Nonconsensual Fandom

By Jessica Melusine

Even in this age where the geeks seem to rule the earth, where pop culture analysis has jumped out of its academic setting to blogs and Wikipedia, where suddenly everyone now gets a red shirt joke, there are taste police. Even in a culture that is supposed to be tolerant there are issues about how one is supposed to watch, consume, or behave in fan culture.

I call this trend Nonconsensual Fandom.
(more…)

Top Ten Lists of 2007

The staff at Popshifter share the lists of the Top Ten Things that kicked our asses this year.
(more…)

Mashup Ex-Voto: Fanvids as Devotional Objects

By Jessica Melusine

Being a student of religious practice, magick, and mysticism as well as an avid pop culture devotee means that certain things look very different in my eyes. Ever since a turn-of-this-century Vericon in Cambridge, MA, I have been fascinated with fanvids.
(more…)

Bodice Roses, Mac, and Crack: or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Ren Faire

By Jessica Melusine

The Renaissance Faire phenomenon seems to be trickling slowly into the cultural milieu: from being snuggled away as a craft fair in the woods to an excuse to watch jousting or a chance to go play pretend with a parking lot of cars outside. In Notorious C.H.O. Margaret Cho asks “What’s this weird connection between fans of Star Trek, S&M, and the Renaissance Faire?” King of the Hill has done a jolly episode featuring Peggy Hill versus the evil king of the Arlen Faire (the always dazzling Alan Rickman). People share Faire pictures on Flickr and even The Simpsons has a chuckle that it is [sic] “where those chubby nerd couples go on dates.”
(more…)