- TIME‘s James Poniewozik examined why different media fandoms need to play nice. “Outlander the TV series is an adaptation, which Starz–like HBO or AMC or any other adapter–is making for an audience that, ideally, will be far larger than the readership alone. Can you not have a legitimate opinion on them unless you have read the source books–and unless you love the source books and are invested in a series you haven’t yet seen? Are the old fans the true fans, the authentic fans, the authoritative fans? Can you truly appreciate and understand an adaption without reading the source–or is it actually a handicap?”
- Upworthy pointed to a video which mocked the ‘fake geek girl’ syndrome by deconstructing the arguments surrounding it. [No transcript available]
- Adelaide’s The Advertiser explored women’s problems in comics fandom while also featuring a variety of cosplay pics which provided a good look at the variety of female characters on display. “‘We need to realise that every fan has an equal right to be a fan, no matter how much or how little they’ve seen or read.’ Ms Scott is confident the enlightenment of male fans is imminent. ‘I feel like I’m seeing it already…as more and more girls come through, there’s a greater sense of things being inclusive and celebratory, more light and fun and exciting…Recently I saw someone cosplaying as a Snow White-themed Boba Fett from Star Wars — and when you have a fandom doing that, it’s amazing.’ Ms Adams says angry male fans have missed the point. ‘Fandom is for everyone, young or old, male or female, and the attitude toward it needs to change.'”
- The New Statesman asked if 2014 was the year of the fan. “A few months back, I saw a post on Fyeahcopyright, a tumblr about fanworks and legal issues written and edited by lawyers Heidi Tandy and Hannah Lowe…[which] posited that all of this increased attention of and respect for fans could signal ‘The Year of the Fan’…A quick google search revealed that there have been a few somewhat feeble-seeming attempts at years of fans in the past – a season-long promotion for an American baseball team, or a series of South Park full of winking in-jokes – but this is more about a collective feeling, some positive momentum, something that’s been gathering steam at an exponential rate recently.”
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