Fansplaining

Latest Episodes:

Episode 175: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 13 Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

In the latest (13th!) installment of the "Ask Fansplaining Anything" series, Flourish and Elizabeth tackle a fresh batch of letters from listeners. Questions posed include: Are author's notes "unprofessional"? What are the distinctions between fusions and crossovers? Are some fans writing x reader fic to avoid engaging with canonical characters of color? Would it really be so hard to make a new fic archive? And what can fans do when their object of fandom likes fic…a little too much?

Episode 174: The Classification of Fandom May 25, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 174, "The Classification of Fandom," Flourish and Elizabeth break down some of the broad categories people use to define types of fans, starting with a foundational meta that proposed distinctions between "affirmational" and "transformational" fandom. Why do we create these categories, and are they—or have they ever been—meaningful? They also welcome the first Fansplaining Fellow, Pepper Campbell, onto the podcast to introduce her upcoming research project: an ethnography of fans who use Discord for fandom activity.

Episode 173: The Meta Episode May 11, 2022

Show notes

"The Meta Episode" isn't an episode about episodes: Flourish and Elizabeth use a listener letter about fan meta—nonfiction writing about an object of fandom or fandom at large—as a springboard to talk about the past, present, and future of the practice. Topics discussed include the shift from mailing lists to LiveJournal to Tumblr, narrow and expansive definitions of meta, and how the lack of shared foundations across many different kinds of fans can place limits on meta writing and reading.

Episode 172: Safe Spaces Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

Episode 172, "Safe Spaces," is split into two parts: first, Flourish and Elizabeth read and respond to a series of listener letters about their recent "Fandom-Tinted Glasses" conversation; then, they discuss another listener letter on younger fans' struggles to avoid or escape "anti" or "purity culture" dynamics. In increasingly fractured—and increasingly hostile—digital spaces, is it possible to create fandom environments that allow us to truly protect ourselves?

Episode 171: OFIC Magazine Apr 13, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 170, "OFIC Magazine," Flourish and Elizabeth welcome back fic writer, editor, and writing teacher Betts to talk about her latest project, a literary magazine of original writing by people from fandom. Topics discussed include OFIC's origin story, Betts's observations from the first round of submissions, whether fic has a unifying genre or aesthetic, and ways readers in and out of fandom think about character. They also talk about the upcoming sessions of Betts's Fanauthor Workshop, and how her beliefs about writing workshops inform the way she runs her own.

Episode 170: Fandom-Tinted Glasses Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 170, "Fandom-Tinted Glasses," Flourish and Elizabeth use a letter from a listener weary with certain patterns in fandom as a springboard to discuss pan-fandom dynamics in 2022. Topics discussed include flattening characters and source material, the interchangeability of some fandom memes, supercut videos, and how this is all structured by current fandom platforms and scale. They also read a response to a portion of the previous episode, on fandom AUs, bystander fic, and "in-universe RPF."

Episode 169: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 12 Mar 09, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 169, "Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 12," Elizabeth and Flourish dig into a new collection of listener messages. Topics covered include the "Dead Dove Do Not Eat" tag, the intersections of self-inserts and outsider POV fic, and whether "queerbaiting" is a meaningful term in 2022. They also listen to a pair of voicemails about the recent conversation on pseuds and "the right to be forgotten" in fandom.

Episode 168: The Entertainment Media Machine Feb 23, 2022

Show notes

In Episode 168, "The Entertainment Media Machine," Flourish and Elizabeth use a recent Business Insider article about Netflix's editorial strategy—and some subsequent worries in fan spaces—to talk about the shifting dynamics between the entertainment industry, the media, audiences, and fans. Netflix's Tudum may not affect fans at all in the short term, but what will the entertainment media landscape look like in a few years? They also read a listener letter in response to the "Writing Trans Characters" episode, on exploring gender via femslash A/B/O.

Episode 167: Our Secret Identities Feb 09, 2022

Show notes

In episode 167, "Our Secret Identities," Elizabeth and Flourish use a listener voicemail on pseudonyms as a springboard to talk about the many facets of fannish personas online. Topics discussed include the way pseudonymous norms vary in different fandom spaces, the effects of platform features like Tumblr's sideblogs or AO3's orphaned works, catfishing and other forms of digital abuse, and what "the right to be forgotten" means in a fandom context.

Episode 166: Writing Trans Characters Jan 26, 2022

Show notes

In episode 166, Flourish and Elizabeth are joined by friend of the podcast and recurring guest Destination Toast to talk through Toast's recent stats on trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse characters on the AO3. They supplement this quantitative analysis with qualitative observations and experiences reading and writing trans characters, including letters and voicemails from Gavin Daphne, Flash, AlessNox, Thomas, and Elizabeth. (Yes, a different Elizabeth!)

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