Mind the Tags

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily are joined by psychologist and fandom researcher Dr. Lynn Zubernis. Lynn shares how fanfiction and fandom can be healthy and therapeutic (insert Brooklyn 99 Vindication gif here) and how her own journey down the Supernatural rabbit hole inspired her career. And at the top of the episode, Vee and Emily check in about the Great AO3 Outage of 2026.    Sources from today's ep: Writing Your Own Fanfiction is Good for You by Lynn Zubernis Fandom at the crossroads : celebration, shame and fan/producer relationships by Katherine Larsen and Lynn Zubernis  Family Don't End with Blood There'll Be Peace When You Are Done Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

On this week's episode, Emily and Vee plumb the depths of Kinktober, from kinks of yore to today's titillations. Plus, we march once more onto the perennial Kinktober battlefield with shouts of "All the kink, all the time!" CW: This episode is going to include conversation about sex and kink, including questions about consent. If that’s not something you want to listen to, take a look back in our archives. We have a ton of great episodes for you to check out. Topics include: Kinktober, kink, sexuality Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected]. Sources from today's ep: Sam Winchester bumper sticker Squick on Fanlore Inktober on Fanlore The Inktober Controversy by Clara Thomas Kinktober on Fanlore Original Kinktober Tumblr post CaitVi Kinktober 2025 on Fanlore Central Outreach Wellness Center Kinktober26 list on Tumblr OFMD Kinktober list Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily are joined by author and fanfic enthusiast Joanne Harris, who shares how fandom has been an essential place for her creative growth. Let it be known that in Joanne's house, pirates can have fairy wings!   Sources from today's ep: Joanne's website Joanne's Bluesky Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. 

Surprise, it's a bonus episode! Our pals from This Week in Fandom History have shared an episode about one of their favorite fics, and we are excited to share it with you. Please enjoy "'Flesh Mechanic' Changes The Fic Game And We're Obsessed" with Emily and V!

On this week's episode, Vee invites Emily to explore the confounding and deeply upsetting world of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, which has wedged its way into some of the most fraught political and sociological discussions of our day. Beware, listeners: the dementors are here, and they all use ChatGPT.  Topics include: Eliezer Yudkowsky, AI, rationality  Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected]. Sources from today's ep: Do Not Interact on Fanlore More Everything Forever by Adam Becker The Harry Potter Fan Fiction Author Who Wants to Make Everyone a Little More Rational by David Whelan 'Harry Potter' and the Key to Immortality by Daniel D. Snyder The Harry Potter Fanfic Behind Silicon Valley’s Weirdest Philosophical Movement by Alexandra Ciufudean A quick-informal post on - Yudkowsky's Harry Potter! by David Brin Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is complete, and it is excellent by Will Baude Sex, AI, and the Apocalypse by Ian K. Duncan ‘Eugenics on steroids’: the toxic and contested legacy of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute by Andrew Anthony Mind the Tags fanfic survey Emily's expressions during the episode Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.