The RPF Question by Sacha Judd
Fansplaining
In our newest piece, Sacha Judd goes deep on RPF, tracing it back decades and tackling its thorny intersections with other kinds of fan practices. "The RPF Question" by Sacha Judd. Amid blurry boundaries between fic, celebrity fandom, and conspiracy theories, how real person fiction evolved from forbidden to mainstream and back again. Read the full piece:
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Bridgerton and Period Drama Fandom’s Enduring Racism Problem by Amanda-Rae Prescott
Fansplaining
Our latest piece is by Amanda-Rae Prescott, who was one of the expert guests in our "Race and Fandom" series back in 2020! ( "Bridgerton and Period Drama Fandom’s Enduring Racism Problem" by Amanda-Rae Prescott. Complaints about historical accuracy and acting quality are often dog-whistles: some fans only want to see white actors—and white history—on screen. Read the full piece here:
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Sam Wilson Deserved Better Than Brave New World by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Fansplaining
Gav is back in Fansplaining in 2025! This time, she writes about Sam Wilson's recent Captain America debut—and how the MCU failed both the character and the fandom. "Sam Wilson Deserved Better Than Brave New World" by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw: Marvel wants fans to care about lore without thinking too deeply about themes and emotions—the things that brought them to this fandom in the first place. Read the full piece here: fansplaining.com/articles/sam-wilson-deserved-better-brave-new-world
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The War That Almost Broke a Classic Fandom by Lena Barkin
Fansplaining
Our first article of 2025 is here—and it's a big one! "The War That Almost Broke a Classic Fandom" by Lena Barkin: Blake’s 7 fans and actors mixed regularly at cons and on the pages of zines—until an anonymous letter changed everything. Read the full piece here: fansplaining.com/articles/the-war-that-almost-broke-a-classic-fandom
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The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction by Elizabeth Minkel
Fansplaining
Around this time in December, we usually wrap up Fansplaining with “”: a look back at five trends from the prior year followed by five trends from the year coming to a close. With Flourish’s departure this summer, the podcast is now on hiatus—but I had a lot of thoughts about 2024, particularly when it came to fanfiction. Many thanks to Flourish for looking this over; in a way, it’s a “Year in Fandom” segment in spirit. In 2024, everyone wanted a piece of fic, from AI grifters to traditional publishers to ravenous audiences. Where did that leave the people who write it?...
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Bringing Fanfiction Into the Classroom by Abby Kirby
Fansplaining
Our latest article is by Abby Kirby, who writes about her experiences teaching fanfiction to middle schoolers: "Fic does something that my traditional English classes cannot: it places the power in the hands of the student." Read the full piece here: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/bringing-fanfiction-into-the-classroom
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The Beatles Live! by Allegra Rosenberg
Fansplaining
We're excited to welcome back Allegra Rosenberg, who's written a new article for us on contemporary Beatles fandom: "The Beatles Live! New generations of fans are cultural archaeologists, working with the materials of the past to create the passion of the present." Read the full piece here: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/the-beatles-live
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The Scream Fandom’s Enduring Divide by Michael Boyle
Fansplaining
Our newest article is “The Scream Fandom’s Enduring Divide” by Michael Boyle: Nearly a year after star Melissa Barrera was fired for pro-Palestinian social media posts, fans remain torn over the future of the franchise. Read the full piece here: https://www.fansplaining.com/articles/the-scream-fandoms-enduring-divide
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The Acolyte’s Squandered Potential by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw
Fansplaining
Our newest article is "The Acolyte’s Squandered Potential" by Gavia Baker-Whitelaw: The show brought a whole new set of fans to a stagnating franchise. Its cancellation suggests Star Wars is only interested in looking backwards. Read the full piece here:
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The Traumatized Gatekeepers of Broadway by Laura Wheatman Hill
Fansplaining
Our newest article is "The Traumatized Gatekeepers of Broadway" by Laura Wheatman Hill: Theatre fans measure their passion by nitpicking. Does it do the industry more harm than good? You can read the full article here:
info_outlineIn Episode 215, “The Broken Contract,” Flourish and Elizabeth look at the sorry state of television in 2024, where the streaming revolution has devolved into sudden cancellations, deleted or shelved shows, opaque viewer numbers, and very little stability for audiences—and especially fans—to get invested in something new. How can fans build fandoms—and, for that matter, how can TV creators build the works themselves—when executives are constantly pulling the rug out from under them? Plus: they respond to a pair of letters about the previous episode, on AI and dealing with a negative AO3 comment, respectively.