Fanthropological

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!

Here we are in the future... and talking about the lessons, culture, and fandom of Steven and the Crystal Gems! Why is it so popular, especially among other contemporary animations?

_“Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It is Cartoon Network's first animated series to be created solely by a woman. It is the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe (voiced by Zach Callison), who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, humanoid aliens named Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno Hall)—in the fictional town of Beach City. Steven, who is half-Gem, has adventures with his friends and helps the Gems protect the world from their own kind. The themes of the series include love, family, and the importance of healthy interpersonal relationships.”_

[—Steven Universe - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Universe)

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** _Animation in the 90s, Animation in the 00s, Representation in Media, LGBTQ+, Toxic Masculinity, Secondary Audiences, Media Criticism_

### Fandom Facts

* From the [2017 r/stevenuniverse survey](https://www.reddit.com/r/stevenuniverse/comments/78fe1f/the_2017_rstevenuniverse_survey_final_results/) (again, skewed by reddit’s demographics):

* 60.7% identify as male, 33.8% as female, 3.4% as non-binary

* Only 50.9% identify as heterosexual; 23.7% identify as bi/pansexual, 13.7% as homosexual, and 6.1% asexual

* 54.9% are 20 or younger, 15.6% are older than 25 (or just 5% over 30)

* Top 3 Songs: It’s Over Isn’t It (19.7%), Here Comes a Thought (16.8%), and Love Like You (12.3%)

* Interest in Steven Universe is pretty spikey; plotting it against Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, and Regular show in [Google Trends](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=%2Fm%2F0r3t_0y,%2Fm%2F0807c5r,Adventure%20Time,Gravity%20Falls) over the past 5 years reveals some interesting notes:

* Interest is relatively flat, and obviously spikes when a new season is out.

* Top 5 countries: Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Nicauragua, Honduras (USA is 11 and Canada 22nd)

### First Impressions

#### T:

I first watched Steven Universe while I was going through a hard time at the beginning of a divorce, and was watching with my ex-wife. Even though I wasn’t the primary audience, I definitely learned some important lessons and came back to Steven Universe recently on the advice of multiple friends.

#### Z:

I’ve been following the show since it started thanks to Soph’s interest in it and Adventure Time. I remember taking it in at first and thinking that it was a neat show that had the same surreality as Adventure Time but combined it with a much more banal setting of Beach City and a little more direct heart.

## 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

* [Preluematsude](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03146) by [Jeff Ball](https://ocremix.org/artist/10683/jeff-ball) 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)

* Chords for Happily Ever After provided by [ukulele-tabs.com](https://www.ukulele-tabs.com/uke-songs/rebecca-sugar/happily-ever-after-uke-tab-67078.html) and originally by Rebecca Sugar, performed by Nick T

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

# Description

To help us with her insight into the very dense and complex fandom that is the Furry Community, we have author and artist Sarah WaterRaven with us on this episode. Together we discover how people come to the community, why they leave, and what some of the bright spots are in this often stigmatized fandom.

And for the extra curious, here's a list of links to furry artists, interviews, and more: [http://bit.ly/FurryThings/](http://bit.ly/FurryThings)

Sarah can be found over at [https://www.sarahwaterraven.com/](https://www.sarahwaterraven.com/) and on the Tapas app at [https://tapas.io/sarahwaterraven/](https://tapas.io/sarahwaterraven)!

## Where can you find us?

Pretty much everything we do is `something/thenickscast`, but specifically...

* If you're looking for this podcast (Fanthropological), you can find it at [Fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) or on different podcatchers including [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) and many others!

* Keep up-to-date with our latest goings-on on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), or [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast), all `@thenickscast`

* We also occasionally create extra content about fandom including convention coverage and interviews on [YouTube.com/thenickscast](https://youtube.com/thenickscast)

* We have some fine merchandise available at [shop.thenickscast.com](https://shop.thenickscast.com) (and we'd love your support!)

* If all else fails, you can email us: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

## What is "Fanthropological"?

Every week, 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.

## Credits

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

“Critical Role is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons. The show started streaming in March 2015, partway through the cast's first campaign” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_Role) \

\

Fandom Facts

* Holy **crap** Critical Role is popular: is is the most popular it has ever been (aside from March 2019), but also, its popularity coincides with a [massive increase in popularity in Dungeons and Dragons](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fg%2F11clghjr0y,%2Fm%2F026q9,%2Fm%2F04dzk1_) (but _not _Pathfinder)

* There is a site entirely devoted to [stats about the critical role game](https://www.critrolestats.com): d20 rolls, puns, lore, you name it!

* “After the split from Geek and Sundry, the cast announced a fundraiser for an animation of the popular Whitebriar arc. The campaign asked for $750,000 but reached $1 million within an hour, ending with a record-breaking $11.3 million in donations.”

### First Impressions

**T:** I honestly had very little impression of what CR actually was. My only exposure was through following ItsGinnyDi on Twitter and seeing various Jester-related cosplay (I actually forgot that the show’s premise was voice-actors playing Dungeons and Dragons)! I might have seen some humourous animatics with Jester too… but when G said that the episodes are like three hours long and unedited, I was skeptical.

**Z:** I think I first heard about this from G, and I thought it sounded kind of like The Adventure Zone. And that was kind of it. Not because I don’t find D&D interesting, but instead because I felt like I’d heard The Adventure Zone and I was good on the recorded tabletop RPG playing front. Aside from that, though, it seemed to me like it was kind of like the Game Grumps when they’d first started: The first big thing of its kind to really make headway into the mainstream.

### Observations

_What we thought about the thing / fandom after reviewing it. Try to make this more of a review style._

### Conclusions

_Any concluding thoughts on the fandom._

_Z: _After reading about the phenomenon that is Critical Role and listening to the first episode of the second campaign, I feel pretty comfortable saying that it’s just not for me. The episode that I listened to had a good variety of metagame chatter, general in-character conversation and exploration, and even a bit of combat, but trying to listen to what seemed like at least 7 players and one DM was just too much for me to do passively. And, to be honest, it seemed kind of slow, at least in comparison to The Adventure Zone. But I think that comparing the two is like comparing a svelte young elf who stumbles across the recipe for a Tex-Mex delicacy and an energetic tiefling with a penchant for mischief. One interests me enough to pull me through over 100 hours of recorded D&D and the other makes it fairly easy to understand why people enjoy them and the game they’re a part of, but not to listen in to the show they’re a part of.

Links:

[How Do I Beat the Matt Mercer Effect?](http://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/a999sd/how_do_i_beat_the_matt_mercer_effect/)

[Ginny Di's Guide to Catching Up on Critical Role](http://twitter.com/itsginnydi/status/1113475920637992960)

[Google Trends Data](http://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=%2Fg%2F11clghjr0y,%2Fm%2F026q9,%2Fm%2F04dzk1_)

[CritRoleStats](http://www.critrolestats.com)

[Critical Role on Fanlore](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Critical_Role)

[Thoughts on Critical Role vs The Adventure Zone?](http://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/9f3fv4/thoughts_on_critical_role_vs_the_adventure_zone/)

[The rise of D&D liveplay is changing how fans approach roleplaying](http://www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16666344/dungeons-and-dragons-twitch-roleplay-rpgs-critical-role-streaming-gaming)

## 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

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

This subject of this week's minisode turns inwards as the Nicks ask themselves if they consider themselves a good fan and break down what being a good fan even means

## What is the Race Against Time?

The Race Against Time is our annual charity livestreaming marathon where we get as many endings as possible in Chrono Trigger to raise money [for the Alzheimer Society of Canada](https://alzheimer.ca/)! This year’s event will be August 10 and 11th from noon until midnight each day. This year, we hope to outdo all of our previous records and raise $1500 CAD. For more details on the event, you can check out the main website at [raceagainsttime.io](https://raceagainsttime.io), [our Twitch page](https://twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime) where we host the stream, or you can follow us on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/raceagainstio) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/raceagainsttimeio) for news about guests, giveaways, and other special surprises! Heck, you can even [donate right now](https://raceagainsttime.io/donate)!

## 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

* Race Against Time Promo Music: "[Temporal Distortion](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00789)" by [Star Salzman](https://ocremix.org/artist/4403/star-salzman) 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)

* Ending Music: "[Green Ice Exposed](https://soundcloud.com/fragileair/green-ice-exposed)" by [Fragile Air](https://fragileair.bandcamp.com)

Are retro gamers missing out on the newest, hippest games or are they right to dig deep into the style that they love? The Nicks dive into the breadth, depth and philosophy of getting into a niche!

## What is the Race Against Time?

The Race Against Time is our annual charity livestreaming marathon where we get as many endings as possible in Chrono Trigger to raise money [for the Alzheimer Society of Canada](https://alzheimer.ca/)! This year’s event will be August 10 and 11th from noon until midnight each day. This year, we hope to outdo all of our previous records and raise $1500 CAD. For more details on the event, you can check out the main website at [raceagainsttime.io](https://raceagainsttime.io), [our Twitch page](https://twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime) where we host the stream, or you can follow us on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/raceagainstio) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/raceagainsttimeio) for news about guests, giveaways, and other special surprises! Heck, you can even [donate right now](https://raceagainsttime.io/donate)!

## 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

* Race Against Time Promo Music: "[Temporal Distortion](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00789)" by [Star Salzman](https://ocremix.org/artist/4403/star-salzman) 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)

* Ending Music: "[Green Ice Exposed](https://soundcloud.com/fragileair/green-ice-exposed)" by [Fragile Air](https://fragileair.bandcamp.com)

After nearly 20 years of con-going, and collectively well over 40 different conventions been attended, what kinds of things are missing from conventions (anime, sci-fi, comic, or otherwise), anyway?

## What is the Race Against Time?

The Race Against Time is our annual charity livestreaming marathon where we get as many endings as possible in Chrono Trigger to raise money [for the Alzheimer Society of Canada](https://alzheimer.ca/)! This year’s event will be August 10 and 11th from noon until midnight each day. This year, we hope to outdo all of our previous records and raise $1500 CAD. For more details on the event, you can check out the main website at [raceagainsttime.io](https://raceagainsttime.io), [our Twitch page](https://twitch.tv/theraceagainsttime) where we host the stream, or you can follow us on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/raceagainstio) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/raceagainsttimeio) for news about guests, giveaways, and other special surprises! Heck, you can even [donate right now](https://raceagainsttime.io/donate)!

## 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

* Race Against Time Promo Music: "[Temporal Distortion](https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00789)" by [Star Salzman](https://ocremix.org/artist/4403/star-salzman) 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!

Who would’ve thought that spinning battle tops could enchant kids and adults alike? And that the franchise has more in common with Transformers than meets the eye? Definitely not us -- listen along as we learn about the fandom that shouts “Let it Rip!” with glee.

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** Beyblade as the first anime series that ran up against our budding cynicism, the complexity of the toys, the complexity of the battles, the reality of the tournament scene, Beyblade World Championships, the World Beyblade Organization, adults are fans?, the physical appeal of Beyblades, why does [this guy](https://knowtechie.com/5-tips-and-tricks-that-every-beyblade-player-must-know/) have four apple watches?, Beyblades and bathtubs don’t mix

### Fandom Facts

“Beyblade, known in Japan as Explosive Shoot Beyblade, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Takao Aoki to promote sales of spinning tops called "Beyblades" developed by Takara Tomy. ... The series focuses on a group of kids who form teams with which they battle one another using Beyblades.

… An anime adaptation, also titled Beyblade and spanning 51 episodes, aired in Japan on TV Tokyo from January 8, 2001, to December 24, 2001. The second, Beyblade V-Force, ran for another 51 episodes from January 7, 2002, until December 30, 2002. Beyblade G-Revolution, the third and final adaptation, also spanned 52 episodes (the last two episodes were released together as a double-length special in Japan) and aired from January 6, 2003, until its conclusion on December 29, 2003.”

—[Wikipedia - Beyblade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade_Burst)

* Even though the original series only aired between 2001 to 2003, a sequel, [Beyblade: Metal Fusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade:_Metal_Fusion) premiered in 2008 and ran until 2012, a Japanese-Canadian spin-off, [BeyWheelz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeyWheelz), which aired in 2012, and another sequel, [Beyblade Burst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade_Burst), which ran from 2016-2017 (though the manga is still ongoing)

* “Beyblade, Let It Rip! The Official Album was released in the UK to coincide with the show's popularity. It featured the anime's opening theme, as well as songs by artists including Nickelback and Busted.” ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyblade))

* Interest in Beyblade is… a little down since 2004 according to Google Trends ([but is really, really variable](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F03hsp2)). There was a huge spike in interest around late 2010 (Release of Metal Fusion in North America, perhaps?), and has since dropped but is on the rise again.

* [The Beyblade subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Beyblade/) only has about 2400 subscribers, and, bizarrely, explicitly prohibits “roleplay, fanfiction, or memes, all of which deserve their own subreddits.”

### First Impressions

#### G

It was the first series I remember being like “oh they’re still doing this thing?” about. Just another physical thing to collect and fight, and one that wasn’t part of my growing up at all.

#### T

Going to be honest; as a kid, even though I loved anime, I thought it was super dumb (and, given timing, I might have just been outside of the age demographics for it)... and I liked Yu-Gi-Oh (although I also had stopped watching that). Fighting magic tops sounded… stupid, and I don’t think I ever got over that. I am excited to see if my impressions have changed though.

#### Z

Before starting the research for this one, my strongest memory of Beyblade was that it was one of what seemed like many shows trying to channel some of the hype around Pokemon -- one of those shows about something collectible that battles and has its own personality (or “heart” in the case of Yu-Gi-Oh). In particular, I remember my younger brother being really into the show, though I don’t think he ever got into collecting the tops themselves. I wouldn’t say that I thought it was a pale imitation of Pokemon (kind of like Digimon…), but that it was more a part of the second (third?) wave of that kind of shonen show.

### Observations

This fandom seems to draw mostly on the physicality of the actual toys and battling them, and the lengths to which fans can customize their beyblades and (at least appear to) use potentially complex strategies to try to overcome their rivals. However, given that this franchise is second only to Transformers in generating income for Hasbro, the apparently miniscule fandom in the English-speaking world doesn’t quite account for what must be a larger fandom. Though we didn’t dig too deeply into it, it seems that the bulk of the fandom is likely in regions where English is not a major language, and so information, opinions, and potential data are hidden from us behind a language barrier.

### Conclusions

In a world where so many of our pastimes are found on screens and in virtual worlds of one sort or another, the physicality of a Beyblade battle is incredibly appealing. If any of us come across an open play event, we’ll be stopping in to let it rip right alongside long-time fans.

## Where can you find us?

Pretty much everything we do is `something/thenickscast`, but specifically...

* If you're looking for this podcast (Fanthropological), you can find it at [Fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) or on different podcatchers including [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) and many others!

* Keep up-to-date with our latest goings-on on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), or [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast), all `@thenickscast`

* We also occasionally create extra content about fandom including convention coverage and interviews on [YouTube.com/thenickscast](https://youtube.com/thenickscast)

* We have some fine merchandise available at [shop.thenickscast.com](https://shop.thenickscast.com) (and we'd love your support!)

* If all else fails, you can email us: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

## What is "Fanthropological"?

Every week, 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.

## Credits

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

We dig into authorial intent, the challenges of animation, and fan work (and entitlement) as we talk about Rooster Teeth’s RWBY and its fans!

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** RWBY (obviously), Anime, Linguistics, the _Tales of_ series, authorial intent, dudebros, expectations and fan work

### Fandom Facts

“RWBY (pronounced "ruby") is an American anime-style web series and media franchise created by Monty Oum for Rooster Teeth. The show is set in the fictional world of Remnant, where young people train to become warriors (called "Huntsmen" and "Huntresses") to protect their world from monsters called Grimm. The name RWBY is derived from the four main characters' forenames: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, as well as their associated theme colors; Red, White, Black, and Yellow. Following several promotional trailers, the first episode was screened at the Rooster Teeth convention event RTX and then released on their website in July 2013.”

‒ [Wikipedia - RWBY](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RWBY)

* A fan survey from about a year ago gives us [some idea of the demographics](https://www.reddit.com/r/RWBY/comments/6ckube/rrwby_user_survey_results/) (and other interesting tidbits about the fandom) with over 700 respondents:

* 86% of respondents identified as male (and a non-zero percentage as assholes: Attack Helicopter)

* Almost 86% are under age 24 (67% are between 18 and 24); if we do some math, its reasonable to assume that means that folks probably started watching between ages 13-19 (i.e. five years ago)

* Just over half (55%) watch Rooster Teeth’s podcast

### First Impressions

#### Z:

I knew absolutely nothing about RWBY before starting the research for this episode. I’d seen some cosplayers and had no idea who they were until someone told me, but had no idea that it was a web series or “anime” or whatever. Also, had no idea that it was something Rooster Teeth did - and had no idea how big Rooster Teeth is until digging into the research for this episode.

#### T:

I couldn’t even tell you what my first impressions of RWBY were, not because it was so long ago, but because a lot of life happened between now and then. I was following along pretty closely for a period, though digging into the research, that was probably only the second season. I … definitely was watching for the Anime-ness of it all.

### Famous Last Words

What did we have to say about next week’s topic, _Beyblade_ with only our first impressions?

**G:** How much is focussed on the battle tops in the anime? 50/50? 90/10?

**T:** Is Beyblade still running? If so, what innovations have there been in battle tops?

**Z:** Is there a world championship tournament? If so, who is the world champion Beyblader?

## Where can you find us?

Pretty much everything we do is `something/thenickscast`, but specifically...

* If you're looking for this podcast (Fanthropological), you can find it at [Fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) or on different podcatchers including [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) and many others!

* Keep up-to-date with our latest goings-on on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), or [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast), all `@thenickscast`

* We also occasionally create extra content about fandom including convention coverage and interviews on [YouTube.com/thenickscast](https://youtube.com/thenickscast)

* We have some fine merchandise available at [shop.thenickscast.com](https://shop.thenickscast.com) (and we'd love your support!)

* If all else fails, you can email us: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

## What is "Fanthropological"?

Every week, 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.

## What is Livestream for the Cure?

Since 2017, Nick and Justin of the [Epic Film Guys](http://www.epicfilmguys.com/) have dedicated a block of time each year to livestream their podcast and other content in order to raise funds for the Cancer Research Institute. This organization researches immunotherapy with the goal of curing all forms of cancer. They are among some of the most reputable charities out there with a rating of 92% on [CharityNavigator.org](https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3417).

Last year's Livestream for the Cure 2.0 (**check it out [here](https://fundraise.cancerresearch.org/fundraiser/1583313)**) was a resounding success. In 30 hours live on the air, the Epic Film Guys raised over $5,000 for cancer research and an additional $780 for Perry Johnson, a fellow podcaster who guested on the event and was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer shortly before it began. Because they smashed their goal and because of their amazing community of peers and fellow podcasters, they decided this year’s event should be even bigger and better.

The 3rd Annual Livestream for the Cure will be held from May 17th through the 19th, and the Epic Film Guys will be live for FORTY hours as they try to hit their biggest goal yet and raise $7,500. The event will be held live at[ https://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys](https://twitch.tv/epicfilmguys) and will include dozens of fellow content creators and podcasters who are joining them to reach this common goal.

They will be live for 40 hours from the following times (all are EST):

**May 17th: 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM**

**May 18th: 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM**

**May 19th: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM**

Follow the event on[ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/events/1303610656446934/) or follow[ @livestream4cure](https://www.twitter.com/livestream4cure) on Twitter for updates and guest information. Links for merchandise (all proceeds go toward the total) and other information will be coming in the near future. To make a donation before and during the event, visit [LivestreamfortheCure.com](https://fundraise.cancerresearch.org/fundraiser/1947095).

Let's make this the biggest year for the Livestream for the Cure yet! Together, we can make a difference!

## Credits

* ["The Metal Emperor"](https://ocremix.org/album/72/badass-boss-themes-volume-iii) by [Chernabogue](https://ocremix.org/artist/12540/chernabogue), [AngelCityOutlaw](https://ocremix.org/artist/13851/angelcityoutlaw), and [Furilas](https://ocremix.org/artist/14980/furilas) 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!

# Description

We hopped back into the Millenium Falcon with Alex Robinson of The Star Wars Minute podcast to get an inside look at Star Wars fandom (and to try to figure out how anyone could watch the prequels a minute at a time)!

## Episode Outline

**Topics:** Phantom Menace Number, Barnacle Facts, Spaceballs, Star Wars: The Fandom people love to hate?, Star Wars the new Geek Stereotype, Online Fandom Divisive, In-Person Fandom Down to Earth, How a Summer of Star Wars was Possible During the ‘70s, Richard Nixon, A Special Message for Star Wars Fans Everywhere

## Where can you find us?

Pretty much everything we do is `something/thenickscast`, but specifically...

* If you're looking for this podcast (Fanthropological), you can find it at [Fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) or on different podcatchers including [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) and many others!

* Keep up-to-date with our latest goings-on on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/thenickscast), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thenickscast), or [Instagram](https://instagram.com/thenickscast), all `@thenickscast`

* We also occasionally create extra content about fandom including convention coverage and interviews on [YouTube.com/thenickscast](https://youtube.com/thenickscast)

* We have some fine merchandise available at [shop.thenickscast.com](https://shop.thenickscast.com) (and we'd love your support!)

* If all else fails, you can email us: [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])

## What is "Fanthropological"?

Every week, 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.

## Credits

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