This Week In Fandom History

Those 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? Are you a member of the Scoops Troop?

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 go to DashCon? WOULD you go to a DashCon?

Troubled 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?

I 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?

Oil 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 episode was recorded two months ago, before the whistleblowing of the OTW's abuses of its volunteers, lack of TOS/COC framework, and absolute skirting of legality with regard to CSAM. The opinions expressed in this episode with regard to the OTW do not necessarily hold true today, the date of release. *

Warn 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?

Draco 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?

It'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 your fandoms a victim of Strikethrough?

We'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?

Read 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 fic in the pre-AO3 world?

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 a Xenite? (Or, are you still?)

Outlander, 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 without your permission" when you write? Do you think only "good" art has the right to exist? P.S. Apologies for the late upload this week. Outside commitments reared their ugly heads.

Avengers... 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 with unbridled rage? What blockbuster movie left you with a hole in your soul?

There 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)?

Bop 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 start losing your hair, can you tell me who will still care? (No, you can't, 'cause you don't know. Oh-oh. Yeah, yeah.)

It'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?

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?

Good 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?

Are 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 vote for in FMM? And who would win a cage match, Leslie Knope or Peggy Carter?

We'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?

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 gore

All 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?

Happy 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?

All 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 your part to launch TWIFH's hip new meme?

Get 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?

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 sorry feet?

Long 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?

We 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?

Happy 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?