This Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 20, 2015: Parse Drops (TW F-Slur, Homophobic Violence)Helloooooo, internet land! This week, Emily and V were treated to a primer on the OMG Check Please! fandom by listener and friend-of-the-pod korechthonia, and Emily explains the divide between the pro-Parse and anti-Parse sides of the otherwise sweet and peaceful fandom. Plus, she tells V about growing up on a boys' hockey team herself and losing a tooth on the ice! Also, inextricable from OMGCP's sweet tale of gay hockey players in love is the sad, homophobic truth of the NHL, so we had to dig into that as well. But mostly: cute hockey comic about love and...2024-01-2258 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: The Batshit Saga of Andy Thanfiction, Part II (TW Gaslighting, Abuse, Murder, Gun Violence, Suicide, Mental Illness)Happy one year of TWIFH! To celebrate the end of our first year and to give you a huge chunk o' podcast to get through New Year's Eve, this week V and Emily are holding their breaths and taking a deep dive into the strange, insidious, bananapants crazytown world of Andrew Blake AKA Jordan Wood AKA Amy Player AKA Victoria Bitter AKA VoyagerBabe AKA strwriter AKA thanfiction and his many, many crimes in the fandomspace (and outside of the fandomspace, too). Because this story deals with many heavy topics and is incredibly long and harrowing, we have split this...2023-12-311h 30This Week In Fandom HistoryANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: The Batshit Saga of Andy Thanfiction, Part I (TW Gaslighting, Abuse, Suicide Attempt, Fraud, Mental Illness)Happy one year of TWIFH! To celebrate the end of our first year and to give you a huge chunk o' podcast to get through New Year's Eve, this week V and Emily are holding their breaths and taking a deep dive into the strange, insidious, bananapants crazytown world of Andrew Blake AKA Jordan Wood AKA Amy Player AKA Victoria Bitter AKA VoyagerBabe AKA strwriter AKA thanfiction and his many, many crimes in the fandomspace (and outside of the fandomspace, too). Because this story deals with many heavy topics and is incredibly long and harrowing, we have split this...2023-12-311h 41This Week In Fandom HistoryAugust-November 1988: "A Death in the Family" Divides Batman FandomPOW! This week, V and Emily venture to the DC side of comics fandom as they learn about "A Death in the Family" and the poll to kill off, or save, Batman's Robin at the time, Jason Todd. From the involvement of grandmothers trying to soothe weeping children who loved Robin to utterly bananas racism in the comic itself, "A Death in the Family" changed the course of Batman comics for decades and still affects stories today as Jason Todd has had a resurgence of popularity as the Red Hood (voiced, because of course he is, by one Jensen...2023-09-171h 16This Week In Fandom HistorySeptember 5, 2007: The Organization for Transformative Works is Filed as a Nonprofit (TW Racism, TW CSAM, TW Antisemitism)All hail (but thoughtfully)! This week, Emily's fluffy episode praising the OTW took a slight detour as this summer revealed some very ugly spots on the underbelly of the Org we all love, support, and depend on. She and V talk through their feelings about some of the things we've all learned about the OTW that are less than utopian in an episode that is... pretty fucking heavy, actually. But we still DO LOVE AND SUPPORT THE OTW AND AO3, AND SO SHOULD YOU. There are just cracks in the foundation that *must* be patched to protect fan culture...2023-09-101h 27This Week In Fandom HistoryAugust 31, 2009: Disney Buys Marvel Studios, And We Enter the EndgameWelcome, true believers! This week, V and Emily take a turn towards becoming an economics podcast -- no, wait! Don't go away! It's still interesting and we get to be li'l haters! This week in fandom history, Disney bought Marvel, and V tells Emily all about the absolutely terrible shitbag dude who's been behind most of the worst MCU decisions (and it's NOT Feige!). Also the amount of money that Disney paid for Marvel is obscene. For better or worse, this is an event that shaped at least the next decade of fandom. What would you do with billions...2023-09-011h 09This Week In Fandom HistoryAugust 1975: The August Party Becomes the First Fan ConLive long and prosper! (Again!) This week, it's another Star Trek deep dive as Emily tells V the heartwarming, weep-inducing tale of the August Party, the first Star Trek fan con. With the cutest quotes and reminiscences in the world, and a wealth of people being NERDS to boot, this is a delightful event in fannish history and one we're glad to have gotten to learn about! Have you ever attended a fan con (as opposed to a commercial con)? Did you go to the August Party?? 2023-08-221h 07
This Week In Fandom HistoryAugust 15, 2013: "Crazy About 1D" Airs on Channel 4 & Pathologizes FandomProtect teenage girls at all costs! This week -- because it IS still this week, we got it in under the wire! -- V and Emily return to the scorched earth battleground of One Direction fandom, but this time, the missiles were launched by the national media of Great Britain. After an offensive, heinous "documentary" about One Direction fans aired on shock-doc specialist Channel 4, even fandoms dedicated to hating 1D (like Justin Bieber fans) backed up Directioners in trying to reclaim their dignity. Yes, it's another episode where V has big feelings about letting teenage girls love stuff messily...2023-08-191h 04
This Week In Fandom HistoryBONUS! This Place In Fandom History: LIVE @ FanExpo Chicago '23Helloooo, Chicago! This very special bonus episode was recorded LIVE at FanExpo Chicago '23 on the Creator Stage, and we're so excited to get to share it with you all! To celebrate and thank FXC for inviting us to perform, we decided to honor the Windy City and give a brief overview of a few fannish events in a fandom that owes it all to the Chi: due South. The heartwarming tale of a Canadian Mountie, a deaf wolfdog, some ghosts, and two gentlemen named Ray, due South is one of the hardiest fandoms of the '90s and...2023-08-1639 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryAugust 1997: The 501st Legion Is FoundedThose aren't just stormtroopers! This week, Emily and V head back to 1997, when two guys who really loved Star Wars started a fannish endeavor that has grown to epic proportions. The illustrious 501st Legion, Vader's Fist, began as a cosplay club for stormtrooper fans and now spans the globe as an elite society of 10,000 Star Wars fans who delight in all manner of Star Wars villains as they do charity, volunteer work, and official jobs for Lucasfilm. These nerds make nerdery cool. Do you cosplay? Have you ever joined a fan society?2023-08-081h 11This Week In Fandom HistoryAugust 2005: The First-Ever Big Bang Explodes the Fanfiction UniverseBazinga! Just kidding. Not that kind of big bang (thank goodness). No, this week, Emily and V are talking about the origin of a fanfiction staple: the big bang challenge. Today, it's hard to throw a rock without hitting a fandom feverishly in the midst of a big bang. But in August 2005, the concept was new, novel-length, and named for Draco's passion for Harry. Have you ever participated in a big bang challenge? What's the longest fic you've ever written?2023-07-3141 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 25, 2010: Sherlock Premieres on the BBCElementary, my dears! This week, V and Emily visit one of the tentpoles of modern fandom: BBC Sherlock. Besides being the -lock of Superwholock, Sherlock birthed one of the biggest pairings on the internet (Sherlock/John), complete with its own far-fetched conspiracy theory, and continued on the century-old legacy of Sherlock Holmes fans being absolutely bananas for their fave detective and his nefarious foe, Moriarty. Will the breadth of Sherlock fandom best V? It's a mystery...2023-07-251h 06This Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 15, 2016: Stranger Things PremieresThose are our blorbos and they're crazy! This week, Emily and V take a trip to Hawkins, Indiana, and reminisce about the massive impact that Netflix's Stranger Things has had on the fandomsphere. (Is the Fandomsphere its own realm like the Upside-Down? Discuss.) From Mileven versus Byler to Steddie versus Hellcheer and Ronance versus -- well, no one's really against Ronance, Stranger Things exploded the shipping universe and takes fandometrics by storm week after week. And, of course, this show gave fandom potentially the most universal wet pathetic little meow-meow since Bucky Barnes: Eddie Munson. Do you Stranger Things...2023-07-171h 20This Week In Fandom HistoryA VERY SPECIAL EPISODE! July 11-13, 2014: DashCon, with Special Guest Lauren Shippen!Do you want an extra hour in the ball pit? This week, for the first time, V and Emily are joined by a VERY SPECIAL GUEST, Lauren Shippen of the podcast Dashboard Diaries! They discuss the convention to end all conventions, the first (and only) DashCon. From its birth on the blue hellsite to its death in a Chicagoland hotel, DashCon was truly a lesson for the ages that just because sometimes fandom can pull off amazing and inspirational feats, sometimes it... cannot. Lauren brings her expertise in all things Tumblr to TWIFH with humor and grace. Did you...2023-07-111h 04This Week In Fandom HistoryJuly 1, 2005: Percy Jackson Takes Fandom By (Lightning) StormTroubled kids, unite! This week, V and Emily -- well, okay, this week, V basically recaps the Percy Jackson series for Emily, because eighteen years ago this week, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief was released and fandom got a new fave (good riddance to a certain magical wizarding school). However, V and Emily do have some words for Rick about his complete inability to understand children's ages when creating, say, love triangles, or cool guys. Are you in the PJO fandom? Which Greek god is your parent?2023-07-041h 19This Week In Fandom HistoryJune 25, 2011: "Let's Get Gay Married!" Commentfic Meme LaunchedI do! This week, Emily and V talk commentfic and comment memes back in the LJ days because the "Let's Get Gay Married!" Commentfic Meme started this week in fandom history as a celebration of marriage equality passing into law in New York state. Plus, a rundown on what commentfic and comment memes were like since they've mostly gone the way of the dinosaur -- largely extinct -- and they were a magical time in fannish collaboration. Did you participate in commentfic or comment memes? And how did you celebrate marriage equality?2023-06-2648 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJune 19, 2022: OTW Election Drama Digs Up the 227 IncidentOil of Olay?! This week, V and Emily take a short trip through fandom history to 2022, when the most controversial OTW elections to date* announced its candidate roster. The controversy turned out less to be about the OTW than about the 227 Incident that got AO3 banned in China -- and holy moly, was it an incident. Your cohosts do not speak Mandarin, so apologies for ALL of the pronunciations in this episode. Have you ever had RPF drama in one of your fandoms? Have you ever bought a product because of the celeb who repped it? * This...2023-06-201h 20This Week In Fandom HistoryJune 17, 2009: The Great Trigger Warning Debate of 2009Warn when appropriate! This week, Emily and V trek back to the wild, tagless world of LiveJournal in 2009, and the Great Trigger Warning Debate. When does a warning constitute a spoiler? Can you over-warn? Are people who ask for warnings just whiners? These questions have apparently been eternal and we will never see the end of them. In this instance, Panic! at the Disco and bandom were the eye of the #tw storm. What are your thoughts on tagging? Do you ever read darkfic?2023-06-141h 30This Week In Fandom HistoryJune 2001: Cassandra Claire Sends Shockwaves Through Harry Potter FandomDraco Veritas? This week, V and Emily dig into just one of many messy threads in one of fandom's most famous wankfests: the drama of Cassandra Claire and her Harry Potter fic, The Draco Trilogy. When this fic was yanked from Fanfiction.net for allegations of plagiarism, reverberations echoed through fandom in ways that we're still feeling today -- from Fiction Alley all the way to Freeform. This is an episode in which we're pretty unrepentent li'l haters. Did you read the Draco Trilogy? Have you ever interacted with Cassandra Claire?2023-06-061h 15This Week In Fandom HistoryMay 29, 2007: StrikethroughIt's a big one, y'all! This week, V and Emily rage their way through the anniversary of Strikethrough, or a mass censorship event on LiveJournal that destroyed huge swaths of fannish history for no fucking reason. Or rather, because a Christian special-interest group that hates queer people said that things were icky and LJ caved. If you haven't heard of Strikethrough or need a refresher on why archives that aren't beholden to advertisers are essential to the survival of fandom and fanfiction, come take a ride with us and let your blood pressure hit the roof. Were any of...2023-05-291h 35This Week In Fandom HistoryMay 20, 2000: The One With Sitcom FandomsWe'll be there for you! This week, Emily and V take a trip back to a very different era: the time of Must-See TV. Once upon a time, television shows were written by full-time, on-set writers' rooms (SUPPORT THE WGA STRIKE) and sitcoms were filmed before a live studio audience. And people loved them. But sitcoms have never had a huge presence in transformative works fandom, despite their immense popularity. Why is that? How can the whole country ship a thing and there still be no fic for it?2023-05-221h 00This Week In Fandom HistoryMay 2007: FanLib Tries To Commercialize Fic and Everyone Has Big FeelingsRead the fine print! This week, Emily dug deep into why exactly we need an Archive Of Our Own and tells V all about FanLib, a short-lived for-profit, idea-mining fanfiction site partnered with TPTB of several semi-fannish TV shows. The idea? Get fans to write episodes for you for no pay, then profit because the episodes are "what fans wanted to see happen." Needless to say, fandom had a lot of feelings about FanLib and then the FanLib founders had a lot of feelings about those feelings. Did you ever enter a sanctioned fanfiction contest? Where did you read...2023-05-151h 03This Week In Fandom HistoryMay 2000: A Xena Fandom War Births "Born For War"Alalaes! This week, V and Emily head back to the brand-new days of the internet and Xena: Warrior Princess fandom, where fandom wank has always been fandom wank. Although Xena/Gabrielle is a femslash fandom juggernaut, we're venturing into the world of Xena/Ares shipping and the close-knit community of people who a) hated Gabrielle and b) eventually all kind of hated each other. This was a masterclass in early-internet rarepair shipping and a nostalgic reminder of the era of single-author fic websites, messageboards, and e-mail groups. Don't do a Gab Drag, come along for the ride! Were you...2023-05-071h 02This Week In Fandom HistoryMay 4, 2010: Diana Gabaldon Fundamentally Misunderstands FanfictionOutlander, no! This week, Emily has another Big Topic as she and V try to understand the fundamentally twisted mind of Outlander author Diana Gabaldon and her spurious-yet-vicious hatred of fanfiction (and her own fans). Despite what Gabaldon -- and a weird number of writers -- believe, fictional characters do not actually have their own lives and writing fic, even badfic, about them cannot harm them. Discussion turns to the nature of fanfiction as art -- even bad fanfiction as art -- and the line where a creator's control over their art ends. Do you feel like characters "act...2023-05-021h 06This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 26, 2019: Avengers: Endgame Reminds Us That Fandom Can LoseAvengers... Assemble! This week, a COVID-ravaged V and hardier Emily discuss a fannish, and mainstream, event they know all too well: the release of "the most ambitious crossover event in history," Avengers: Endgame. While living in a fandom bubble can make it feel like "the audience" wants one thing, big blockbusters like Endgame remind us all too harshly that fandom is still just a bunch of weirdo outliers, and as far as studios are concerned, "the audience" wants something that is -- often -- the opposite of what fandom wants. Does the thought of Steve's ending also fill you w...2023-04-231h 20This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 1979: "Bunkies" Introduces Everyone's Favorite TropeThere was only one bed! Everyone knows it, everyone loves it, and this week, Emily and V go back to the '70s to discuss the story that birthed it: "Bunkies," starring Han/Luke. Star Wars fandom was already Star Wars fandom by 1979, and the gals delve deep into all of that mess. Were you ever deeply insulted by being called a "Luke Lover"? Have you read the best open letter of all time (to George Lucas, of course)? 2023-04-161h 17This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 15, 1997: "MMMBop" Changes The World ForeverBop bop doowop! This week, V and Emily travel back to a seminal moment in popslash and bubblegum history with the release of one of the most iconic songs of the '90s, "MMMBop" by Hanson -- and the subsequent world takeover by three blond boys from Tulsa and their legion of loyal fans. Despite, or perhaps because of, being a worldwide phenomenon, Hanson's fans suffered a fate similar to so many teen girl-heavy fandoms: being pathologized and maligned, not celebrated for their ingenuity and passion. So, which Hanson was your dreamy fave? And when you get old and...2023-04-101h 23This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 7, 2000: Anne Rice's Anti-Fanfiction ScreedIt's a big one this week! Emotions abound as Emily and V take a dark look into the mind of former vampire queen Anne Rice and her irrational, misinformed hatred of fanfiction.... and its very real-world consequences for thousands of her fans. This is why disclaimers exist, people. This is why fanfiction will always walk in the darkness and crumble in direct sunlight (just like a vampire). And this is a dangerous precedent set that affects us all to this day. What was Anne Rice thinking? Seriously, WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?2023-04-021h 28This Week In Fandom HistoryApril 1, 2013: #MISHAPOCALYPSE (And SuperWhoLock)SuperWhoLock fans, get your salt/sonics/nicotine patches! This week, V and Emily travel back ten years to the end of the world, AKA the #mishapocalypse. Started as a joke and only sort of done as a joke, fans of Misha Collins (Castiel on Supernatural) completely fucking took over Tumblr for a day. But it wasn't just Supernatural fans who participated, because this was 2013: the heyday of SuperWhoLock. What made SuperWhoLock so delicious and also so deeply embarrassing? Where did that creativity go?2023-03-271h 07This Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 2014: Into the TriadVerseGood mornin'! (Good mornin'!) This week, Emily and V dive deep into Multiamory March with a look at the 2014 invention of the TriadVerse, which is like A/B/O minus the A and O. With deep and evolving lore, a fest week, and an evolution into Multiamory March itself, the TriadVerse used ships like the eternal Don/Cosmo/Kathy from Singin' in the Rain to enchant both of our intrepid cohosts. Have you ever heard of the TriadVerse? What's your fave OT3?2023-03-1956 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 2009: Fandom March Madness Launches on LiveJournalAre you ready for some... fandom voting and bracket statistics? This week, V and Emily head back to 2009 for a cherished fandom free-for-all throwdown, Fandom March Madness. This event revealed a lot of ugly fandom traits of misogyny, White Feminism, racism, and just plain bad taste, even as it brought people from across the fandomsphere together for a week of cheering on their faves and having fun. We can still learn from the lessons taught in ye olde Fandom March Madness, but we -- perhaps optimistically -- think that it would shake out quite differently in 2023. Who did you...2023-03-131h 14This Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 8, 2016: #LGBTFansDeserveBetter and the Spring SlaughterWe're not gonna take it anymore! This week, Emily and V delve into righteous -- and rightful -- fannish anger at the constant, demoralizing, dehumanizing deaths of lesbian characters on television, and the straw that broke the fandom camel's back: the death of Lexa on The 100. Fans turned their heartbreak and rage over yet another dead WLW into a truly amazing, awe-inspiring call to action. Do you know how many dead WLW there were on TV in the season surrounding Lexa's murder? Do you want to cry your face off with your co-hosts this week? 2023-03-051h 10This Week In Fandom HistoryMarch 2013: The Flower Crown Meme (TW Body Horror, Gore)This is my design! And it's a halo of flowers 'round the head of my blorbo. This week, Emily and V take a harrowing look at the history of the flower crown meme and its biggest proponent: Hannibal fandom. From the comedic sensibilities of 'fannibals' to the whimsy, or lack thereof, of Bryan Fuller shows, this was a topic that... was scary. Tell me, Will, will V ever be able to get into bed normally again? And what the heck does Harry Styles have to do with all of this? TRIGGER WARNINGS: Body horror, Hannibal-typical gore2023-02-261h 02This Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 19, 2007: Tumblr FoundedAll hail the blue hellsite! This week, V and Emily talk the timeline of fandom's transition onto Tumblr and why the heck we're all still there. From corporate takeovers that lost millions to the Very Special Episode that was November 5, 2020, Tumblr is an indelible part of fannish history because it's a platform that's lasted so long and been home to so many of us. Why? How? 2023-02-191h 39This Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 2013: Femslash February FoundedHappy Femslash February! This week, V and Emily go back ten years to the introduction of an annual fandom holiday: Femslash February. Whether you're devout or just dipping your toes into the spiritual waters of femslash celebration, this episode goes hard on preaching the gospel of all things F/F. Why should dudes get all the attention? Also, just how shameful is the filthy tangent in the middle of the ep?2023-02-121h 03This Week In Fandom HistoryFebruary 1983: Groundhog Day Stories Published, Helping Create Slash As We Know ItAll hail Punxatawney Phil! This week, Emily and V go back to the rad 1980s and learn about a fandom they'd never considered before: Starsky & Hutch. It turns out these two slashable dudes helped to forge fandom as we know it today, and the publication of the fic "February 2nd" by Alexis Rogers is a big part of why we all love it when a blond man and a brunet man who are a sunshine one and a grumpy one bone down. Have you considered how to trade slash zines when they were "obscene material"? And will you do...2023-02-0556 minThis Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary-February 2010: Help_Haiti Auction... And Its AftermathGet out your pocketbooks! This week, V and Emily go back to one of fandom's highest highs and a pretty low low as they discuss the 2010 Help_Haiti charity auction... and the infamous J2 Haiti Fic. After the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, fandom came together for one of its largest charity auctions ever, raising an unprecedented amount of money for aid on the ground. Unfortunately, nice things can't stay nice, and the same devastating loss of life was later used as fodder for J2 to fall in very white-boy love. Where is the line between inspiration and exploitation?2023-01-291h 21This Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 24, 2016: One Direction Fans Discuss "Conchobar"Congrats to the proud papa! Back in 2016, One Direction's Louis Tomlinson became a father (fact) and 1D fans everywhere decided that the baby's name was Conchobar (rumor). This week, V tells Emily the story of a fandom she was actually in, and may have had an accidental hand in turning into a shitshow, as the sordid saga of Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson shipping baffles Emily to her core. When does RPF (real-person fanfiction) turn from a hobby into a damaging force? Why did actual celebrity news sources pander to "Larries"? And how much fault actually lies at V's very...2023-01-221h 19This Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 1967: The First Star Trek Zine Is DistributedLong live Strekdom and may it always prosper! This week, Emily and V are heading to the original frontier of fannish culture: Star Trek fan clubs of the 1960's. It's super emotional, and the women who created the groundwork of everything we love today deserve our utmost respect for their sheer ballsiness and bananas love of Leonard Nimoy. Join us as we learn about Vulcanalia, discuss ditto machines, and basically write RPF about how much we love the OG fangirls of yore. Have you paid your membership dues? Did you remember your Tupperware of snacks?2023-01-151h 01This Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 11, 1994: The First X-Files Fanfiction Is PostedWe want to believe! In the second week of January, we're heading back thirty years (woof) to ye olde Web 1.0 and the very first online X-Files fanfiction. But to our surprise, it wasn't just an X-Files fic! Join V and Emily as they get to explore a whole new-to-them fandom as they learn about cult fave Forever Knight, talk alt-net servers and e-mail lists, and read the cutest author's note in fandom history. Are you MSR or NoRomo? More importantly, are you a Friend Of Don?2023-01-0857 min
This Week In Fandom HistoryJanuary 4, 2005: LiveJournal Sold to SixApartHappy New Year! It's the first week of January, and V and Emily are exploring the effects of LiveJournal's sale to SixApart Media on January 4, 2005. Fandom is an eternal wanderer, forever losing its homes on the internet. Was this sale the harbinger of things to come? How did updates to LJ's terms of use affect fandom and fanfiction? Will fandom ever find a forever-home online?2023-01-011h 04