Alternate Universe: The Fem Fan Experience

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Music by Blue Dot Sessions (in order):
Rafter
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Long Strides
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Awaiting an Arrival
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Boston Landing
Copely Beat
Rafter (again)
Sources:
@lone_rides Tweet about “women invaded”spaces: x.com/lone_rid...
Science Fiction Pulps & Fanzines, Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery Special Collections:
library.umbc.e...
The First Feminist Magazines: A History: www.boshemiama...
Where no fandom has gone before: Exploring the development of fandom through Star Trek fanzines Jacqueline Guerrier: commons.lib.jm...
Spockanalia #1:
guerrijd.wixsi...
Looking for Leia (2019): vimeo.com/show...
Talking by letter: the hidden history of female media fans on the 1990s internet by Andrea Horbinski: www.researchga...
Don’t Mess with My Happy Place: Understanding Misogyny in Fandom Communities by Gwendelyn S. Nisbett (pg. 171):
www.researchga...
Fighting for the Vote: Women’s Suffrage in America | Historical Documentary | Lucasfilm: • Fighting for the Vote:...
Riot Grrrl: Breaking Stereotypes, One Revolutionary Song At A Time by Janelle Borg: amplifyyou.amp...
How ‘Star Wars’ Defined My Generation: www.nytimes.co...
Waiting In Line To See Star Wars: 1977-2000: flashbak.com/w...
www.indystar.c...
The Art News Periodical: www.jstor.org/...
Star Trek, early convention at Northglenn Mall 1976 by Sam Klemke: • Star Trek, early conve...
Featured Kirk/Spock Art: fanlore.org/wi...)
Other Featured Fan Art from early zines: archive.org/de...
www.fanficdepot...
archive.org/de...
archive.org/de...
archive.org/de...
digdc.dclibrar...
[Fandom stats] Alternate Universe fanworks: which AO3 fandoms have a lot? By toastystats:
archiveofourow...
Hollywood Diversity Report 2024, Part 2: Streaming: socialsciences...

[@ADavid42]

thanks for this essay! Yes there is a link between fanfiction and feminism, and I think it goes back thousands of years, to the traditions of oral history - when women had to encode the realities of their oppression in fantastical myth. 'Canon' is HIS story. Fanfic, is Her story.

[@galahcockatoo]

Great video! As a woman, I was always questioned by boys/men about the lore of the comic books and movies, which made me feel like an intruder in that fandom. BTW, Adar being Celeborn fanfic is pretty cool. Who knows...😉

[@mslindadoll]

As a woman, I have always felt alone in science fiction. ....and it's never gotten easier. Thank you for this perspective. I will be contemplating it more deeply in the coming days.

[@WitandFolly]

💗💗💗 it's lonely! And it's hard to keep fandom friendships. I hope this helps a little bit.

[@joanmoriarity8738]

You have articulated a thought that has been hiding at the edge of my perception for ages. I've felt it for years but only now can I explain it. Some fans express their fandom by deciding what is and is not "correct" according to the "rules". Others express theirs by inventing new things that are not so much concerned with being "correct" as with being true to the spirit of the characters and stories they love. The first of those two groups is subtractive. Their happiness comes from deleting the happiness and pleasure of others. In order to succeed in their purpose, they must force other fans to back down and submit to the superiority of the "canon", punishing and exiling those who refuse to submit. They feel attacked and persecuted when they discover that someone is enjoying heretical breaches of canon. The second group is additive. Their happiness comes from finding and creating new things to make people happy. In order to succeed in their purpose, they need to welcome as many new ideas and perspectives as possible. When one of these things resonates with them, they revel in it. When another one just doesn't work for them, they are content to shrug and say "interesting, but not for me." There is legitimate pleasure to be found in the exercise of mastery in a particular field of endeavour. When you spend a lot of time and effort learning the details and intricacies of a complex and challenging subject, it's not hard to understand why you might feel irritated when someone comes along and says "yeah, but what if it was something else?" But to harass and threaten and excommunicate them as punishment, especially when you were never forcibly made to take in their ideas in the first place, is wrong. Thank you for helping me to externalize this thought. It's like an itch I couldn't reach, and it was driving me crazy.

[@WitandFolly]

Love this! This is why I make sure to not state anything such as "this is the best way to be a fan" or whatever, because there are many ways to be a fan! And my perspective alone is limiting just because it's only mine. It's good to see others' experiences. This is a really interesting take, thank you!!

[@jenf8804]

LOVE your videos your takes are always so on point!!!!

[@poenpotzu2865]

Thanks for video! It was very informative. I wont lie growing up both in school and with friends fanfiction was often viewed as lazy escapism, so its nice to see a different perspective on this topic.

[@Merina2222]

Very interesting video

[@BeLikeWater-hu4qk]

Sooo well done 🎉

[@thesmilyguyguy9799]

Cool

[@willvandom5105]

Finally such a well articulated video about a topic that every marginalized fan has felt in their fandom. It's so true that most fanboys interacts with fandom by excluing others, because they aren't as true of a fan as themselves, just beause they don't know all the lore. So you constantly try to distant yourself more and more from others, which must be quite lonely. While fan-girls try creating an community that welcomes and hear each other

[@willvandom5105]

It's like girls do it to escape from their day to day marginalisation, to feel free and welcome in a safe space. While men?? Try to marginalise themselves?? But why tho

[@dominikkulcsar2753]

Thank you for making this video! :)

[@WitandFolly]

hey dominik!! thank you :)