Fansplaining

By Elizabeth Minkel & Flourish Klink

What's Fansplaining about?

Fansplaining is a podcast about by, for, and about fandom. It’s hosted by Flourish Klink and Elizabeth Minkel. New episodes come out every two weeks. If you want to call us and leave a message for us to read on air, our number is 1-401-526-FANS!

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Fansplaining episodes:

04.10.2024
Episode 220: The Fan-Journalist
On Episode 220, “The Fan-Journalist,” Flourish and Elizabeth welcome one particular fan-journalist—Kayti Burt—to discuss her recent article for us on the specific challenges of covering things you love in a very precarious industry. Topics discussed include Kayti’s journey from...
03.27.2024
Episode 219: Tropefest Speedrun
Episode 219, “Tropefest Speedrun,” kicks off with a big announcement: as you might have guessed with Flourish a few months away from a) giving birth and b) being ordained as a priest, they are going to be leaving Fansplaining in...
03.13.2024
Episode 218: The Money Question 3: Books???
Following previous installments on the thorny intersections of money and fanfiction, Episode 218, “The Money Question 3: Books???” tackles the recent debacle around people illegally selling bound copies of others’ fic, which has mostly centered on mega-popular Dramione works. Jumping...
02.28.2024
Episode 217: Fanbinding
On Episode 217, “Fanbinding,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk to Tiffo (aka Fanboundbooks) about the art of turning fanfiction into physical books, and the fanbinding collective known as the Renegade Bindery. Topics discussed include how exactly you make a book, Renegade’s...
02.14.2024
Episode 216: Allegra Rosenberg
On Episode 216, “Allegra Rosenberg,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk to the fandom journalist and Terror Camp organizer about her journey from tween fan reporter to writing a book about the pre-digital history of fan culture. Topics discussed include coming of...
01.31.2024
Episode 215: The Broken Contract
In Episode 215, “The Broken Contract,” Flourish and Elizabeth look at the sorry state of television in 2024, where the streaming revolution has devolved into sudden cancellations, deleted or shelved shows, opaque viewer numbers, and very little stability for audiences—and...
01.10.2024
Episode 214: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 18
In the newest installment of the long-running “Ask Fansplaining Anything” series, Flourish and Elizabeth tackle a fresh batch of listener comments and questions. Topics discussed include fic that “breaches containment,” AI and fanworks, differing norms around the AO3’s “Major Character...
12.27.2023
Episode 213: The Year in Fandom 2023
As they do every December, Elizabeth and Flourish revisit the previous year’s fandom retrospective, and then turn to the biggest fan culture stories and trends in 2023. Topics discussed include the mainstreaming of purity culture, the fracturing of social media...
12.13.2023
Episode 212: Fandom Truthiness
In Episode 212, “Fandom Truthiness,” Elizabeth and Flourish break down the recent pair of (GREAT) video essays on James Somerton, a YouTuber known for queer (and often fandom-related) media analysis who’s been wholesale lifting passages from others’ articles and books—while...
11.29.2023
Episode 211: The Copyright Conundrum
In Episode 211, “The Copyright Conundrum,” Flourish and Elizabeth welcome prolific fic writer and copyright expert EarlGreyTea68 back to the podcast to discuss her new Fansplaining article, “How U.S. Copyright Law Fails Fan Creators.” After giving a little primer on...
11.08.2023
Episode 210: The RPF Tipping Point
On Episode 210, “The RPF Tipping Point,” Elizabeth and Flourish welcome back Grace and the Fever author Zan Romanoff to talk about her new podcast, On the Bleachers, on Taylor Swift, football player Travis Kelce, and the pop-culture firestorm their...
10.25.2023
Episode 209: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 17
In the newest (17th!) installment of the “Ask Fansplaining Anything” series, Flourish and Elizabeth read a mix of responses to recent episodes and fresh queries. Topics discussed include communal versus solitary fandom, how the “BNF” role shifts when global fandoms...
10.11.2023
Episode 208: What Fans Owe Each Other
In Episode 208, “What Fans Owe Each Other,” Flourish and Elizabeth share a letter from longtime friend-of-the-pod Destination Toast about whether we can make fandom culture kinder and more nuanced (spoiler: they take a far more pessimistic stance than Toast!)....
09.27.2023
Episode 207: Paul Cornell
In Episode 207, “Paul Cornell,” Flourish and Elizabeth talk to the eponymous writer (of a bazillion different things) (seriously, look at his Wikipedia) about his journey from fan to pro—and about continuing to be a deeply fannish pro. Topics discussed...
09.13.2023
Episode 206: Bad Fans Revisited
Woobies, poor little meow meows, anti-heroes, and problematic faves: in Episode 206, “Bad Fans Revisited,” Flourish and Elizabeth use a listener voicemail on investment in morally dubious fictional characters to revisit a perennial hot topic in fandom. Specifics discussed include...
08.30.2023
Episode 205: Fanfluencers
In Episode 205, “Fanfluencers,” Flourish and Elizabeth use a listener voicemail on fan screenings for Red, White & Royal Blue to dive into a broader conversation about influencers, fandom, and the Hollywood strikes. Marketers today know more about fans than...
08.16.2023
Episode 204: Happy Anniversary #8
Flourish and Elizabeth celebrate their eighth (!) anniversary with eight (!) guest responses to their traditional query: What changes and trends have you observed in fandom over the past year, on a broad level and/or on a personal level? Topics...
08.02.2023
Episode 203: Solidarity and SDCC
In Episode 203, “Solidarity and SDCC,” Elizabeth debriefs Flourish on a very unusual San Diego Comic-Con: one held during the parallel WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Building off of Elizabeth’s coverage of the topic for WIRED, they talk about how...
07.19.2023
Episode 202: Dylan Marron
In Episode 202, “Dylan Marron,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk to the creator and host of the new (and very fandomy!) podcast, The Redemption of Jar Jar Binks. They discuss the threads of his career that influenced the project—including his early...
06.28.2023
Episode 201: Artificial Fandom Intelligence 2: Rise of the Grifters
Following closely on the heels of last December’s “Artificial Fandom Intelligence” episode, Elizabeth and Flourish bring you the extremely depressing sequel, “Artificial Fandom Intelligence 2: Rise of the Grifters.” Spurred by recent comments from a Silicon Valley VC about the...
06.14.2023
Episode 200: Maia Kobabe
For their 200th!!!! episode, Elizabeth and Flourish are joined by artist, author, and longtime Fansplaining collaborator (and fan!) Maia Kobabe to celebrate the occasion. Topics discussed include the fandom elements of eir graphic memoir, Gender Queer, the pleasure of creating...
05.31.2023
Episode 199: Reflecting Reality?
In Episode 199, “Reflecting Reality?” Flourish and Elizabeth tackle a trio of listener questions on the ways fanfiction does—and doesn’t—mirror our own lives. Topics discussed include changes in how queerness has been depicted over the past few decades, whether longer-running...
05.17.2023
Episode 198: Strikesplaining
In Episode 198, “Strikesplaining,” Elizabeth and Flourish are joined by screenwriter, executive producer, and longtime friend of the podcast Javier Grillo-Marxuach to talk about the Writers Guild of America strike. Javi breaks down how television writing, production, and compensation have...
05.03.2023
Episode 197: Stitch
In Episode 197, Flourish and Elizabeth welcome back Stitch, the media critic and fandom journalist who was one of their original “Race and Fandom” guests way back in 2016! Stitch discusses their career trajectory from omnivorous fan to independent blogger...
04.19.2023
Episode 196: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 16
In yet another (the sixteenth!) installment of “Ask Fansplaining Anything,” Flourish and Elizabeth discuss a fresh batch of listener questions and comments. Topics include portmanteau ship names, permissive fanart attitudes amongst video game developers, fic self-promotion etiquette, and a pair...
04.05.2023
Episode 195: Fandom Life Cycles
In Episode 195, “Fandom Life Cycles,” Elizabeth and Flourish respond to a voicemail from listener Gin/myrmidryad about their appreciation of a “closed canon”—in this case, a show ending—when it comes to fanwork creation. Some fans love this relatively stable ground;...
03.22.2023
Episode 194: The Pain Fandom
In Episode 194, “The Pain Fandom,” Flourish and Elizabeth are joined by journalist Maria Temming to discuss her recent article on whump, hurt/comfort, and fandom communities centered around fictional characters in pain. Topics discussed include the history of whump and...
03.08.2023
Episode 193: Ask Me About My Fanart
In Episode 193, “As Me About My Fanart,” Flourish and Elizabeth talk to longtime fanartist Fox Estacado about the business and the pleasure of fanart. Topics discussed include changes she’s observed in the practice over time, the way platforms like...
02.22.2023
Episode 192: Death, Mourning, and Fandom
In Episode 192, “Death, Mourning, and Fandom,” Elizabeth and Flourish talk about the complicated dynamics around death within fandom, where our connections to each other can be deep but transient. Jumping off an article Elizabeth recently wrote for WIRED on...
02.08.2023
Episode 191: Femstats February
In Episode 191, “Femstats February,” Flourish and Elizabeth welcome back Destination Toast—the Steve Martin of Fansplaining—to talk through their massive stats analysis comparing the F/F, M/F, and M/M categories on the AO3. Length, rating, frequency of certain tags and warnings:...
01.25.2023
Episode 190: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 15
In the latest (fifteenth!) installment of “Ask Fansplaining Anything,” Flourish and Elizabeth tackle a new collection of listener letters. Topics discussed include defining “canon” in RPF fandoms, the sad fate of fandoms on Twitter, and what to do about non-fandom...
01.11.2023
Episode 189: “No Cultural Impact”
In Episode 189, “No Cultural Impact,” Flourish and Elizabeth look at the entertainment industry’s “fan-first” strategy for franchise-building, and the already-massive box-office success of Avatar 2: The Way of Water, part of a property that, as people continue to say...
12.28.2022
Episode 188: The Year in Fandom 2022
Continuing an end-of-year tradition, Flourish and Elizabeth review five big fandom-related trends they followed in 2022. Topics discussed include clashing norms between fans on different platforms, the increasing precariousness of the streaming space, brands doubling down on fandom—and anti-fandom—in high-profile...
12.14.2022
Episode 187: Artificial Fandom Intelligence
In Episode 187, “Artificial Fandom Intelligence,” Elizabeth and Flourish respond to a listener's letter about AI tools like ChatGPT and Lensa, which are currently sparking anxiety in fandom and across the broader web. What are the realities of this technology,...
12.02.2022
Episode 186B: Disability and Fandom: Part 2
In the second and final installment of the “Disability and Fandom” double episode, Flourish and Elizabeth get the perspectives of even more disabled fans. Featuring conversations with Lindsay Mixer and Valerie Gristch, and voicemails/letters from Soph, TallysGreatestFan, Lizard Socks, May...
11.30.2022
Episode 186A: Disability and Fandom: Part 1
In the first installment of the “Disability and Fandom” double episode, Flourish and Elizabeth get the perspectives of a wide range of disabled fans, including conversations with Rebecca Milton and Joan Miller and voicemails/letters from Dr. Paul D. C. Bones,...
11.09.2022
Episode 185: RPF Revisited
In Episode 185, “RPF Revisited,” Elizabeth and Flourish use a trio of listener letters to return to the perennially thorny topic of real person fiction. How does RPF fit into the broader fandom space in 2022? What does “canon” even...
10.26.2022
Episode 184: Justin Bolger
In Episode 184, Flourish and Elizabeth talk to Justin Bolger, who previously ran Star Wars’ social media and is currently the senior brand manager for “Star Trek Fleet Command.” Topics discussed include using pop culture as social capital while moving...
10.12.2022
Episode 183: Fandom and Religion
In Episode 183, “Fandom and Religion,” (one year into seminary) Flourish and (goes to church to sing songs) Elizabeth take a look at the way religion and fandom are discussed together: the surfacey comparisons, the more nuanced parallels, and the...
09.21.2022
Episode 182: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 14
In the fourteenth installment of “Ask Fansplaining Anything,” Flourish and Elizabeth read and respond to a fresh batch of listener questions. Topics covered include fictional fandom conspiracy theories, the use—or misuse—of the AO3 collections feature, the spaces created within fandom...
09.07.2022
Episode 181: The Illusions of Crowds
In Episode 181, “The Illusions of Crowds,” Elizabeth and Flourish discuss a listener letter about the ways fans convince each other of interpretations or outcomes—and what happens when creators are on a very different page. Who’s responsible for mismatched fan...
08.24.2022
Episode 180: Happy Anniversary #7
Flourish and Elizabeth mark yet another year of the podcast with their traditional anniversary episode format: inviting the past year’s guests to share their thoughts about what’s changed in fandom, both broadly and personally. Topics discussed include making your own...
08.10.2022
Episode 179: Fan Labor, Fan Consumption
In Episode 179, “Fan Labor, Fan Consumption,” Flourish and Elizabeth use a listener question to discuss some of the intersections between fans and corporations. Is there an inherent tension when fanfiction communities’ “punk gift economies” are centered around properties owned...
07.27.2022
Episode 178: Kaitlyn Tiffany
In Episode 178, Flourish and Elizabeth sit down with Kaitlyn Tiffany, an internet culture reporter at The Atlantic and the author of the book Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It....
07.13.2022
Episode 177: The Good, the Bad, and the Popular
In Episode 177, “The Good, the Bad, and the Popular,” Flourish and Elizabeth use a trio of listener letters to talk about the various factors that make fandoms spark and grow. Is there actually any relationship between the quality of...
06.22.2022
Episode 176: Liang Ge
In Episode 176, Elizabeth and Flourish welcome Liang Ge, a PhD candidate studying Chinese boys’ love fiction (aka danmei) and its fans. Topics discussed include a history of danmei, ambivalence around gender and sexuality amongst its readers, and how fan...
06.08.2022
Episode 175: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 13
In the latest (13th!) installment of the “Ask Fansplaining Anything” series, Flourish and Elizabeth tackle a fresh batch of letters from listeners. Questions posed include: Are author’s notes “unprofessional”? What are the distinctions between fusions and crossovers? Are some fans...
05.25.2022
Episode 174: The Classification of Fandom
In Episode 174, “The Classification of Fandom,” Flourish and Elizabeth break down some of the broad categories people use to define types of fans, starting with a foundational meta that proposed distinctions between “affirmational” and “transformational” fandom. Why do we...
05.11.2022
Episode 173: The Meta Episode
“The Meta Episode” isn’t an episode about episodes: Flourish and Elizabeth use a listener letter about fan meta—nonfiction writing about an object of fandom or fandom at large—as a springboard to talk about the past, present, and future of the...
04.27.2022
Episode 172: Safe Spaces
Episode 172, “Safe Spaces,” is split into two parts: first, Flourish and Elizabeth read and respond to a series of listener letters about their recent “Fandom-Tinted Glasses” conversation; then, they discuss another listener letter on younger fans’ struggles to avoid...

What's Fansplaining about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Fansplaining episodes:

Episode 220: The Fan-Journalist

Episode 219: Tropefest Speedrun

Episode 218: The Money Question 3: Books???

Episode 217: Fanbinding

Episode 216: Allegra Rosenberg

Episode 215: The Broken Contract

Episode 214: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 18

Episode 213: The Year in Fandom 2023

Episode 212: Fandom Truthiness

Episode 211: The Copyright Conundrum

Episode 210: The RPF Tipping Point

Episode 209: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 17

Episode 208: What Fans Owe Each Other

Episode 207: Paul Cornell

Episode 206: Bad Fans Revisited

Episode 205: Fanfluencers

Episode 204: Happy Anniversary #8

Episode 203: Solidarity and SDCC

Episode 202: Dylan Marron

Episode 201: Artificial Fandom Intelligence 2: Rise of the Grifters

Episode 200: Maia Kobabe

Episode 199: Reflecting Reality?

Episode 198: Strikesplaining

Episode 197: Stitch

Episode 196: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 16

Episode 195: Fandom Life Cycles

Episode 194: The Pain Fandom

Episode 193: Ask Me About My Fanart

Episode 192: Death, Mourning, and Fandom

Episode 191: Femstats February

Episode 190: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 15

Episode 189: “No Cultural Impact”

Episode 188: The Year in Fandom 2022

Episode 187: Artificial Fandom Intelligence

Episode 186B: Disability and Fandom: Part 2

Episode 186A: Disability and Fandom: Part 1

Episode 185: RPF Revisited

Episode 184: Justin Bolger

Episode 183: Fandom and Religion

Episode 182: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 14

Episode 181: The Illusions of Crowds

Episode 180: Happy Anniversary #7

Episode 179: Fan Labor, Fan Consumption

Episode 178: Kaitlyn Tiffany

Episode 177: The Good, the Bad, and the Popular

Episode 176: Liang Ge

Episode 175: Ask Fansplaining Anything: Part 13

Episode 174: The Classification of Fandom

Episode 173: The Meta Episode

Episode 172: Safe Spaces