“The Importance of Mary Sue,” by UnWinona
When I was in Ninth Grade, I won a thing. That thing, in particular, was a thirty dollar Barnes & Noble gift certificate. I was still too young for a … Continue reading
In Defense of Feels, by mithen
I’ve seen, in a variety of places, decrying of what’s sometimes called “Tumblr-speak,” especially targeted toward the term “feels.” “You should just say you feel something, not this ridiculous ‘I … Continue reading
“‘The Potter Books are Radical’,” by phoenix-ace
Curator’s note: We continue this week’s look at race and popular media texts with phoenix-ace’s examination and critique of the ostensibly ‘radical’ racial and ethnic politics of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter … Continue reading
“What’s a Little Racial Violence Amongst Gods? An analysis of the film Thor and how it (doesn’t) deal with racism,” by schadenfreudessa
Curator’s note: This week we’re looking at issues of race in two popular texts, Kenneth Branagh’s Thor and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. We begin with schadenfreudessa’s interrogation of the racist … Continue reading
“Canon Shenanigans: The Limits of Canon and the Legitimacy of Fanworks,” by tonipontificates
Curator’s note: this is the second of two meta that consider the relationship of canon to transformative fandom; here, tonipontificates considers the nature of canon in an increasingly transmediated (and … Continue reading
“The ‘Spotlight Effect’ in Media and Fandom,” by saathi1013
Curator’s note: This week we’re focusing on meta that considers the relationship of transformative fandom/fan works and canon, beginning with saathi1013’s examination of the ‘spotlight effect‘ in media and fanworks. … Continue reading
“A Sense of Belonging,” by Elizabeth Minkel
Curator’s Note: This piece, the second of two centering on conflicts within fandom, was written at a moment of ongoing tension in the author’s fandom, captures a sense of that other … Continue reading
“In Which Amal Puts Her Philosophy Teacher Hat On,” by Amal Nahurriyeh
Curator’s Note: This week, we’re looking at meta that discusses inter-fandom conflict and debate, beginning with amalnahurriyeh’s piece on the dynamics of argumentation within fandom. I’m a philosopher. (Well, a theorist. … Continue reading
“Will Graham Takes the Beltway: Geography in Hannibal,” by dignityisforotherpeople
I was thinking recently about how different Hannibal would be if it were set in the “real world.” Let me lay some bullet points on you: The show is set in the … Continue reading
The Fan Meta Reader 