Fanthropological

Should we get emotionally attached to fictional characters? Of course we do, intentionally or not… but _should_ we? No guarantees that we get anywhere near addressing that, but we definitely dig into how and why people get attached to characters (for good reasons… and for reasons)!

In particular, we talk about:

* The (non-)distinction between fictional and real characters… and real people?

* How writing has gotten better, and how people can relate to even villains

* How people can exert agency over fictional character in fanworks and how that promotes attachment

And more! All in under thirty minutes.

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** We do get attached, fictional vs real characters, beyond the emotional journey of a story, uncritical character love, villains and relatability, queer coding villains, characters as proxies, rewriting characters’ destinies, beyond physical attraction, reinforcement learning in a nutshell, the randomness of initial selections, a bad sports fan fandom analogy, cosplay and fictional characters.

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## Special Announcement: Livestream for the Cure 4

The 4th Annual Livestream for the Cure (or the Livestream 4 the Cure?) has been scheduled for FORTY-EIGHT HOURS from May 28th thru the 31st, with a small four hour kick-off event scheduled for the evening before to do final tests (and hopefully wrangle in some amazing guests). This year we’ll be pushing to raise $10,000 for the Cancer Research Institute, and if all of that gets doubled, we stand a very good chance of raising over $20,000 for cancer research. Hitting last year’s goal on day TWO meant that, unfortunately, donations slowed to a trickle for the entirety of day three, so if we happen to hit our goal before the end this year, we’ll be raising the bar by $1,000 every time we hit it and offering additional prizes for people won donate to these flex goals!

As in years past, the event will be LIVE on Twitch, so be sure to head to [http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys](http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys) and give us a follow! We’ll be going live with streams and other events where we’ll be mentioning L4TC all the way up until the event begins the evening of May 27th.

More details available at [http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/](http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [Choose Your Destiny](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03743) by [DaMonz](https://ocremix.org/artist/11940/damonz) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

Spoiler alert: You’ve been warned! We could spoil literally anything! That actor you like? They’re in this! That plot twist? Revealed! Deep lore?! … Probably?

In all seriousness, we’re talking about what exactly _are_ spoilers, and how they impact people’s experience with the media that they consume (and, in general, how people perceive media).

In particular, we talk about:

* The (non-)importance of _the twist_ in modern storytelling

* You can only experience something once… or can you?

* How can we “inoculate” ourselves against spoilers in this world of modern media consumption (i.e. binging, near-instant relay of information)?

And more! All in under thirty minutes.

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** Just… give people a spoiler alert when talking about any media; we definitely spoil some key points in Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other franchises; Everything is new to someone; how long should you wait to accidentally spoil something? The levels of spoilers, preserving new experiences, the thrill of _new_, plot versus meta, inoculation against spoilers, using spoilers to catch up, consuming media for feelings versus plot, the reliance on _the twist_, false action, rewatches, spoilers versus story quality, you only get one first impression, spoilers as liberation.

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## Special Announcement: Livestream for the Cure 4

The 4th Annual Livestream for the Cure (or the Livestream 4 the Cure?) has been scheduled for FORTY-EIGHT HOURS from May 28th thru the 31st, with a small four hour kick-off event scheduled for the evening before to do final tests (and hopefully wrangle in some amazing guests). This year we’ll be pushing to raise $10,000 for the Cancer Research Institute, and if all of that gets doubled, we stand a very good chance of raising over $20,000 for cancer research. Hitting last year’s goal on day TWO meant that, unfortunately, donations slowed to a trickle for the entirety of day three, so if we happen to hit our goal before the end this year, we’ll be raising the bar by $1,000 every time we hit it and offering additional prizes for people won donate to these flex goals!

As in years past, the event will be LIVE on Twitch, so be sure to head to [http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys](http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys) and give us a follow! We’ll be going live with streams and other events where we’ll be mentioning L4TC all the way up until the event begins the evening of May 27th.

More details available at [http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/](http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [Dirty Secret](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR04050) by [mv](https://ocremix.org/artist/4547/mv) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

The signs are all there, people! Have you heard the good word (of Firefly)? May the force be with you (and also with you)! Though there’re lots of superficial connections between fandom and religion, could there be a stronger link? Some sort of… divine connection?

In this episode, we’re all over the place, including:

* The appropriation of language from other sources (e.g. canonization)

* Fandom filing the role of community and providing hope and meaning

* Tons of superficial (?) connections between fandom and religion

And more! All in under thirty minutes.

## Episode Outline

**Topics: **What is a religion, what is religion legally, books of worship for fandom, the sacred texts, forums as interpretive guides, codes of fandom, proselytization, rites of passage, anne rice, blasphemy, star wars, zelda, doctor who, decline of organized religion, conventions, fandom as community.

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## Special Announcement: Livestream for the Cure 4

The 4th Annual Livestream for the Cure (or the Livestream 4 the Cure?) has been scheduled for FORTY-EIGHT HOURS from May 28th thru the 31st, with a small four hour kick-off event scheduled for the evening before to do final tests (and hopefully wrangle in some amazing guests). This year we’ll be pushing to raise $10,000 for the Cancer Research Institute, and if all of that gets doubled, we stand a very good chance of raising over $20,000 for cancer research. Hitting last year’s goal on day TWO meant that, unfortunately, donations slowed to a trickle for the entirety of day three, so if we happen to hit our goal before the end this year, we’ll be raising the bar by $1,000 every time we hit it and offering additional prizes for people won donate to these flex goals!

As in years past, the event will be LIVE on Twitch, so be sure to head to [http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys](http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys) and give us a follow! We’ll be going live with streams and other events where we’ll be mentioning L4TC all the way up until the event begins the evening of May 27th.

More details available at [http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/](http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [The Goddess Appears (Trinity)](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00454) by [Jayson Litrio](https://ocremix.org/artist/4409/jayson-litrio) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

Tune in to our totally real television show! On this week’s episode, Shakespeare and Nick Frye (the fandom guy) really dig into fans of stamp collecting, and the fascinating history of the hobby and unique origins of its name (philately).

Oh drat, looks like Shakespeare is going back to jail again

Fandom has changed a lot, and over time has gone from something on the fringe of society to the forefront. Does that also mean that fandom has moved towards a key part, an integral piece of people’s personal identity?

In this episode, we dig a bit about representation and self-identification as well as:

* What does being a fan of something even mean?!

* The (non) importance of level of participation in (self) identification

* Conversations that are strangely lacking self-awareness about the parallels of fan self-identification as compared to other areas of self-identification, closeting… etc.

And more! All in under thirty minutes.

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** How do people identify themselves, the meaninglessness of the word fan, the difference between interests and fandoms… sort of, the difference between liking something and having it be a part of your identity, interests between people don’t inherently mean connections, how community contribution or participation impact perceptions of identity, the importance of self-identification and self-labelling, the desire to put things (and people) in boxes, labels as shorthand for characteristics, stereotypes, feeling closeted in your hobbies, aspirational vs actual identities

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## Special Announcement: Livestream for the Cure 4

The 4th Annual Livestream for the Cure (or the Livestream 4 the Cure?) has been scheduled for FORTY-EIGHT HOURS from May 28th thru the 31st, with a small four hour kick-off event scheduled for the evening before to do final tests (and hopefully wrangle in some amazing guests). This year we’ll be pushing to raise $10,000 for the Cancer Research Institute, and if all of that gets doubled, we stand a very good chance of raising over $20,000 for cancer research. Hitting last year’s goal on day TWO meant that, unfortunately, donations slowed to a trickle for the entirety of day three, so if we happen to hit our goal before the end this year, we’ll be raising the bar by $1,000 every time we hit it and offering additional prizes for people won donate to these flex goals!

As in years past, the event will be LIVE on Twitch, so be sure to head to [http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys](http://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys) and give us a follow! We’ll be going live with streams and other events where we’ll be mentioning L4TC all the way up until the event begins the evening of May 27th.

More details available at [http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/](http://www.livestreamforthecure.com/)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [Nostalgy Dimension](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01054) by [Shion Tanaka](https://ocremix.org/artist/4572/shion-tanaka) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

It’s fair to say that fans can take things too far, right? To the point of taking certain facts of a series and canonizing (a _biblical_ term) them, deciding which elements are ‘right’ and ‘wrong’? Or even mixing up canon and tradition and requiring long-running media to follow old rules because that’s the way it’s always been!

In this episode, we dig a bit into what canon means, in fandom, and try to answer the question… as fans, who needs canon, anyway? Also covering topics as:

* Curative fandom, and the appeal of consistency and meaning

* How canon justifies fan investment

* A bunch of nonsense about intertextuality, worldbuilding, mythology, prescriptivism and descriptivism

And more! All in under thirty minutes.

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** Avoiding chaos via canon, consistency and rules in stories, the reality of multiple truths and perspectives, a brief tangent on the origins of the word canon, canon as ‘integrity’ of media, how canon imbues meaning, curative fandom, canon as constraints, being beholden to canon, canon as justification for fan investment, descriptivism vs prescriptivism, worldbuilding vs mythology vs canon, and tirades about Doctor Who and the Legend of Zelda_._

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [Pachabel’s Ganon](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00753) by [djpretzel](https://ocremix.org/artist/4279/djpretzel) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

Combined, we’ve been playing tabletop games (let’s admit it, mostly Dungeons and Dragons) for decades, but what is it about a game that takes it from a good one, to a great one? We try to answer the question “what makes a great tabletop experience?” (And the answer _isn’t_ everyone starting on time… though it should be!). We cover…

* The lack of importance of verisimilitude

* The importance of not know what to expect

* The importance of exploration

...And more!

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** Min-maxed characters don’t matter, verisimilitude doesn’t matter, the importance of not knowing what to expect, improv, subverting tropes, making the game your own, plot and narrative, exploration, creating a shared experience, wonderm supporting each other, creating opportunities to grow, not (always) winning… and consequences!

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [Secret Seashells](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01086) by [Miku](https://ocremix.org/artist/4583/miku) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

Hopefully, the phrase “Aren’t you too old for this?” has come up less and less as time goes on… but it still comes up! We dig into what it even means to be too old for fandom!

* Why do people try to relive their childhood (and is it just nostalgia)?

* Is it even a bad thing to be a fan of things as an adult?

* Why is it a problem to have fun as an adult?

And a lot more! All in under 30 minutes!

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [ReMix: Katamari Damacy "Love Everlasting"](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02956) by [DDRKirby(ISQ)](https://ocremix.org/artist/11963/ddrkirbyisq) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

New year, new format, new episode! This week, we ask the question “Is it ok to be a fan of bad things?”. Disregarding what _bad_ means, we dig into:

* Solidarity in fans of bad media

* Bad media as a metaphor for life

* Bad media as a references for good media

And a lot more! All in under 30 minutes!

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* [Trouble in Watertown](https://sonic25.ocremix.org/) by [YamaYama](https://vgmdb.net/artist/17141) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!

How the heck do you summarize a fandom about eleven years of films… themselves spanning twenty-three movies so far?! We’ve reached the endgame of this infinity war of fandoms, folks… and it’s time to put everything in perfect balance.

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** Representation in media, fan entitlement, discrimination in fandom, death of the author, authorial intent, the role of fandom in creative works, cinema as a story vs cinema as an experience.

## Where can I get updates?

If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered:

* Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological)

* Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic)

And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)).

Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com)

## What is Fanthropological?

Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation!

We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture.

## Who are you?

We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who also happen to have been best buddies since high school, and all happen to be named Nick.

We started the Nickscast as a labour of love, and as a place to entertain and to discuss our love of fans and fandom. We want to help others learn more about different fandoms, and to create empathy with other fans.

If you want to learn more about us, you can follow us on most social media @thenickscast ([Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast)), see all of our projects on [thenickscast.com](https://thenickscast.com), or [email us](mailto:[email protected]).

## Credits

* ["SNAP (Future's Avengers: Infinity War Credits Song)"](https://electrolemon.bandcamp.com/album/snap-futures-avengers-infinity-war-credits-song) by [demi adejuyigbe](https://electrolemon.bandcamp.com/) used under [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)

* [Spekkio the Brave](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00889) by [Steffan Andrews](https://ocremix.org/artist/4381/steffan-andrews) from [http://ocremix.org](http://ocremix.org) used under [ocremix.org content policy](http://ocremix.org/info/Content_Policy#If_you.27re_using_our_content_elsewhere_.28.22Terms_of_Use.22.29%E2%80%A6)

* All other music and sound for this week's episode were provided by Nick Green!