Has the internet made us all worse at relationships, including the parasocial ones? We’ll talk about the celebrity attitude scale, which measures how intensely an audience member feels about a celebrity, how the internet has changed our media diets, and how online relationships are a blessing and a curse.

Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social

Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott

And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Resources from this episode:

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160106-how-sherlock-holmes-changed-the-world

https://defector.com/chapell-roan-fan-privacy-drama?utm_source=mckinneykelsey&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the-terror-of-the-mirror-a-2024-review

https://www.tiktok.com/@chappellroan/video/7404957266853645611?lang=en

https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Ft04928-000

http://www.jssshonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/JSSSH_Vol.7_No.1_2021_66-75_Sr.-No.7.pdf

https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/g22118748/best-celebrity-liquors/

https://al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/jhsss/article/view/279

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lgNPGH1rXI

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/gal-gadot-s-imagine-instagram-video-was-peak-cringe-year-ncna1261685

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jan/05/gal-gadot-imagine-video

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What’s it like to be in-between a celebrity and their fans? What’s it like to have a real relationship with a famous person—and have fans think you might be an access point to that person?

Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social

Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott

And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Resources from this episode:

Listen to Normal Gossip: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/normal-gossip/id1597761181

Read 'You didn't hear this from me': https://bookshop.org/p/books/you-didn-t-hear-this-from-me-mostly-true-notes-on-gossip-kelsey-mckinney/21441330

See Bert's "showgirl" costumed look: https://www.instagram.com/resortsworldlv/p/C8pYKvHP667/

Chicago Music Exchange: https://www.instagram.com/chicagomusicexchange/

Jennifer's gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jp-jennifer-may-nickel-eaton-fire-relief-fund

Ackles' dog, Icarus: https://www.instagram.com/danneelackles512/p/B-hx9mzgYBC/?img_index=1

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I'm so sorry for the delay, but I promise you will have a brand-spanking-new episode in your feed in 2 weeks.

In the meantime, support NPR/PBS! Support local journalism! And find ways to give back to your community around you, because this is the only way we're going to make it through.

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Explore how parasocial relationships may, or may not, differ across mediums. I speak with creators in music, podcasting, youtube, and musical threater spaces to hear how each of their experiences are different and yet so similar!

Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @itsdrfunk.bsky.social

Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott

And new music written & performed by August Hotel: @augusthotel

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Resources from this episode:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_medium_is_the_message

https://reggieslive.com/band/august-hotel/

https://www.hyperfixedpod.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/western-kabuki/id1647062210

https://www.alimattu.com/

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What happens when our minds fixate on an actor or band member or podcaster and we start to see things that aren’t there? When a fan feels so much closer to their idolized famous person than they really are?

AKA, What’s the deal with parasocial relationships?

Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk

Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

See full episode transcript at www.sadiewit.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A HUGE thank you to Marie for letting me rebroadcast this lovely conversation with her from March 2024.

If you aren't already, you should subscribe to Carrying Wayward for all their excellent episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/carrying-wayward-a-supernatural-podcast/id1541257824

Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk

Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Don't forget to send me your fan questions! You can reach out via twitter (@SadieWit), instagram (@Sadie_Wit) or my website form (sadiewit.com)

Link to Jonathan's Kickstarter: www.herooftheprophecy.com

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I catch up with costume designer Jennifer May Nickel regarding the aftermath of the Eaton fire in LA.

Jennifer & JP’s gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jp-jennifer-may-nickel-eaton-fire-relief-fund?modal=donations&tab=all

RA recovery fund: https://give.randomacts.org/campaign/random-acts-natural-disaster-recovery-fund/c656615

Geekscape podcaster’s gofundme: bit.ly/DustinErin

Creation Entertainment’s employee, Leticia, gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-leticia-serafin-rebuild-after-eaton-fire

Other links of interest:

Variety story about Jennifer’s experience: https://variety.com/2025/biz/news/the-ark-writer-john-paul-nickel-gotham-knights-costume-designer-jennifer-nickel-la-fires-1236274591/

Jennifer’s original In Defense of Fandom podcast interview: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-4-the-costumes-of-gotham-knights/id1674695211?i=1000633178023

Story on Supernatural’s creator, Eric Kripke, also lost his home in the fires: https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-boys-creator-eric-kripke-shares-devastating-photo-after-home-burned-in-la-fires/

LA Strong Volunteer Donation Fund: https://lacity.gov/LAstrong

Geekscape Specific: http://www.geekscapegives.com/

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What started as a random question on Bluesky turned into a whole conversation about fandom conventions (and why I seem to go to so many of them). Thank you Shae for agreeing to jump online with me to chat over the winter holidays so that I could answer your question in far more depth than you were expecting.

Remember if you have a fan question of your own, you can reach me on insta, X, bluesky, or my website!

Curious to learn more about conventions? Here's some interesting links:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/stars-getting-rich-fan-conventions-933062/

https://alihazelwood.com/

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-terror-amc-camp-fandom

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/if-thanos-actually-wiped-out-half-all-life-how-would-earth-fare-aftermath-180972005/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Science_of_Interstellar

Editorial Support by Dr. Anna Funk: @DrAnnaFunk

Music written & performed by Chris Scott: @Chrispscott

Cover art by Liz Hand: @__ellie

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we answer Anna’s query!

Solution 1: Fifty Shades of Grey is an example of fanfiction that became published as a standalone series.

Serialization & Fifty Shades of Grey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzk9N7dJBec

Solution 2: Some writers start in fanfiction, but have to leave that world behind so that it doesn’t influence their own, cannon writing (and accidentally steal ideas)

How Tamsyn Muir* had to leave the fanfic community behind to avoid being influenced by the fic about HER story: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/811/the-one-place-i-cant-go/act-three-6 

*Apologies, I crediting Nerdette for this one but it was actually This American Life

Solution 3: Melissa Good was a fanfic writer who ended up writing a few episodes of Xena

Interview with Melissa Good about going from a fanfic writer, to a show writer: https://www.ausxip.com/interviews/mgood.html

The reddit thread of more examples: https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/st2lsf/has_any_fanfiction_writers_ever_became/?rdt=62907

Solution 4: And we SHOULD have more fanfic writers writing for TV!

Fansplaining, Episode 17: on understanding how shows get made in Hollywood: https://www.fansplaining.com/episodes/17-the-powers-that-be 

Thanks to Fansplaining’s Elizabeth & Flourish for letting me sample just a tiny bit of their fascinating conversation!

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