The Pitt Fandom Phenomenon
The hit medical drama showcases three things you need to build a juggernaut fanfic community: popularity, modularity, and intimacy.
Latest
(Re)Introducing Fansplaining
Reporting, analysis, criticism, and more—all by, for, and about fandom.
The Success of Heated Rivalry Should Not Be a Surprise
Romancelandia understands why the show is a hit. Why is it so hard for Hollywood to get the message?
Fansplaining’s Next Chapter
We’re relaunching as a weekly publication featuring reporting, analysis, criticism, personal essays, and more—all by, for, and about fandom.
Special Episode 35: Wake Up Dead Man
When you want to discuss a film about a priest, you know who you have to call…
Can Fandom Make Us Better Tourists?
In an era of overtourism, South Korea’s Jeju Island and international BTS fans are building bridges of mutual respect.
Alternate Universes
Through text-based roleplaying, I’ve lived so many other lives—and experienced so many other bodies.
Reclaiming the Mary Sue
My new comic interrogates the continued bias against Mary Sues—and brings one life.
K-Pop’s Demons, Real and Fictional
KPop Demon Hunters has seen massive mainstream success in the U.S. What does that mean for real K-pop artists and their fans?
The Fan, the Pro, and the Spaces In Between
Writing for Star Wars challenges me to interrogate fandom power dynamics—and figure out where I fall in a rapidly shifting landscape.
The Fandom Advantage: How Fan Creativity Fuels Pro Entertainment Careers
Fansplaining’s panel from San Diego Comic-Con 2025, featuring fannish creators who work on television, comics, novels, and more.
How Friendships Onscreen and Off Fueled Half a Century of Fandom
For the admins of the Starsky & Hutch Fiction Archive, preserving fanworks and fannish community go hand in hand.
Features
I Came to Ruin You: The Collecting Practices of K-Pop Fandoms
From photo cards to video art installations, a tour through a recent exhibition showcasing K-pop fans’ communal creativity and cross-cultural exchanges.
Features
The RPF Question
Amid blurry boundaries between fic, celebrity fandom, and conspiracy theories, how real person fiction evolved from forbidden to mainstream and back again.
Features
Bridgerton and Period Drama Fandom’s Enduring Racism Problem
Complaints about historical accuracy and acting quality are often dog-whistles: some fans only want to see white actors—and white history—on screen.
Criticism
Sam Wilson Deserved Better Than Brave New World
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.
Features
The War That Almost Broke a Classic Fandom
Blake’s 7 fans and actors mixed regularly at cons and on the pages of zines—until an anonymous letter changed everything.
Criticism
The Endless Appetite for Fanfiction
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?
Features
Bringing Fanfiction Into the Classroom
Fic does something that my traditional English classes cannot: it places the power in the hands of the student.
Features
The Beatles Live!
New generations of fans are cultural archaeologists, working with the materials of the past to create the passion of the present.
Features
The Scream Fandom’s Enduring Divide
Nearly a year after star Melissa Barrera was fired for pro-Palestinian social media posts, fans remain torn over the future of the franchise.
Criticism
The Acolyte’s Squandered Potential
The show brought a whole new set of fans to a stagnating franchise. Its cancellation suggests Star Wars is only interested in looking backwards.
Features
The Traumatized Gatekeepers of Broadway
Theatre fans measure their passion by nitpicking. Does it do the industry more harm than good?
Special Episodes
Special Episode 34: Interview with the Vampire: Season 2
Siri: Pause.