Elizabeth Minkel - Fansplaining

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Behind the Scenes

Lessons From a Heated Media Rivalry

How we learned that the New York Times has a Fansplaining account.

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Special Episodes

Special Episode 39: The Vampire Lestat

“Congratulations for your historical proximity to me.”

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Criticism

Too Big To Fail (On Television)

TV’s structure was perfect for tech’s failure narratives—but as Silicon Valley embraces a post-failure mindset, will audiences still tune in?

Announcements

(Re)Introducing Fansplaining

Reporting, analysis, criticism, and more—all by, for, and about fandom.

Photograph of the panelists standing on the stage: Meghan, Tessa, Elizabeth, Lin, Brent, Javi, Daphne.

Panels

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.

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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?

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Surveys

The Fic and the Source Material

Do you need to know the canon to read the fic? Breaking down the preferences of the 6,744 people who responded to our most recent mini-survey.

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Features

You Did the Thing

A conversation with Gretchen McCulloch about the language of fandom.

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Features

“You’re Gonna Love This Franchise”

Fandom, corporate media, and San Diego Comic-Con.

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Criticism

The Year of Loving Things Again

On giving yourself permission.

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Criticism

Mary Sue

From self-inserts to imagines, how young women write themselves into the narrative.

Surveys

Five Tropes Fanfic Readers Love (And One They Hate)

More than 7,500 fanfiction readers filled out the Fansplaining Fic Preferences Survey. What can we learn from the results?