In Defense of Fandom

We're back! And with some exciting news! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the promo for In Defense of Fandom! This is just an introduction to the show, and episode 1 will be available March 7th (to celebrate the end of S1 of The Winchesters!).   Make sure to hit subscribe so you don’t miss out!   https://youtu.be/M0QhgQ-g4C0 Sarah Z video on Destielgate   Voices heard in this episode/promo (in order): Jenn: @rupertgayes (twitter) Robin: @caslostwings (twitter) Dani: @lotrspnfangirl  (twitter) Liz: @__ellie (twitter) Shawn Taylor: https://www.shawntaylor.net/ Mary: @maryturner_ (twitter)   Podcast Host & Creator: Sadie Witkowski (@SadieWit on twitter) Editorial support was provided by Dr. Anna Funk (@DrAnnaFunk on twitter) Cover art was designed by Liz (@__ellie on twitter Music (Country Rock and Roll) by AudioCoffee from Pixabay   Please support this project through Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's another bonus episode while I work on the next season! A conversation with writer of television, animation, comics, and audio: Meghan Fitzmartin. And for my fellow SPN family out there, you will recognize her name as first a writers assistant for Supernatural to a staffed writer in the final season, penning the episodes Piece of Mind and Drag Me Away (From You). More on Meghan and her upcoming comic, Mary Sue: https://www.boom-studios.com/archives/first-look-mary-sue-1/ https://bleedingcool.com/comics/scoop-mary-sue-a-new-comic-by-meghan-fitzmartin-from-boom-studios/ https://www.meghanfitzmartin.com/ Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This conversation with fellow Geekscapists is a post-San Diego Comic Con(versation) covering press passes to running activation booths to attending as a panelist! Check out the other Geekscape Podcasts & Projects: Jonathan London: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekscapeforever/hero-of-the-prophecy-1-a-pro-wrestling-comedic-fantasy Christian Bladt: https://www.weirdalgorithmpodcast.com/ Tessa Markle: https://www.femmeregard.com/ Katie Hampton: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marvel-movie-talk/id1699318146, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/napping-through-happy-hour/id1628046345, https://www.chicagobacon.com/internet-supreme-court Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While I’m still working on creating both a special collaboration mini series and mapping out season 4, I wanted to provide you listeners with a special treat! This episode is an interview with Supernatural's production designer, producer, and occasional director: Jerry Wanek! We talk about his experience working on Supernatural, how the show reflected timeless styles from the iconic motel rooms to the art deco Bunker, and how he relates to the fandom. Oh, and we even go on a little tangent about famed Texas author Larry McMurtry! Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With season 3 wrapped, we wanted to see what lingering questions you have about parasocial relationships. Editor Anna Funk joins Sadie on the mic to answer some listener questions and reflect on the season as a whole. Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final installment of the season, we wrap up final thoughts on the state of celebrity worship, fame, and parasociality. We’ll also hear a bit more about the positive things that we can get out of parasocial relationships, some of the risks to watch out for, and discuss the future of parasociality. Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com To submit your questions or comments for the bonus episode, send your message to sadie.witkowski@gmail.com Resources from this episode: https://time.com/6294226/parasocial-relationships-benefits/ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/parasocial-relationships https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sixteenth-minute-of-fame/id1743960803 https://www.404media.co/mage-space-new-restrictions-non-consensual-porn-celebrities/ https://www.404media.co/character-ai-chatbot-changes-filters-roleplay/ https://www.404media.co/ai-therapy-bots-meta-character-ai-ftc-complaint/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve talked about parasocial relationships as a one-way street, but can that ever change? Is there a way for a parasocial bond to become just a regular friendship? What would that even look like? Hear examples of how parasocial relationships became something more reciprocal, and learn whether that’s likely to be a rare event or something more commonplace. Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Resources from this episode: https://denimwrappednightmares.buzzsprout.com/ https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/mark-sheppard-wife-sarah-louise-151720015.html https://people.com/how-did-taylor-swift-and-travis-kelce-meet-8405807 To submit your questions or comments, send your message to sadie.witkowski@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has the internet made us all worse at relationships, including the parasocial ones? We’ll talk about the celebrity attitude scale, which measures how intensely an audience member feels about a celebrity, how the internet has changed our media diets, and how online relationships are a blessing and a curse. Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Resources from this episode: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160106-how-sherlock-holmes-changed-the-world https://defector.com/chapell-roan-fan-privacy-drama?utm_source=mckinneykelsey&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-terror-of-the-mirror-a-2024-review https://www.tiktok.com/@chappellroan/video/7404957266853645611?lang=en https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ft04928-000 http://www.jssshonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/JSSSH_Vol.7_No.1_2021_66-75_Sr.-No.7.pdf https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/g22118748/best-celebrity-liquors/ https://al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/jhsss/article/view/279 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lgNPGH1rXI https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/gal-gadot-s-imagine-instagram-video-was-peak-cringe-year-ncna1261685 https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/05/gal-gadot-imagine-video Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s it like to be in-between a celebrity and their fans? What’s it like to have a real relationship with a famous person—and have fans think you might be an access point to that person? Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Resources from this episode: Listen to Normal Gossip: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/normal-gossip/id1597761181 Read 'You didn't hear this from me': https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-didn-t-hear-this-from-me-mostly-true-notes-on-gossip-kelsey-mckinney/21441330 See Bert's "showgirl" costumed look: https://www.instagram.com/resortsworldlv/p/C8pYKvHP667/ Chicago Music Exchange: https://www.instagram.com/chicagomusicexchange/ Jennifer's gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jp-jennifer-may-nickel-eaton-fire-relief-fund Ackles' dog, Icarus: https://www.instagram.com/danneelackles512/p/B-hx9mzgYBC/?img_index=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm so sorry for the delay, but I promise you will have a brand-spanking-new episode in your feed in 2 weeks. In the meantime, support NPR/PBS! Support local journalism! And find ways to give back to your community around you, because this is the only way we're going to make it through. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore how parasocial relationships may, or may not, differ across mediums. I speak with creators in music, podcasting, youtube, and musical threater spaces to hear how each of their experiences are different and yet so similar! Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Resources from this episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message https://reggieslive.com/band/august-hotel/ https://www.hyperfixedpod.com/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/western-kabuki/id1647062210 https://www.alimattu.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when our minds fixate on an actor or band member or podcaster and we start to see things that aren’t there? When a fan feels so much closer to their idolized famous person than they really are? AKA, What’s the deal with parasocial relationships? Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A HUGE thank you to Marie for letting me rebroadcast this lovely conversation with her from March 2024. If you aren't already, you should subscribe to Carrying Wayward for all their excellent episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/carrying-wayward-a-supernatural-podcast/id1541257824 Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't forget to send me your fan questions! You can reach out via twitter (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit) or my website form (sadiewit.com) Link to Jonathan's Kickstarter: www.herooftheprophecy.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I catch up with costume designer Jennifer May Nickel regarding the aftermath of the Eaton fire in LA. Jennifer & JP’s gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jp-jennifer-may-nickel-eaton-fire-relief-fund?modal=donations&tab=all RA recovery fund: https://give.randomacts.org/campaign/random-acts-natural-disaster-recovery-fund/c656615 Geekscape podcaster’s gofundme: bit.ly/DustinErin Creation Entertainment’s employee, Leticia, gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-leticia-serafin-rebuild-after-eaton-fire Other links of interest: Variety story about Jennifer’s experience: https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/the-ark-writer-john-paul-nickel-gotham-knights-costume-designer-jennifer-nickel-la-fires-1236274591/ Jennifer’s original In Defense of Fandom podcast interview: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-4-the-costumes-of-gotham-knights/id1674695211?i=1000633178023 Story on Supernatural’s creator, Eric Kripke, also lost his home in the fires: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-boys-creator-eric-kripke-shares-devastating-photo-after-home-burned-in-la-fires/ LA Strong Volunteer Donation Fund: https://lacity.gov/LAstrong Geekscape Specific: http://www.geekscapegives.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What started as a random question on Bluesky turned into a whole conversation about fandom conventions (and why I seem to go to so many of them). Thank you Shae for agreeing to jump online with me to chat over the winter holidays so that I could answer your question in far more depth than you were expecting. Remember if you have a fan question of your own, you can reach me on insta, X, bluesky, or my website! Curious to learn more about conventions? Here's some interesting links: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stars-getting-rich-fan-conventions-933062/ https://alihazelwood.com/ https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-terror-amc-camp-fandom https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/if-thanos-actually-wiped-out-half-all-life-how-would-earth-fare-aftermath-180972005/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Science_of_Interstellar Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we answer Anna’s query! Solution 1: Fifty Shades of Grey is an example of fanfiction that became published as a standalone series. Serialization & Fifty Shades of Grey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk9N7dJBec Solution 2: Some writers start in fanfiction, but have to leave that world behind so that it doesn’t influence their own, cannon writing (and accidentally steal ideas) How Tamsyn Muir* had to leave the fanfic community behind to avoid being influenced by the fic about HER story: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/811/the-one-place-i-cant-go/act-three-6  *Apologies, I crediting Nerdette for this one but it was actually This American Life Solution 3: Melissa Good was a fanfic writer who ended up writing a few episodes of Xena Interview with Melissa Good about going from a fanfic writer, to a show writer: https://www.ausxip.com/interviews/mgood.html The reddit thread of more examples: https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/st2lsf/has_any_fanfiction_writers_ever_became/?rdt=62907 Solution 4: And we SHOULD have more fanfic writers writing for TV! Fansplaining, Episode 17: on understanding how shows get made in Hollywood: https://www.fansplaining.com/episodes/17-the-powers-that-be  Thanks to Fansplaining’s Elizabeth & Flourish for letting me sample just a tiny bit of their fascinating conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our experiment! Podcast editor Dr. Anna Funk steps up to the mic to ask a question that's been bubbling in the back of her mind. Listen next week for the reveal of the answer! And do you have a fandom question? Send it out way! Either through twitter DMs (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit), or via the webform at https://www.sadiewit.com/contact-1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alright, let's wrap up everything we've learned on endings: from the fan experience to the changes in how TV is made. And of course, we'll try to answer the question of whether we think Supernatural will ever be back for a season 16th.   Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/in_defense_of_fandom Thanks to the voices you heard in this episode (in order of appearance): Mark Hampton: NA Rob Benedict: @RobBenedict Jeffery Bell: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068272/  Craig Titely: @CraigTitley741  Ben Edlund: @ben_edlund Richard Speight Jr: @dicksp8jr     Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie Additional Links of Interest: Can Hollywood sequel its way to box office success? AO3 collection of how Chuck won theories Will Supernatural get a 16th season?!   Also, apologies for the potato-sound quality from my end. A confluence of covid + mic issues = my final audio quality. I promise next season will sound better! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices