Welcome to This Week in Fandom, the OTW’s roundup of things which are happening! Before we start, some breaking news: the EU’s Copyright Directive, which includes Article 13, has passed in the European Parliament. While this won’t affect AO3, it does have significant consequences. We’ll have more on this next week.
The big news of the week is the announcement that the 15th season of Supernatural will be its last. The stars of the show announced the news with a video on Twitter:
Hey #SPNFamily here’s a little message from @JensenAckles @mishacollins and me. I’m so grateful for the family that’s been built because of the show. Excuse me while i go cry. pic.twitter.com/QDXDsAyIfK
— Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) March 22, 2019
There have been various articles published about this news, including reactions from others involved in the show and a wishlist for the final season. But its the fans who had the biggest reactions. Nerds and Beyond published a roundup of fan reactions to the ending of the show. There are too many wonderful words to choose some to quote, so go take a look at all of them.
What do you think? Are you sad about the news? Relieved? Overwhelmed? Let us know in the comments!
In other news, author JK Rowling is facing the ire of the internet for a recent statement. She recently commented in a Blu-ray extra for the second Fantastic Beasts movie that Dumbledore and Grindelwald had “a love relationship” that included “a sexual dimension.” People are upset by the fact that this was mentioned after the fact, rather than being depicted in the movie itself. As an article from NBC points out, this is just the latest metatextual addition Rowling has made to Dumbledoire’s character.
When Rowling first “outed” Dumbledore in 2007, it was mostly seen as a win for diversity, but as the years have passed more and more people have started wondering if she isn’t simply trying to get credit for diverse characters she didn’t really create. As the “Fantastic Beasts” series continues to unfold, those accusations feel increasingly accurate. Has Rowling committed the classic writer crime of telling and not showing?
Lastly, the Raynor Memorial Libraries at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, is collecting oral histories of Tolkien fandom. According to an article from Journal Sentinel, they’re aiming to collect 6,000 3-minute recordings of people talking about their experiences as fans of Tolkien’s work. If you’re interested in contributing your story, check out the library’s website.
We want your suggestions! If you have a story you think we should include, please contact us! Suggestions are welcome in all languages. Submitting a story doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in a TWIF post, and inclusion of a story doesn’t mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.