Mind the Tags

By mindthetagsofficialTV & Film Leisure Fiction Hobbies

Mind the Tags episodes

September 30The fic where billionaires are Mary Sues
On this week's episode, Vee invites Emily to explore the confounding and deeply upsetting world of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, which has wedged its way into some of the most fraught political and sociological discussions of our day. Beware, listeners: the dementors are here, and they all use ChatGPT.

Topics include: Eliezer Yudkowsky, AI, rationality
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
Do Not Interact on Fanlore
More Everything Forever by Adam Becker
The Harry Potter Fan Fiction Author Who Wants to Make Everyone a Little More Rational by David Whelan
'Harry Potter' and the Key to Immortality by Daniel D. Snyder
The Harry Potter Fanfic Behind Silicon Valley’s Weirdest Philosophical Movement by Alexandra Ciufudean
A quick-informal post on - Yudkowsky's Harry Potter! by David Brin
Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality is complete, and it is excellent by Will Baude
Sex, AI, and the Apocalypse by Ian K. Duncan
‘Eugenics on steroids’: the toxic and contested legacy of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute by Andrew Anthony
Mind the Tags fanfic survey
Emily's expressions during the episode
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
54 min
September 16Rachel D. Oak is passing you a notebook full of fanfiction
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview AO3 curse survivor and self-published author Rachel D. Oak. Rachel shares how fanfiction inspires her and introduces the hosts to early 2000s British boy band McFly. Plus, Rachel discusses how and why the romance novel industry and fanfiction share so much in common!
Sources from today's ep:
Important McFly content
“Red Queen Plagiarized Powerless”: Anti-Fandom, Comments, and Warped Temporality on BookTok by Henry Roach
The Curse of AO3 on Fanlore
Rachel's YouTube channel
Rachel's Substack
Rachel's Instagram
Rachel's books on Amazon
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
46 min
September 02Beaming down to planet Wattpad
On this week's episode, fandom olds Emily and Vee bravely explore the treacherous terrain of the latest Wattpad discourse. They discuss some of the concerns raised by Wattpad writers in recent weeks, other purges throughout fandom history, and their renewed commitment to smut for smut's sake (get your badge below!).
Topics include: Wattpad, censorship, AO3
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
Our Fandom Our Fight craft fair
Our episode with Kailey Delayne
Pro-shipper on Fanlore
Anti-shipper on Fanlore
Wattpad on Fanlore
the rise and fall of wattpad by Allie Tricaso
Sold to One Direction on Fanlore
After (One Direction story) on Fanlore
‘Zombie Prom’ Scribe Hired To Pen Teenage Publishing Sensation Beth Reekles’ ‘The Kissing Booth’ by Stuart Kemp
rip wattpad by ColeyDoesThings
Timeline of Fandom Purges and Site Restrictions on Fanlore
Wattpad Says Its Rules for Sexual Fanfics Haven’t Changed by Jennifer Zhan
Bullet point confusion
Smut for smut's sake badge
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
54 min
August 19Kailey Delayne is bringing you artisanal, homegrown smut
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily interview Kailey Delayne, a sex and pleasure educator who also hosts erotic fan fiction competitions. Kailey shares her favorite things about reading smut out loud in breweries throughout Philadelphia and why eroticism can be such a powerful tool in today's world.

Sources from today's ep:
Kailey's website
EFFC's Instagram
Your Empowered Sexuality!
Our episode with author Tara
spagslag's Instagram
The Sex Ed Bakeshop
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
49 min
August 05Wake up and smell the Roddenberries
Join Emily and Vee as they dive into the fascinating life and career of Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. Vee does their very best to tell a coherent story despite Emily's frequent screaming. The cohosts discuss how Roddenberry's legacy of fan interaction can inspire future showrunners.
Topics include: Star Trek, Kirk/Spock, zines, conventions, Gene Roddenberry
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
Crossover on Fanlore
Can We Talk About the Mail? I’ve Been Dying to Talk About the Mail by gayfranzkafka
AO3 Ship Stats 2026 by centreoftheselights
Gene Roddenberry on Wikipedia
How Gene Roddenberry Stayed Connected to Fandom Through Letters by Maria Jose and John Tenuto
Our Kirk/Spock episode
Kirk/Spock on Wikipedia
How are Spock and Kirk straight? on Reddit
Roddenberry commenting on Kirk/Spock on Reddit
The Roddenberry Footnote on Fanlore
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
53 min
July 22"There's milk in this cookie!" with fic author and AI detective T
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee, Emily, and special guest T explore the growing intersection fanfiction and generative AI. T discusses a project he worked on to identify AI in fics across multiple fandoms, the repercussions of sharing those findings, and how writers and readers can respond to AI in the future.

Sources from today's ep:
Fandom Has a Generative AI Problem document
2026 Heated Rivalry AI Accusations and Fanfiction Harassment Controversy on Fanlore
Calling All Marcus Chens, Martinezes, Thornes, Mayas, Vances, Old Man Tibers on Reddit
Heated Rivalry is at the Center of Fanfic’s AI Reckoning by Kayti Burt for Fansplaining
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
55 min
July 08V fast, E furious with This Week in Fandom History
On this special crossover episode, Emily and Vee and joined by - wouldn't you know it - Emily and V, the cohosts of This Week in Fandom History! We talk about the fandoms that shaped us (looking at you, Ducktales), fanfiction we love, and the possibility that one of us might be a reincarnated passenger from the Titanic.
Sources from today's ep:
V's epic Hunger Games companion book
The American Girl Doll anthology
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
1 hr 11 min
June 24Anne Rice's vampires don't sparkle
Join Emily and Vee as they explore the fascinating career of Anne Rice, from her Vampire Chronicles to the Jesus-y stuff. Emily details Anne's problematic relationship to fanfiction, which culminated in the infamous "Spec Writer Massacre." Warning: at least a third of this episode is giggling about Bryan Fuller's pride month posts on Instagram.
Topics include: Anne Rice, Vampires, Interview with the Vampire, Lestat, fanfiction
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
QUEER LOVE! brought to you by Bryan Fuller
Flop House Mini 152 - Pride
Whump on Fanlore
What exactly is whump? on Reddit
White Wedding by Kathleen J. Woods
Anne Rice on The Vampire Chronicles Wiki
Tom Cruise IWTV thread on Reddit
Anne Rice interview about gender
Interview with Anne Rice about creating Lestat
Anne Rice on identity, gender, faith, and writing IWTV on Reddit
alt.books.anne-rice on Fanlore
Anne Rice’s war on fanfiction: The Spec Writer Massacre by shasha not sasha
Where has Anne Rice fanfiction gone? on Croatoan Fanfic
Spec Writer Massacre on Fanlore
Our episode with Marc Greenberg, Esq on copyright and fanfiction
How fan fiction is conquering the internet and shooting up book charts by metrowebukmetro
The Sleeping Beauty Quartet on Wikipedia
Happy pride to Louis and Lestat

Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
59 min
June 10To the sausage machine! With OTW volunteers Elin and Brian
On this episode of Mind the Tags, Vee and Emily are joined by two volunteers from the Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), Elin (Communications committee) and Brian (Accessibility, Design, and Technology committee). Elin and Brian share their experiences as volunteers and some of their favorite things about AO3, from its founding in 2008 to its debut as a Alpha in 2026. Plus, just how MANY subtances can be used as lube?

Sources from today's ep:
Committees of the OTW
International Fanworks Day on Fanlore
Skins and Archive Interface
Tumblr x AO3 on Fanlore
Tumblr post about Tumblr x AO3
Spambot Comments on AO3
Spotlight on Omegaverse at AO3
AO3 is Exiting Open Beta!
Archive Roadmap 2013
Our episode with Carley, fanfic translator and author
Donate to the OTW
Volunteer at the OTW
Sign up for the OTW newsletter
OTW code on Github
THE SAUSAGE MACHINE

Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design. Thank you Ollie for editing our sound!
55 min
May 27Get out your vore, Shakespeare
Join Emily and Vee as they discuss all the ways in which literature has inspired fanfiction, from tropes and characters to Shakespearean style. Plus, Vee starts a "Get Our Your Vore" campaign, Emily throws serious shade on Odysseus, and they both struggle to pronounce Richard Siken's name for a full minute.
Topics include: Literature, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Poetry
Want to support Mind the Tags? Sign up for our Patreon! Have ideas for the pod? Email us at [email protected].
Sources from today's ep:
MerMay on Instagram
Vore on Fanlore
Our episode about fanart
The Allusionist podcast
Thank you to Erik Potteiger for producing our song and Haflacky for our logo design.
49 min

About Mind the Tags

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Mind the Tags, where we talk about the history and evolution of fanfiction. Join Emily and Vee as they dive into a new fanfiction topic each episode and interview authors, researchers, journalists, and fans.