snowflake challenge #15

[svgurl]

In your own space, opine on the future of fandom.

I'm not the greatest at making predictions. All I know is that fandom will always exist in some form and people who love something will find a way to share and come together, hopefully in a mostly positive way. Negativity can't be avoided completely but I like to imagine a fandom without certain toxic traits (the antis, the harassment, etc). There will be new fandoms that take over and old fandoms that have staying power, even if it is just a few people still holding it down. I say this as someone whose main fandom has been done for over a decade, but that doesn't make me love it or want to create for it any less. I always love seeing people whose fandoms are 30, 40 years old going strong and it is exciting when someone new gets into a closed canon. I saw some people binge watching Smallville during the early stages of the pandemic and watching them get into and create works really was exciting for an old fan who was ready for some new faces and content.I hope no one ever feels that they are "too late" for something because there will be fans who appreciate it, even if it is only a fraction of what was there during its peak.

In terms of platforms, it is hard to figure out in which direction it will go. AO3 seems to have lasting power (*knocks on wood*) and as a fan of journaling sites, I hope DW sticks around, but I'm sure there will be new ways to communicate. It'll be interesting to see.

Comments

[muccamukk]

I know people who have been into zine fandoms since they were zine-only, and it's really cool to have that depth of knowledge and history still mixed in with the rest of fandom.

[svgurl]

For sure! Those are the kind of fandoms I was thinking of when I was mentioning longevity and really I probably shorted them on how long it has been because I can't comprehend that 1990 was over 30 years ago at this point lol :D

[tempural]

Yeah! HI FIVE for fandoms with staying power! I see a future for more slow fandoms :] and perhaps a revival for recent "dead fandoms" that will become classics.

[svgurl]

*high fives* YES. I know with whole seasons being released at once, fandom moves on too fast but I like to think and hope that things will slow down. It would be nice to have rediscoveries and fandoms make a return too. :D

[ultra_fic]

Fandoms may come and go but fans are forever, I think. I'm just one of those people who gets really invested in characters I love and can't leave them alone, hence much fanfic ensues. 20 years since I started with all this stuff and I'm still here - the fandoms change, but the need to involve myself in them never does! lol

The advantage of first TV re-runs, then DVD boxsets, and now streaming services is that new folks can always find the old shows that so many people already love. That means those closed canons you talked about never die and I love that. Just so long as the older/original fans can be accepting of new ones, it's all good, though I am aware that's not always the case, unfortunately :(

[svgurl]

I definitely agree with that and I'm the same way. I know there are "new" things but I still love my old faves so I still want to and keep creating for them.

True! I think that was the case before. I don't know how many people still have or use their DVD players though. In this generation, I think the streaming services help people find "older" canons and gets them into it.

The gate keeping within fandom and trying to decide who is a "true" fan is a long standing issue and there will always be people who turn up their noses at somenoe who wasn't their during the canon's original run, but I feel as though most people, especially those in closed/"dead" fandoms are grateful to have newbies.

[regshoe]

I like your thoughts on new fans and old fandoms, as someone whose main fandom is nearly a hundred years old! It's so lovely to have fandom activity still going on for these old books, TV shows and so on—fandom is always finding new things to say and new ways to love our old canons.

[svgurl]

Thank you! It is awesome to have such a long lasting fandom that you feel so passionately about and I agree on your view of fandom and the way it finds new aspects on old canons.

[vriddy]

I say this as someone whose main fandom has been done for over a decade, but that doesn't make me love it or want to create for it any less.

That is so awesome :D :D I feel like my interest in a fandom is sustained by continued exposure, so if canon ended and the fandom went quiet, I would probably find it difficult to keep actively at it... (It would remain a fond memory, though!) But never say never :D So much admiration and YAYs for people who continue to enjoy their fandom for decades :D :D

I didn't realise new people had discovered Smallvile during the pandemic!! That's really neat.

[svgurl]

Ngl, when Smallville ended, I do think that I had a slow drift away and lost interest too, which led me to get into other things and ditch fandom so I missed the last years when fandom was consistently producing new content. Maybe the break helped. :D I appreciate people who have consistent dedication too.

I saw people on Twitter binge watching it in 2020 and I was just as surprised as you are! It was pretty exciting though. :D

[corvidology]

It is wild to see people get into old closed fandoms.

While I'm not active in Pros fandom anymore and certainly was very late to the party (the fandom dates from 1977 when the show started airing) it was fun last year to see it start being nominated and requested in exchanges which I hadn't seen happen in years!

Everything old is new again.

[svgurl]

With all the streaming services, it does make it easier to find older canons than before. Well, if you're in a country with that access anyway. :D

Oh yeah, I haven't seen the show but I have noticed it making a resurgence in exchanges, which is really cool.

Totally! :D

[corvidology]

I don't know if you watch any BBC series at all but if you have you may well have seen Martin Shaw at some point. Pros was the show that made him publicly known after being a classically trained actor. :D

[svgurl]

Nice! I don't think I have, outside of a season of Sherlock, though his name sounds familiar. :D

[bradygirl_12]

Old fandoms never die! Look at Star Trek: TOS, Starsky & Hutch, Dr. Who, The Wild Wild West, Comics/Superheroes...I could go on and on! :)

We don't stop fangirling/discussing works centuries old (Poe, Shakespeare, Austin, etc.) so why not keep the torch burning for fanfic? :)

I do sometimes miss the joy of receiving a new zine in the mail, often with gorgeous artwork. :)

[svgurl]

Totally true! It is great to see all those fandoms still have such a loyal following even today.

Absolutely. It's over, not dead. :D

I never was apart of the zine fandom but I can imagine it was a lot of fun!

[pianogurl330]

All I know is that fandom will always exist in some form and people who love something will find a way to share and come together, hopefully in a mostly positive way. I agree and it's so cool to see how some fandoms have been around along time and will be far into the future. It's also great to see like you mentioned new people coming into an older fandom or discovering it for the first time and helps bring new life into the fandom. :)

[svgurl]

For sure! There will be new fandoms popping up all the time and some really hit it off but it is nice to see the older fandoms with staying power and the chance of resurgence with the seemingly dead ones. :

[silveradept]

We can hope that AO3 and DW, or things that are like them, will persist into the future, because there's all those people who are just now discussing things we've loved for a very long time. If only they would come over and say hi.

[svgurl]

I totally agree! I know AO3 is a little more well known and DW is a bit different for people not used to this type of platform, but it would definitely be nice if people knew that it existed and would stop by. It is definitely one of the best places to have real conversations and if it isn't around, I hope there is something like it in the future. :D

[barbaratp]

I like your optimism. I also want AO3 and DW to continue. They are one of the few platforms where I still have some kind of interaction. But I'm worried about how fandoms have closed themselves off to new people.

[svgurl]

I think AO3 will be fine and I also prefer DW, because it is easier to have conversations. I don't agree that fandom doesn't accept new people. There are always be gatekeepers but most people realize that we need new people to continue to thrive and exist.

[barbaratp]

Some fandoms don't accept changes or what's new. I speak this from my own experience. Few are those who understand the evolution of things. And yes, there is always that shining being of light for us to open the doors to new fandoms and take us there. Thank the gods for these guides.

[svgurl]

That sucks and makes sense. Some are more dramatic and stubborn than others (though all fandom can be kinda dramatic). Change is tough in general too, which is why a lot of us who were in the LJ peak era/forums/etc sometimes have had a tough time adapting to how fandom operates/are still nostalgic while a lot of others switched easier. All we can do is find like minded people to hang out with online. I would rather stick in small circles and do my own thing these days.

[barbaratp]

I'm trying to create my circle because before I was very active on Facebook and in a single fandom that I'm no longer a part of. kinda lost my fannish house.

[svgurl]

Got it. I've been a single fandom person and it is hard when you move on.

[barbaratp]

Very true